Final Entry: Stay Active

California CPA October 2009

With legislation requiring inactive license disclosure poised to become effective Jan. 1, 2010, industry CPAs share why they keep their CPA licenses active.

“After spending over eight years in public accounting, I have jumped the fence to internal audit. During my recruiting process I informed management of the value I saw in my CPA certification and my commitment to keeping it active. They agreed with me and notified me that they would commit their resources to keeping me certified. Since then I have continued to attend CPE courses and have kept my license active. My license exemplifies the hard work that I have endured to get to this point in my career. It keeps me connected to a wealth of networking organizations and individuals that are leaders in our industry. Most importantly, it keeps me informed of the demands and changes of our profession so I can always be a valuable resource to the management of my company.”
— Steve H. Vivian, CPA
Ruiz Food Products Inc.

“I keep my license active because:

The education requirements to maintain my license are something I need to do to meet a level of professionalism within my job.
My active license tells the people I work for that I am professionally competent as an accountant.
Even though I have worked in industry for most of my career, an active license keeps my career options open to the possibility of one day opening my own private practice.”

—Rick Harron, CPA
Healthcare Contract Consultant and Accountant

“My active CPA license is a reminder to my clients, colleagues and the public that I maintain standards for continuing professional education and that I am active and up to date on issues affecting the profession.”
—Gene Lash, CPA
Navigant Consulting, Inc.

“I keep my license active for several reasons:
Pride: I worked very hard to get it and to keep it active, so why quit now?
Future: At some point I may work in public accounting on a part-time basis.
Skills: I take only courses that will benefit my employer, thereby making me a more valuable employee.
Ease: I believe strongly in life-long learning, so why not take enough to keep the license active.
Vanity: I think it distinguishes me from those who let their license go inactive or never had one.
Backup: In uncertain economic times, it never hurts to have a backup plan to make a living.”
—Bill Wheeler, CPA
Ruiz Food Products Inc.

“I worked very hard to complete my education, pass the exams and get the necessary experience to obtain my CPA license. Why would I let it lapse? An active CPA license shows that I’m keeping current and continually furthering my education. I show to others the value of a current CPA license by the fact that I value it.
—Debbie Olson, CPA
Foster Poultry Farms

“Having an active CPA license in the private sector is just as important as having it active in the public sector. One of our banks (Wells Fargo) each year asks if my CPA license is still active. Because I have an active CPA license, the bank does not require us to issue reviewed financial statements, which saves us about $15,000 per year. They know I cannot issue a report, but just the presence of an active CPA license is enough for them. I use my CPA designation on all my letters as a controller and CFO. My CPA designation changes the way our customers view my input. They take my input very seriously because they know I’m a numbers guy. The state and local agencies I deal with also view me differently once they find out I’m a CPA. They respect what I have to say because they know what we have to go through to receive and maintain an active CPA license, which speaks volumes. Having an inactive CPA license is like not having a license at all. It would devalue
the license.”
—Allen L. Genetti, CPA
California Tank Lines, Inc.,
Chemical Transfer Company, Inc.

“It’s important to balance the business and financial needs of my company with my accounting and fiduciary responsibilities. Keeping my CPA license active is one way I help do this. Taking the right CPE courses helps me understand current accounting and regulatory issues, and helps me understand how accounting principles are evolving. This helps me bring insights to my company. The accounting world continues to evolve with codification, IFRS, new revenue rules, credit issues and the like, so how can you afford not to keep current?”
—Hugo De La Torre, CPA
Cypress Semiconductor Corporation

For more information, visit CalCPA's website.