December 2007 | Central Coast Chapter Bulletin

TOOLS

 

CHAPTER EVENTS

Tax Seminar

Speakers: Tom Daly and Gary McBride
Date: Friday, Dec. 7
Time: 8 a.m./registration; 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m./program
Location: Shore Cliff Lodge/Pelican Pointe; 2555 Price St.; Pismo Beach
Cost: $160/members; $185/nonmembers
CPE: 8 hours
RSVP: Limited space available. Online
Net proceeds benefit the Central Coast Chapter Scholarship Fund
Sponsored by CapWest Securities, Inc.

Human Resource Update

Speaker: Susan Waag, J.D., Waag and Co.
Date: Tuesday, Jan. 15
Time: 4:30-7 p.m.
Location: Steamers Restaurant; 1601 Price St.; Pismo Beach
Cost: $35/members; $40/nonmembers
CPE: 2 hours
RSVP: Online
Sponsored by CharityDeductions.com
[back to top]

 

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Oh No … December Already?

By S. Dana Senes, CPA

I have not even started shopping for holiday gifts, and we know what comes after New Year’s. No, I’m not going to say the words yet. So, on a happier thought, I want to thank Greg Peters, Debbie Wacker, Karan Pohl and our membership for supporting our successful ABC Mixer at Cal Poly’s new stadium. The Pep band, donated by the Wacker family, was a nice addition to the event, which was top-notch and presented our chapter well with our banker and attorney colleagues.
   Thanks also go out to this year’s Student Night panel. Kevin Jackson (industry), Michael Krovious (government), Brooke Salvini (financial planning), Kate Lancaster (education) and Mike Radakovich (public) shared their differing backgrounds, work experience, advice and some humor with our students and members.
   This year our chapter awarded $10,000 to Cal Poly University, Hancock and Cuesta college students. These funds will help our recipients continue their accounting education. Student night proves to be a fun event each year, and I always enjoy meeting the “kids“ and catching up with some CPA friends.
   We also presented small gifts to our recent scholarship winners from our three local colleges. Thank you Debbie Wacker, Sherri Parkinson and Polly Mead for pulling the event together and inviting our panelists and students.
   I was also able to attend the "Celebrating Women CPAs" conference last month. It was a terrific event and I hope CalCPA does it again. I was one of three of our local members in attendance and it was nice to see a few familiar faces. Of course, our own Peggy Hesse attended and I enjoyed spending some time getting to know her better. Alexis Rietdyk, a young and emerging professional and CPA candidate from my firm, joined me for the celebration, and we were both sponsored by Joan Alleckson, a San Diego Chapter past president who specializes in cost segregation studies. Thank you Joan and Bill for letting us join your table and enjoy the event together.
   Our final scholarship event for this year will be a Tax Update Seminar Friday, Dec. 7 with Gary McBride and Tom Daly. I hope we can increase our scholarship fund with this event so we can continue awarding generous scholarships to deserving, local students.
   It has been fun being the president this year and getting to know the members better. If you have ever considered holding a board position, please contact me ASAP, as the nominations slate is due soon. I promise it will be the “easiest” board position you have ever held.
   Happy Holidays.
—S. Dana Senes, CPA
[Back to top]

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: Kari Hamilton, Alyssa O'Briant, Kashina Bishop... [see all new members]

Meet Our Board: Phil Hasel

Phil Hasel began his two-year term as a chapter board member in June 2007 and immediately volunteered to be chair of the chapter’s Financial Literacy Committee and the chapter’s representative on the CalCPA Financial Literacy Committee. He is hoping to make presentations at several local high schools to introduce students to the understanding of money, good credit and bad credit, insurance, what is an investment and how simple steps can help them keep their money safe. Hasel is always looking for contact information for local high schools or additional volunteers!
   Hasel has spent most of his career in industry as the financial executive for high-tech manufacturing companies in Arizona. He spent two years on the board of the Arizona Society of CPAs, as well as prepared and taught a cash management course for the organization. Since moving to Paso Robles in 2003, Hasel has worked in public accounting preparing tax returns and developing a practice of supplementing small-business bookkeeping staff as a part-time controller or CFO.
   CalCPA membership is a way for Hasel to keep current and in touch with the profession, he says, and his involvement on the board is an extension of this belief. Hasel has always been a part of the state CPA society wherever he lived.
   Hasel is married to his “best friend” Elizabeth, who is a psychologist, registered nurse and teacher. They have four daughters and a son, as well as two dogs and five cats. In his spare time, Hasel enjoys bicycling, snow skiing and playing with his granddaughters. He and his wife are movie buffs and also enjoy watching sports and the deer and hummingbirds in their yard. Hasel and his wife are also members of the Central Coast Interfaith Voices for Justice.
   Prior to becoming a CPA, Hasel was a lifeguard, swim instructor and production line worker. At Arizona State University, where he was a competitive springboard diver, he was a dormitory cook, church janitor, invoice clerk, tax preparer and collection agent, eventually joining KPMG upon graduation.
   Hasel is a sole practitioner of Philip L. Hasel, CPA. You can reach him by e-mail or at (805) 238-0636.

Celebrating Women CPAs from a YEP’s Perspective

By Alexis T. Rietdyk, CPA candidate

While interviewing for my first job in the accounting profession, one of the questions I asked was, "What percentage of the firm's partners are women?" As a young woman starting my public accounting career, it was important to know that there were women in the firm who had aspired to and had taken their careers to a high level.
   CalCPA's Celebrating Women CPAs conference allowed me to gain some perspective on how fortunate I am to have mentor-mentee relationships with the women in my firm. It’s impressive how far women CPAs have come in a relatively short amount of time. It also was an eye-opening experience to hear women speak who had started their careers as the only woman in their firm.
   The opportunities for career growth—as well as leadership development through motivating and mentoring others—as presented by speakers Fiona Ma and Rosalinda O'Neill, were invaluable. How encouraging it was to hear that now, in California, 60 percent of new licensees are women, and soon, I will be one of them.

Election of 08–09 Officers

Please join us Tuesday, Jan. 15 to meet our new slate of officers and cast your vote. The slate will also be included in the January Bulletin, so review the nominees there. If you are interested in joining our board, please contact chapter president Dana Senes or chapter program associate Sherri Parkinson.
[Back to top]

CalCPA NEWS

CalCPA Member Discounts on CCH Tax Guidebooks

CalCPA members can order CCH’s U.S. Master Tax Guide 2008 and the Guidebook to California Taxes 2008 at significantly discounted rates:

2008 U.S. Master Tax Guide (Expected ship date, late-December 2007): $41/members; $61/nonmembers.

2008 Guidebook to California Taxes (Expected ship date, late-January 2008): $39/members; $59/nonmembers.

Order today.
[Back to top]

RESOURCES:

Central Coast Chapter Leadership