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Message from the Chair

Focused on the Next 100 Years

By Andrea Cope, CPA
It is my great honor to serve as CalCPA chair during our centennial year.

When G.R. Webster, W.C. Mushet and J.F. Forbes were sworn in as the first officers of CalCPA 100 years ago, I wonder if they imagined the organization we have today.

In 2009, CalCPA is the nation’s largest state CPA society at more than 35,000 strong—and growing. Did Webster, Mushet and Forbes contemplate a profession in which 60 percent of new licensees are women and more than 40 percent are ethnic minorities? Probably not. However, I am sure they did envision an organization that 100 years later would be upholding the same values that were key in the beginning—integrity, trust and public protection. I am proud to say that we have not let our founders down. Indeed, it is fair to say we have exceeded their expectations.

I love the story of the East Bay Chapter membership chair who had two cases that held a total of 225 names badges and thought that they would be sufficient for some time. Today the chapter boasts more than 2,100 members.

Still, we must not rest on our laurels. To keep CalCPA strong and viable for the next 100 years, we must embrace change and leverage our momentum.

CalCPA has experienced unparalleled growth in the past few years. Reaching 30,000 members in 2006 was a remarkable achievement. Today, we have more than 35,000 members. The significance of this should not be undervalued. During this same time period, most associations have been struggling against declining membership. So, why has CalCPA been different?

CalCPA’s leaders have had the foresight to focus on those things that are important to the profession in the present, as well as the future. Over the past few years we have seen tremendous growth in candidate membership, so much so that almost half of new licensees are already CalCPA members when they become licensed. Five years ago, less than 25 percent of new licensees were members. Programs like the Young and Emerging Professionals Conference, Leadership Institute and local initiatives and events have contributed to our success in this area.

During my term, I would like to build on these successes and maintain the momentum to ensure our sustainability for the next
100 years.

As I mentioned earlier, the face of the CPA profession has changed. I believe it is critical that we continue to support CPA careers outreach, particularly to students who are ethnic minorities, so that our profession mirrors the public we serve. We have some work to do.

For example, while 37 percent of Californians are Hispanic, only 4 percent of the overall profession in California identifies as such, and only 5 percent of new licensees.

During my term, we will extend our careers outreach efforts to the broadest possible audience of high school and college students, including publishing a new edition of the award-winning Quest magazine, which annually reaches 20,000 students and is often their first exposure to a CPA career.

But there’s no substitute for face-to-face encounters with the future of our profession. To increase the number of live visits with students—annually, CalCPA members already reach 11,000 students mainly via high school classroom or career day visits—we will work more closely with college campuses to create career visit opportunities.

Careers outreach is just one way we can ensure the sustainability of CalCPA.

We need to consider each of our strategic priorities in terms of the present and the future:

• Advocate for members on issues that affect the profession.
• Enhance and promote the visibility of the profession and CalCPA.
• Attract, education and support CPAs in their professional and personal growth.

As an example, let’s take a few of these areas that overlap—enhance and promote the profession and CalCPA, and attracting CPAs.

There is no business as usual in these areas. Web 2.0 has completely changed how we communicate. A year ago, was twittering anything more to you than something for birds or 8-year-old girls? Today, the micro-blogging site Twitter provides a fast-paced, succinct way for people and organizations to communicate in an age of information overload. Sure, we may not be twittering in 2109, but we can pave the way now for—and embed in our culture—a willingness to adapt and change to meet the evolving needs of our membership, profession and society. These are the real keys to sustainability.

By the way, you can follow CalCPA on Twitter, be its fan on Facebook and connect with your peers through the CalCPA group on LinkedIn.

Our advocacy efforts are another example of paving our path for the future. CalCPA supports legislation and regulation that builds a stronger profession in the present.

Take, for example, AB 117, which increases CPA license transparency and requires CPAs who do not stay current via education to disclose that they are inactive whenever they use their CPA designation.

We then have our effort to align California licensing standards with national standards. SB 691 is important in the present, but mission critical to the future of the CPA profession and the ability for California licensees to remain competitive long-term and serve client needs across state lines, and around the globe.

You Can Help: 100 for 100
Every year, CalCPA leaders extol the benefits and value of getting involved. And, while involvement in CalCPA is personally and professionally rewarding, I understand that it’s a tough economy and extra hours out of the office are not an option for many right now. So, in gratitude for the profession that has provided you with a secure livelihood and to celebrate CalCPA’s centennial and support the profession’s future, I’d like to issue a challenge: raise $1 million through our
“$100 for 100 years” effort.

Your $100 tax-deductible contribution to CalCPA Institute to commemorate 100 years of professional excellence will support our profession today and help ensure its future sustainability. If everyone who could, contributed, we’d quickly reach that $1 million goal and show our commitment to our future.

Will you join us?

Through CalCPA Institute, our members:

• Provide education, resources and information to Californians on financial literacy topics.
• Deliver financial literacy and CPA careers presentations to more than 20,000 annually.
• Award more than $300,000 annually in scholarships to college and university students who are pursuing CPA careers.
• Support CalCPA Leadership Institute to help develop the profession’s next generation of leaders in California.
• Demonstrate commitment to the future of accounting education via innovative programs and doctoral scholarship support.

I encourage you to donate to CalCPA Institute toda.

We have quite a bit to be proud of as CalCPA celebrates its centennial. Our profession—and we as individuals—are enjoying the benefits of advocacy, education and enhanced visibility because a group of less than 40 people showed their commitment to the profession 100 years ago and founded CalCPA. Let’s ensure that legacy continues. Members have created a strong, stable organization that is positioned to deliver benefits to current and future members and uphold the values of the profession for the next 100 years.