Gaining Feedback: Survey Probes Needs of NYSSCPA Industry Members

We received hundreds of responses to the e-mail I sent a month ago asking you what more the New York State Society of CPAs could do for you as industry members. My goal was to make you aware of the Society's CFO Committee and its focus on "knowledge networking," and to see if you would like to get involved with the committee or another networking group under the NYSSCPA umbrella.

The responses demonstrated that industry members are interested in gaining and sharing knowledge with their professional peers.
We also learned that members in Westchester, Nassau, Suffolk, Albany, Buffalo and Rochester would like an industry committee/networking group in their area. Kim Patterson, the Society's members in industry coordinator, currently is in the process of visiting these regions' chapters as well as others to discuss establishing committees and other programs for industry members. The Westchester Chapter already is forming a CFO Committee, while the Buffalo and Rochester chapters jointly host an industry conference annually.

Members living or working in New Jersey and Connecticut also would like to have an industry committee/networking group. I have passed this information on to the Society leadership. I do not know if they have considered forming out-of-state chapters, but now they know there is an interest.

Other members expressed concern that because they work in a specialized industry like banking, real estate, healthcare or a not-for-profit business, the CFO Committee is not industry specific enough for them. The Society has committees specifically for these and other industries that I urge you to look into, but they are comprised of a mixture of industry and CPA firm members. The CFO Committee prides itself on being a group of senior industry professionals who grapple with the problems of running the financial side of a business every day. The CFO Committee has members from many industries, including those previously mentioned, who are attracted to the committee because it deals with many issues that can affect any business.

Some members said they did not have time for committees and conferences. I challenge each of you on this argument. We all are professionals who need to continue to learn and develop our knowledge and skills. Only so much can be learned by trial and error at work. Most of us are isolated somewhat as senior financial executives in our organizations. You need to get involved with like professionals outside of your own company to continue to learn from them and to develop your skills. Any business will gain more in letting you spend time learning and developing than it will save by you not being away for a meeting or conference. We should be proud professionals and make the time for knowledge networking. The companies we work for should understand this is a cost that will benefit them.

I wish to thank those retired members who responded but no longer have a need for knowledge networking. I wish you all the best. And for the senior tax managers and VPs in industry who we contacted, I have spoken to the Society about adding a "taxation financial officers" category for industry members so you can be better served.

I received a number of e-mails asking what the continuing professional education requirements are in New York state for CPAs in industry and whether these requirements affect your ability to include the CPA credential in your title or to perform tax return preparation at tax time. Only CPAs who perform the attest function are required to be registered to practice with the New York State Education Department and to do CPE. All other CPAs may use their CPA designation but are not required to be registered or do CPE.

Some members inquired about the possibility of holding the CFO Committee's CPAs in Industry Conference in an upstate location. As I stated earlier, the Buffalo and Rochester Chapters currently hold their annual Members in Industry and Commerce Conference and I would be happy to consider hosting the CFO Committee conference upstate. To do that, however, we need industry members to get involved in upstate chapter industry groups so that we can have a good turnout. I urge all upstate members to contact your chapter president about forming an industry committee.

I appreciate you taking the time to provide the Society with some valuable feedback and I welcome any comments you might have in the future. Similarly, I will provide you with CFO Committee and industry updates on a quarterly basis.

If you are interested in joining the Society's CFO Committee, visit www.nysscpa.org, click on the committees link on the left-hand side of the page and complete the committee service application located at the bottom of the page. Or contact Kim Patterson at (212) 719-8363 or kpatterson@nysscpa.org.

As we proceed with the 2002-2003 year, you should know that the Society is committed to serving the interests and needs of its members in industry. To do that effectively, the NYSSCPA must hear from us. Thanks again for your participation.