Buffalo Chapter

Message from the President

By Mark Koziel, Buffalo Chapter President

There are just a few items to update the Buffalo Chapter on this month. Our Summer Symposium was a tremendous success in July. There were 90 participants over the two days, with the average attendance at approximately 65 for each day. That’s not bad for our first try at it in a few years. The response from attendees was outstanding. We are still looking for input into next year’s program, so if you have any ideas for CPE topics or speakers, please e-mail Ed Arcara at elacpa@aol.com. Speaking of Ed, I’d like to give special thanks for his outstanding efforts in putting the Symposium together. He was the person who made the program such a big success. He worked hard to put together the finishing touches, coordinate the registration and finalize the speakers. Anyone who enjoyed the line-free, no-hassle aspects of the event should thank Ed personally. He made that all happen.

I also was fortunate to attend two Young CPA Forums this summer—one in Greensboro, N.C., and the other in Smithtown, N.Y. Both events were extraordinary, as exemplified by feedback from participants. Can you believe that the young CPAs actually want to learn? These forums provide a great venue for young CPAs to get together, learn and realize they’re not alone in the struggles of public accounting. It’s an energized, positive experience that I recommend to all young CPAs.

We should be proud that the Young CPAs Forum started right here in Buffalo just three years ago. This year, the forum will be held in seven other states, and the number is growing! We should also be proud of how highly our young CPAs are regarded, not only in our own state, but around the country as well. With this in mind, our Young CPAs Committee needs our continued support in all of its endeavors. Please encourage those within your organization to get involved. I want to see our young CPAs continue to be trendsetters in the country.

There’s another Buffalo Chapter tradition we should be proud of. The Annual Tax Institute is celebrating its 50th anniversary. This event will be on Dec. 11 and 12 at the Adams Mark Hotel. The committee is working hard to make this year’s event memorable. I hope you’ll join us in celebrating a long-standing, successful tradition. We’d like to know about any members who have participated in all 50 years. We know there are a few of you out there. Please e-mail me at markkoziel@adelphia.net or call me at 716-316-7329 if you know anyone who hits the 50 mark. Information will follow soon about the Tax Institute. Let’s make this one the largest yet!

Mark your calendars for Sept. 11 for your free, yes, free, ethics CPE and State Society Officers Visitation reception. Look for the registration form on the Buffalo Chapter webpage on the Society’s website, www.nysscpa.org. This year’s ethics CPE will be Part II, so anyone who attended last year should be happy to know that it won’t be a repeat performance. We’ve had this event for the last two years with great success. Last year, over 200 people registered for the CPE, which sold out; be sure to register early. We are changing the location to accommodate a larger crowd. Again, look for information on the Buffalo Chapter page. Anyone with questions should e-mail me at markkoziel@adelphia.net.