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Showing posts from 2015

In Honor of Mike Fuhrmann

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For those of you planning to attend the picnic and tree planting in honor of Mike Fuhrmann this Saturday, below is a map. We have reserved a large Ramada for Saturday's picnic.  Below is a small map to show people where the Ramada is in relation to the tree.  If you have any questions, please let me know:    Eric.fuhrmann@gmail.com   We look forward to seeing you Saturday.      

Happy 242nd Anniversary!

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The Boston Tea Party was organized and carried out by a group of Patriots led by Samuel Adams known as the Sons of Liberty. The Sons of Liberty were made up of males from all walks of colonial society, and among its membership were artisans, craftsmen, business owners, tradesmen, apprentices, and common laborers who organized to defend their rights, and to protest and undermine British rule. Famous Boston Patriots who were members of the Sons of Liberty included John Adams, John Hancock, James Otis, Josiah Quincy, Paul Revere, and Dr. Joseph Warren. Incited by the Sons of Liberty, over 5,000 people gathered at the Old South Meeting House, the largest public building in Boston at the time, at 10:00 AM on December 16, 1773, to decide what was to be done about the tea and to plan the Boston Tea Party. See more at: http://www.bostonteapartyship.com/boston-tea-party-facts#sthash.VC9eNMJe.dpuf

ASU’s Sun Devin Stadium Remodel Project Tour

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Sun Devil stadium has been the home of the ASU football team since it was built in 1958. The original seating capacity was 30,000 which was increased to 57,000 in 1975 and 70, 000 in 1976. The stadium served as the home for the Arizona Cardinals from 1987 until 2006. The renovation plans call for the seating capacity to be reduced, improvements in the seats, and additional administrative and training facilities on the south side of the stadium. Phases II and III of the project began right after the ASU - UofA football game on November 2. The December 10, 2015 VoS CFMA monthly luncheon was replaced by a tour of the stadium. Thanks to Kevin and Sundt for inviting CFMA VoS on a personal tour of this remodel project. At this event, VoS collected monetary donations for St. Mary’s Food Bank in the amount of $765 - way to go VoS CFMA!   Thanks to Sundt Construction for arranging such great weather!

Mike’s Tree

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First there was Mike’s Hike – FNF’s annual Rim 2 Rim canyon hike now so named in memorial to Mike Fuhrmann; now, there will be Mike’s Tree !! Courtesy of some of the exercise buffs at the gym where Mike frequented, the City of Chandler will be planting “Mike’s Tree” at the Desert Breeze park in Mike’s memory. The family has scheduled a dedication of Mike’s tree on December 19 th .   It will be formatted as a sort of “Open House” event, scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  The actual dedication will be at 11 a.m. Feel free to come and go as your schedule allows, and to bring your family and a picnic lunch if you want to enjoy many of the amenities available at Desert Breeze. For a link to the Desert Breeze Railroad (with a location map of the park), go to: http://desertbreezerr.com/  

Happy Veterans Day!

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Thank you to all the brave men and women that have proudly served our country! We appreciate you and all you have done and continue to do for us!

Community Service Event!

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This Friday is our food box packing event at St. Mary’s from 1 – 3 pm!  Join us for this great opportunity to serve the community and hang out with your VoS friends! Sign up here per the instructions attached to this e-mail.  Once you sign up, or if you already have signed up, please shoot an e-mail to Diana Bujnovsky so we know to expect you – sometimes people get skipped out on St. Mary’s group list in error. If you would like to buy a team shirt for $10 to wear at the event, please e-mail Michelle Walker by end of day Wednesday. Thanks!  Hope to see you there!

OSHA Fines to Increase Dramatically

By Rod Smith ,  Pat Miller , Chuck Newcom ,and Matt Morrison For the first time in 25 years, OSHA fines likely will be increasing. The change will take effect no later than August 1, 2016, and each year thereafter. A relatively obscure provision in the 2015 budget bill passed by Congress, and signed into law by President Obama on Monday, November 2, 2015, allows OSHA fines to keep pace with inflation. (Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, H.R. 1314, Sec. 701) Until now, OSHA was exempt from a requirement that federal agencies increase fines to mirror inflation. However, thanks to the new “Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015,” OSHA is now allowed to catch-up with the past 25 years of inflation and increase its penalties accordingly. The allowed increase is the difference between the Consumer Price Index (“CPI”) from October 1990 and the unreleased CPI of October 2015. Using the CPI for September 2015 as a guide, it can be expected that the increa

