Thank you for your interest in the NAST Treasury Management Conference. Powerpoint presentations and handouts are available for download by clicking on the speaker's name. Sessions are divided up amongst the conference tracks, to find the session you are interested in please scroll down or use the menu below.

Banking, Cash Management & Investments

College Savings

Debt Management

Unclaimed Property

Financial Literacy and more

Banking, Cash Management & Investments
Pay it with Plastic!: The Use of Smart Cards/Debit Cards to pay government benefits
Many states have made the move towards using smart cards/debit cards as the means for dispersing government benefits. Learn about the efforts that go into implementing such a system. Session attendees will also discover more about the interaction that is required amongst the state agencies in charge of program oversight.
Speakers:
Joint Presentation: Angela Abernathy, Vice President - Strategic Alliances, Government Banking Division,US Bank & Dan Nemec, Vice President Electronic Financial Services, J.P. Morgan Chase and Company

Marianne Sullivan, Assistant Secretary of Labor, State of Louisiana

Nancy Dunphy, Director, Unemployment Division, New York State Department of Labor


Innovative Payment Services
One of the most talked about trends in state government is the movements towards efficiency and cost savings in terms of automating the payment process. Learn about the controls that are needed to successfully implement a system that minimizes paper and reduces processing costs. The session will cover case studies from very simple to some of the most complex.
Speakers:
Michael Berkowitz, Director, Payments Market Manager, Citigroup Global Transaction Services

Jeffrey Horowitz, Group Head, North American Cash Management, The Bank of New York


Tools to Enhance Cash Flow Forecasting
Effective cash flow forecasting can help consolidate and decrease idle cash, maximize returns on available cash and create more accurate and strategic long range financial plans. Learn the strategies, tools and best practices for more effective public sector cash flow forecasting.
Speaker:
Joseph Rulison, Senior Vice President, Northeast Market Representative, Bank of America

Securities Lending
Review the mechanics of securities lending including analysis of risk factors and measuring the rate of return. During this session fund managers will hear from panelist about the hot button issues in securities lending along with other aspects of concern to public fund portfolio managers.
Speakers:
Joseph Weinhoffer, Chief Executive Officer, Quadriserv

James Thorsen, State Street Securities Finance

Richard Bentsen, President, Richard B. Bentsen Corp.

Transition Management
As public funds transfer assets to new managers or asset classes, public fund managers are concerned with the stability of the fund during transition. Review the concepts necessary to eliminate any inefficiency in executing the investment decisions of the plan, reduce risks and portfolio volatility while preserving portfolio value.
Speakers:
Joint Presentation: Joe Martinez, CFA , Vice President, Northern Trust Transition Management
Christopher Barr, Transition Strategist Principal, Barclays Global Investors

Asset-Liability Matching
One of the biggest challenges confronting the public funds is managing the gap between the value and behavior of the funds assets and liabilities. This session will provide a review of the steps managers can take to balance their funds.
Speakers:
Drew Carrington, UBS Global Asset Management

David Braun, Senior Vice President, Hartford Investment Management

Monitoring Investment Performance: What are the Right Questions to Ask?
This session will cover how to conduct the proper analysis of managers and fund performance. Discussion will include the manager selection criteria and implementing a formal review process. Speakers:
Zoë Brunson, CFA , Director Standard & Poor's Investment Advisory Services LLC

Charles G. Turgeon, CFA, Client Executive Fund Sponsor Group, Mellon Analytical Solutions

 College Savings

Marketing 529 Plans
Program managers and plan administrators continue to develop marketing strategies and examine the effectiveness of these initiatives. This session will examine current trends in 529 plan marketing, including online marketing, customer segmentations and target marketing, emotional triggers, joint marketing of prepaid and savings plans, marketing in a competitive arena, and finding a niche.
Speakers:
 Tom Graf, Executive Director, Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority

 Taryn McCarthy, Senior Product Manager, Hartford Life

 Betty Lochner, Director, Guaranteed Education Tuition

 Nancy Stephens, Associate Director, College Illinois!

