2024 Governmental Conference

Scott Reeser is a senior project manager with the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) in Norwalk, Connecticut. He is currently working on GASB projects related to the reexamination of the financial reporting model and infrastructure assets. Previously, he has worked on several projects, including those leading to statements on accounting and financial reporting for post-employment benefits, public-private partnerships, fiduciary activities, and transactions reported as deferred outflows of resources and deferred inflows of resources.

Before joining the staff of the GASB in 2010, Mr. Reeser spent ten years working for the Office of the Comptroller in the State of Illinois. During that time, Mr. Reeser was responsible for the coordination and preparation of the state's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and the development of statewide accounting policies. His previous experience also includes over five years with a public accounting firm performing financial and compliance audits of not-for-profit entities and governmental agencies.

Mr. Reeser is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Illinois CPA Society.

Crystal Dorsey is the Local Government Audit Manager for the Colorado Office of the State Auditor (OSA). The Local Government Audit Division tracks over 4,000 Colorado local governments for compliance with the Local Government Audit Law, which requires submission of an annual independent financial audit to the OSA. Crystal and her team review audit reports and requests for exemption from audit for compliance with generally accepted accounting principles and state statutes.

Prior to joining the OSA in February 2008, Crystal first started her career in governmental accounting with the City of Golden. After nearly 13 years there, she worked for a CPA firm auditing local governments in Colorado for 4 years.

Crystal holds a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Regis University, and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Colorado. Crystal and her husband have three daughters and six grandchildren.

Alicia first joined the COCPA as a student member while attending the University of Denver. After years of volunteering at the Society, she stepped into the role of Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director of the COCPA Educational Foundation for five years. Alicia now serves as the Society's third President and CEO, where she daily demonstrates her passion for the accounting profession and leads the organization as it carries out the COCPA mission to help people thrive personally and professionally through service and connection.

Alicia’s professional background includes stints in public accounting, adjunct teaching, consulting, and coaching. This Midwest native enjoys spending time camping, boating, and traveling with her husband and their dog, Ally.

Richard L. Wobbekind is Associate Dean for Businesss and Government Relations, Associate Professor of Business Economics and Finance, and Faculty Director of the Business Research Division at the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

He participates annually in the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank Regional Economic Roundtable and is a contributor to the Western Blue Chip forecast newsletter and the National Association for Business Economics (NABE) economic outlook and policy surveys. He is a member of the Boulder Economic Council. He serves as a board member for the Western Regional Science Association. Rich is past President of the NABE.

He is frequently interviewed by local and national broadcast and print media. He has received numerous awards for his teaching research and service including the University of Colorado Community Outreach Award (1997); member of Distinction by the Boulder Chamber of Commerce (2002); the Robert L. Stearns Award from the University of Colorado Alumni Association for career achievement in teaching, research and service(2006); the Thayne Robsen award from the Association for University Business and Economics Research for career achievement in applied regional economic analysis (2008); key contributor by the Boulder Chamber of Commerce(2010); and named a fellow by the National Association for Business Economics. (2011). In 2022 and 2023 he was been named to the top 50 list of influential business leaders in Northern Colorado by Bizwest.

Dr. Wobbekind teaches MBA students in macroeconomics and public policy. He has received four awards for teaching excellence from the students of the Leeds School of Business. Richard Wobbekind has lived in Colorado for over 43 years and has spent much of his time studying the development of the Colorado and regional economies. Dr. Wobbekind received a BA in Economics from Bucknell University and an MA and Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Colorado-Boulder.

Brian is a Managing Director of the Arbitrage Compliance Services Group and has over 29 years of arbitrage compliance experience. He was most recently the Group Manager of the BNY Mellon Arbitrage Compliance Group and has also previously worked at Pinnacle Arbitrage Compliance LLC and at Ernst & Young LLP as a member of their Arbitrage Rebate division. Brian works closely with issuers, their bond counsel and trustees to determine their arbitrage rebate liabilities, compliance with yield restriction requirements and strategies to maximize the amount of interest earning his clients can keep. He has prepared hundreds of arbitrage rebate, spending exception and yield restriction reports for clients. He helps supervise the Arbitrage Compliance Services Group personnel, coordinates completion of report, and performs the detailed review on arbitrage rebate engagements.

Brian currently serves as Managing Director for Hilltop Securities Asset Management. As such, he supervises all aspects of the calculation work, is available to answer technical questions as they arise, attends meetings as requested, and would be involved in any examinations by the IRS should they occur.

Brian worked at Ernst & Young LLP from 1994 to 2006, Pinnacle Arbitrage Compliance from 2006 to 2009 and BNY Mellon Trust Company NA from 2009 to 2021. He also has previous experience with Prudential and Dean Witter. Brian received degrees in Accounting and Finance from the University of Arizona.

Mr. Glenn E. Gustafson, CPA, has been with the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) since July 2021.  His current position is School Finance Manager.  Prior to that Mr. Gustafson was the Deputy Superintendent/Chief Financial Officer of Colorado Springs School District 11 for over 24 years.  His duties included oversight of Fiscal Services; Facilities, Operations and Transportation; Risk Management; Budget and Planning; Food and Nutrition Services; Procurement and Contracting; Production Printing; charter school administration and legislative services.  Mr. Gustafson also has experience in municipal government as the Director of Finance for the City of Fountain, Colorado.  He received his BSBA in accounting from the University of Colorado in 1982 and his MBA with an emphasis in finance from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs in 1990.

Mr. Gustafson’s professional certifications, organization memberships, and committees include:

• Colorado State Board of Accountancy (Certified Public Accountant), 1985
• Certified Public Finance Officer, 1999
• Certified Government Finance Officer, June 2001
• Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants, 1985 to present
• Government Finance Officers Association, 2000-2010
• Colorado Government Finance officers Association, 1987 to 2004
• President, 1996
• Colorado Association of School Executives, 2000 to present
• President, 2012
• ColoTrust Investment Pool Board of Directors, 2001 to 2009
• Colorado Society of CPA’s Local Government Issues Committee

Josh Abram is a Chief Fiscal Analyst with Colorado Legislative Council. The Colorado Legislative Council Staff provides nonpartisan products and services to the legislature and the public to support and inform the policy-making process, preserve the legislative institution, and promote transparency. As part of the budget staff, Mr. Abram prepares fiscal impact assessments of proposed legislation and ballot initiatives. Mr. Abram received his B.A. in Social Science Education from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and his M.P.A. from the Graduate School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado, Denver. Mr. Abram has lived in Boulder County for over 38 years, currently residing in Lafayette.

David Hansen is a principal economist with Colorado Legislative Council Staff.  David contributes to economic and revenue forecasts, conducts fiscal policy analysis, and research for the state legislature.  David currently works on property taxes and severance tax in addition to analyzing economic trends.  Prior to this position, David worked at Development Research Partners conducting economic and fiscal impact analysis and studies for higher education, traditional and renewable energy, demographics and employment, and residential and commercial real estate development.  David earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Colorado State University and a master’s degree in economics from the University of Colorado Denver.  David currently is a member of the Denver Association of Business Economists and serves as the chair of the CU Boulder Leeds School of Business' manufacturing committee for its annual Business Economic Outlook.