September 2000

Mid Hudson

It is with great pride that I serve as Mid Hudson Chapter president. The chapter is located in one of the state’s fastest growing regions, made up of a wide range of business enterprises as well as a highly diverse population. Our chapter has approximately 1,200 members representing small to medium firms, sole practitioners, and industry.

In a roundtable discussion with other chapter presidents this past December, I found out that our chapter faces the same issues as all the other chapters.

The future of our profession is not that which our predecessors experienced. Consolidation and the AICPA’s CPA2BIZ.com portal mean that exciting times are on the horizon, but we are in deep need of talented people to choose accounting as their career. One of my goals for the coming year is to enlighten area high school students about the ever-changing field of accounting through membership outreach.

I would also like to see more of our members get involved in committees, to learn and simply to have fun. The Mid Hudson Chapter has two very active committees that organize social events. Our small but active Young CPAs Committee has taken the initiative to gain exposure in our communities through fundraisers and other social gatherings. Our Cooperation with Lawyers and Bankers Committee’s annual dinner, which usually features a retired New York sports star, is always a huge success. I am looking forward to the year ahead, and I welcome anyone to contact me about getting involved.

This is our chosen profession and livelihood. As professionals, we need to be proactive, constantly adjusting and adapting our vision toward the future. Without a vision and a process to implement the vision—namely through participation—we may find ourselves in the unenviable position of being unprepared to deal with the profession’s new competitors.

I would like to wish the other chapter presidents, whom I had the pleasure of getting to know at the annual conference, good luck, and I hope to remain in contact with each of them.