Chicago Chapter – APA
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June, 2007 Volume 1, Issue 2 |
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Newsletter
of the Chicago Chapter of the American Payroll Association |
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2007
Calendar
January No Meeting February 3 – CPP Review Class 17 – CPP Review
Class March 3 – CPP & FPC Review Class 17 – CPP & FPC Review Class 30 – Chapter Meeting Compliance
Priorities What’s New
for 2007? 31 -- CPP & FPC Review Class April 7 – CPP Review Class May 22 -26 – 25th
Annual Silver Safari
Congress, Las Vegas June 21 – Chapter Meeting Tax Day –All
Day Meeting July No Meeting August 3 –
Chapter Meeting Officer
Elections September 3-7 National
Payroll Week
Celebration 19-20 14th Annual Illinois
Statewide Bloomington,
IL October No Meeting November 1 – Chapter Meeting Preparing for
Year End 9 – Holiday Party Official newsletter of the Chicago Chapter |
Welcome The Safari preparations are in full
swing… Congress is just days away. The anticipation is building, payroll is
done, and my brain is struggling to stay focused on the tasks left to
do. There are emails going back &
forth between Mary Weiner, Mary K and myself. Our imaginations have gone into overdrive. Las Vegas here we come. The adventure has begun. The first step is to register. So many Payroll Professionals all
together. All the happy, smiling
faces! Some are new to me and others are remembered from my first congress,
last year. There are no strangers in
my life, but friends I have yet to meet. APA is celebrating its 25th
Anniversary this year. Our leader,
Dan Maddux, began by challenging everyone to think back to May 14, 1982, when
APA began. “Do you remember where you were or what you were doing that
day?” For me the answer came
quickly. My daughter was born on May
5, 1982. In the hectic days that followed, we focused our attention on the
necessary legal paperwork to complete the initial phase of a private
adoption. Late in the afternoon on May 13th, Jamie was placed in
my arms for the first time. Yes, I remember that day, May 14, 1982. I started
my first full time day as a mom. So
the tears began. Thanks, Dan. The Congress was truly an international
experience. There were speakers from different backgrounds and different
worlds. They represented cultures from Australia, to West Africa, from the
United Kingdom to Canada and even Tennessee!
They used powerful words in sharing stories of their lives and their
families. There was a presentation
by a photographer from National Geographic that did not need any words. His
message? “Open your mind to the open
roads ahead of you. So many varying life journeys and all have the same universal
message. Open your minds; follow your dreams; live your passion. There is nothing you cannot overcome.”
These words not only challenge you to look at who you are as a payroll
professional, but they also encourage you to look deep into your soul and get
to the core of who you are in your personal life as well. Change in our field
is a constant. It offers us the
opportunity to enhance both our professional lives and our personal lives. The following question came up in more
than one general session or class: How did you enter into the payroll
world? Did it choose you or did you
choose it? Many years ago, I was asked to help out
in payroll and the rest is history.
Do I have any regrets answering yes?
Only one, why did I wait so long to get
involved with APA? Congress is an empowering experience for
me. It reinforces the knowledge I
have already and stimulates me to learn even more. I know it will make me a
better person for having the opportunity to attend. Katie Staffeldt, CPP Government Liaison |
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2007 Chapter Officers
President Chris O’Hara, CPP Vice President Mary Kazmierczak, CPP Recording Secretary Gabriel Vergara, CPP Treasurer Hank Mazik, CPP Gov. Liaison Katie Staffeldt, CPP Correspondence Secretary Mary Weiner, CPP Education Director Patricia Bradberry CPP |
Congratulations to the Members of the Chicago
Chapter APA The
Chicago Chapter has been informed by the American Payroll Association that we
have been awarded an Honorable Mention in the Chapter of the Year Contest
(COTY) in 2007. Thank-you members for your faithful participation in
chapter activities and helping us receive this recognition from the APA. It
is an honor to be recognized for our achievements. Mary Weiner, Katie
Staffeldt and Mary Kazmierczak were there to accept the plaque.
2007 Memberships Our chapter has a strong support for
2007 thanks to those annual members who have renewed prior to January 31. Currently, our chapter has members who
have yet to renew for 2007. To stay current and continue to receive the newsletter,
please renew your membership as soon as possible. Renewal applications are
available 24/7 on our chapter website. Annual membership dues are $40. All current members are allowed to
attend our seminars at a discounted price.
