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Transit Finance Learning Exchange

Advancing the Training and Development of Transit Professionals in Finance


The Fall 2008 TFLEx Workshop will be held in Boston, MA, hosted by the
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) on September 8th and 9th,
with the business meeting on the 7th.
NOTE: The date for the business meeting is revised from the orginal date. The business meeting is now Sunday, Sept 7th.

Host Hotel - Boston Park Plaza Hotel and Towers

This hotel has recently undergone major renovations and we are getting a very
good room rate of $169 per night. The rate is good from September 3-12, so plan
on staying and seeing a little history in Boston.

Click here for the hotel registration web site.

The registration fee for the workshop is $125.
    [REGISTER NOW]

Photo: Boston from the Boston University Bridge. Credit Flickr by Ja chega

Transit-Finance Learning Exchange invites you to attend

Capital Planning and Programming
Succession Planning

(Field of Study: Finance)
September 8-9, 2008
September 7, 2008 - Business Meeting
NOTE: the business meeting is on a SUNDAY (revised)

Program Content/Learning Objectives

As infrastructure costs increase and grant funding decreases, it is incumbent on finance professionals to become a part of the solution in finding ways to continue to fund and construct major capital projects. It is also important that finance executives recruit and retain the best talent available to ensure that the next generation of transit finance professionals is ready for the challenges they will face. This workshop will concentrate on capital programming issues at the local and federal levels and make participants aware of how those issues will affect their continued ability to fund capital projects. Participants will also learn the issues in dealing with succession planning as it relates to brining along the next generation of transit finance professionals. After attending this conference, participants will be able to:

  • Understand how different transit agencies are developing criteria for their Capital Improvement Programs to maximize return on investment.
  • Understand how the Federal Transit Administration sees its role in helping transit agencies successfully fund and complete capital projects.
  • Understand how Generation X and Generation Y are fundamentally different from the current generation of finance professionals and the benefit they can bring to the industry.
  • Understand how important good succession planning can be to their agency in ensuring continuity in multi-year capital programs.
  • Identify and share best practices through "Needs & Leads"

Group-Live Delivery Method
Program Level: Advanced
Pre-Conference Reading Material Provided
No Prerequisites*
Earn 13 CPE credits

* This program is at an advanced level of continuing education. Although no prerequisite course or work experience is needed to participate in this program, working knowledge of finance and transportation practices and policies is required, as well as knowledge of the program topic.

To register for this course, contact, Irene Demers, at 214-749-2630 or visit our Web site, www.tflex.org. For more information regarding refund, complaint and program cancellation policies, please contact Irene Demers at 214-749-2630.

Transit-Finance Learning Exchange (T-FLEx) is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be addressed to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors, 150 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 700, Nashville, TN, 37219-2417. Website: www.nasba.org

Sunday, Sept 7th
Business meeting
2:00 - 5:00 pm		 Monday, Sept 8th
8:00 - 5:00 pm Conference Session
6:00 pm Group Dinner/Outing		 Tuesday, Sept 9th
8:00 - 5:00 pm Conference Session

About Our Host

The MBTA is the oldest and fifth largest transit system in the country, operating subway, trackless trolley, trolley, bus, water ferry, and commuter rail service throughout eastern Massachusetts. The Authority is responsible for an estimated 1.1 million passenger trips every business day and operate over 46 miles of rapid transit rail routes. Streetcars and light rail vehicles on 33 miles of additional rail routes also provide Service. The Authority owns more than 1,000 buses that cover routes totaling 710 miles. The MBTA's commuter rail service operates over 440 units of passenger rail equipment providing service between Boston and 125 outlying rail stations. In addition, the MBTA provides a broad range of other passenger services including commuter boats, express buses, and "The Ride" which services the elderly and disabled.

Dress Code

A casual dress code is encouraged at all events.

Registration Information

Hotel

Host Hotel - Boston Park Plaza Hotel and Towers

This hotel has recently undergone major renovations and we are getting a very good room rate of $169 per night. The rate is good from September 3-12, so plan on staying and seeing a little history in Boston.
Click here to register at the hotel.


[REGISTER NOW]

Workshop Fee

The registration fee for the workshop is $125.

For more information regarding refund, complaint and program cancellation policies, please contact Irene Demers at 214-749-2630.

To complete your registration, mail a check for $125 per participant to:
Dallas Area Rapid Transit
Attention: Sharon Leary
POBox 660163
1401 Pacific Avenue
Dallas, Texas 75266-7243

Make check payable to "TFLEx"

