Happy New Year fellow Akron Chapter IMA members! I hope you had a great holiday season with family, friends, and/or loved ones. But the new year also brings with it the standard resolutions to lose weight, spend more time with family, exercise more, and the like. Make this year a time to check out the chapter monthly meetings. We offer a wide variety of topics and I'm sure there is one of interest to you.

January is also the time when accountants are busy working on year-end closing, preparing for audits or gearing up for tax season. With that, we are again offering just a technical session on Wednesday, January 16th. Our guest speaker is John Pollara, IMA's 2007-2008 National Chair. Since this is the Chapter's 70th year, he will put into perspective the changes that have occurred with the organization over the years. John will also be speaking earlier in the day at FirstEnergy Corp, Kent State University and Davey Tree Expert Co. Note the time change for this special meeting.

It is not too early to think about spring. The chapter will again sponsor a golf outing, which supports our student chapters. You will be hearing more about this in the coming months.

Are you interested in becoming more active in the chapter? Need a resume boost? Becoming a board member is an excellent opportunity to achieve either of these goals. We are in the process of securing names for all the board positions for the 2008-2009 year. If you are interested or know someone who is interested, please contact Dean Hull at deanhull@sbcglobal.net.

Doreen Kuster
President
Akron Chapter IMA

Tangier Restaurant
January 16, 2008
(HEAVY HORS D'OEUVRES - 5:30 PM)
Short Technical Session - 6:15 PM

John B. Pollara, CMA
IMA National Chair 2007-2008

John B. Pollara, CMA, is Chair of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMAŽ). He is also the current Chair of the IMA Governance Committee.

John has long been associated with IMA, serving in such capacities over the years as local Chapter President, member of the National Board of Directors, National Committee Chairman, National Vice President, Chairman of the Board of Regents for the CMA Program, Conference Program Chair, and various ad hoc committees. John is frequently invited to speak at various IMA chapter meetings, seminars and trade events around the country.

John spent his management accounting career at Zieman Manufacturing Company in Whittier, Calif., a leading manufacturer of recreational and equipment- hauling trailers. Beginning with a part-time summer job while in college, John learned the business from the ground up. Over the years, John advanced in the company and acquired a significant ownership interest. He was named President in 1991 and Board Chairman in 1996. In 2004, he sold the company to Drew Industries. He is presently providing transitional consulting support to the company.

John has actively supported his community through his dedication and involvement as a member of the Whittier City Personnel Board, Whittier Host Lions Club, Whittier Citizens for Responsible Government, Skills for Adolescence Foundation, The Whittier College Board of Visitors and Cal Poly University Leadership Board. He has also served as a director of the National Bank of Whittier and McFarland Energy, a publicly traded corporation.

John holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration with a concentration in accounting from Cal Poly- Pomona. He was named to Cal Poly's Accounting Hall of Fame in 1995 and was named the Distinguished Alumnus of the College of Business Administration in 1999.

John and his wife, Jan, reside in Dana Point, Calif. They have two daughters, Marissa and Trisha and one granddaughter, Paige.

1/8/2008 ** Joint Meeting with ASWA *** Hilton Akron/Fairlawn
1/16/2008 ** No Pre-Tech ** Tangier Restaurant
2/20/2008 ** University of Akron Martin University Center
3/19/2008 *** Tangier Restaurant
4/16/2008 *** Tangier Restaurant
5/21/2008 *** Tangier Restaurant

The Certified Management Accountant (CMA) designation provides corporate management and individual Members with an objective measure of knowledge and competence in the field of management accounting.The CMA is an invaluable credential for professional advancement and for broadening professional skills and perspective.

For further information contact: E-mail Steve Law (at Home)

or E-mail Steve Law (at Work) or phone (330) 666-8395.

Akron chapter IMA was represented by three Youngstown State University students at the Eighth Annual Student Leadership Conference in Louisville, KY from November 8 - 10. Attending were Angela Duskey, Cecil Haynes, and Linnea Wooley. The YSU students enjoyed the opportunity to network with experienced practitioners, attend educational sessions, learn about industry trends, and the value of CMA certification. Keynote presenters included J. David Flanery, Senior VP, CFO and treasurer of Papa John's International; Rich Thomson, Senior VP and Chief Learning Officer of Ajilon Finance; and Richard Fern of Eastern Kentucky University. Students also enjoyed tours of the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory, the Muhamnmad Ali Center, the Kentucky Derby Museum, and Churchill Downs. Ken Bechtol

Please contact Roy Howarter if you have a job available or are looking for an employment opportunity.

Roy Howarter - Akron IMA Employment Director, 1- 800-321-5583

For a complete record of CPE earned at Akron chapter pre-tech, tech session and PD seminar meetings (from September 2000 through May 2007), go to the chapter website, akron.imanet.org, click on "Events", and then click on "CPE History" (bottom of page). The link shows date of meeting, name of speaker, title of presentation, CPE categorization, and number of hours of CPE credit earned.

email: floyd@sssnet.com

web: http://akron.imanet.org