Four Albertans receive top honour from the Society of Management Accountants
of Canada (CMA Canada)

CALGARY , Nov. 13 /CNW/ - Certified Management Accountants (CMA) of Alberta is pleased to announce that four CMA Alberta members have received the highest honour from CMA Canada - the Fellow of the Society of Management Accountants of Canada (FCMA).

The FCMA is a prestigious national designation awarded to CMAs who, through their outstanding achievements, bring distinction to the management accounting profession. An FCMA designation demonstrates excellence in management accounting, commitment to CMA Canada and a civic mindedness that brings community respect to the member and the profession. FCMAs are nominated by their peers, who recognize their exemplary qualities and contributions. Currently, there are 87 CMA Alberta members who have received the FCMA designation.

"The FCMA designation is an honour bestowed to those who demonstrate the pinnacle of excellence in their profession and community," says David Shaw , MBA, CMA, President and CEO of CMA Alberta. "CMA Alberta congratulates these four recipients for their efforts and commends them on being role models for members and accounting professionals across the province."

These Albertans were among 48 CMAs across Canada to receive the FCMA designation this year:

Chris Good , FCMA - Chief Financial Officer and General Manager, Corporate Services (retired)

The City of Calgary

For the past 10 years, Chris was the CFO and General Manager of Corporate Services for The City of Calgary . During her career at The City of Calgary , Chris has: lead a team of more than 1,200 employees in various business units; overseen an annual operating budget of more than $2 billion ; and lead the department that was responsible for implementing the first-ever 311 call centre in Canada , which set the groundwork for other cities nationwide to follow suit.

Debbie Gorsline , FCMA - Partner

Anderson Gorsline Professional Accountants

As Partner for Anderson Gorsline Professional Accountants, Debbie helps owner-managed businesses evaluate performance and plan for the future. In her role, Debbie oversees the public practice team and leads the HR, IT and payroll units. As well, Debbie has played an integral part in helping to grow business by 30 per cent in the past three years.

Jim McClimans, FCMA - Vice-President Finance

Newalta Corporation

Since joining Newalta Corporation in 1995, Jim has played an increasingly important role in contributing to the organization's growth, helping revenue grow from $40 - $600 million . As VP Finance, Jim has also been at the helm of helping the company implement IFRS for 2010, providing leadership and guidance to more than 160 finance and accounting employees across Canada .

Bob Reekie , FCMA - Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer

WinSport Canada

Since joining the team at WinSport Canada in 1989, Bob has worked his way up in the organization. In his role as Vice-President and CFO, Bob provides valuable financial insight and helps shape the strategic direction of the organization. Recently, Bob worked on a vital strategic project for the organization that involved developing a new sustainability vision to upgrade and build high-performance facilities.

To view a complete list of all CMA Alberta members who hold the prestigious FCMA designation, please visit www.cma-alberta.com.

About CMA Alberta

As an integral partner of CMA Canada , CMA Alberta is the self-governing professional organization responsible for the training, accreditation and continuing professional development of CMAs in Alberta. Of CMA Canada's 50,000 members across Canada and around the world, more than 6,600 CMAs are accredited in Alberta.

Certified Management Accountants are strategic financial management professionals who have gained the knowledge and skills necessary to provide leadership, innovation and an integrating perspective to organizational decision-making in the global marketplace. Our accreditation process is rigorous, but richly rewarding. It leads to the most respected and highly sought-after designation in business: the CMA.

For further information: or to arrange an interview, please contact: Shannon Pestun, Director, Marketing and Communications, Certified Management Accountants of Alberta, [phone], [phone] cell, [email protected]