CALUMET ACCOUNTANT The Official Publication of the Calumet Chapter IMA –081 Hammond Serving Northwest Indiana and the South Chicago Suburbs

VOLUME 67 ISSUE 11 APRIL 2012

this issue

President’s Message 2

Board of Directors 3-4

Webinar: Advanced Team Skills 5

Personal Development 6-8

Upcoming Events 9

The IMA and the CMA 10-14

Dear Friends:

Recently I was outside a local business and noticed a large crowd waiting by a van parked outside

the business. The van belonged to another company called Flirty Cupcakes. Flirty Cupcakes is a

Chicago based business and you can hire them for corporate or private events. They sell cupcakes

from their van, and will come right out to your business door. I saw this van in February and I was

with my company’s HR administrator. The company sponsoring the event told us that it was very

successful but thought that the spring or summer would be a better season. It turns out that

Flirty Cupcakes was inspired by memories of an ice cream truck in the summer. The owner re-

called those days of excitement as a child waiting for the ice cream truck to come by and decided

to create something for adults to be able to experience a similar excitement. It seems that Flirty

Cupcakes is reaching this goal.

I am amazed that there is such buzz about cupcakes. In March I read an article about a cupcake

ATM to be opened at Sprinkles in Beverly Hills California, and eventually there would be cupcake

ATMS in 10 different locations. You simply insert your funds and a cupcake will come out. The

cupcake ATM will charge $4 per cupcake and only credit or debit cards will be accepted. The se-

lection of cupcakes will be changed on a daily basis but the most popular will remain and be avail-

able every day.

As we approach the end of the 2011-2012 chapter year we have an opportunity to examine how we

keep you satisfied with your membership benefits in the Calumet Chapter of the IMA. I firmly be-

lieve we offer excellent technical speakers on topics of interest to you and look forward to hearing

your input of topics, speakers, and locations for our next chapter year. I also hope you mark your

calendar to save the date of May 15, 2012 for our final meeting of the 2011-2012 featuring Chuck

Carlson. I would have never thought of the ways of distributing cupcakes but together with your

help we can bring the enthusiasm of the Calumet Chapter to even more accountants and finance

professionals in business.

Regards,

Mark T. Camarena, CMA

President, Calumet Chapter IMA

Visit us online at http://www.imacalumet.com

630.530.6707 (W)

e-mail me anytime markt@550access.com

Message from Mark T. Camarena, President

Administration and Finance

Special Activities Director

Director in charge of coordinating special events

AV Tech Director

Director in charge of locating, setting up, and running audio and visual components for special events

and meetings

Communications and Community Relations

Social Media Director

Director(s) in charge of website maintenance, Facebook and Linkedin maintenance

Community Relations Director

Director in charge of community outreach and coordinating community service for the Chapter

Chapter Historian

Director in charge of maintaining chapter documents, newsletters, roster books, and other relevant me-

dia

Education and Professional Development

CPE Director

Director in charge of CPE certificate maintenance and record keeping

CMA Director

Director in charge of coordinating sponsor discounts for CMA candidates and encouraging members to

take the CMA exam

Academic Relations Director

Director in charge of communicating with area professors about the IMA and the Chapter, and promoting

and coordinating the Chapter as guest speakers for classes and accounting groups

Open Board Positions

Be a part of something exceptional. The Board of the Calumet Hammond 081 Chapter is always in search

of great talent. Joining the Board is an excellent opportunity for you to showcase your talent and build

your professional network. Don't hesitate, join today and help build our Chapter into something brilliant.

Please contact Mark Camarena at markt@550access.com or Richard Mielcarz at mycarz17@aol.com for

further information.

Calumet Chapter IMA

http://www.imacalumet.com

IMA Calumet

Institute of Management Accountants-Calumet Chapter

Officers and Directors 2011—2012

Mark T. Camarena - President 630-530-6707 (w) markt@550access.com Jim Spice - Secretary 815-933-0491 (w) jaspice@citykankakee-il.gov Deb Heim - Treasurer 630-378-6308(w) debra.heim@patterson_medical.com Adolph Ferber - Vice President of Administration 219-322-5848 (h) adolphferber@att.net Richard Mielcarz Vice President of Communications and New Member Chair 708-799-6234 (h) mycarz17@aol.com Bill Biller - Vice President of Professional Education 219-765-3587 (h) biller6625@comcast.net Anthony Fontana Vice President of Membership Retention 708-534-5000 ext 5494 (w) afontana@ameritech.net Wes Christensen - Corporate and Academic Development 708-687-9087 weswchristensen@comcast.net