Committees: Please Volunteer We need volunteers for the following
areas: Meeting Planning – (Pat
Bradberry) We are looking for volunteers that can
help with planning the meetings including choosing topics and finding
speakers, as well as finding locations for next year’s meetings. National Payroll Week –
(Mary Kazmierczak) We are looking for volunteers that can
help with obtaining proclamations from the various cities and the State. We also have the privilege of talking with
radio stations, newspapers and educational institutions to promote National
Payroll Week. Membership – (Chris
O’Hara) This group will help promote membership
in the Chicago Chapter. |
Committees: (Continued) Nomination Committee – (To
Be Assigned) This group of volunteers will verify the
membership and credentials of those members wishing to run for election in
August 2007. Vendor Sponsorship – (To
Be Assigned) This group will help solicit donations
from organizations to help provide quality programming to you, our members. Holiday Party – (Chris
O’Hara) Volunteers will help plan this special
event including entertainment, soliciting door prizes and location for next
year. Charities We have several events happening this year
for various Charities. 1.
At
the March 30th meeting we collected Christmas Cards. We will be sending them to St. Jude’s
Research Hospital. The kids will make
new Christmas Cards from the ones that are sent to them. Thank you for bringing your old cards for
this worthy cause. 2.
At
the June 21st meeting we will be collecting for the
Servicemen. Please read separate
article for more information. 3.
July
27 we will be a Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society. This event happens overnight. We are looking to build our team for
walking and for donations. See article elsewhere in the newsletter. 4.
At
the August 3rd meeting we will be collecting old cell phones. During your spring cleaning if you find an
old phone or two think about bringing them to our meeting. 5.
On
Going: We are collecting soda can
tabs for the Ronald McDonald House.
We started the collection during the CPP/FPC classes. We will be collecting these at our
meetings all during the year. Page
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Upcoming Chapter Meetings
March 30 9:00 am to 12:00 pm Ceridian Riverway Complex 6133 N River Rd Rosemont, IL Continental Breakfast 8:30 am Christmas Cards June 21 9:00 am-4:00 pm White Eagle Banquets 6839 N, Milwaukee Niles, IL 60714 Continental Breakfast 8:30 am Mid Day Lunch Servicemen Collection August 3 9:00 am-12:00 pm Officer Elections Continental Breakfast 8:30 am Location: TBD Cell Phones November 1 9:00-12:00 pm ADP 100 Northwest Point Blvd Elk Grove, IL Continental Breakfast 8:30 am November 9 Holiday Party |
Next Chapter Meeting All Day Tax Conference- Hat’s off to
Taxes!!! Thursday, June 21, 2007 9:00 am – 4:30 pm Continental Breakfast 8:30 am & Mid Day Lunch White Eagle Banquets Karolann Room 6839 No. Milwaukee Ave. Niles, IL 60714 847-647-0660 Plan On attending: Four current topics with four speakers
all experts in their fields! Payroll Local Tax Issues for Multi-State
Employers State Compliance Information Chicago Head Tax Taxable/Nontaxable – Business Expenses,
Mileage, Personal use of Cars, Per Diems Using Outsourced Tax Services –
Reconciliation / Verification / Ensuring Compliance Our expert presenters are: Scott A. Walter, CPP - Payroll Local Tax Issues &
Chicago Head Tax Scott is a Manager in the Employment Tax Practice at Deloitte Tax
LLP. He has 8 years of experience in providing federal, state, and
local employment tax planning and consulting service. Scott’s
background includes an extensive knowledge of federal and state corporate
reorganization strategies based on the utilization of federal and state
successor provisions. Scott has also performed multi-jurisdictional
employment tax studies to provide efficiencies in federal, state and local
tax reporting. He has led several internal and external employment tax
training session at Deloitte Tax LLP and his previous employer. Emily Rook, CPP - Business Expenses Emily is a Consultant that specializes in Payroll
and Unemployment Taxes. She has over 20 years of experience dealing
with payroll, payroll taxes, and payroll accounting. She is active in
the American Payroll Association, currently serving as a President-Elect of
the Association. . |
She is a former President of the Chicago
Chapter as well as a member of the National Speakers Bureau and the
Government Affairs Task Force has been an instructor at DePaul University
and for the Chicago chapter’s Certified Payroll Professional review
classes. Dave Scorza, CPP - Outsourced Tax Services Dave has been with ADP since 1983. In his current position, Dave
wears many hats including Payroll Support Center webmaster, Region Project
Manager, and Support Services team leader. He has held a variety of
positions throughout the organization in several different departments
encompassing Operations, Implementation, and Client Services. As a Certified
Payroll Professional (CPP) since 1991 and Professional in Human Resources
(PHR) since 1997, Dave is able to stay in touch with the industry from a
practitioner point of view. This is a benefit to himself, his clients and his
staff when doing research and troubleshooting. Dave is also an ADP
Certified Payroll Specialist in both the PC/Payroll and Pay eXpert products. Phillip Clark- The Clock is Ticking Phillip through MediNumerics has designed a
creative process, that assists individuals and businesses in identifying and
removing those traits and habits that stop them from achieving their maximum
potential. Networking opportunities and educational
credits! Reserve your space! Call the Chapter Helpline at: (773) 631-8480 or Send your email
correspondence to: Chicago_chapter_apa@hotmail.com The cost to attend the meeting is $45.00
for members of the Chicago Chapter and $55.00 for non-members. Page
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Mailing Address: Chicago Chapter APA PO Box 836 Chicago, IL 60690-0836 Phone: (773) 631-8480 {24-hr.
