Course Information

The Texas State Auditor's Office invites you to attend the 2026 Audit Conference in Austin, Texas on July 29-30, 2026. The conference is at the Commons Conference Center on the University of Texas Campus at Braker Lane and Burnet Road. 

Day 1 - July 29

• Opening Remarks - Lisa Collier, State Auditor

• Skills for 2030: How Internal Auditors Can Stay Ahead in a Rapidly Evolving Risk Landscape - Jamey Loupe, Sikich LLC (1.2 CPE, 1.2 Tech CPE)

• Project Pressure Points: Planning, Priorities, and Progress - Wendy Smith, The Soomitz Group LLC (1.2 CPE, 1.2 Tech CPE)

• Conflict Resolution Tools for Audit Professionals - Orit Ostrowiak, Beacon Training Services, Inc. (1.2 CPE)

• Controls That Matter: Testing What Works (and What Doesn't) - Mara Ash, BFS Strategic Partners (1.2 CPE, 1.2 Gov. CPE, 1.2 Tech CPE)

• Professional Presence: Shaping How You are Seen, Heard, and Remembered at Work - Laura Johannsen and Lauren Bernick, The Canopy Oak, LLC (1.2 CPE)

• Protecting Texas: Fraud Resilience in a High-Risk Era - Melinda Gildart and Larry Douglas, MG Audit and Advisory Services, PLLC (1.2 CPE, 1.2 Gov. CPE, 1.2 Tech CPE)

• Power BI Desktop for Auditors: From Raw Data to Audit-Ready Insights - Sharon Fry, Beacon Training Services, Inc. (1.2 CPE)

• Team Skills for Audits - Priscilla Luzader Pipho, Lucent Leadership (1.2 CPE)

• Communicating Audit Results with Impact: Storytelling & Clarity for Government Auditors - Dr. Shantana L. Robinson, MFAD Creative Group LLC (1.2 CPE, 1.2 Gov. CPE, 1.2 Tech CPE)

• Humble Inquiry: Using Curiosity to Build Healthy Culture - Jerry Fu, Adapting Leaders, LLC (1.2 CPE)

Day 2 - July 30

• Confidence Under Pressure: What's in Your C.U.P.? - Chief (ret.) Jason P. Armstrong, Armstrong Consulting, LLC (1.2 CPE)

• Mastering & Applying Consultative Skills for Government Auditors - John J. Hall, Hall Consulting, Inc. (1.2 CPE, 1.2 Gov. CPE)

• Difficult Personalities - Charlotte Carr and Jeff Criminger, State Auditor's Office (1.2 CPE)

• Judgment in Auditing: Making Defensible Decisions Under Uncertainty - Rob Berry, That Audit Guy, LLC (1.2 CPE, 1.2 Tech CPE)

• When You Own the Outcome but Not the People - Kelley Webb, Leadership Wellness Collaborative (1.2 CPE, 1.2 Gov. CPE)

• Panel: Maximizing Teammate+ - Tessa Mlynar, State Auditor's Office; Catherine Melvin, Department of Public Safety; David Lupercio, Department of State Health Services; Taylor Huff, State Auditor's Office (1.2 CPE, 1.2 Gov. CPE)

• Ethics Issues, Challenges & Actions: Opportunities for Government Auditors - John J. Hall, Hall Consulting, Inc. WILL COUNT FOR 2.4-HOURS of ETHICS (2.4 CPE, 2.4 Gov. CPE, 2.4 Tech CPE)

• Modern IT Audit in Today's Cyber-Threat World - Melinda Gildart, Michael Ratemo, and Chris Carter - MG Audit and Advisory Services, PLLC (1.2 CPE, 1.2 Tech CPE)

• AI-Powered Audit Analytics: Practical Applications for Government Auditors (1.2 CPE, 1.2 Gov. CPE, 1.2 Tech CPE)

Prerequisite not required.