Thanksgiving Thanks and Christmas Wishes

By Cheryl Lynn Yawman, Rochester Chapter President

As I write this article, it is Thanksgiving week. By the time you receive it, it will be almost Christmas. As a result, I have decided to make this issue’s message a combination of the things I’m thankful for and my Chapter President’s Christmas Wish List.

Let’s start off with the easy part: giving thanks. At this time of year, when we count our blessings, there are many things I have to be thankful for in my role as Rochester Chapter President. First and foremost, I am grateful that we have 1,008 members in our chapter. That means that there are over a thousand accounting professionals in the Rochester area who are committed and dedicated to their profession and the furthering of it through membership in this professional association, which represents it at both a state and a local level.

Second, I am extremely appreciative of the time spent by the talented Board and committee members who make all of our events happen, and who work behind the scenes to keep this chapter vital. Without you, I would be lost and our chapter would not be accomplishing all that it does.

Third, I am grateful to see 19 new student members on the list of recently approved NYSSCPA Rochester members, which I received in an e-mail today. We have been trying to focus on the future members of this profession through high school and college outreach, and clearly this influx of student memberships shows that it is paying off. I am certainly grateful for the five new professional members who joined as well, but was particularly pleased to see the level of interest that our College Mock Interview Night and other outreach inspired.

I am also very grateful for the warm reception I received when reaching out to managing partners, who I asked for one-on-one meetings and invited to participate in a roundtable discussion for the Town Hall Meeting/Clambake. I learned a great deal from them through these meetings and hope that they have, in turn, learned about many of the programs we offer.

Now my list for Santa:

For each current member to reach out to one colleague in their firm who is not a member and invite them to an event in an effort to have them join the NYSSCPA.

For each Board and committee member that I was thankful for, I wish for a new Board or Committee member to join, to bring fresh ideas and another set of hands to help with our existing events, and to possibly add some new ones.

For each of the new student members, I wish for an accounting professional willing to act as a mentor, in an effort to keep the students committed to pursuing a career in accounting and to bring them along in the profession.

I hope that through the managing partner outreach, which I plan to continue to do, we will have greater collaboration among the firms in Rochester to address some of the common issues that face everyone in the profession.

I hope to have a more visible face to the public in the form of community service, etc., as a group. Groups like the Realtors Association and the Bar Association have so much visibility that I know we could, and should, be doing more.

I know Santa would have to have me on the Good list (and not that other one), so how about helping to make some of my wish-list items come true?

Best wishes for a safe, happy, healthy and blessed holiday season to all of you.

Cheryl Lynn Yawman can be reached at Cheryl@ccy.com.