July/August 2021

President's Message

Diversity & Inclusion Group (DIG) Update

Our chapter’s first virtual book club series this spring was a success! Thank you to everyone who participated in this four-part series. We appreciated your insights surrounding Dare to Lead by Brené Brown, as well as your post-series survey feedback!

We are excited to announce the arrival of another virtual book club series this fall. Our next reading selection is Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth. In this instant New York Times bestseller, Angela Duckworth shows anyone striving to succeed that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent, but a special blend of passion and persistence she calls “grit”. It is inspiration for non-geniuses everywhere. The book is currently available for purchase in several formats on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and Audible. The format will be similar to our spring book club. We’ll read the book in 4 or 5 sections, discuss each virtually over the lunch hour, and receive 1 hour of CPE per session.

New to DIG this Fall: we’ll kickoff the group discussion by meeting in person for additional networking over breakfast. Please save the following dates on your calendars:

Thursday, 9/16 | 8:00 – 9:00 AM | Coffee, networking & light breakfast | The River Coffee & Cream | Wrightstown
Thursday, 9/30 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM | Virtual Book Club Series – Session 1 | Zoom
Monday, 10/11 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM | Virtual Book Club Series – Session 2 | Zoom
Wednesday, 10/27 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM | Virtual Book Club Series – Session 3 | Zoom
Friday, 11/12 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM | Virtual Book Club Series – Session 4 | Zoom

Event registration and complete details for our fall series will be published soon! Click here to read the entire DIG Update, which includes additional information regarding the 2021 Fusion Event!

Peer Group Update

FEI Members, join us for the next FEI Peer Group meeting on August 26, 2021 with the option of attending in person at Keller in Kaukauna, or via Zoom!

What types of issues are on the top of your agenda? Add these items to your registration and discuss them with other financial leaders! Some of our previous topics have been: wage increases, health insurance challenges and government audits.

Date: Thursday, August 26, 2021
Time: 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Format: In-person at Keller in Kaukauna or virtually via Zoom

Click here to register in Constant Contact!

This meeting is eligible for 3 CPE credits as follows:

In-person attendees: Must attend the entire meeting in-person and sign-in and out on the CPE attendance sheet.
Virtual attendees: Must attend the entire virtual meeting and answer all 9 polling questions, which will be launched shortly before 4:30 PM.

Membership Update

We’re excited to begin a new fiscal year with you! Like most not-for-profit organizations, FY20-21 was challenging from a membership perspective, for both the chapter and FEI as a whole due to the ongoing impact of the pandemic. The fiscal year ended on June 30, 2021, and our chapter had a total of 208 members. We began the year with 256 members. Throughout the year, 15 new members were recruited, plus an additional 17 reinstatements. These efforts were offset by 80 terminations. Almost all chapters were faced with similar challenges and ended the fiscal year with little to no growth. Currently, our chapter is ranked as the 6^th largest out of 65 chapters in the country.

Click here to read the complete membership update.

2021 Summer Social Event

Celebrate summer & fiscal year 2021 – 2022 with us!

DATE: THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 2021
TIME: 4:00 PM – 6:30 PM
LOCATION: COPPER STATE BREWING COMPANY LOUNGE | 313 DOUSMAN STREET | GREEN BAY
*COST: $10.00 PER PERSON
WHAT IT INCLUDES: GREAT COMPANY | FOOD | BEVERAGES

FEI Members, Strategic Partners and their guests are invited to join us in the lounge at Copper State. *Registration is required, and all payments are non-refundable and will be collected during the registration process via PayPal.

MORE DETAILS
Click here to view the complete summer social event details, confirm your registration and make your $10.00 payment today!

REGISTRATION DEADLINE
Noon - Thursday, August 12, 2021

Special Features

Aon

The New Path for Business Continuity

COVID-19 brought unforeseen challenges to all organizations and exposed weaknesses in business continuity plans. The article within the link below provides a checklist to help guide organizations as they relook at their business continuity plans.

The New Path for Business Continuity

Grant Thornton

Q2 survey results spotlight human capital needs - and costs

Nearly 70% of respondents to our Q2 CFO survey expect talent shortages. Almost two-thirds say those shortages may keep them from executing short-term strategy. Two-thirds also say they need to control compensation and benefits costs. Something’s got to give, but what?

The recovery is on, but the costs are high. When asked if inflation, interest rates or both would exceed Fed targets, 91% said yes, and they expect expenses to increase in every category.

Stay ready by learning what CFOs are thinking today in a job market and an economy where the pandemic has changed everything.

Download our Q2 2021 CFO survey now

von Briesen & Roper, s.c.

IRS Issues ARPA COBRA Premium Assistance Guidance

Posted by: Kenneth A. Hoogstra & Daniel R. Simandl

On May 18, 2021, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) issued Notice 2021-31 (the “Notice”), which answers many questions about the temporary 100% COBRA premium assistance established under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA”). Under the ARPA, employers and insurers are required to offer free COBRA coverage between April 1, 2021 and September 30, 2021 to any individual who lost coverage due to an employee's involuntary termination of employment or reduction in work hours and who would be a qualified beneficiary at any time during that period ("Assistance Eligible Individuals" or "AEIs"). Employers and insurers are also eligible to receive a tax credit for the COBRA premiums they would have otherwise received but for the COBRA premium assistance. For purposes of this Legal Update, “COBRA” includes both the COBRA requirements imposed by federal law (which generally apply to employers with 20 or more employees) and State programs that provide for coverage continuation comparable to COBRA continuation coverage. The term “qualified beneficiary” includes the employee, the employee’s spouse, and the employee’s dependent child.

Click here to read the entire article.

Weidert Group

WEIDERT GROUP LOOKING TO FILL FOUR OPEN POSITIONS

Weidert Group, a leading inbound marketing agency is growing, so we’re on the lookout for motivated and highly talented people to add to our team. Spend some time with anybody at Weidert Group and you'll see intellectual curiosity, creativity, and a deep interest in helping to improve companies' successes. We have immediate openings for:

Web Designer
Digital Marketing Specialist
Marketing Assistant
Key Account Executive

We offer one of the most comprehensive benefits packages in the area, including health, dental, vision, 401(k), HSA, dependent care FSA, and an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). To learn more about each position and apply, visit weidert.com/careers.