Day One
Sunday, September 7, 2008		 Please note that attendance at the business meeting is a must for at least one representative of member agencies. Representatives must be authorized to speak for their agency during the meeting.
2:00- 5:00 PM Meeting Agenda:
  1. T-FLEx financial status/budget update
  2. Proposed new bylaws
  3. Outline plans for Spring 2009 workshop and determine sites for future workshops
  4. Membership growth strategies, status, and prospects
  5. Follow up items/assignments
Day Two
Monday, September 8, 2008
8:00 AM Continental Breakfast
8:30 - 9:00AM Welcome and Review of Meeting Objectives
Joe Costello, T-FLEx Leadership Committee/CFO RTA of Northeastern Illinois, welcomes participants.
Daniel Grabauskas, General Manager of the MBTA, welcomes workshop participants and provides an overview of the agency's capital projects
9:00 - 10:15 AM Criteria for Prioritizing Capital Projects
State legislation in Illinois requires that the RTA in Chicago develop criteria to prioritize capital projects for the region consistent with the agency's strategic plan. Deputy Executive Director Grace Gallucci, is responsible for this activity and will present what the RTA has developed to date. Time is included for questions and answers.
10:15 - 10:30 PM Break
10:30 - 11:30 AM Industry Perspectives on Capital Planning
Members will discuss their agencies approach to capital planning in a round table format. Invited are Boston MBTA, Nashville MTA, and Las Vegas.
11:30 - 1:30 PM Lunch
1:30 - 2:30 AM Federal Perspective on Capital Planning
Boston is the headquarters for Region 1 of the Federal Transit Administration. Charles Passanisi from the regional office will discuss the FTA's role in funding capital projects and how they work with agencies on their capital programming.
2:30 - 4:45 PM
Time for break included		 Needs & Leads
Facilitated discussion of learning & development needs and business practices that others can emulate.
4:45 PM Wrap-up Day One
6:00 PM Group Dinner/Outing
Day Three
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
8:30 AM Continental Breakfast
9:00 - 10:00 AM TFLEx - The Next Generation
Aida Douglas of Capital Metro in Austin, TX and a member of the 2007 Leadership APTA class will give a presentation on Generations X and Y. She will also lead a question and answer session.
10:00 - 11:30 AM
Time for break included		 Succession Planning/Recruiting Invited HR professionals will discuss the benefits of developing a good succession planning model for finance departments. The issue of finding and recruiting the best talent will also be part of the discussion.
11:30 AM- 1:30 PM Lunch
1:30 - 3:00 PM Long Term Prospects of Fuel Costs
A representative from Morgan Stanley will discuss oil prices, production, trading and hedging as it relates to fuel. A facilitated discussion will follow with agencies sharing their best practices related to diesel and CNG.
3:00 - 3:15 PM Break
3:15 - 4:15 PM Status Reports
Website
Transit 101/201
Budget and Grants SIG
Time allowed includes Q&A
4:15 - 4:45 PM Wrap-up Day Two and Overall Workshop Evaluation

TFLEx Special Interest Groups


All three SIGs are scheduled to kick-off in January 2006, so please join now!
At the Chicago Conference the members agreed to establish some special interest groups among our membership. A special interest group is a community with a particular interest in a specific technical area. It is usually abbreviated SIG. Members of a SIG cooperate to produce solutions, identify trends and resources (or work through common frustrations) within their particular area.

TFLEx is starting with three SIGs, Budgets, Grants, and Information Technology, to try out the concept and see what kind of response we receive. If these first three groups are successful, we will try some more early next year.

Who are the targeted users to be in the SIG? Any TFLEx website user that deals with this technical area as part of their job responsibilities.

How much time will it take? To get started, each member will have to set up a website account, answer emails and postings from other users, and to check the website occasionally. The time involved should be minimal. The group may decide to work on some special projects, like surveys or best practice white papers, but that is up to the members.

How will the members benefit? Every SIG member will be familiar with the other members, so that they know who to call if they need something, and more importantly that they feel comfortable enough to contact them.

How does someone join? First they have to have a website account. Go to http://www.tflex.org/start.asp?switch=registernow and complete the form there. Your account will be activated within a day or two. Once you have access to the account, open you profile by clicking the "My Account" link in the upper right had corner. Click the "Edit SIGs" button below your "business card." Check the SIG you wish to join, Budgets, Grants, or Information Technology from the list, and then click the "Save special interest groups" button at the bottom of the page.

When will this start? The groups are always taking new members. Contact the group leaders (listed below) to sign up now! The group leaders are:
Budgets - Gary Kirkman
Grants - Steve Schindel
Information Technology - Milton Stanley

Any questions? Contact Ray Garton (see his profile in the directory, we do not list email address and phone numbers on public web pages to reduce spam).


TFLEx Accomplishments

Bi-Annual Workshops

TFLEx members meet twice annually to share best practices and "needs and leads," learn from industry experts and work together to develop and maintain the ongoing TFLEx Business Plan. These are facilitated workshops where all members are able to participate in roundtable discussions.

Training and Professional Development

TFLEx members identified a need to educate finance staff in the field of transit without extensive costs. Transit 101 was developed as a web-based instructional tool to bring information regarding the transit field to the desktops of staff members whether in finance or other departments. Modules deployed to date include Federal, State, and Local Funding; Procurement; Paratransit Operations: Fare Policy; and Regulatory Framework. Others are in development with a total of 26 planned.

Financial Operations Best Practices

Sharing management tools such as benchmarking, activity-based costing, process mapping, balanced scorecard, key performance indicators, and best practices has been an ongoing activity of members attending the bi-annual workshops. Transit systems taking the lead in these practices share their successes and "opportunities" with their fellow members.

Website Services

Membership in TFLEx provides access to entire TFLEx website. Here members share such information as:

  • Posting of templates for finance policy and procedure manuals, RFPs, MOUs, etc.
  • "Needs and leads" forum, members post questions that they are researching and request any available information from other members.
  • Workshop agendas and presentations.
  • Information directory of all TFLEx member contracts.
  • Members have access to the complete website, while visitors may only view certain areas.

TFLEx Membership

TFLEx has a goal of 30-35 members. While membership is filling up fast, we still have room for additional members. Annual membership dues are determined by agency size

Membership includes attendance at the twice yearly workshops for a nominal fee. Click here for more information on how to join.
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