The NYSSCPA has inducted five new members into its Young Leadership Circle, a program it launched last year to help identify and cultivate the organization’s next generation of leaders.
The new class includes Ashley A. Smigelski, of the Buffalo Chapter; Ari Lasker, of the Manhattan/Bronx Chapter; Rumbi N. Bwerinofa-Petrozzello, of the Queens/Brooklyn Chapter; Matthew Katz, of the Westchester Chapter; and Amanda M. Russell, of the Northeast Chapter. Members were selected for a strong track record of service to their respective chapters and committees.
As part of the Young Leadership Circle, they will be exposed to the inner workings of the Society and given a chance to learn from and interact with Society officers. Members will be invited to participate in the Society’s Governance Forum next month, which brings together the Board of Directors, the Foundation for Accounting Education (FAE) Board of Trustees, chapter president-elects, oversight committee chairs and Political Action Committee trustees. In addition, they will be invited to participate in special NYSSCPA events throughout the coming year.
“Young CPAs are the future leaders of this organization and of the profession itself,” said NYSSCPA President Scott M. Adair. “We have to make sure that we provide them with the same valuable skills and tools that have been provided to us.”
Katz said that he appreciated the Society’s efforts to encourage young CPAs and was humbled by his selection. “It’s a big responsibility and one that I’m excited about being given,” he said. “It’s a fantastic honor.”
Bwerinofa-Petrozzello, the president-elect of the Queens/Brooklyn Chapter, agreed, calling the Society’s outreach to young professionals “admirable.” “From the moment I became involved with the Society, I was encouraged by all kinds of people to be more involved,” she said. “The Society makes it clear that [being a leader] is not about being a member for a long period of time—it’s about being an active member.”
Lasker added that he hoped other young CPAs would take advantage of opportunities to lead, or even create them for themselves. For example, he said that he has found his niche in mentoring college students who are interested in becoming CPAs and new hires in the profession. “The trick is to find legitimate areas in which you can truly lead and provide value,” he said.