In March 2020, GFOA approved new policies to guide a complete overhaul and relaunch of our Certified Public Finance Officer (CPFO) program. For more than 20 years, it has represented a significant achievement for members who want to stand out, demonstrating their knowledge in a broad set of public finance disciplines. And while the program was valuable to those who completed it, it was also somewhat intimidating for those considering it. So, when we redesigned the program, GFOA had two objectives: 1) Better integrate CPFO with other programs, and 2) make the CPFO program more accessible for more members. With this in mind, GFOA made several changes aimed at improving a member’s experience in going through the program, while sticking to our exacting standards.

• Publication date: February 2024