2023 Annual Conference Update

Rich Lee, CSMFO President Elect, Finance Director, City of San Mateo

Rich Lee

Hello CSMFO membership. As President-Elect, I wanted to give you a brief update on some exciting developments for the 2023 Annual Conference happening January 31 to February 3, 2023 in Sacramento, CA:

With the support of the Host Committee and CSMFO staff, I get to add a personal touch to the conference by incorporating ideas that I am passionate about. Early on, I’m exploring the following themes:

Theme I: Support local charities

One of the issues that has been amplified over the past couple of years is how financially devastating the pandemic has been for those that are less fortunate. As local government finance professionals, we are in a position to help our neighbors, especially when the need is great, and that time is now.

Theme II: Go green

I am passionate about being Green and will be encouraging that CSMFO be Green in the design for this year’s conference in an effort to show our commitment to being environmentally conscious. My goal is to be able to redirect some of what would have been spent in paper and swag to local charities.

Theme III: Live in the moment

During the height of the pandemic, we were stuck all day behind computers and phones; at work and at home (and for most of us, the scenery didn’t change much between the two!). As a freelance musician and patron of the arts, one of my pet peeves is that with the return of live events, people are still spending a fair amount of time recording the events on their phones (and detracting the experience of those behind them). Didn’t we spend 18 months living behind our screens all day? Now that we have emerged from isolation, why would we want to experience life like that again?
There will be plenty of moments at the conference that will forge wonderful memories for each of us and I hope to incorporate my love for music into the week. So, resist the temptation to pick up your phone to record or livestream. Instead, enjoy the moment; be present; and remember how fortunate we all are to be in the same room with one another.

Philanthropy

After completing its due diligence efforts, which included review via Charity Navigator, an independent organization that evaluates nonprofit organizations, CSMFO will be supporting the following Sacramento nonprofits:

Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services is the largest nonprofit provider of basic human needs in Sacramento County. Their services include clothing, food, parent education, immigration legal help, refugee support, and utility help.

Sacramento Loaves & Fishes is the largest homeless service provider in Sacramento. They provide warm meals and essential survival supplies and services for nearly 1,000 adults and children daily.

My Sister’s House serves Asian and Pacific Islander and other underserved women and children impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking by providing a culturally appropriate and responsive safe haven, job training, and community services.

During the August 2022 Board of Directors meeting, the Board authorized contributing 5% of the 2023 annual conference commercial sponsorship revenue to the above nonprofit organizations. In addition, the Board authorized a matching contribution of up to $25,000 based on contributions from members and leadership. Stay tuned for a formal announcement in a few weeks for our primary fundraiser, the CSMFO 2022-23 Wellness Challenge.

In addition to financial support, we will also be holding a Day of Service on Tuesday, January 31, 2023 from 1:00 – 4:00 PM.  The Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services has room for up to 35 volunteers, and CSMFO Leadership stepped up and took 23 of the 35 available spots. If you would like to participate, please contact Rich Lee at rlee@cityofsanmateo.org to reserve your spot. Please note that the Day of Service runs concurrent with the pre-conference sessions and the social events (golf and pickleball). The site is approximately 15 minutes from the convention center, so volunteers will need coordinate transportation via carpools.

Thanks to a thoughtful suggestion from Boardmember Stephanie Reimer, CSMFO will further promote the philanthropy initiative with a silent auction. While details are forthcoming, we are actively seeking donations of common silent auction items, including wine baskets, new electronics, sports tickets, gift cards, and time shares. If you have an item that you can donate, please contact Rich Lee at the aforementioned email address.

Featured Speakers

Wednesday’s opening session will feature Brett Culp, an award-winning documentary filmmaker whose work inspires audiences to embrace and accept change, empower others, and spark innovation. His in-person and virtual keynotes leave audiences better equipped to master their leadership challenges.

Back by popular demand, Thursday’s featured speaker will be Chris Thornberg, founder of Beacon Economics LLC. Under his leadership, the firm has become one of the most respected research organizations in California; serving public and private sector clients across the United States. In 2015, Dr. Thornberg also became Director of the UC Riverside School of Business Center for Economic Forecasting and Development and an Adjunct Professor at the School.

Our closing session on Friday will feature Colette Carlson, a human behavior expert and CPAE Hall of Fame motivational keynote speaker who teaches audiences how to transform relationships through the power of connected conversations. Colette’s presentations weave together powerful life lessons, research-backed strategies, and the call to action for personal and professional success.

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Rich Lee has served local municipalities all throughout the San Francisco Peninsula over the past 17 years, including South San Francisco, Los Altos Hills, Millbrae, Foster City, and since January 2019, as the Finance Director for the City of San Mateo.

Rich was elected as President-Elect of CSMFO in October 2021. He has also served in other leadership roles, including Board Member, Chapter Chair, and Vice Chair of the Career Development Committee. In 2019, he was appointed to GFOA’s Ethics Committee.

Rich is also an active freelance bass trombonist and has performed with several artists, including Barbra Streisand, Peter Cetera, Gladys Knight, Bernadette Peters, and the San Francisco Opera Orchestra. He has also performed and recorded several albums with local jazz big bands

During the pandemic, Rich developed audio and video engineering skills and received two awards from Music In Place, a non-profit organization providing support to San Francisco Bay Area musicians to continue creating music while sheltering in place. His various isolation music projects are available on YouTube.