Yolanda Peoples - Director of Member Participation

Yolandapeoples.imacalumet@gmail.com

Al Zurawski Director of Employment and Chapter Photogra-

pher 219-477-4488 ext 222 (w) al@okaya.com

Warren Cebulko - Director of Program Rosters 312-808-3890 (w) wcebulko@yahoo.com Dr. Heikki Heino - Director of Manuscripts 708-367-0034 (w) heikkimtheino@gmail.com Brian Guse - Director At Large 219-362-1531(w) bguse@nyb.com Kyle Jones - Director Of Public Relations 219-616-6606 kyljones@comcast.net John Kitzmiller - Newsletter Director 708-923-0558 jkitzmiller2@comcast.net Adam O’Hare - Associate Director, Membership Growth and Retention, adamcohare@hotmail.co.jp Alan Arendt - Assistant Treasurer

Interested in joining the board?

The Calumet Hammond Chapter is always looking for new talent, consider joining and showcasing yours! Please consult page two and find

something that will make you stand out and be heard.

Abstract Circuit board, Simon Osborne www.threadless.com

Advanced Team Skills

Date: Tuesday, April 24, 2012

1:00 PM Eastern Daylight

Time

CPE Credit: 1.5 hr

Price: Free Field of Study: Personal De-velopment Research Area of Practice: Business Performance Man-agement Program Level: Overview Program Prerequisites: None Instructional Method: Group- Internet Advance Preparation: Download participation guide Offered by the IMA - www.imanet.org

Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) 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 author-

ity 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. Web site:www.nasba.org

Webinar: Advanced Team Skills

Most likely, you are a member of several teams—at work, in your community, in

your school, or elsewhere. Do you want to be a better team member or lead a more

productive team? This course focuses on the stages of team development, contribu-

tions to healthy team development, and team rules of conduct.

Learning Objectives: After this webinar, attendees will be able to:

• Analyze the four stages of team development with their characteristics.

• List examples of team leader behaviors and member characteristics for each

stage of team development.

• Describe mistakes that teams frequently make and how to avoid them.

• Develop a list of rules of conduct to use with teams.

Offered by the IMA, go to: http://tinyurl.com/7ow7uqs after logging into the IMA website.

Time Is On Your Side by Melissa Leonard, CMA Product Manager

Do you have feedback on what you have read or suggestions on future topics? Maybe you

are studying for the exam or have recently passed and want to share tactics you used. Email

Gleim at imachapters@gleim.com with your comments..

Melissa Leonard Gleim Publications, Inc.

Chapter Coordinator 4201 NW 95th Blvd. , Gainesville, FL 32606

melissa.leonard@gleim.com 800.847.5346 ext. 131 (ph) / 352.375.6940 (fx)

"I don't have the time." "My family takes up

all my time in the evenings." "I get too tired

at night to study." "It's busy at the office at

this time of the year." Does this sound fa-

miliar? If you are a CMA candidate, chances

are you have previously uttered some varia-

tion of one or more of these statements.

Unfortunately, there isn't a "one size fits

all" solution to these hurdles. Start by being

honest with yourself. What sacrifices are

you willing to make to add value to your

professional life? What times of the day are

you the most productive? Does a quiet or

busy study space work better for you?

On average, candidates should dedicate 10-

20 hours per week studying for the CMA

exam. Therefore, you will need to deter-

mine what time-consuming activities can

temporarily be given up or deferred until

after you have completed the CMA exam.

These sacrifices can be anything, like giving

up your favorite morning talk show for a

couple of months or not going out to dinner

with friends as often.

When I started preparing for Part 1, I made

a point to tell my friends I couldn't go to as

many of our weekly functions because I

needed to prepare for the CMA exam. They

were very understanding and sometimes

kept me on track because they would make

sure to ask how my studies were going. I

was sad to miss out on the events, but the

sacrifice was well worth it when I could tell

my friends I had passed Part 1.

Once time has been carved out, you must

determine when is the best time to study.

Many people are most productive early in

the morning, when they are fresh and usu-

ally not disturbed. This time of day might be

good for working parents. They can get up

before the children start their day and get a

solid hour or two of undisturbed study

time. An added benefit is that you complete

your CMA review first each day, not later as

a last priority. Others might prefer to study

at night. Late hours after friends, family, or

roommates are no longer around to distract

you for whatever reason. Again, you must

be the one to determine when the best and

most productive time to study is for you.

Ultimately, if you are honest with yourself

and set up a regular schedule with clear

objectives, you will get into a routine and

find that you can manage your time effec-

tively.

Share your success! I would like to

hear how you passed the CMA exam.

