It’s Material

Welcome to It’s Material, a feature in California CPA magazine by Denise LeDuc Froemming, CPA, CAE, MBA, president & CEO of CalCPA and CalCPA Education Foundation. The monthly column will cover key issues and trends impacting the profession and CalCPA—as well as personal insights.


March/April 2023: Diversifying the Profession
There are numerous layers to addressing an issue as complex, important and wide-ranging as diversity, equity and inclusion. And fostering a more diverse and inclusive environment in the profession is a shared responsibility.


January/February 2023: What's Ahead?
Wouldn’t it be nice to know the future? Some of you may remember the Magic 8 Ball toy, where you would ask it a yes or no question, then turn it over to see your answer that would range from “It is certain” to “Don’t count on it” to “Ask again later.” 


December 2022: Every Voice Matters
If you’ve been involved with CalCPA for any length of time, you’ve likely heard members and staff describe us as a community. It’s an appropriate description when you consider definitions of “community” include ideas like “a unified body of individuals” invested in each other’s success and “a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests and goals.” 


November 2022: The Power of Giving
As we enter the holiday season many are thinking of family gatherings, festive tables full of food—and paying it forward. Whether it’s the giving of gifts, time or money, this is a time when people often step up their generosity


October 2022: The Open Path
Outside looking in, it seems career choices for CPAs are pretty cut and dry: Earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree, pass the CPA Exam and start your journey to firm partner. Or maybe hop over to industry at some point. But those of us on the inside know different and see—or maybe have even taken—“non-traditional” career opportunities that are available. And with an eye toward keeping the CPA pipeline full, it’s especially key that we share those possibilities


September 2022: Riding the Pipeline
Fall is here and it’s back to school for many. Including CalCPA, in a way. The application period recently closed on our Industry Influencer campaign—our retooled Campus Ambassador program—and we’re looking forward to working with college students across the state to help spread the word about CalCPA and the opportunities a CPA career provides. This initiative is just one piece of our outreach efforts to prime the accounting pipeline


August 2022: Lead On
Leadership. It’s one of those things we all recognize, but sometimes have a hard time explaining



July 2022: Learning Never Ends
The profession has moved from record keeping and examining debits and credits to cloud accounting, data analytics, blockchain, AI and ESG. And CPAs are being turned to more often to provide strategic knowledge and leadership on a growing number of topics. Adapting to—and anticipating—change means learning new things or learning to do things differently


June 2022: DE&I Insights
Fostering a more diverse and inclusive environment in the profession is a shared responsibility, and CalCPA is committed to leading by example—in words and actions


May 2022: Planning for the Future
Planning—whether it’s financial, career or, yes, making it through tax season—sets a course. If you don’t know where you’re going, how do you know when you get there


March/April 2022: New Year, New CalCPA
Innovate. Adapt. Change. These oft-heard statements relate to the need of organizations to stay ahead of the curve to maintain relevance, deliver valued products and services, and grow their customer base. It often ties into new technologies or business models, but can include tweaks to current processes