Dear Colleagues,

I want to start by wishing you a happy new year! As most of you experience this time of year, many accounting and finance professionals bury their heads in annual closings, reconciliations and audit requests. The faint glimmer of a warm spring and family summer vacations start to appear.

The local chapter of the IMA has not had a monthly dinner meeting since November, but that does not mean we have not been active. In December, a group of volunteers donated their time working at the Magical Forest, which supports Opportunity Village. This was a great way for members and friends of the IMA to get into the holiday spirit, while supporting Southern Nevada's favorite Charity. In January, the chapter sponsored an informal pizza social bringing together professionals and students to discuss careers in accounting and finance. This was a successful event in sharing career experiences and advice with students. We have also gained the interest of several students who have become members of the IMA! To you new members, I welcome you!

On Tuesday, February 7th, we will have our next dinner meeting. We are lucky to have Phil Robertson of Lockbox, come speak to us about Cloud Computing. Not only will we learn what Cloud Computing is, but how it will change the way business is conducted and the risks associated with Cloud Computing. Phil has a career focused in Enterprise Software and a diverse background across vertical markets with high profile channel partners in Healthcare, Government, Banking and Financial along with the Entertainment and Media industries. A graduated of the University of San Diego, Phil has held senior positions at companies including; Harris/Lanier, GRiD Systems, Contel Business Systems, Open Directory (another Australian startup, first acquired by Platinum Technology and subsequently by Computer Associates) and iKnowledge, Inc. which was acquired by Avid.

Please RSVP for this event at the Chapter’s website IMALVC.com or by joining the LinkedIn group and attending the event posted. As always, these events are very informative, qualify for CPE and a great networking event. I look forward to seeing you on February 7th!

Gary A. Vecchiarelli, President

president@imalvc.com