IIA Sacramento Members and Friends!

At our February Chapter Meeting we welcomed back Mr. Courtney Linn to discuss “New Legal Challenges for Financial Institutions.” Mr. Linn is an attorney with Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe and is a well known subject matter expert on mortgage loan fraud and the Bank Secrecy Act. Attendees received insight into challenges associated with Obama’s Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) and subsequent loan modification risks. If you would like to access the slide deck it is now available in the Resources section of our Chapter website.

Looking for CPE’s? Why not volunteer for the IIA Sacramento Chapter?
Did you know that a maximum of 25 CPE hours may be awarded in the participation category in each two year period for participation as an officer or committee member in a professional industry organization related to internal auditing? One CPE hour for each hour of qualifying participation will be awarded. See the theiia.org for more details:
http://www.theiia.org/theiia/about-the-institute/mission/administrative-directives/index.cfm?c=509

LinkedIn…. Coming Soon!
Kimball Holt our new Social Media Committee Chair, is leading the initiative to launch a Sacramento IIA LinkedIn site. This will allow our members and friends to stay informed regarding our events and other items of interest to our Chapter. The Northern CA East Bay Chapter has seen great success with their LinkedIn site already. If you are wondering why internal auditors would need a LinkedIn Page, then you should read February 2010's Internal Auditor Online exclusive feature article "Leveraging Social Media" which explains how auditors can use social media to gather and share information, connect with peers, and recruit quality talent." To read the article open the following URL: http://www.theiia.org/intAuditor/free-feature/2010/february/leveraging-social-media/

Do you already have a LinkedIn Page set-up for yourself? If not, you should create one before our group page is live. If you need help, please feel free to e-mail Kimball with your questions at kimball.holt@gmail.com

Member Appreciation Night - Call for Volunteers
Your Sacramento Chapter leaders would like to host a Member Appreciation night in May. We have so many reasons to celebrate! Our 50th Anniversary, Mayor Johnson’s Resolution of International Auditor Awareness Month, etc. But to pull this off we need the assistance of some energetic volunteers. We have many volunteer opportunities of various scope and size. So don’t be concerned that any task is too great. Rome wasn’t built overnight… or alone. So we need a team of volunteers to assist with small to medium size tasks. If you are interested please contact Rick Catalano at rick.catalano@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu, John Rustica at jrustei@smud.org, or Kara Giano at KGiano@Golden1.com.

International Internal Audit Awareness Month
Those of you who attended our February program heard that we are actively seeking both Mayor Kevin Johnson (for Sacramento) and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (CA) join their colleagues across the world by declaring May 2010 as International Internal Audit Awareness Month. We have already received notice from Mayor Johnson’s office that they are preparing a Resolution declaring May 2010 as International Internal Auditor Awareness Month which will be signed by the entire Sacramento City Council! Woo Hoo!

The Sacramento Chapter is also leading an effort to request Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to proclaim May 2010 as International Internal Auditor Awareness Month for the state of California. Your Chapter Leaders have collected signatures from all 11 CA IIA Chapters. Both letters are available for your review in the Members Only section of our website. If you have any influence, or contacts at the Governor’s Office please contact me at KGiano@golden1.com. We would greatly appreciate your support!

Hope to see you at the March 23rd Program where we will welcome Toosje Koll and Rick Shunn discussing Enterprise Risk Manage-ment. Please see your Sacramento IIA Chapter website for more details and registration information @ http://www.theiia.org/chapters/index.cfm/view.events/cid/66

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
And as you all celebrate one of my favorite holidays’, I’d like to share some of my favorite Irish sayings, passed down to me from my Irish ancestors…

As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point in the wrong direction.

The Irish ignore anything they can't drink or punch.

Wherever you go and whatever you do, May the luck of the Irish be there with you.

Sacramento Internal Auditors Rock!

Kara Giano
IIA Sacramento Chapter President 2009/2010