SDDC resource managers support military comptroller training event

By SDDC G8June 14, 2023

SDDC resource managers support military comptroller training event
Attendees from SDDC’s Resource Management directorate provided support to the American Society of Military Comptrollers Professional Development Institute event held in St Louis, Missouri 31 May 31 to 2 June. (Courtesy Photo) (Photo Credit: Courtesy) VIEW ORIGINAL

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. – Each year, American Society of Military Comptrollers holds the Professional Development Institute, its premier training event. This year, the event was hosted by the Land of Lincoln chapter and took place from May 31 to June 2 in St. Louis, Missouri and virtually.

ASMC is a non-profit educational and professional organization for persons, military and civilian, involved in military comptrollership. Military comptrollership includes all professions of financial management in Department of Defense and Coast Guard. ASMC was founded 75 years ago in San Antonio and has chapters around the world. Today, the National organization is in the Washington D.C. area.

The Land of Lincoln chapter supports the Scott Air Force Base and surrounding area. The local chapter provides networking opportunities and monthly training to earn continuing education certificates to maintain their Department of Defense financial managers certification. The local chapter hosted this year’s event, as it was held in St Louis.

“We gladly stepped up to embrace that challenge,” said Teri Specht, Land of Lincoln vice president. “Little did we know we would break records with this event. There was a total of 7,508 people who registered.”

The event provided 112 educational workshops and six plenary sessions, including General and Service Day sessions, mini-courses, and workshops that focused on multiple defense financial management competency areas. It also showcased individuals and teams recognized by ASMC for their excellent contributions to the field of Defense financial management. Two of the individuals who received ASMC Meritorious Performance awards were from SDDC-G8: Mr. Eric Bockhorn in the Auditing category and Ms. Teresa Gholston in the Finance category.

“Having the pleasure of being the vice president for the Land of Lincoln chapter, I was also afforded the opportunity to be the vice chair for the event,” said Specht. “This meant providing National with volunteers to help support the PDI and all attendees to achieve a pleasant experience at the PDI.”

When the call went out to all the organizations on Scott AFB, nine civilians and two federal contractors from SDDC’s Resource Management directorate stepped up to volunteer their support for the PDI. A total of 35 SDDC personnel attended as volunteers/attendees, both in-person and virtually. Volunteers included: Ms. Brenda Short, Ms. Alexis Deets, Ms. Elizabeth Cowgill, Ms. Kathy Rivers, Ms. Valerie Levin, and Mr. Byron Walsh all supported the Hospitality Committee. Ms. Pamela Anderson supported the Special Events Committee. Ms. Julee Couch and Mr. Dustin Young supported National in their merchandise hub. Ms. Estella McNaughton supported the event’s distinguished speakers while on the Protocol Committee.

Distinguished guests at the PDI included: Hon. Michael McCord, Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller/Chief Financial Offer U.S. Department of Defense); Michael Mehrman, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army, Deputy Director and Sr. Advisor; Robert Thurston, Director Army G-4 Enterprise Support; Lt. Gen. Paul Chamberlin, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Management and Comptroller), miliary deputy for budget; Nathan Colodney, Deputy Director of Cyber Security; Daniel Klippstein, assistant deputy chief of staff; Hon. Caral Spangler, assistant secretary of the Army (Financial Management and Comptroller); and Michael Ramsey, deputy assistant secretary of the Army Financial Operations and Information. USTRANSCOM-J8’s Ms. Jacqueline Benningfield, Director of Program Analysis and Financial Management, attended as a panel member. Additionally, SDDC’s Chaplain Sean Sullivan provided the invocation during the opening ceremony.

ASMC partnered with paws4vets, a subsidiary of paws4people, as the 2023 PDI charity. Paws4vets’ goal is transforming lives by placing assistance dogs with veterans with physical, neurological, psychiatric, or emotional disabilities. Because of the generous donations, paws4vets received $30,000 from ASMC to help provide service dogs to veterans.

Financial management personnel at Scott AFB interested in joining or learning more about ASMC’s Land of Lincoln chapter, can find more information at https://asmconline.org/membership/chapters/.