Our previous newsletter went out in December 2007 - it seems like it was just a few days ago. As I write this for our March newsletter, the chapter board is preparing for more spectacular events. Our upcoming March events are on the 13^thduring the day and the 27^thin the evening. Please come out and join us and bring a friend. Unfortunately, I will miss the March 13 event as I will be in Stockholm, Sweden speaking at the EuroCACS conference. However, Kate Mullin will be the host for the March 13 event so you are all in good hands. Thank you Kate! I will see you all on March 27. Please take the time to look at the event schedule and pick one event to attend.

Here are the highlights since December:

Completed a mid-year chapter financial audit - thank you to Rich Pifko and Robert Waters for their efforts.
Sponsored a three-day ITIL foundations course given by TakeAway Knowledge Consulting. Thank you to Terence Okus for making that class a reality. For those of you who missed this training, we are hoping to repeat the class later in the year.
On Feb 27, Craig Lewis and David Bork were the featured speakers for our morning seminar. Thank you to both of them for sharing their knowledge, experience, and insights. I personally took away some very useful information.
Membership survey completed - thank you to all who participated. Jose Hernandez and Priscilla Palmer names were drawn from all participants and were the winners of a $100 gift card each.

Now is the time to think about getting involved in your ISACA chapter. If you want to contribute your ideas and work to see them implemented now is the time to speak up. Nomination for board positions are being taken through March 17, 2008.

In 2004, I decided to get involved with the Chapter. My previous job was a traveling position and I felt like I did not know anyone in the Tampa Bay area even though I had lived here for over 10 years at that time. I was curious to see what ISACA and a local professional association was all about. I nominated myself for Board of Directors' Secretary. I never imagined where that one action would take me. As Secretary then Membership Director then Vice President and now President, I have met so many wonderful people from all over the world, learned so much about the different facets of the profession, and grown professionally by attending ISACA leadership conferences. Chapter leaders from all over the world get together every year and share best practices, tips and tricks for improving our chapters and for serving you, our members, better. I have never met a more open and giving bunch of people in any other organization. For those of you who did not read Erik and Ana's stories in the December newsletter, go back and take a look (it is on the web site). Erik and Ana represented us at the chapter leaders' conference in Quebec City in October 2007 and wrote about it for the newsletter.

Because of my work in the local chapter and meeting people at the leadership conferences, I was asked to join an ISACA global leadership task force in 2008 on Enterprise Risk Management which took me to Ghent, Belgium for the first workshop. The task force is made up of people from the USA, Australia, Europe, and UK. It is truly an international, mini think-tank of ideas from all over the world coming together to produce the materials that we use every day in our profession. The stepping stone to these types of opportunities begin with getting involved in the local chapter.

Even if you decide not to participate as a board or committee member, you have the opportunity and the obligation to cast your vote for the officers of the board, as well as for board members at large. We are hoping for several new candidates this year who are interested in shaping the direction of the West Florida Chapter. As members, I strongly urge you to become familiar with the affairs of ISACA and to select the individuals who you believe will make a difference in our Chapter administration. On March 27 at our regularly scheduled social, we will host a 'meet the candidates' event.

We realize that the strength and success of our Chapter rely heavily on the programs and activities that involve active participation by Chapter members in committee work. It is through active committee participation that fresh ideas are nurtured, new members become acquainted with the Chapter, and talent is groomed for Chapter officer positions. As such, I urge you to come to the March 27 event to meet and get to know your chapter leaders, network with elected Officers and Board members, and other members with the goal of becoming an active member.

Hope to see you there!

Lisa Young

Got CPEs?

The goal of the West Florida ISACA chapter is to provide a minimum of 40 hours of continuing professional education (CPE) credit each year at a discounted cost to its members. Upcoming events include VMWare, PCI-DSS "Digital Dozen" and AS-5 from a "Big 4" perspective. Take a look and register for our upcoming CPE events.

Did you know as an ISACA member, you have the opportunity to attend e-symposiums and earn CPE credits free of charge? Tell me more about the e-symposium.

CISA and CISM approved for DoD information assurance certifications

US Department of Defense (DoD) 8570.01-M "Information Assurance Workforce Improvement Program" manual names ISACA's Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) and Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) certifications among those approved for DoD information assurance (IA) professionals.

Learn more about DoD 8570.1

Announcing the winners of our membership survey

Congratulations goes to Jose Hernandez and Priscilla Palmer who were selected from the list of membership surveys submitted. Each member will receive a $100 gift card.

Thanks to everyone who participated!

Balanced Scorecard Initiative

Balanced Score Card ISACA/ITGI is using the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) to assess chapter accomplishments in meeting minimum performance standards to maintain an effective and active local chapter operation. If you are interested in participating in an evaluation of the West Florida Chapter using the BSC method please contact Lisa Young.

