The West Virginia State Treasurer’s Office will host the 2018 Cash Handling Conference for state financial professionals this week beginning Tuesday, April 24 through Thursday, April 26 at Stonewall Resort in Lewis County.

At 1 p.m. on Tuesday, State Treasurer John Perdue will welcome more than 100 attendees to this year’s conference titled Exploring the Wild Frontier.

“I am proud to provide state financial professionals with this unique learning opportunity to become more familiar with the guidelines for the state’s revenue collection processes,” said Treasurer Perdue. “I also hope they embrace our Wild West theme and have some fun while taking part in this important training.”

The conference is designed to introduce best practices and review guidelines for staff members in state government who handle cash or collect revenue. More than 55 state agencies, including colleges and universities, will be represented at the conference.

“In this age of financial fraud, identity theft and cyber-crimes, it’s essential that these state workers, especially those who handle cash or credit card payments, are properly trained with strong practices and security measures,” said Perdue.

One of the most important sessions deals with Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance, which ensures that state employees have procedures in place to protect financial data.

“I can’t stress enough the importance of frequent and complete PCI compliance training. We feel it’s our responsibility to help state financial professionals be as prepared as they can be in this area,” said Misty Price, Deputy Treasurer of Cash Management and conference presenter.

This is the fifth Cash Handling Conference hosted by Treasurer Perdue.