Evolution of Investment Options
Section 529 plans continue to add investment options in an effort to reach potential investors. This session will examine recent trends in the development of new saving plan options including, low-cost options, tactical asset allocations and Bank/CD options.
Speakers:
Jackie Williams, Executive Director, Ohio Tuition Trust Authority

Richard Davies, Executive Vice President, AllianceBernstein

Andrea Feirstein, Managing Member, AKF Consulting, LLC

The Role of Audits in 529 Plans
The panel will explore all levels of financial and program audits in 529 plans. Topics will include; the audit of the underlying mutual funds, the audit of the fund-of-funds portfolios, the audit of the overall trust, as well as SAS 70s - audits of procedures and other performance audits.
Speakers:
Patrick W. McKeon, Chief Compliance Officer, Upromise Investment Inc.

Lynne Ward, Associate Executive Director, Utah Educational Savings Plan

Cutting Edge Customer Service
The ability to provide user-friendly, quality customer service can mean the difference between enrolling new participants and retaining current accounts. This session will focus on how plans can improve their customer service experience through the use of electronic communications and will explore innovative opportunities by maximizing the Internet.
 Speakers:
 Heidi Auderer, Finance Manager, Guaranteed Education Tuition

 Amy Hamilton, Project Manager, West Virginia State Treasury

 Darla Puckel, Operations Manager, College Illinois!

Actuarial Roundtable
Prepaid tuition programs and their actuaries will participate in an advanced discussion regarding the pricing, deficits, premiums, and other critical variables that are reflected in the actuarial analysis of a prepaid tuition plan.
Speakers:
Joint Presentation:  Alan H. Perry, Actuary and Investment Consultant, Milliman, Inc. &
Robert Crompton, Consulting Actuary, Actuarial Resources Corporation


The New CSPN Website
The CSPN Network Relations Committee and Gold Bridge Partners Inc. will provide state administrators with an interactive look into the functionality and organization of the new web site and will provide an overview of how CSPN members will provide and maintain data about their Section 529 plans on the new website.
Speakers:
Joint Presentation: Gold Bridge Partners

Using Traditional Media and Creative Opportunities to Market 529 Plans
Recent changes to MSRB regulations have significantly changed the way that can market. This session will examine how the plans have been able to comply with regulations and maintain a traditional media strategy and will examine some unique strategies that are being implemented.
Speakers:
 Hon. Tim Berry, Indiana State Treasurer

Joan Marshall, Executive Director, College Savings Plans of Maryland

Laurent Ross, College Savings Manager, Calvert Group Ltd.

Contracting for College Savings Program Management
This session will focus on strategies that 529 plan administrators can utilize when drafting RFPs, conducting manager searches and negotiating contracts for program service providers.
Speakers:
Mary Anne Busse, Managing Director, Great Disclosure LLC
Tom Graf, Executive Director, Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority
Ken Roberts, Partner, Hawkins, Delafield & Wood
Len Weiser-Varon, Esquire, Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.

Legislative and Regulatory Changes for Section 529 Plans
During this session, conference participants will hear about recent federal legislative and regulatory changes for 529 plans and discuss how these changes will impact the operation of the plans.
Speakers:
James Canup, Attorney, Troutman Sanders LLP
Martha Haines, Securities and Exchange Commission
Kit Taylor, Executive Director, Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board


Debt Management
The OPEB Tidal Wave
Beginning next year, GASB 43/45 requires retirement systems and employers to disclose OPEB liability. This panel discussion will review how to report and possibly fund those liabilities, the implications on funding, accounting, credit ratings and disclosures. Panel will also review what funds across the country are doing to report and cope with the impacts of the new ruling –including what can be done to lessen the fiscal, debt and budgetary impacts the new ruling brings.
Speakers:
Lester Lennon, Managing Director, Stone & Youngberg

Parry Young, Director, Public Finance, Standard & Poor’s

David Rush, Senior Managing Director, Bear Stearns

Steven Goldfield, Senior Managing Director, Public Resources Advisory Group, Inc.

