As We Begin a New Year…

By Jo Ann Golden, CPA

In January of 2001, when I received the call from the chairman of the Nominating Committee that I had been nominated to be president of the New York State Society of CPAs, I was, quite naturally, thrilled and honored. Little did I realize, at that time, that the events of the next year would suddenly focus the spotlight of world media attention squarely on the CPA profession. (One thing is for sure, Enron and its aftermath certainly have succeeded in dispelling the age-old myth that accountants are dull!) Indeed, it has raised serious issues and concerns about our profession, with legislators and regulatory agencies clamoring for change, and CPA societies struggling to deal with their reactions.

As events unfolded, I became acutely aware of the profound responsibility I would be faced with during the short year that I would have as president of this Society. As I analyzed my own training and experiences that had both preceded and followed my becoming a CPA, I felt confident with respect to the role that I could play in this critical era of our profession. My vocational background has been diverse, starting with a short career as a junior high math teacher, followed by a number of years of involvement as executive director of a grassroots regional youth advocacy organization, and culminating in my career as a CPA.

I view advocacy as one of my primary responsibilities as president: advocating for the profession, advocating the views and ideas of each and every member of the society, advocating the principles and ideals that will continue to make the CPA what I know it to be—the trusted professional. A good advocate must be a good listener in order to fully understand the views of those for whom he or she advocates and the basis and implications of those views. I pledge to be a good listener during my tenure to ensure that the positions the Society takes are consistent with the views of our members, and to ensure that the services of the Society are even more responsive to the needs and wishes of all of you.

This perhaps will be more important than ever, as we deal with the legislative fallout of Enron. Crisis always seems to bring about an outcry for change. The state Society must take a true leadership role in guiding, engineering whatever change may be needed to ensure the continued public trust in and reliance upon the CPA. Toward that end, members of the Society have been meeting and will continue to actively meet with legislators bent on reacting to the Enron crisis with legislative change.

But, bear in mind, the leadership of this Society cannot do it alone. It is incumbent upon every one of you, as CPAs from firms large and small, industry and academia, to participate in the process. We cannot let non-CPA legislators, who may not understand the far-reaching implications of their reactions, engineer the change in OUR profession. Although their hearts may be in the right place, they simply lack the financial expertise that only we, as CPAs, can provide them. If we fail to provide that expertise, that guidance, that financial insight, we have only ourselves to blame if problematic change occurs.

How can you participate in the process?

• Support the state Society in its efforts, not simply by endorsing what it does, but by ensuring, through your own input, that the views and position of the Society are consistent with your own. If you do not speak out to the Society, we cannot advocate for you!
  
• Speak out to your colleagues, to your clients, to your own legislators about what you see as the weaknesses and strengths in our profession and where you see the need for change.
  
• Become active on one or more of the many diverse committees of the state Society or the 17 chapters and their committees. This is your opportunity to develop ideas on how our profession should evolve.
  
• Gain a better understanding of the profession and its problems in a world of changing business complexity through increased participation in the Society’s Foundation for Accounting programs. Stay up to date on Society activities and services through the Society’s website at www.nysscpa.org.
  
• Stay up to date on the profession through the state Society’s exceptional publications, The Trusted Professional and The CPA Journal.
  
• Be a practicing example of ethical accounting. Now more than ever, the public’s eye is on every CPA.

The magnitude of Enron was, indeed, a wake-up call for the financial world, particularly the accounting profession. It is time for each of us to pause, reflect and thoroughly examine the way we each practice. We must get back to basics. Though we live in a world of deals and compromises, ethics in accounting is something we cannot compromise if the CPA is to remain the trusted professional.

We have a busy and exciting year ahead of us. While much of our attention will be devoted to advocacy, we also will focus on a multitude of other areas. We will strive to make the FAE programs even more responsive to the diverse needs of CPAs around the state, providing the types of programs you want at the locations that are most convenient for you. We need to reach out to high school and college students and encourage them to consider careers in accounting. We cannot let the scars of Enron deter those who might otherwise be great CPAs from pursuing that noble goal. And we need to rally CPAs who have not “tried” the Society to join us.

In facing the challenges that we meet as a state society, we must continue to improve and develop our relationship with others who share our goals for the betterment of the profession. We must work with the American Institute of CPAs and the New York State Board for Public Accountancy, encouraging open discussion and exchange of ideas, collaborating in our efforts wherever possible.

This is a unique year for the state CPA Society for yet another reason. This year marks the beginning of a newly expanded board of directors, as we welcome the representatives of six new chapters of the Society: Adirondack, Rockland, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan-Bronx and Central Southern Tier. This expansion from 11 to 17 chapters helps us reach out to more CPAs throughout the state and facilitates the board’s responsiveness to the regional needs of the members of the Society.

And so we begin an exciting year. I look forward to working with a truly great board and officers, the Society committees, a terrific staff under Lou Grumet’s leadership, and our 17 chapters and their members throughout the state—all dedicated to serving you, the members. Together we will meet the challenges ahead and ensure that the CPA remains the trusted professional.

president@nysscpa.org