Business Office Forums

Business Office Forums are informational meetings held three times annually by the Diocesan Finance Department and are intended for parish and school office staff. The meetings cover a variety of topics, including accounting procedures, technology, employee benefits, property management, security, risk management, insurance, and general best practices.

Resources & Content from our Business Office Forums

All the content discussed at the business offices forums can be found below. If something is missing, you can contact Jessica Holcomb at jholcomb@dmdiocese.org.

September 2026 ALL DAY Business Office Forum

Andrea Penka and Scott Oligmueller of Catholic Mutual presented on Claim Handling & Risk Management. Continue to reach out to Dustin Heino, our Claims/Risk Manager, by phone 402-514-2481 or by email: dheino@catholicmutual.org with any questions. Anne Marie Cox from Communications announced the Midwest on Mission parish renewal summit and provided the Registration form. Laura Hofstrand reviewed Paylocity Benefit classes. Please reach out to her if you have any questions. Ewa Torres presented on Recruiting, and New Hire & Termination Checklists, recently added to the resource manual. Electronic Bankingpresented by West Bank. Paper checks put you most at risk for fraud. Electronic payments offer the most security and fraud protection capabilities. Laura Hofstrand, Controller for the Diocese, presented on Positive Pay and ACH Fraud Filter tools offered by financials. Renny Crawford from Stewardship & Development presented on the Annual Diocesan Appeal, Clergy Formation, and ADA Dashboards. Internal Reviews: AFR process, and Risk Metrics as well as Volunteer Documentation were presented by Scott Smyth. Please reach out if you have any questions regarding internal reviews or controls. Ewa Torres presented on the Employee Handbook: Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual, and a template to be used and customized. This can be found under the HR Policies, Procedures, and Misc Forms section of the Human Resources webpage. Lisa Triplett outlined Payroll Liabilities when making journal entries for health insurance.

June 2026 Business Office Forum

Safe Driver Requirements presented by Scott Smyth Sue McEntee on behalf of the Catholic Foundation of SW Iowa presented: CFSWIA Agency Fund Signatory Change Form CFSWIA Instructions for Disbursing or Receiving Agency Funds CFSWIA Investment and Spend Change Form CFSWIA ACH Form Tech Survey for Cyber Security Insurance Renewal presented by Greg Miller Priest Compensation: Stipends presented by Fr. David Fleming Permission for Mass Offering Reallocation FORM Work Compensation, Employee Handbook, Open Enrollment, and Performance Management  presented by Ewa Torres FY2025 AFR Submission Results presented by Jessica Holcomb FY2026 Instructions/Timeline Annual Financial Report RUBRIC  ParishSOFT "Configure Report" cheatsheet Reports to Finance Council presented by Lisa Triplett Paylocity Benefits and AvidXchange presented by Laura Hofstrand

December 2025 Business Office Forum

AFR & Parish Internal Reviews presented by Scott Smyth ADA Calendar, Stewardship Resources & Tax Changes Impacting Giving by Renny Crawford Year End Tasks-Paylocity W-2 Reports by Laura Hofstrand & Lisa Triplett

September 2025 ALL DAY Business Office Forum

Catholic Mutual -Safety & Security was presented by Dustin Heino. Mission Work Trips-Service Projects 11 or more Passenger Vehicle Usage Safety & Security Guide Vehicle Selection Quick Reference Guide Please access the Cares Library through CMG Connect for training materials. You'll need to signup for an account to access content. In "Additional Resources," please find the Parish Safety & Security Guide. Also recommended to watch the video "Critical Incidents: Preparation and Response." Deacon Jim Houston presented on the Permanent Diaconate. Electronic Banking presented by West Bank. Paper checks put you most at risk for fraud. Electronic payments have the most security and fraud protection capabilities when reviewed daily. CFSWIA Investment Opportunities presented by Sue McEntee and Reid Bailey of Morgan Stanley. Additional information can be found on their website.  Renny Crawford from Stewardship & Development presented on the Annual Diocesan Appeal. Sierra Freeman & Eileen Valdez from Human Resources & Safe Environment presented on the Employee Lifecycle; covering: recruiting, onboarding, resources and separation. Internal Reviews are done by Scott Smyth. Please reach out if you have any questions regarding audits or controls. Laura Hofstrand, Controller for the Diocese, presented on changes to the Resource Manual specific to Section 405 Paylocity.