Valley of the Sun CFMA Golf Tournament

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Contributed by Dave Miller On October 28, the Valley of the Sun Chapter of CFMA held its 25 th annual golf tournament. There were 126 registered golfers and the event was held at Orange Tree Golf Resort.   From my perspective, it was a little bit of old and a little bit of new. The old: we held the event at Orange Tree Golf Resort where we have hosted this event for several years. Once again, CBIZ MHM was the title sponsor. The new: we had a golf ball launcher on one of the holes as part of the fundraising effort. Golfers, for a donation, could use the launcher that shot the golf ball 325 yards to the green on hole number 10, a par 4.     Thanks to all the golfers, we raised more than $3,100 on the day of the event from raffle prize donations and the golf ball launcher. Overall, thanks to our many generous sponsors, including CBIZ, Sundt Construction, Haydon Building, Sunland Asphalt, and Jokake Construction, we raised more than $21,700. The funds are used to

Volunteer Outing!

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The links in the flyer are not active. Please use this one instead: http://volunteer.firstfoodbank.org/

Remember to complete the Salary Survey Questionnaire before October 31.

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Your input is valuable – and – you receive a copy of the Survey results!   To ensure we are supplying the best results, please encourage every Construction company you know to participate .  In exchange for filling out the survey, everyone will receive the most up-to-date Construction Salary Survey for Arizona.  As well, they will be entered into a raffle to win exciting prizes! Again, thank you for your participation in making the Arizona Construction industry so strong! Take Survey

25th Annual Tournament!

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Sign Up Today – before VoS’ 25 th Annual Tournament sells out! Reply with your golf registration to enjoy a fun-filled time on the course – Wednesday, October 28. The numerous sponsor benefits are detailed in the attached brochure and available on the website ). While these is still time to register for the few remaining spots, please consider these options:      Lunch sponsor      Golf Cart sponsor      Beverage Cart sponsor      Goody Bag donations o    Golf balls o    Tees o    Hand sanitizer o    Sun screen o    Lip balm §   ( Suggestion – check your company logo stash)
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Michael "Mike" Fuhrmann (December 15, 1958 - September 27, 2015)

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Michael G.Fuhrmann, 56, of Chandler, AZ, passed away unexpectedly on September 27, 2015. Mike was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend.        He was born December 15, 1958 in Deadwood, SD to parents John and Sofia Fuhrmann. Mike enjoyed growing up in Deadwood, roaming the Black Hills, and graduated from Lead High School in 1977. He went on to attend the University of South Dakota in Vermillion and graduated with a BA in 1981. After graduation he went to work for Peter Kiewit & Sons and traveled the west in his 20+ years with the company. In 1997, Mike and his family settled in Arizona. There he enjoyed the warm winters and hiking throughout the state, including his annual single-day hike of the Grand Canyon, North Rim to South Rim, which he has completed the past 8 years. He spent the last decade working as a Divisional Controller for FNF Construction in Tempe. The role he cherished most, however, was being Grandpa to his young
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by Marj Weber     When checking my records I found the last "around the Chapter" was published in July 2014! So much has happened in that 14 months there's just not enough space to review.   Though review is not necessary, since Michelle does such a great job of keeping the membership informed via this monthly newsletter.   So, that being said, I do want to talk about a couple of events that happened over this past summer (though it still feels like SUMMER!).     First and foremost, the 2015 CFMA Annual Conference in Chicago.   It was in Chicago in 1997 that I attended my first Annual Conference and I have attended all since (18 of them, in case you didn't want to do the math).   At that 1997 Conference, I was inspired by two women: first, Dottee Mulcahy from our own Chapter as she received the Debra Hahn Memorial Award: and second, Christine Thompson as she became the first woman President (now called Chair) of CFMA on the National level.   It struck

VoS CFMA at the Zoo!

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The final tally is not yet in, but UMOM raised in excess of $62,000 with The Walk for Homeless Families this past Saturday. VoS CFMA was there - check out all the fun!   You still have time to donate! Go to: http://umom.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1134104

There are just TWO more days to register OR donate

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to TEAM CFMA for the UMOM Walk for Homeless Families. UMOM’s mission is to provide homeless families and individuals with safe shelter, housing, and supportive services to assist them in reaching their greatest potential.   Please REGISTER HERE! to sign up for the walk or to donate if you are unable to attend.