Recording) NPW
Corner : Tell us what
you are planning for NPW. |
Chicago Membership News New CPP & FPC: Congrats to: Mike Smith, CPP Meridith Davis, CPP Maggie Kowalczyke, CPP News on Members: Congratulations
to our Past-Chapter President, Emily Rook, CPP. At the APA Congress Emily was elected APA President for
2008. Congrats Emily.
You will be a great president and will bring lots of great ideas to
APA. We are behind you 110%. Sue
Darring is on the road again. She is
the Director of Implementation for ACS payroll. She works with friends
and colleagues like former APA president, Kathy Menda and chapter member Lisa
Dunn. She and Lisa had a road trip to
Ohio to work with a client. She loves
the end to end processes of payroll and has the privilege of being
responsible for all of it before payroll parts and pieces became separated,
such as tax filing and payroll accounting. Sue says ….Is it possible
that payroll can be so much fun???? Have you changed your job, title or
e-mail address? If you recently changed jobs, title or
your email address, please email the chapter email box. Chicago_chapter_apa@hotmail.com Positions Available The following Officer positions will be
up for election in 2007:
Education Director
Government Liaison
Treasurer If you have an interest in one of these
positions please email Mary at: Chicago_chapter_apa@hotmail.com Elections will be at our August 3rd
meeting. Relay For Life® One day. One night. One community:
By participating in an American Cancer Society Relay For Life®
event near you, you honor cancer survivors, pay tribute to the lives lost to
the disease, and raise money to help fight it – all right in your community. Much more than a walk around a track, Relay is a time to
celebrate those who have battled cancer, remember those lost and get inspired
to fight back. Those who have shared the same experience find common ground,
hope and healing at Relay. By participating, you have the power to continue
the American Cancer Society's progress toward a future where cancer doesn't
take the lives of our friends and family. Relay
For Life opens as cancer survivors take the first lap. This emotional time
sets the stage for the importance of each participant's contribution. A
festive atmosphere always develops as participants make new friends and spend
time with old ones. Highlighting the evening is a luminaria Ceremony of Hope
held after dark to honor cancer survivors and to remember loved ones lost to
cancer. The luminaria candles line the track and are left burning
throughout the night to remind participants of the incredible importance of
their contributions. The location is Jorie Blvd and Kensington in the Mc Donald's
Corp Soccer field. Oak Brook, July
27, 2007, 6:00 pm So
what happens at Relay? Dedicated
volunteers are committed to fighting cancer in their communities year-round,
but once a year, they gather at Relay For Life to celebrate survivors and
caregivers, remember loved ones lost and to gain inspiration for the fight. Each
of the more than 4,800 Relays nationwide is a fun-filled, overnight event
that mobilizes communities to celebrate survivors (anyone who has ever been
diagnosed with cancer), remember loved ones and raise money for the fight
against cancer. Teams of eight to 15 members gather with tents and sleeping
bags with the goal of keeping one person on the track at all times. Relay For
Life® brings together friends, families, businesses, hospitals,
schools, churches ... people from all walks of life. Teams seek sponsorship
prior to the relay, all with the goal of eliminating cancer. Government Update IR-2007-109, May 31, 2007 June’s
Meeting-Servicemen Servicewomen
Donations Here
are some suggestions on items to bring to our June meeting: Snack
Food (All food items must be appropriately sealed and prepackaged) Beef
Jerky / Beef Sticks, Canned Chicken or packs (Pop top), Canned Fruit, Canned
Tuna and or packs – pop top (tuna in pouches are best), Cereal Bars, High
