August 1999

Committee Service Rises More Than 30 Percent

By Nereida Gomez

NYSSCPA members' participation on Society committees rose more than 30 percent this year, reversing a decline of the past several years. A total of 1,775 members now serve on committees compared to 1,327 in the 1998-99 year which ended May 31.

"This is the beginning of what we hope is a great trend," Charlie LaCagnina, past chair of the Committee on Advisory Appointments, said.

Society leaders believe the implementation of a new committee structure is a contributing factor to the increased member participation. Designed to meet the changing needs of NYSSCPA members and the profession, committees now include six divisions--four reflecting the CPAs' specialties. These include accounting and auditing, tax, a broadened consulting division to accommodate fast growth in this practice area, and a newly restructured industry division to reflect the needs of a large segment of the Society's membership. In addition, another division focuses on the future enhancement of the profession, and one addresses Society operations.

With the exception of the operations division's committees which report directly to the board of directors' Executive Committee, all other committees report to a divisional oversight group. As in the past, the Committee on Committee Operations oversees the operations of the oversight committees. (See the July issue of The Trusted Professional for details on the new committee structure.)

"Committees are an intricate part of the Society," President Alan E. Weiner said. "They serve members, promote a favorable impression of the profession to the general public, and create a forum where CPAs can interact with their peers."

With this year's committee service recruitment still underway, member participation will likely continue to rise. Some groups with openings include the Corporate Distributions Liquidations and Reorganizations, Tax Accounting Problems, and International Operations committees.