More information on the Balanced Scorecard method can be found at: Balanced Scorecard

Member Spotlight on Kate Mullin

Spotlight

Every newsletter, we will feature a member and find out why they are a part of ISACA. This quarter, the spotlight goes to Kate Mullin, who currently serves on the Board as an instructor for the CISA Review and the Coordinator for the CISM Review. In this insightful interview, Kate shares the many reasons why she is actively involved in our chapter.

Why do you belong to ISACA?

I belong for several reasons:

*I'm an enormous fan of CoBit and having the benchmarking tools available through national at an incredibly low price is wonderful.

*Vetting information sources through ISACA's KNET is a time saving resource.

*Having a community of peers that I genuinely respect to bounce ideas off, who can point me to resources, and who I can trust when I need to outsource / co-source, hire employees, or look for a position.

*Discounts for classes and purchasing books

How has ISACA helped in your professional growth?

Without my peers within ISACA and the resources available through the national organization, I would not have been able to progress as a person and a professional.

I started twenty-five years ago in tax where I reviewed computerized returns, analyzed reporting anomalies, worked on a system conversion, then moved into governmental accounting including system implementations and conversions. From there, I went to audit with more system implementations and conversions, then to IT audit, and finally with information security, which also has a significant IT governance component. I have been lucky because when I started, segregation of duties was rarely considered and I had many opportunities to work in and around the box.

When I accepted a position that required a CISA certification, I had one shot to pass the exam because it was only offered once a year at that time. I started by taking classes from many different organizations and then was introduced to the local chapter. The meetings and training that were offered locally made all of the jobs and things I had done in the past very clear. There are things that if I could do over, I would do differently, but going forward I am a valuable asset to anyone that I work for or with.

What would you say to a peer if they told you they were thinking of joining ISACA?

Join, but if you are on the fence, I would strongly recommend coming to a variety of our local meetings and looking at the national website. The local chapter is a wonderful way to network with different types of people attending different meetings. It is also an inexpensive way to obtain continuing education and the members have a great deal of influence over what training will be offered. The national website is a phenomenal resource and a definitive source for best practices. What you can see for free is just the tip of the iceberg.

Do you hold the CISA or CISM certification?

I hold both certifications. I also have a CIA certification and am currently studying for the CISSP. No matter what alphabet soup I wind up with the CISA and CISM are the ones I am proudest to have obtained.

Anything else you'd like to tell our audience?

I assist Johan Lidros with the CISA review class and perform the Coordinator duties for the CISM review. It is a wonderful opportunity to keep current with our profession as to what the latest expectations are from national. I also learn from our students and the other trainers. It gives me the opportunity to pay the chapter back for the training that I was given and it is also helping me.

As a past president of the local chapter, you should know that the volunteering opportunities that the local chapter offers are a wonderful way to grow as an individual and as a professional. Although it takes time from our personal lives, it is incredibly rewarding and well worth the effort. I encourage all members, new and long term, to contact Lisa, the chapter president. There are always ways to make the local chapter and yourself stronger.

ISACA Get A Member Campaign

Want a chance to win $500 for doing something good? Help ISACA continue to expand its unsurpassed global network, increasing professional knowledge, developing best practices, and stimulating thought leadership by recruiting new members. This new campaign helps communicate that ISACA membership increases the value and advances the careers of its members. More information can be found on ISACA's web site (member login required).

Get Involved Today! Deadline for Nominations - March 17

The Board of the West Florida Chapter of ISACA invites nominations from interested persons to serve in a voluntary capacity on the Board of Directors for the term of office commencing 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009. Current board members, whose term of office expires on June 30, 2008, may be re-nominated as outlined in the current West Florida Chapter bylaws found on our web site at www.westfloridaisaca.org.

Board positions for which nominations are sought:

Vice President

Treasurer

Secretary

Board Member at large

Committee chairpersons are appointed by the board of directors. We need additional volunteers for committee chair persons, e.g. CISA, CISM, Student Initiatives, Membership, Newsletter writing, Web master, Web re-design, Marketing, Event planning, etc.

If you are interested in serving, please respond or contact Lisa Young, 813-571-9008

DEADLINE to submit nominations is March 17, 2008

CISA and CISM Review Courses

Books Once again, our chapter is offering CISA and CISM review courses at a discount. Taught by our experienced instructors with a proven track record and a pass rate greater than 70%, this is your best way to get certified in June!

The class will be offered on 3 Saturdays - April 19, May 3 and May 17 and the cost is $300. Click to register or for more information.

Do you have something that will benefit our members? Please send your newsletter articles to Ed Tobias