Hafa Adai!

Welcome to the official website of the 20th Association of Pacific Islands Public Auditors (APIPA) Conference - www.apipa2009.org. The Guam Office of the Public Auditor is pleased to host this milestone conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Tumon, Guam, from July 27 to 31, 2009. This year’s theme is “20 Years of Advancing Pacific Islands Public Accountability.”

Since the 1st APIPA conference held in 1989, the size of the annual APIPA conferences has steadily increased from 33 to just over 280 participants. Through the years, the emerging issues in the Pacific Islands have been about advancing public accountability and finding sources of funding. The APIPA conferences have come a long way since 1989, with first-class instructors and expanded course offerings.

Our committee has been working closely with the Graduate School, USDA, to put together an exciting program. This year's conference offers four tracks--Audit, Audit Supervisory, Finance, and Advanced Finance--from which participants may choose the courses best-suited for their continuing professional education needs. With over 20 courses to choose from and a wide range of after-conference activities, I have no doubt that each participant will find great value in their time in Guam, and will return home energized and ready to support their respective institutions and agencies.

We are particularly honored that Hawaii State Auditor Ms. Marion Higa will be able to join us at this year’s conference. In addition, popular APIPA instructor Frank Crawford, President of Crawford & Associates, will be teaching several of the finance courses. Also returning are: Stephen Morgan, City Auditor of Austin, Texas; Mary Beth Saenz, CPA, CIA, of EGAPP, Inc.; and Jeanne Yamamura, CPA, MIM, PhD, Associate Professor at the University of Nevada Reno. We look forward to the contributions of several new instructors, including Bob Lavigna and Rob Knox.

We would like to express our appreciation to the United States Department of the Interior's, Office of Insular Affairs, as well as the Graduate School, USDA's Pacific Islands Training Initiative (PITI), for their ongoing support of APIPA and our annual conferences. The Graduate School, USDA's Stephen Latimer and Jason Aubuchon, contracted under the PITI program, have been a tremendous help in coordinating these conferences. We would also like to thank the Department of the Interior, Office of Inspector General, and especially Inspector General Earl Devaney, for his continued support of the APIPA principals and offices.

Please feel free to explore this site. We offer detailed information on registration, training courses, quality instructors, travel and hotels, and things to do on Guam. We hope that you will join us in making this year’s 20th Anniversary conference a success!

Should you require additional information, please email Maripaz Perez and Rodalyn Marquez at [email protected].

Senseramente,

Doris Flores Brooks, CPA, CGFM
Public Auditor- Guam