Highlights from the Houston Area Chapter

Hard work and dedication have paid off this year for the Houston Area Chapter. The chapter was awarded the 2014 Chapter of the Year award in June at the 25th Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference in San Antonio and they are showing no signs of slowing down.

More than 150 attendees, including members from California, New York, Washington D.C. and Nigeria, converged at Hotel Derek in Houston, October 9-10 for the chapter’s second-ever fraud conference. The chapter expanded on last year’s conference with a new location, and 11 sponsors and exhibitors. Popular ACFE faculty members Don Rabon, CFE, Tiffany Couch, CFE, and Walt Manning, CFE, were among some of the presenters. The chapter also hosted a networking event on Thursday night that was open to all chapter members and conference attendees.

“We took a risk by changing venues for this year’s event, but the response from attendees has been overwhelmingly positive. We’ve been able to achieve our goals of bringing a first-class conference to the Houston area while also earning enough money to support other chapter initiatives,” chapter president Ryan Hubbs, CFE, said.

In September, the chapter celebrated its 25th anniversary with an awards dinner at the Hess Club in Houston. At the dinner, the chapter honored long-time members and current chapter board officers. The chapter also presented a special award to ACFE President and CEO James Ratley, CFE, who was the featured speaker at the event.

In August, the chapter welcomed their 400th member, a remarkable achievement considering the chapter had just over 70 members two years ago. The current member count is at 428, with the chapter setting its sights on 500 in 2015. “This is an important milestone for us. The growth of the chapter is a direct result of the board focusing on providing value and benefits for our members,” Hubbs said. “Every decision by the board is made with the member in mind.”

Below are pictures from this year’s conference and networking reception. To read more about what is happening at the Houston Area Chapter, visit them on the web.