NOTICE: The FAE Bylaws were amended as of December 18, 2023. Accordingly, the eligibility requirements below have been revised, as well as the number of trustees and length of terms.
If you are interested in serving on the Foundation for Accounting Education (FAE) Board of Trustees, now is the time to submit your nomination.
The FAE, a 501(c)(3) organization and an affiliated entity of the NYSSCPA, is very important to the members of the Society and its mission because it administers the lifelong learning program for New York state CPAs. The central importance of the FAE’s efforts for New York CPAs makes service as an FAE trustee a highly fulfilling activity for members interested in giving back to the profession.
As the educational arm of the NYSSCPA, the FAE has its own governing body—a five- to eleven-person Board of Trustees—all but one of whom serve four-year terms. Those terms are evenly staggered, so two vacancies occur each year.
According to its bylaws, the FAE’s Board of Trustees acts to nominate candidates to fill one of those vacancies, and the Society appoints one person from those nominees, as well as appointing a trustee of its own. Candidates for consideration are recommended by the Selections Subcommittee and Nominating Committee.
Trustee responsibilities
FAE trustees typically meet four times a year to conduct the business of the Foundation. They are responsible for approval of the FAE budget, setting the general direction for educational programs, evaluating curriculum, and developing strategies for program diversification and effectiveness. There is no compensation for service on the FAE board.
Eligibility requirements
According to the FAE bylaws, to serve on the FAE board, a prospective candidate must be a CPA and a member in good standing of the NYSSCPA for at least three continuous years, with at least one year of service on a statewide committee, a chapter board, or a combination of both. Trustees are appointed based on their interest and ability to contribute to the educational goals of the Foundation. Trustee selection, to the extent possible, represents a cross section of the Society’s membership, in terms of geography and areas of professional practice.
Over and above the bylaws requirements, it is beneficial for candidates to have taken FAE courses or to have been responsible for sending others to FAE programs. In addition, candidates should be familiar with the market for adult learning in a continuing professional education environment. The FAE primarily targets small and medium-sized CPA firms, and is expanding into programs for industry CPAs, as well.
How to submit a nomination
Those interested in serving should send an email to the attention of NYSSCPA President-elect Kevin P. O’Leary at presidentelect@nysscpa.org by Feb. 2, 2024, at 12 p.m. (EST). The email should include a résumé and a statement of interest and ability to contribute to the educational goals of the Foundation. Candidate information will be forwarded to the Nominating Committee and the Selections Subcommittee of the NYSSCPA Board of Directors, which will propose names of individuals to fill the FAE vacancies to the NYSSCPA Board and FAE board, respectively.
If you are interested in serving on the FAE Board of Trustees, a nomination must be submitted by Feb. 2, 2024, at 12 p.m. (EST).