Premier OSU accounting conferences to be held in November

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

The Oklahoma State University School of Accounting in the Spears School of Business will present two premier conferences for accounting professionals at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Tulsa in November. The 6th annual Oil and Gas Accounting Conference on Nov. 11, 2010, from 1 to 5 p.m., and the 10th annual Accounting and Financial Reporting Conference on Nov. 12, 2010, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tulsa.

Each year, both conferences bring a variety of accounting leaders to Tulsa to discuss different topics of interest. The Oil and Gas Accounting Conference is endorsed by the Council of Petroleum Accountants Societies (COPAS), and the Accounting and Financial Reporting Conference is endorsed by the Financial Executives International (FEI).  Both conferences are coordinated by the OSU Center for Executive and Professional Development.

“The 2010 Oil and Gas Accounting Conference should be of interest to anyone with an interest in oil and gas accounting,” said Charlotte Wright, Spears School accounting professor and Lanny G. Chasteen Chair. “Past attendees asked for information relating to midstream accounting issues.  In response to those requests, this year’s conference will discuss issues relating to accounting natural gas liquids; an update of the latest income tax issues facing the industry; accounting regulatory environment relating specifically to oil and gas companies; and ethical issues involved with reserve reporting. The conference offers something for everyone.  We have an outstanding slate of speakers, topics of interest to a broad audience and CPE credit.”

The Nov. 11 conference will feature Dan Olds, senior vice president for Ryder Scott Company. Olds will discuss “Cowboy Ethics: What Wall Street Could Learn from the West.” Other conference presentations include “Natural Gas Liquids: The ‘Other’ Midstream,” by Jeff Husen, director of corporate accounting and SEC reporting for ONEOK, Inc.; “Tax Update,” by Trebor B. Nall, senior accounting manager of state and local tax for Chesapeake Energy; and “Inside the Mind of a Security Regulator,” by Jonathan Duersch, assistant chief accountant in the Office of the Chief Accountant of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.   

“The Accounting and Financial Reporting Conference has a great line-up of speakers this year,” said Don Herrmann, head of the OSU School of Accounting. “Similar to previous years, the morning provides an update on recent and proposed changes in reporting standards. This is especially important this year as there are so many important changes being proposed by the FASB/IASB. I am personally looking forward to the afternoon, where the sessions focus on accounting fraud and the many lessons we can learn.”

The Nov. 12 conference will feature Mike Starr, former Chief Operating Officer of Grant Thornton International, discussing “A Vision for the Auditing Profession,” and Elaine Dodd, vice president of the Fraud Division for the Oklahoma Bankers Association, discussing “A Banking Perspective of Accounting Fraud.” The conference also will feature Jim Leisenring, former board member of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), who will give an update about FASB and IASB activities. In addition, Dr. Phil Shane, professor of accounting at the University of Colorado, will discuss
“An Academic Perspective of Standard Setting,” and Irving Faught, administrator for the Oklahoma Securities Commission, will serve as the luncheon speaker. The afternoon sessions will be highlighted by a presentation titled “A Criminal’s Perspective of Accounting Fraud” from Sam Antar, who served time in federal prison for accounting fraud related to his position as Chief Financial Officer of Crazy Eddie Electronics.

“Both conferences offer Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits and target hot topics in the accounting profession,” said Wravenna Bloomberg, CEPD program coordinator.  “The continued success of the two conferences is due to the quality of speakers and in-depth subject matter, which bring participants back year after year.”

Registration for the Nov. 11 conference is $135 per person or $110 per person if participant is also attending the Accounting and Financial Reporting Conference.  Registration for the Nov. 12 conference is $260 per person if payment is received by Nov. 3 or $285 per person if payment is received after Nov. 3.

For more information or to register for the conferences or if you have questions,
please call 1-866-678-3933, or visit http://spears.okstate.edu/cepd/openenrollment/atp/oilandgas or email Wravenna Bloomberg, program coordinator at the OSU Center for Executive and Professional Development, at wravenna.bloomberg@okstate.edu.