Email Melissa Leonard, your Chapter

C o o r d i n a t o r a t i m a c h a p -

ters@gleim.com with your questions

and feedback.

Gleim is committed to helping you ac-

complish your goal of passing the exam

and becoming a CMA. Your Calumet

IMA Chapter has partnered with Gleim

to ensure your success on the CMA

exam! Working together, we will pro-

vide you the necessary tools to prepare

for this difficult exam.

As a Calumet Chapter member, you

receive significant discounts on the

Gleim CMA Review materials and

Gleim CPE. Contact Melissa Leonard at

800.874.5346 ext . 131 or

melissa.leonard@gleim.com to take

advantage of the offer or if you have

any questions.

Gleim Publications has been helping candidates pass the CMA exam since 1980, with the most cost-

effective system combining books, Test Prep CD-Rom, audios, Gleim Online, and a Personal Coun-

selor to GUARANTEE your success on the CMA exam.

Gleim is a proud sponsor of the Calumet Hammond Chapter of the IMA and not only donated the

above certificate, but also offers chapter members a 20% to 32% discount on all CMA study materi-

als, as well as Gleim CPE, including the new ethics course. Contact Melissa Leonard

at melissa.leonard@gleim.com or call 1-800-874-5346 x 131 for further information.

2011-2012 Schedule

About Our Meetings

Registration: Registration for all events starts at 6:00pm and the meetings begin promptly at 6:30pm.

Cost to Attend: Unless otherwise noted, the cost for IMA Members and guests to attend meetings is

$30/per event and $15/per event for college students. There are two value-priced events.

Wednesday April 25, 2012

This event has been cancelled.

Friday April 27, 2012

A tour of the CME Group in Downtown Chicago with a “Go Dutch lunch”. If you have a sugges-tion on which part of the trading floor you would like to tour, please email Tony Fontana at afontana@ameritech.net

Tuesday May 15, 2012

Stock Market Outlook Chuck Carlson will look into his crystal ball and lend us his expertise on the outlook for the market. This will be at Theo’s Restaurant, 9144 Indianapolis Boulevard Highland Indiana. Spouses/guests are welcome. This evening’s finale will be “The Passing of the Gavel” by President Mark Camarena.

The Institute of Managerial Accountants (IMA) represents more than 60,000 accountants and financial professionals worldwide. The majority of these professionals work inside businesses and organiza-tions. They comprise the essential elements of financial management, organizational development, integrity, ethics and governance, and short and long term business goal management.

The Certified Management Accountant Credential (CMA) offered by the IMA is an advanced profes-sional certification that reflects the necessary accounting and financial management skills demanded in today’s business environment.

The CMA exam was first offered in 1972. Today over 30,000 accountants and financial professionals have earned this highly recognized and global title.

Professionals who have earned the CMA hold key management roles at top multinational firms and offer their companies the real world relevance, critical knowledge, and leadership abilities to compete in today’s dynamic global business environment.

For further information please contact Richard Mielcarz Vice President of Communications and New Member Chair 708-799-6234 (h), epost: mycarz17@aol.com or Wes Christensen - Corporate and Aca-demic Development, 708-687-9087, epost: weswchristensen@comcast.net.

CMA:

The Essential

Credential

Member Profile

How Do I Update My Member Profile at the IMA?

It's as easy as 1,2,3 to update your member profile at the IMA Website.

1. Go to the IMA website at www.imanet.org and log into your account .

2. Login with your member number and passcode. If you lost your

member number or don't know it, email Dick Mielcarz

at mycarz17@aol.com and he will forward it to you. If you have

never registered on the site, then the initial password is your last

name. You will be prompted to create a new password.

3. Click on the "My Profile" link next to your name at the top of the page and edit your pro-

file. Be sure to keep your information including any email changes current so we are better

able to keep you apprised of any Chapter happenings.

Source: Institute of Management Accountants, Inc. Montvale New Jersey www.imanet.org/ima_home.aspx

Source: The Institute of Managerial Accountants Inc, 10 Paragon Drive, Montvale, New Jersey

http://instituteofmanagementaccountants.hqcampaign.com/ps/7-21-2011-cmaconnection-cmanotes?

hq_e=el&hq_m=1053863&hq_l=10&hq_v=f7c6811596

http://www.youtube.com/user/LinkUpIMA

The Institute Of Management Accountants YouTube Page

The IMA maintains a YouTube channel filled with videos addressing the CMA exam

process, CMA study guides and resources, coverage of the IMA Annual Conference,

and insights from IMA leaders. Be sure to visit the IMA YouTube channel for further

insight on the IMA and the CMA.