For most people, September marks a beginning; the beginning of school, the beginning of autumn, the beginning of sweaters. For those of us involved in the DoD comptroller mission, September marks an end; the end of the fiscal year, the end of the funding; the end of “normal” work days. As we prepare for fiscal year 2010, I hope that each of you will choose to start the fiscal year off right by attending our October chapter meeting. Our speaker, Ms. Terry Placek, leads the Army Comptroller Proponency Office. Whether you are at the beginning of your career, near the end of your career, or somewhere in the middle, there are always new and interesting professional development opportunities to consider. Business processes change as technology changes so we are all “life-long learners”. Even for those of us nearing retirement from government service, the knowledge and skills obtained from professional development opportunities may very well open doors for the next phase of our life. The Chesapeake Chapter endeavors to provide informative and timely professional development opportunities at every chapter meeting. You will find that a couple of hours of your time spent at these meetings may very well provide information, training, and/or networking that you never realized you needed! Don’t forget that the Enhanced Defense Financial Management Training (EDFMT) will be held on-site in March 2010. If you haven’t attended this course in the past, this would be a great opportunity to obtain this training without having to leave home! I look forward to seeing you soon at one of our meetings or activities!

Pat