June 2008 | Central Coast Chapter Bulletin

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CHAPTER EVENT

Coronation Ball

You knew that Rusty couldn’t just celebrate his installation with a regular installation dinner. No, he needed a Coronation Ball! Grab your significant other and help us welcome Louie Ortega to the San Luis Obispo Country Club for an evening of music and dancing. Dinner will be buffet style and the cost includes two complimentary drinks per person. We will celebrate our board and committee chairs, say goodbye to Debbie Wacker, who has served us so faithfully over the years, and congratulate our newest 40-year member, Larry Anderson.
Date: Friday, June 20
Time: 6:30–11 p.m.
Location: San Luis Obispo Country Club, San Luis Obispo
Cost: $40/member; $70/member and guest
Register: Online
Member and guest: Contact program associate Sherri Parkinson

SLO Tax Roundtable

Topic: Local Referral Updates/Misc Tax Topics
Date: Friday, June 20
Time: 7:35–8:30 a.m.
Location: SLO County Courthouse (room behind cafeteria)
Cost: Free
CPE: 1 hour

North County Discussion Group

Topic: Tax Season: What worked and What Didn't
Discussion Leader: Kathleen O'Connor
Date: Friday, June 13
Time: 7:45-8:45 a.m.
Location: Centennial Park, Live Oak Room; 600 Nickerson Rd. Paso Robles
Cost: FREE (members and nonmembers)
CPE: 1 hour

 

SAVE THE DATE

Tax Update Seminar

Speakers: Tom Daley and Gary McBride
Date: Monday, Dec. 8
Time: 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

 

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Welcome to My Whirled

By Rusty Roy, CPA

No it’s not a typo—it’s a bad grammatical pun, but it works for me. It’s about my life in professional organizations. For me there are two: the AICPA and CalCPA.
   I take a lot of pride in being a CPA. I’m a passionate advocate for the profession, and my biggest inspiration comes from working with my colleagues in the AICPA and CalCPA. Now, CalCPA is closer to home and consumes more of my time, and this is on their dime, so I’ll restrict my comments to CalCPA.
   I get a kick hanging out with smart, kind, talented and caring people. I have made a career of running with these types of people. They’re called CPAs. And as you all know, you have to look very hard to find the public’s stereotype among us. But more than getting a kick, I learn a lot, get propped up when I’m struggling and get inspired to do my best.
   A core part of our values is to serve the public interest. This is the very heart of the audit and part of all of our training, even though most of us don’t practice in that area. The value is performing high-level service to a client, but also providing assurance that the reader of the financials (the public) is served as well.
   That’s the deal with CalCPA. We are providing a high level of service to our client (in this case ourselves and colleagues) and also working to safeguard our profession for the benefit of the public.
   Why does it work? Because it’s a win–win proposition. Every step of the way we receive the benefit of hanging with super people (our fellow CPAs), and every step of the way we provide service and safeguards to the public and ourselves.
   Now here’s a challenge. We all know a couple of our colleagues who are not active. Maybe it’s a friend, maybe it’s a neighbor or maybe it’s you. My challenge is to get your friend, your neighbor or you to just one chapter event. It can be a monthly meeting or a monthly discussion group (we have two: one in San Luis and one in Paso). See what you think. Go up to a chapter officer, director, presenter or discussion leader and tell them what you think. I have two in mind: Phil and Mike. I’m going to get them to an event and have a dialog with them.
   What are you going to do?
   Welcome to my world!
—Rusty Roy, CPA
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CHAPTER NEWS

New Members

On behalf of the Central Coast Chapter’s officers, directors and members, we extend our warmest of welcomes to our new members: Timothy Wiesner, Carrie Baker, Sonja Cutner... [see all new members]

CPA Day at the Capitol a Success

By Sherri Parkinson, Central Coast Chapter Program Associate I just spent the most interesting and informative day at our state Capitol with more than 250 of the most dedicated CPA professionals. It isn’t easy to get to Sacramento from here, and I know that. Some of us drove, and some took a new Express Jet flight from Santa Barbara to Sacramento (which really did make it easy!). But, CPA Day offered one of those rare moments in time when you are thankful for the career you have chosen and for the people you get to work with everyday. Plus, we had fun!
   The Central Coast Chapter had five people attend the event: Peggy Hesse, Kevin Jackson, Rusty Roy, Dana Senes and myself. None of us had ever attended before. We met with Sen. Abel Maldonado in his office, and he really listened to our concerns. He assured us that he was opposed to the sales tax on professional services, and as we explained mobility and the 150-hour requirement, and he said he would support AB 2473 as well. Easy!
   Next we met with Jonathan Changus in Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee’s office. He too listened to our concerns, gave us advice on how to get our bill passed and asked some great questions. All in all, I sat in on five meetings with senators and Assembly members, some Republican and some Democrat, and all were polite, interested and wanted to do the right thing regarding our issues and the state budget. We even got asked for advice on the budget crisis.
   What made the day truly special for me was being able to walk around the capital building wearing my blue “CalCPA: Committed to Excellence” button and seeing all those other people wearing the same button—some I knew, some I didn’t and some I had just met. It was a great feeling of camaraderie and made me realize, once again, how proud I am to be a CPA and how well CalCPA serves all of us, even when we can’t make it to Sacramento.
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CalCPA NEWS

2008 National MAP Survey: New and Improved

Find out how your firm stacks up against others by taking part in the PCPS/TSCPA National MAP Survey, which covers key practice management issues, from billing rates and salaries to services as a percentage of fees.
   Survey results will allow you to compare your firm’s management policies and financial results to other firms; gain strategic guidance to build a more profitable and rewarding practice; and help make core business decisions.
   Changes to this year’s survey include 40 percent fewer questions; targeted and “user-friendly” results; a free summary results report for all participants; and results made available months earlier than in previous years.
   The summary report will contain an extract of the survey’s key performance metrics, such as number of hours charged/compensated, major income statement statistics and more. The comprehensive report, available for purchase and free to PCPS members, will include all of the performance metrics crossed against many relevant comparison groups, as well as additional ratios and statistical analyses.
   The survey is open through July 11.

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