Some of the most meaningful things happening at CalCPA right now aren’t taking place in boardrooms or on conference stages. They’re happening at a bowling night in the Bay Area, an evening gathering in Bakersfield and a monthly tax meetup that started with a handful of local practitioners and now draws members from across California.

These may seem like small moments, but they reflect something much bigger: a rapidly changing profession and a growing community of people who recognize they don’t have to navigate those changes alone.

That’s the thinking behind this year’s theme, “Charting What’s Next. Together.” From changes in firm ownership and new approaches to education and professional development to the growing influence of technology and artificial intelligence, the accounting profession is being reshaped in ways that will have a lasting impact. And CalCPA is responding by looking ahead, developing new resources, strengthening its advocacy efforts and creating more opportunities for members to connect, contribute and lead.

Building Connections That Make a Difference

A strong professional community doesn’t happen simply because people belong to the same organization. It happens when they have opportunities to share experiences, ask questions, exchange ideas and build relationships with others who understand their challenges.

That’s what we’re seeing through CalCPA Connect, our free community app, and the growing number of member-led events taking place throughout the state.

This fall, the San Jose ABC Night drew its largest turnout since 2020, while 115 members and guests came together in Sacramento. Bakersfield offered attendees a firsthand look at a growing and energetic city, and accounting students volunteered at CalCPA golf tournaments in Ontario, Fresno and Camarillo.

Members are also taking the initiative to create their own opportunities, with 55 events on CalCPA Connect generating nearly 900 registrations. Some, including a Topgolf mixer in El Segundo, have become signature gatherings.

Behind that activity is an expanding network of volunteers. CalCPA now has 188 member volunteers, up from 133 chapter leaders last year. Nearly 100 are involved in 15 event groups, with new groups forming in Los Angeles and the Inland Empire.

Beyond the numbers, though, are the individual experiences that tell the rest of the story.

Celia Lau’s tax meetups, for example, began as a small Bay Area gathering and have since grown into a statewide group that meets monthly. She also organized an invite-only bowling night that brought together members from across California. One attendee drove from Sonoma, another traveled from Southern California, and a recent Pomona graduate stopped by while apartment hunting ahead of a January move.

That evening led to something more. Celia has since been helping the Sonoma attendee prepare for interviews and navigate the process of asking for more time on a job offer. As she observed, “The smaller, more intimate setting was conducive to better conversations.”

Other connections are creating opportunities, too. A small-firm tax practitioner working remotely in Roseville joined a virtual conversation to meet local professionals and has since started hosting her own meetup. Professor Debbie Johnson, CalCPA's Academic of the Year, brought her entire class to a webinar about the election and the importance of policy engagement. And a CPA candidate who attended the Member Summit found answers to her licensure questions at a Licensure Lounge meetup, including learning that California’s new licensure rules made her eligible to become licensed.

These examples illustrate what can happen when members see a need, raise their hands and take action. CalCPA can provide the platform, but it’s members who are bringing the community to life.

Looking Ahead: The Profession Is Changing, and So Are We

That same forward-looking approach is shaping CalCPA's work at the organizational level.

CalCPA Council came together on Nov. 4 to hear updates from the Board and staff, discuss the organization’s direction and address important governance matters. The conversations reflected the opportunities and challenges facing the profession, as well as the work underway to help members navigate what’s ahead.

• What the election means for CPAs. The recent election created a shifting political and policy landscape that will bring both challenges and opportunities for CPAs. Building strong relationships with policymakers will be essential to ensuring the profession has a voice on the issues that affect its work. CalCPA's advocacy team is focused on doing just that.

• Where CalCPA is headed. The profession is being rebuilt, and so is CalCPA’s role in it. As we consider what members and firms will need in the years ahead, we’re looking to develop tools focused on learning pathways, helping firms train their teams, and giving individuals opportunities to build new skills and close existing gaps. A newly formed Growth Strategies Task Force, made up of seven innovation leaders, is also working to shape new tools and resources for members.

• Advocating for the profession. Our work on AB 1175, which modernized CPA licensure in California, is another example of taking action to address the profession’s changing needs. That effort earned CalCPA a national Silver Award from the American Society of Association Executives Power of Associations program this summer, recognizing the impact of our work to transform CPA licensure.

• Your leaders, leading forward. We closed the meeting by asking members to tackle three questions the Board previously wrestled with at its September retreat:
  

What is CalCPA’s single most defensible reason for existing in 2027—something you couldn’t get anywhere else?

What’s true about the profession right now that nobody has said out loud yet?

If CalCPA were founded today, with today’s technology and today’s profession, what would we build first?

The conversations were candid, and we’d love to hear your thoughts. You can share your thoughts by emailing us.

Bringing California’s Voice to the National Conversation

Since the issues affecting California CPAs don’t stop at the state’s borders, CalCPA continues to work closely with the AICPA, other state CPA societies and regulatory organizations on issues that will influence the profession nationwide.

In October, California’s delegation attended the AICPA’s fall Council meeting, joining regulators, firm leaders and representatives from state societies across the country. The discussions centered on many of the same issues members are facing in their own firms and organizations, including AI, updates to the Uniform Accountancy Act, new pathways to licensure and advocacy at both the federal and state levels.

California has an important perspective to bring to these discussions, particularly as the profession considers changes involving continuing education, private equity and alternative practice structures, use of the CPA title and the ability to practice across state lines.

There’s a Place for You in What Comes Next

The accounting profession has always evolved, but the pace and scale of change we’re experiencing today make it especially important to stay connected and involved. CalCPA's ability to respond effectively depends on the collective experience of its members, fresh perspectives of the next generation and the willingness of people across the profession to step forward.

There are several ways to get involved:

• Take a leadership role. Nominations are open through Dec. 1 for the CalCPA Board of Directors, Council and AICPA Council. Applications for state committees are also open.

• Bring someone into the community. Invite a colleague who isn’t yet a member to attend a CalCPA Connect event and experience the value of connecting with other professionals.

• Create an opportunity. If you see a need in your local community or area of practice, consider hosting a meetup, either in person or virtually. Any topic, any time. CalCPA Connect makes it easy to bring people together.

• Join the conversation in Sacramento. Winter Council and the Legislative Summit will take place Tuesday, Feb. 2, followed by CPA Day at the Capitol on Wednesday, Feb. 3.

Our members bring a depth of knowledge and experience. The next generation brings new energy, ideas and perspectives. When we make room for both, we strengthen not only CalCPA but the entire profession.

The work ahead is significant, and there are important conversations still to be had. But we’re not waiting for the future to unfold before deciding how to respond. We’re building relationships, developing new resources, advocating for the profession and creating opportunities for members to help lead the way.