July 11 NASBP Virtual Seminar: “Best Practices for Documenting Claims and Avoiding Risk”
Join us at 2 p.m. Eastern on July 11 for this NASBP Virtual Seminar, when S. Gregory Joy, a partner in the Washington, DC, and Atlanta offices of Smith, Currie & Hancock, will explain how contractors can document claims and avoid risk. Joy has helped contractors to obtain or maintain federal, state and local contracts through bid protests and Small Business Administration size protests and has successfully defended contractors whose accepted bids for contracts have been challenged. Joy also has had extensive experience with mechanic’s lien and public bond matters, and he has assisted in writing portions of the Georgia mechanic’s and materialmen’s lien and public works bond laws. Consider inviting your construction clients to join you at your office for this NASBP Virtual Seminar. Register Now.

Free NASBP July 25 Virtual Seminar: “The SBA Today — It’s Not Your Grandfather’s Bond Guarantee Program”
The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Surety Bond Guarantee Program (SBG) is vastly different today from the one that began in 1971. Until a decade ago, users found the SBG Program to be paper-intensive, time-consuming and sometimes frustrating. Today, the SBG Program is fast, simple and streamlined with a paperless, web-based application process that requires only two or three forms beyond the typical surety underwriting package and provides approvals in just a few hours to less than two days. Consider asking your contractor clients to join you at your office for this Virtual Seminar at 2 p.m. Eastern on July 25. Tamara Murray, Underwriting and Marketing Specialist for the SBG in Denver, will describe how contractors can bridge the gap to the standard surety market and stand out from the competition with SBA’s guarantee on projects up to $10 million. Bond startups and emerging contractors, eliminate funds administration and collateral requirements, and expand existing bonding capacity for your clients. With low working-capital requirements and other accommodations, SBA’s SBG can help you “open doors to bonding” for small business. This NASBP Virtual Seminar is free; however, registration is required. Register Now.

August 15 Virtual Seminar: “Setting Cyber Priorities: The Most Important Questions for Senior Executives to Ask about Their Cyber Security”
Presenters James Crifasi of RedZone Technologies in Annapolis, MD and Linn F. Freedman, Esq. of the law firm of Robinson & Cole LLP in Providence, RI will describe the cyber priorities surety professionals and their contractor clients should be implementing. Crifasi, Vice President and CTO of RedZone Technologies, has over 19 years of IT security, architecture, and integration experience. He has worked with business leaders to provide global IT solutions in areas of CRM, ERM, HRIS and eCommerce and has wide experience consulting for banking and finance institutions, specializing in effective network security systems and high performance business systems. Linn F. Freedman, CIPP/US, Chair Data Privacy & Security Team at her law firm, practices in data privacy and security law, cybersecurity, and complex litigation. She is a member of her firm’s Business Litigation Group and chairs its Data Privacy + Security Team. Freedman focuses her practice on compliance with all state and federal data privacy and security laws and regulations, as well as emergency data breach response and mitigation. Freedman works with companies and organizations to adopt a risk management approach to precisely frame the purpose and means for the collection, maintenance, and transfer of high-risk data throughout their organization. She advises them to identify high-risk data—both paper and electronic—and to implement measures to protect it and help them develop defensible, and reasonable, approaches to comply with constantly evolving regulatory requirements and the risk of a data breach and cyber intrusions. Consider inviting your construction clients to join you at your office for this August 15 NASBP Virtual Seminar at 2 p.m. Eastern.  Register Now.

September 5 NASBP Virtual Seminar: “Turning Construction Project Managers into Business Managers”
Preparing construction project managers to effectively manage and to execute projects profitably is key to a contractor’s success. Project managers are the business managers that may ultimately become the leadership of the construction firm. FMI’s Principal and Florida Consulting Manager, Gregg Shoppman, who specializes in the areas of productivity and project management, will describe how contractors can ensure that their project managers will effectively manage project controls, projected cash flow, and payment for work done, as well as use innovative tools; leverage key relationships with subs, suppliers, and consultants; and develop a solid foundation of technical, management, leadership, and business skills. Project managers who accomplish these skills while maintaining positive client relationships to leverage future repeat business are excellent candidates for leading the firm. Consider inviting your construction clients to join you at your office for this Virtual Seminar. Shoppman has completed project management and productivity implementation engagements for general and trade contractors and facilitates strategic planning and evaluation services focused on organizational transformation. He has also been an instructor with FMI’s Project Manager Academy and regularly trains individuals from foreman to CEO. Consider asking your contractor clients to join you at your office for this Virtual Seminar on September 5 at 2 p.m. Eastern. Register Now.

September 19 NASBP Virtual Seminar: “Accounting & Financial Statement Issues for Construction Contractors”

Surety professionals and their construction clients need to know the accounting and financial statement issues today’s contractors face. CPAs Adam A. Canosa and James Miller of the accounting firm of Marcum, LLP in New Haven, CT will describe accounting and financial statement presentation issues often encountered, such as unapproved change orders/claims, joint ventures, insurance and other contract-related reserves. They will explain new accounting standards that impact the construction industry, including revenue recognition, variable interest entity (VIE) reporting requirements, and goodwill. Canosa, a Senior Manager in the Assurance Services division of the firm, has more than 10 years of experience analyzing financial information for contractors; and Miller, a Member of the firm’s National Construction Industry Group, has more than 13 years of experience. Both have been involved in engagements involving fraud and litigation support and due diligence projects for business acquisitions. Consider inviting your construction clients to join you at your office for this NASBP Virtual Seminar on September 19 at 2 p.m. Eastern. Register Now.

October 10 NASBP Virtual Seminar: “Revenue Recognition: A Practical Approach to Implementation”

Learn what surety professionals and their contractor clients need to know about the FASB revised revenue recognition standard. CPAs Chris Gewain and Brent Rutter, both partners with the accounting firm of Moss Adams, LLP, will describe what private companies should be doing now to apply the standard to reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018. Join us to learn the practical steps to prepare for, assess impact, and implement the new revenue guidance with minimal disruption. Gewain, who has practiced public accounting since 2003, manages audits for construction and employee benefit plan clients. Rutter, who has practiced public accounting since 1996. develops and monitors the Moss Adams assurance practice, providing technical consultations on complex audit and accounting matters. He focuses on emerging issues and changes in professional standards that impact the firm’s private company clients. Among his areas of expertise are the lease accounting and revenue recognition standards for the construction industry. Consider inviting your construction clients to join you at your office for this NASBP Virtual Seminar on October 10 at 2 p.m. Eastern. Register Now.

For more information about NASBP Virtual Seminars, click here or contact Assistant Director of Professional Development Danielle Hard at dhard@nasbp.org.