Last month, I told you that the Society was hard at work thinking of a fitting way to honor David J. Moynihan, the NYSSCPA’s 2009–2010 president. Since Dave passed away in January, so many of us had the same question: How do we continue his legacy? Dave was a man of action as well as ideas, a big-picture thinker who never shied away from rolling up his sleeves. As an organization, we knew that whatever we did to pay homage to him would have to embody those same characteristics.

I’m proud to say that we’ve come up with a plan that does capture Dave’s spirit: The Moynihan Fund, which will encompass our Foundation for Accounting Education scholarships, Career Opportunities in the Accounting Profession (COAP) scholarships and any other financial aid or recognition that we offer students.

Dave was a passionate advocate of education, both for accounting students and professionals in practice. He was a founder of the Syracuse Chapter’s COAP program and also served on its board. Indeed, he was an enthusiastic supporter of aspiring CPAs: As President-elect Joseph M. Falbo Jr. recalls, Dave developed a reputation for taking time to help young staffers at the office prepare for the CPA exam.

Moreover, Dave also believed in using the special knowledge and skill set that only a CPA can acquire to advance the community. Through The Moynihan Fund, we’ll be encouraging accounting students not only to be technically proficient, but to think broadly about what it means to be a leader and how they can use their talents to improve the world around them.

The fund will officially be unveiled in coming weeks, with opportunities to donate both on the crowdfunding website www.GoFundMe.com/carryitforward and the Society’s homepage. We’re seeking to raise $100,000 in our first year, and will announce the results of our efforts at our Annual Election Meeting and Dinner on May 14.

You have an important part to play in this. The theme of our campaign as we introduce the fund to members and the public is Carry it Forward, and we hope you’ll do exactly that, by spreading the word about it in your social and professional networks.

If we succeed, we’ll not only have honored Dave in the best way possible, but we will have also helped to bring the next generation of leaders to the profession.