By Mark Koziel, Buffalo Chapter President

This past year has been a tough one for the CPA profession. I don’t need to detail the difficulties we’ve endured with public perception and legislation, or say that our near future doesn’t look much better. However, I will say that the New York State Society of CPAs and the Buffalo Chapter have done their part to control what our future holds.

In the upcoming year, we must learn from our mistakes. We will work closely with the Society to actively influence New York state legislation regarding our profession. Our focus will be to preserve the services a CPA can offer in New York state.

The message at the federal level has been that the CPA profession is not broke and that no legislation is needed. Can anyone say Sarbanes-Oxley? We must understand that the public wants something to be done—the public in New York is no exception. As a result, our state Society is working hard to gain an invitation to the table with lawmakers to help create the legislation that makes the most sense. The Society has proven the value of our dues!

Last year, the Buffalo Chapter changed the focus of the Management of an Accounting Practice Committee by inviting the managing partners from the 25 largest firms to gather on this committee. Overwhelmingly, 22 have chosen to participate and are involved in preserving our profession. This committee met for the first time in September 2002 and is the first of its kind in our chapter’s 75-year history. The committee continues to meet regularly and Lou Grumet, executive director of the Society, has traveled here to meet with the group on a number of occasions. This committee now serves as the model that Lou has used for other chapters throughout the state.

In addition to concentrating on state legislation, our chapter will also continue to focus on bigger and better programs for its members. The first program will be the Summer Symposium scheduled for July 22 and 23, 2003, at the Sheraton Four Points on Walden Avenue (please see the announcement in this section for more details). Also, you can download the brochure from the Buffalo Chapter Web page by following the “Find Chapters” link on the left side of NYSSCPA’s website, www.nysscpa.org. As always, we are open to suggestions that anyone may have on making this a success.

In order to meet these goals, we need everyone’s help. And because May was the final run of the local newsletter for the Buffalo Chapter, all future communication will be via e-mail, The Trusted Professional and the Society website. It is time for us to move into the 21st century and communicate electronically. Anyone who does not have an e-mail address, please contact me at 716-316-7329 so that we can discuss ways to keep you informed. It is important that we stay in touch; I would like to provide timely, relevant information to everyone. If you have not received periodic updates from Ann Cohen, please go to the Buffalo Chapter Web page at www.nysscpa.org to register for the Buffalo Chapter Listserve or e-mail me at markkoziel@adelphia.net.