Riding to new plateaus - From the Chair

California CPA,  August, 2002  by Nancy Wheeler-Chandler

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The hit movie "The Perfect Storm" was about a New England fishing crew forced by economic necessity to go out late in the season when the threat of storms was immense. In a way, the accounting profession is like that fishing crew.

We are being forced onto a turbulent sea of change and public turmoil in search of nothing less than our destiny as a profession. But our perfect storm of bad publicity, political grandstanding and corporate trouble doesn't have to swallow us. In fact, there is a lot of energy in this storm that we can ride to new plateaus if we are able to focus on our priorities.

REFORM ON ITS WAY

As I write this, our state is in the throes of processing legislation that would forever change the way you and I do business and relate to our clients. We still have a number of weeks before the current legislative session ends, but even if we are able to withstand this challenge, we are likely to be faced with another barrage of reform legislation in the next session.

If Congress fails to come through with meaningful reform this year, next year's legislative session in Sacramento will make our current storm seem like a picnic.

This past year has been filled with change and challenge and I congratulate CalCPA Chair David George on his success in dealing with the continuing and constantly emerging issues facing our profession.

In my years in this profession, I have never seen such turmoil in corporate America or the CPA profession, but I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked though this with David and CalCPA's chief executive, Susan Waters.

It has helped prepare me for the challenges that lie ahead. I am confident that with the help of our talented leadership and management teams, the profession in California will weather the storm.

EMBRACE CHANGE

Perhaps our biggest challenge is to hold fast to our core values while expanding our horizons and focusing on the future. Our profession is facing unprecedented complexity: constantly changing pronouncements, laws and regulations; volumes of information in real-time online and in print; and rapidly changing technology.

The profession's commitment to lifelong learning has taken on a new dimension. CalCPA recognizes the need to assist its members in meeting this challenge of change and has identified needed programs through its strategic planning process.

IDENTIFY, ENCOURAGE AND TRAIN FUTURE LEADERS

Identification of true leaders at the chapter and committee level is essential. We have more than 27,000 members from every conceivable sector of the economy and they need to be encouraged to serve and continue to serve.

CalCPA provides leadership training which imparts valuable skills for meeting challenges such as strategic planning and consensus building. Skills learned from CalCPA events and programs can be used in members' own firms and businesses, working with their clients, and in their communities.

STREAMLINE GOVERNANCE

We have streamlined CalCPA's governance process with heightened respect for the value of our leaders' time. Council meetings have decreased from four to two per year, board meetings have decreased from four to three and we have replaced the traditional annual members meeting with a single morning meeting available to all members via the Internet.

We use limited-time task forces to deal with specific issues rather than standing committees. We focus our leaders' time on strategic decision making and thinking about the future, rather than information gathering.

PROMOTE DIVERSITY

An effort is ongoing to expand the diversity of CalCPA's membership and leadership. CalCPA should reflect California's increasing diversity. CalCPA actively seeks participation from small and large firms, members in industry, public practice, education and government, men and women as well as ethnic minorities. You can support this effort by inviting your CPA peers to join CalCPA, or, if they are members, encouraging them to participate.

CONTINUE A STRONG GRASSROOTS PROGRAM

Visiting our legislators and their staff during the year in their district offices strengthened our position and brought us victories in Sacramento. The coming year will require a supreme effort from all of our members who care about the profession. When the call comes to write or visit Sacramento regarding impending legislation, we will be there in force. With members in every district in California, our voice can be heard to protect the public, California business and our profession.

PROTECT OUR VALUES FOR THE NEXT GENERATION

We are continually working to restore public confidence in our integrity and independence. The public image of the CPA is at stake and we must all work together as a united force to protect our role as the trusted business adviser. Our core values have not changed and recruiting students to the profession depends on our ability to keep the profession strong.

CPAs united against an unprecedented threat to the profession in May of this year. Legislators received 17,000 letters written by CalCPA members and were visited by hundreds of members. AB 1995 was defeated as a result of that effort.