There are just FOUR more days to register OR donate

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to TEAM CFMA for the UMOM Walk for Homeless Families. Please REGISTER HERE! to sign up for the walk or to donate if you are unable to attend. UMOM’s mission is to provide homeless families and individuals with safe shelter, housing, and supportive services to assist them in reaching their greatest potential   Also, for those already registered for the walk, if you’d like to purchase a VOS charity t-shirt for $10, please email Lisa Sullivan lsullivan@mccarthy.com or Michelle Walker michelle@sscboring.com your t-shirt size.  Shirts will be available for pick up at the luncheon this Thursday.   You never know who you will see walking with us!! Sign up today!

Its time to have those starving college students submit applications for spring semester scholarships!

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Last time we had 14 qualified applicants and awarded the top 8 with scholarships .  The competition is stiff, so make sure your candidate prepares a complete and timely application.    The deadline is Halloween , October 31, 2015 – that’s no trick , but some worthy students will be getting a big treat ! The applicant should demonstrate the following qualities and skills: 1.         Has received or will receive a diploma from an accredited high school. 2.        Have a grade point average between 3.00 and 4.00 (if already enrolled in college or technical school) or GPA between 3.40 and 4.00 (if graduating from high school).     3.        Demonstrate a relationship to CFMA or other qualified construction association by a letter of recommendation from a member or an employee of a member company.   4.        Have a declared major in accounting, business, or construction.  5.        5.Show professional or civic involvement in the community.   Candidates app

VOS 3rd Annual Charity Challenge!

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                    VoS is matching up to $1,500 in donations, so please register                        to walk and/or donate through this website link . Thanks!

Register Today for the Southwest Regional Conference

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Registration closes today ; will you be there?   Click here to register online before the deadline. To see complete conference details and check out the fantastic roster of speakers, click the blue tabs at the top of this page.   Join the In Crowd ; enjoy the conference September 13-15 in Long Beach, California

VOS 3rd Annual Charity Challenge!

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  VoS is matching up to $1,500 in donations, so please register to walk and/or donate through this website link . Thanks!

How To Implement Flexible Overhead and Why it Matters

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$500 Awaits Your Registration and Success

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Taking the VoS Chapter’s CCIFP Overview Seminar next Wednesday, September 2 , opens the door for you to receive reimbursement of the $150 overview fee when you sit for the CCIFP exam, and $350 of the exam fee when you pass the exam!  Don’t miss out on this chance for financial aid from the chapter, not to mention to learn from three of the Valley’s finest financial professionals!   Plus , CPE is offered for the Overview . . .  When was the last time you got 8 hours of CPE for Free ???   It’s as easy as a click here (and scroll down) to register online; or, you may register with the attached brochure. Either way – $500 awaits your registration and success. Then you, too, can boast you’re a CCIFP.

VOS 3rd Annual Charity Challenge!

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VoS is matching up to $1,500 in donations, so please register to walk and/or donate through this website link . Thanks!  

CFMA's CCIFP Overview Seminar - get the facts!

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Happy Birthday Dave!

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Boy, when you have one of those "milestone" birthdays, you can sure look different overnight!! Just look at Dave - on the left, yesterday. On the right, today!! Happy Birthday Dave and make sure you have help blowing out ALL those birthday candles!!

It's that time again - The 25th Annual VoS CFMA Golf Tournament is here!

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Sign up today take advantage of the Early Bird Sponsorship Offers!   The majority of the net proceeds raised from this tournament are used to provide scholarships to construction and accounting students, first-time attendees of the CFMA annual conference, and candidates for the Certified Construction Industry Financial Professional certification overview and exam.

The Succesful Contractor of the Future....

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CHICAGO - So who really lit up this city?

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CFMA or O’Leary’s cow!?!?! (This reporter is thinkin’ CFMA!) Welcome to CFMA on the river . . . the Chicago River; and a fantastic conference!! By David James, CCIFP, CPA FNF Construction, Inc.   This conference was extremely well attended with nearly 830 full registrants, 40 from VoS chapter!   In fact, VoS had the second highest attendance, only edged out by Chicago (and they really don’t count, since they were the host chapter - - so this reporter declares VoS #1!!)   VoS was the only   pilot chapter for the Young Professional Leadership Program to have representation by this group at the conference - way to go Nick, Jessica, Michelle and Drew.   You guys are a truly dedicated bunch (also cheap – taking advantage of the ½ price registration fee!!)   There were 24 very wise, career minded individuals who took the CCIFP exam on Saturday, including one VoS member (who shall remain nameless for fear of putting too much pressure on him/her - - but, hoping you did well and wi