Hon. Nancy Kopp, Maryland State Treasurer

Navigating the Flat Yield Curve
Explore strategies for issuers to take advantage of a flat yield curve environment. Review ways to lower financing costs and mitigate risk, including the latest swap applications.
Speakers:
Nathan Flynn, William Blair & Company

Kemp Lewis, Goldman Sachs

Marty Margolis, Managing Director, Public Financial Management

Competitive Vs. Negotiated Bond Issuance
When should issuers issue by competitive bid and when is it advantageous to issue through negotiated sale? Explore both sides of the question and review the latest research.
Speakers:
Dr. Mark Robbins, University of Connecticut, Department of Public Policy

David Abel, Debt Management Director, Illinois Office of Management & Budget

Austin Tobin, President, Delphis Hanover

Hon. Michael Murphy, Washington State Treasurer

Institutional Buyers - Buy-Side Perspective on the Muni Market
A buy side explanation of the types of things institutional buyers look for when they invest.
Speakers:
Thalia Meehan, Putnam Investments

Robert Schonbrunn, Senior Portfolio Specialist, ING Investment Management

Rating Agency Review
In the wake of Sarbanes-Oxley and a recent push by Congress to regulate the rating agencies, session participants will review the changing landscape for the industry and consider the latest studies on state debt levels and new methodologies for rating issues.
Speakers:
Nicole Johnson, Moody’s Investors Services

Robin Prunty, Standard & Poor’s

Current Regulatory and Disclosure Environment
Review and discuss the latest regulatory issues confronting the municipal market.
Speakers:
Steve Chamberlin, Manager, Tax Exempt Bond & Compliance Unit, IRS

Martha Haines, Office of Municipal Securities, Securities and Exchange Commission

Christopher Taylor, Executive Director, Municipal Securities and Rulemaking Board

Arbitrage Rebate Compliance
Arbitrage rebate requirements create a complicated landscape of regulatory tax compliance requirements for bond issuers. With the IRS Tax-Exempt Bond unit’s recent focus on oversized tax and revenue anticipation notes and bond anticipation notes, yield burning and off-market derivatives, panelists will discuss current developments in arbitrage responsibilities, including temporary periods, yield restriction, spend-down safe harbors, etc.
Speakers:
Joint Presentation: David Panico, Robinson and Coe & Laurie Scott, Ernst and Young

Unclaimed Property

A special photo slide show presentation highlighting the events of the Unclaimed Property sessions is available online for viewing. Click here to view. Please press the arrow key to advance the presentation.

Miscellaneous Topics

Financial Accounting Foundation: Setting the Standard for Standards Setting
This session will review the mission and operations of the Financial Accounting Foundation, including its role in establishing and improving the financial accounting and reporting standards for companies and government organizations. Discussion will also cover recent GASB activities such as proposed reporting standards for government derivatives transactions.

The World Wide Web as a Financial Literacy Portal
This session will show state treasurers how to use the www.Tomorrowsmoney.org partnership site to its greatest potential. The audience is out there, you just need the right tools to grab reach the masses. Learn the best approaches to reaching as many of your state's residents as possible with information and encouragement guiding them to a more secure financial future.

Implementing Money Conferences
Learn the nuts and bolts of how to build and implement a financial education conference for the citizens of your state. From fundraising to lunch on the table--- hear from those that have provided this valuable service to taxpayers. Discover what was a hit and what was a miss with participants and implement those lessons learned into your next money conference ---which is an increasingly important outlet for constituent outreach.

Developing Adult Financial Education Programs
Financial education begins at home. Teach the parent and the whole household learns about the values of saving for the future. Hear from a number of state treasures who have implemented a variety of adult financial education programs. Gain an overview of those programs and learn tricks of the trade for implementing an adult orientated education program.