Protein Bars, Crystal Light, Dried Fruit, Dry Cereal, Gum, Hard Candy wrapped
(No Chocolate) Instant Soup, Coffee, Oatmeal, Kool Aid (sweetened). Toiletries: General Advil,
Tylenol, Cold/cough drops, Chapstick, Dental Floss, Deodorant, Dusting Cloths
for removing the sand from everything and every surface, Packaged Wet One /
baby wipes, Q-Tips, Toenail/Fingernail Clippers, Tooth Paste, Toothbrushes,
Cotton Balls. Men Razors, Saving Cream in a tube, after-shave
lotion. Women Panty Liners, feminine hygiene products,
brush/comb, hair clips/bands, non-aerosol hair spray. Fun Time Batteries (AA-C-D-9 volt), Beanie Babies
or stuffed animals (new please), playing cards, disposable cameras, mailing
envelopes (no stamps), pens with stationary, Frisbee, greeting cards they can
send back home (variety), Nerf Balls, puzzle books, word find books, sewing
kits, water guns, Yo-Yo’s, Zip-Lock Bags. |
New Educational Grant The Chapter will be offering a chance to
earn an Educational Grant for our CPP/FPC Class for 2008. At the June meeting, please fill out an
entry form to enter the drawing.
Indicate whether you would be attending the CPP or the FPC class. We will have a winner for both
groups. If you have taken the CPP
test and passed the grant will be used for your RCH (Recertification Credit
Hours). The winners will be announced during
National Payroll Week. An email will
be sent to the winner. *All attendees at the March 30th
meeting will be put into the drawing. Photo Gallery
Members getting
together at Congress
Dan
Maddux dressed in silver for the 25th Anniversary Page
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This machine was made for us – PAYDAY Relay For Life® (con’t) How You Can Help? Here
are a few things we would like you to do: 1.
Sign-Up
to participate by visiting their website: http://www.acsevents.org/relay/il/oakbrook 2.
Look
for Katie Staffeldt’s name. 3.
Collect
sponsorships. All donations are tax
deductible. 4.
Ask
a friend or family member to join us UPDATE:
We have 5 members signed up for the relay and we have collected $650.00 in donations. $540.00 on-line donations and $135.00 in
donations by checks.
Page 5 APA Local Events:: How will new legislative and regulatory changes impact your
payroll operations? Plan on attending APA Payroll
Tax Forum Class is being held on 6/20/07 at the Sheraton
Chicago Northwest. For more details and to register,
visit: http://www.americanpayroll.org/taxforum.html
APA Other Events Audio
Seminars Taxation and Reporting of Selected Fringe Benefits –A
Continuing Series. In
this session, APA will examine the taxation, reporting, and withholding
requirements for an employee’s: Personal use of a company vehicle,
Educational assistance benefits Back pay awards and Stock awards and stock
option plans. When:
Thursday, June 14, 2007 Where:
Dial toll-free from your home or office Registration: For more information visit www.americanpayroll.org/audio.html
or register online at www.payroll.org. New Minimum Wage Increases – How They
Will Impact Your Payroll Processing On May 25, President Bush signed a bill
that will increase the federal minimum wage by $2.10 in several steps. These
will be the first changes in the federal minimum wage since September 1, 1997.
In this session we will discuss:
When: Thursday, June 28, 2007 Where: Dial toll-free from your home or office Registration: For more information visit www.americanpayroll.org/audio.html or register online at www.payroll.org Page 6
Katie,
Mary K and Mary Share in the honor of Honorary Mention for Chapter of the
Year
Cake
to celebrate the 25th Anniversary Cakes
donated by ADP. Visit the Chicago Chapter Website: For the most current information on the
Chapter please visit the chapter’s website: When reviewing the website be sure to
check out the “In the News” section for detail information regarding IRS
topics and news. The IRS offers phone
forums on various topics. Also, check
out the Job Postings. |
