Syracuse is a city in, and the county seat of, Onondaga County, New York, in the United States. It is the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and is the fifth most populous metropolitan city in the state of New York following New York City, Buffalo, Rochester, and Yonkers. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 732,117. It is the economic and educational hub of Central New York, a region with over a million inhabitants. Syracuse is also well-provided with convention sites.Syracuse was named after the original Greek city Syracuse (Siracusa in Italian), a city on the eastern coast of the Italian island of Sicily.
The city has functioned as a major crossroads over the last two centuries, first between the Erie Canal and its branch canals, then of the railway network. Today, Syracuse is located at the intersection of Interstates 81 and 90, and its airport is the largest in the region. Syracuse is home to Syracuse University, a major research university, as well as several smaller colleges and professional schools. In 2010, Forbes rated Syracuse 4th in the top 10 places in the U.S. to raise a family.
Expanding chapter involvement in CPE, committee work and advocacy
By Timothy J. Hammond
Syracuse Chapter President
Now that I have begun my term as president of the Syracuse Chapter, I would like, first and foremost, to thank Karen M. Matticio for serving as president for 2017–2018. I can only hope to continue the trend of outstanding service to our members. You were a wonderful mentor and partner, and your leadership is a significant reason why I was ready to take on this role.
I also want to thank the following individuals who have agreed to serve as officers for 2018–2019: Mattia “Tia” Wright (vice president/president-elect), Alan P. Sherman (vice president), Melissa Lanigan (treasurer), and Kyle P. Lyskawa (secretary). Last, I would like to recognize those serving on our executive board and various committees who devote so much time and effort to our chapter. I look forward to working closely with each of you this year.
A few words of introduction: I am a manager at The Bonadio Group and I have been a member of the NYSSCPA since 2010. I have been involved in some fashion with the Syracuse Chapter since my career began, serving at various points as secretary, treasurer, vice president, president-elect and chair of the NextGen Committee. I want to thank The Bonadio Group for supporting my involvement, as well as the involvement of my peers in the past, including seven past presidents of the Syracuse Chapter, three past presidents of the Society, and countless others in various statewide and chapter roles.
My involvement with the Society began as a way to stay connected, through networking events, with peers who worked at other firms. While these are great avenues for making new connections, reconnecting with old acquaintances and maintaining existing relationships, I began to appreciate, as I continued my involvement, some of the Society’s broader objectives. In pursuit of these higher purposes, I have identified three significant areas where I would like to see our chapter expand involvement.
First, one of the primary purposes of the Society is to educate its members on current issues, in tandem with its affiliate, the Foundation for Accounting Education (FAE). I am pleased to report that the Syracuse Chapter has planned several educational events: We held our annual “Summer Sizzler Ethics CPE & Cookout” on Aug. 21, and will hold a professional issues update in the fall and a tax and accounting update on Friday, Nov. 28. I welcome any suggestions for additional educational events that could greater benefit our members.
Second, as the CPA profession is one of the most highly regulated, the importance of the Society’s advocacy activities cannot be understated. Several statewide committees regularly negotiate with the various regulatory entities that affect us, to benefit CPAs. I encourage our chapter members to join a statewide committee and participate in some way, whether by simply joining in the discussion and taking knowledge back to your co-workers and clients, or by helping draft a comment letter. Please reach out to me, at the email address below, if you have an interest in participating in any way.
Finally, our members and clients have a significant interest in many pieces of legislation pending in the New York State Legislature, including topics such as non-CPA ownership, estate tax reform and issues regarding our licenses. The Society formed the CPA Political Action Committee (PAC) to give our members a voice and to help educate our state legislators as they tackle these issues. The CPA PAC needs the participation of our membership to further the Society’s legislative agenda and to become aware of new legislative issues of interest to our membership. If you have any items you would like to discuss, please contact me or Jennifer Pickett, the PAC trustee for the Upstate Region, at jenpick07@gmail.com.
We have a sensational slate of events planned for 2018-2019, including those mentioned above, and various activities planned and executed by our chapter’s very active NextGen Committee. Upcoming NextGen events include our annual networking cocktail party on Friday, Nov. 16, and a Syracuse Crunch hockey game. Please continue checking Exchange and the calendar on this page, and also watch your email for important announcements about exciting events happening within the chapter.
Please keep in mind that our chapter is always looking for individuals who want to be involved. No matter if you are a seasoned veteran or new to the profession, if you would like to get involved in any way, please reach out to me. We will find a way for you to be involved that meets your interests, abilities and available time.
thammond@bonadio.com