MEGFOA’s Winter Training Webinar

Sponsored by: Maine Government Finance Officers Association
Date: 2/27/2025
Location: Remote Access – Live Webinar via ZOOM
Time: Sign-On: 8:45am-9:00am; Webinar: 9:00am-2:30pm
Presenter(s): Reggie Parson, Deputy Director of Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave; Charles Pye, Senior Client Experience Manager, Tyler Technologies and Brian Hackett, Product Manager, Research & Development, Harris Local Government; Betsy Oulton, President, HR Maine Consulting; Todd Buikema, Assistant Director, GFOA’s Technical Services Center; and Ann Freeman and Matthew Tarasevich, Attorneys, Bernstein Shur.
Cost: $25 (members and non-members)

Training for: General Assistance, Manager

Course Information:

8:45am – 9:00am         Zoom Connect Time

9:00am – 9:50am        State of Maine- Maine Paid Family Medical Leave Portal Overview
Representatives from the State of Maine- Paid Family Medical Leave Division will provide an overview of the reporting portal, where employers will register, provide employee pay reporting, and submit quarterly reports and payments.

Presenter: Reggie Parson, J.D., MPA, Deputy Director of Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave

Reggie Parson currently serves as Deputy Director for the Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave Program with the Maine Department of Labor. Prior to his current role, he served as legislative staff in the House Majority Office and for two former Maine House Speakers from 2019 to 2023. He has a Master of Public Administration from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and a Juris Doctor with a Pro bono publico Award with distinction from the University of Maine School of Law.

9:50am – 10:00am       Break

10:00am – 10:50am    Tyler/Trio- Maine Paid FML Reporting Functionality Overview
Representatives from Tyler and Trio will provide an overview of the functionality in their systems for producing the quarterly wage and remittance reporting required for the Maine Paid FML program.

Presenters: Charles Pye, Senior Client Experience Manager, Tyler Technologies, and Brian Hackett, Product Manager, Research & Development, Harris Local Government

Brian Hackett started working on the TRIO team in 2012 as a TRIO Support Specialist, and is currently the Product Manager for the TRIO suite of applications.

10:50am – 11:00am     Break

11:00am – 11:50am    Leave Policy Roundtable
Betsy Oulton from HR Maine Consulting will discuss employee leave policy changes anticipated from this new program. Following this overview, she will facilitate a discussion around employee leave policy changes stemming from the Maine Paid FML program. We would like to hear from our attendees on how and what changes they are implementing.

Presenter: Betsy Oulton, AIC, SHRM-CP, PSHRA-SCP, President of HR Maine Consulting Betsy Oulton is an experienced HR Director, Risk Manager and Trainer for both public and private employers providing crucial human resource management services.  She started HR Maine Consulting, LLC in January of 2017, and has worked with a number of Maine municipalities, school districts, counties, and quasi-municipalities since its inception.

HR Maine Consulting’s mission is to provide Maine public and private employers with the tools, training, and knowledge that will empower employees to perform in the most effective and efficient manner. This is accomplished by establishing, administering, and communicating sound policies and practices that treat employees with dignity and respect while maintaining compliance with applicable laws, policies, and regulations.

11:50am – 12:10pm     Break

12:10pm – 1:00pm     GASB Statement No. 101, Compensated Absences
In this session GFOA will explain Statement No. 101 Compensated Absences and give examples of how to calculate the liability.

Presenter: Todd Buikema, Assistant Director, GFOA’s Technical Services Center

Todd Buikema is the Assistant Director for Publications in GFOA’s Technical Services Center (TSC), and is the co-editor of GFOA's Governmental Accounting, Auditing, and Financial Reporting (GAAFR).  Todd also is a trainer for GFOA’s national training courses and webinars, in the areas of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and internal controls. Todd came to the GFOA with more than 19 years of experience in governmental accounting, auditing, and financial reporting. Immediately prior to joining the GFOA staff, Todd served for five years as Assistant Financial Controller at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, one of the largest community colleges in the country. Before that, he obtained 14 years of experience in public-sector auditing, first as a manager at PTW, and then as a senior manager in the Public Sector Services section of Crowe LLP. Todd received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Calvin University. He is a licensed certified public accountant (CPA) in the state of Illinois and a member of both the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Illinois Society of CPAs.

1:00pm – 1:30pm        Break

1:30pm – 2:30pm       1ST Amendment Audits
Ann Freeman and Matthew Tarasevich from Bernstein Shur will discuss first amendment audits that occur at municipalities and provide some helpful information on how to prepare your staff, should one occur at your municipality. 

Presenters: Ann M. Freeman and Matthew Tarasevich, Attorneys, Bernstein Shur

Ann M. Freeman is a Shareholder and member of the firm’s Municipal and Governmental Services Practice Group and the Labor and Employment Practice Group. Ann regularly advises both public and private sector clients on a variety of labor and employment matters with an emphasis on preventing problems before they arise wherever possible. Ann also defends her clients in grievances, arbitrations, and hearings before the Maine Labor Board, the Maine Human Rights Commission, and in state and federal courts.

2:30pm MEGFOA Board meeting

 

Training valid for 5 CPE Hours

CPE Certificate: 
Continuing Professional Education Certificates will be emailed to all attendees within one week following the class. 

Cancellation Policy:
Cancellations must be submitted using this Cancellation form to cancel your registration for an event. Cancellations received on/after 2/25/25 will be charged a $15 cancellation fee. If you have any questions, please contact the Educational Services Office at (800) 452-8786 or (207) 623-8428.

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