THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 22, 1996 TAG: 9608220372
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 71 lines
When Sammy Cohen left his job last winter as Currituck County Schools' finance officer, he cited a more in-depth and reader-friendly annual financial report among his accomplishments.
Others were impressed by it, too. This month Cohen, who now works for the Virginia Beach school system, was awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for his 1994-95 report.
The award, given by the 13,500-member Government Finance Officers Association in Chicago, Ill., is the organization's highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting.
``Its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management,'' wrote Stephen J. Gauthier, the director of the organization's Technical Services Center, which oversees the 50-year-old certification award program.
This was Currituck County's first year in the program, which requires a load of information - 75 pages worth in Currituck's case - beyond your basic balance sheet.
Dare County's public schools were singled out for the fifth year in a row.
The certification program - among the educational and professional services provided by the 90-year-old GFOA - aims to provide more than numbers to those interested in how taxpayers' money is spent.
``It means they've gone above and beyond what they need in terms of reporting information,'' said Yung Oh, a program associate with GFOA.
Cohen received some assistance from Becky Wescott in putting the report together. Wescott has earned the same certificate of excellence for five years while serving as finance officer for Dare schools.
Thus far, the two school systems are the only northeastern districts out of 34 North Carolina localities to receive the certification. But Oh said other applicants are still being evaluated.
Wescott, who came to the Dare County school system in March 1991, also earned the certification for three years while working in Kill Devil Hills.
``It's a lot of work, but it's worth it to me to look at the benefits of what's going on,'' Wescott said.
Two sections in particular draw out more than the perfunctory prose that can both bore and baffle financial report readers.
A ``letter of transmittal'' explains in layman's terms what happened the previous year. Statistical information in another section of the report includes 10 years' worth of data.
``The great thing about that is it helps you in planning. You see trends,'' she said.
From a public standpoint, the more comprehensive reports provide a better insight into government financing.
``It just helps people interpret information a lot easier than straight financial statements,'' said Bruce Miller, Cohen's successor in Currituck.
Miller became finance officer in February, after serving in the child nutrition and finance department of the Dare County Board of Education.
The 1982 James Madison University graduate, who also studied accounting at Elizabeth City State University, is the second certified public accountant to run the school's finance department. Cohen was the first.
W.R. ``Ronnie'' Capps, superintendent of the Currituck school system, said the financial reporting award is further evidence of continued recognition for the rural district.
In addition to its first financial reporting award, Currituck County High School's Dee Talley this month was named the state's School Nurse of the Year. The high school's hunting safety team also finished on top at a recent national competition.
And high school social studies teacher Becky Blanchard this summer won a $40,000 grant for computer equipment and Encarta software from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation. It will be used to enhance history lessons.
``I'm very proud of it and very proud of Sammy for the work that he did on it,'' Capps said of the most recent recognition.
``I think we're showing that there is room for exemplary performance in all aspects of the school system.'' by CNB