PNLTFA: The Return
Pacific Northwest License, Tax & Fraud Association
Fall Training 2022 – October 13th, 2022
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2022-fall-training-tickets-401990011947
PNLTFA Members,
It has been far too long since we were able to come together and network, share experiences and swap stories, and learn new tools and methods in our fight against fraud and the criminal element! The last two and a half years have not only shown us new ways of doing our jobs, its also taught others new ways of committing fraud, evading detection and victimizing others. It’s time we got back to work.
We are pleased to announce our training is back, and at our recently favorite training location at the South Puget Sound Community College Lacey Campus! Here’s the breakdown of the day:
7:30am – 8:00am – Sign-in, networking
Please be prepared to sign in at the entrance to the classroom for CPE certification!
8:00am – 9:30am – De-escalation and dealing with Difficult Customers: Randy Littlefield
Randy is the Deputy Assistant Director for Labor & Industries’ Fraud Prevention & Labor Standards Division, and he will be discussing difficult interactions, how to navigate sensitive or potentially confrontational encounters, and how to best avoid, mitigate or prevent escalation.
9:30am – 9:45am – Break, Networking
9:45am – 11:00am – Self Management
Do you deal with upset or angry people in your job or life? Do you wish you had some better ways to deal with those situations? Come talk about ways you can better manage those conversation, help people feel heard and calm the situation with your verbal skills.
11:00am – 11:30am – Business Meeting:
As required by the PNLTFA By-Laws, we have a meeting every year to discuss the state of the Association, summarize the prior year, indicate future goals and elect board members (1/2 of the board is elected each year). This is normally conducted during our two-day event in May, but this year we did not host one. You are not required to be present for the meeting, but this will be an opportunity to discuss future opportunities with the newly elected Board members and provide input on where we go next in our training events!
Please note: We will have a ballot on the PNLTFA.com website to nominate candidates. Voting ballots will be provided to each attendee prior to the business meeting.
11:00am – 12:30am – Lunch:
On your own. There are many small businesses near SPSCC as well as popular franchises along Sleater-Kinney Rd. You are more than welcome to bring food in and eat while we present our business meeting to the attendees!
Please be prepared to sign in at the entrance to the classroom for CPE certification!
12:30pm – 2:30pm – Crypto 101:
PNLTFA is no stranger to the world of cryptocurrency, as we’ve held several training sessions on this very topic, stood up a newsletter to track the trends we’ve seen in BitCoin and even had a subcommittee to discuss those trends. Today, with the explosion in the various types of cryptocurrency including non-fungible tokens (NFTs), understanding the world of digital currency is even more important as regulators and fraud fighters! Come learn the basics of Financial Technology (FinTech) and how the Washington Department of Financial Institutions regulates in this space. Topics covered will include blockchain technology, digital assets (including Bitcoin, cryptocurrency, stablecoins, and NFTs). The session will also cover other topics like Centralized Finance (CeFi) versus Decentralized Finance (DeFi), Web3, and other emerging financial technologies and products.
2:30pm – 2:45pm – Break, Networking
2:45pm – 4:30pm – Ethics:
Join us with the Executive Ethics Board as they provide the annual two-hour Ethics training that we provide every year. While we normally do this in January of each year, we have had several requests to provide it this year to comply with various certification requirements.
From the EEB: “After taking the training, the state employee will have a basic understanding of the ethical standards in place for state employees and state officials. The training will cover what is required under the law as a state employee and give state employees practical tools on how to handle ethical issues when they arise in the workplace. Through the use of hypothetical situations, state employees will learn what conduct is appropriate and options to take when faced with ethical dilemmas in their agency. The state employee will also gain a working knowledge of the role of the Executive Ethics Board as well as the complaint process.”
When:
Tuesday, October 13, 2022, 8:00am – 4:30pm
Where:
South Community College Lacey Campus, 4220 6th Ave SE Lacey, WA 98503
Cost:
$45 – taken by invoice (through your agency) or online via Eventbrite
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2022-fall-training-tickets-401990011947
About the Presenters:
H. Randy Littlefield:
Randy joined L&I in 2011, where he has working in several of the programs from Collections, Contractor Compliance and Investigations before taking his current job as the Deputy Assistant Director of the Fraud Prevention & Labor Standards .
In his over 30 year state career he has worked at the Employment Security Department while attending college. He then became a Washington State Trooper where he learned valuable critical thinking and decision making skills, he also trained as and served as one of the Department Public Information Officers. Randy then worked Department of Revenue for 15 years where he worked mostly in their Tax Discovery program before leaving for 5 years to own several businesses.
Throughout his career, Randy has honed his communications skills and focused on how to listen and communicate affective in tough situations. He has found that it doesn’t matter if you are collecting taxes, providing a customer service or investigating a crime, the techniques for calming the situation and communicating affectively do not change.
Randy is originally from the Olympia area but spent many years of his childhood in Louisiana. He has a daughter, two step kids and his longtime partner Beth. When not working, Randy enjoys traveling, cooking (you might have seen some of his food article in the division newsletter or eaten some of the many things he often brings in to share), scuba diving, wine touring and spending time with his family and friends.
Ali Higgs:
As a lawyer, regulator, and former compliance consultant, Ali has extensive experience working in financial regulation and the financial services industry. Ali currently works at the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) in the role of Director of Regulatory and Legal Affairs providing legal assistance and advice related to supervision and regulation of financial institutions in the State of Washington. Ali also serves as the lead contact for the DFI Center for FinTech Information. Ali is an adjunct professor at the Seattle University School of Law teaching courses in Privacy, Cybersecurity, and FinTech. Ali received both her B.A. in Business Administration and JD from Seattle University. She is a member of the Washington State Bar Association.
Bobby Frye:
Executive Ethics Board Investigator Bobby Frye has been employed with Washington State for the past 42 years. He worked for the Washington State Patrol for 26 years as a Trooper, Detective and Bomb Technician and instructed Basic Narcotics classes for 4 years. After leaving the WSP, he worked as an Investigator with the DOL Facial Recognition Unit and as an investigator for the Insurance Commissioner’s Office for 10 years. He joined the Ethics Board as an Investigator in May 2018.
