Los Angeles Chapter
A blog for and by a community of professionals
Archive for the ‘President’s Message’ Category
January 1st, 2010
By Jenny Bolsky
Happy New Year! What better time, before busy season kicks in, to contribute to the process that shapes our profession. Please join us in Sacramento Wednesday, Jan. 20, for CPA Day at the Capitol.
Read the rest of this entry »
View Comments | Link/Bookmark/Share
December 1st, 2009
By Jenny Bolsky, CPA
Last month I attended the CalCPA Council meeting, which featured council business and guest speakers in the morning and a government relations update over lunch. The afternoon focused on young and emerging professionals. A large faction of CalCPA’s YEP members attended the meeting as invited guests, including three of our chapter’s own emerging professionals who participated in a panel discussion about their experiences, challenges and successes in the profession.
Read the rest of this entry »
View Comments | Link/Bookmark/Share
October 23rd, 2009
By Jenny Bolsky, CPA
I apologize for the erroneous link in my October message, which should have taken you to our Public Service Award application. The link has been corrected, and once again I encourage you to go online to nominate a chapter member for the award. Nominations are due by Dec. 31.
November is a busy month for your chapter as we have some of our biggest and most successful events upcoming. Whatever your most important reasons are for being a CalCPA member, at least one of your needs will probably be addressed by these events.
Read the rest of this entry »
View Comments | Link/Bookmark/Share
October 1st, 2009
By Jenny Bolsky
A very notable characteristic among CPAs is a willingness to serve their communities. Not only have CPAs chosen to serve the public in a professional manner, but many also devote a good deal of their own time to volunteer activities that benefit our society. For the most part, these are individuals who quietly work to better our communities and public institutions, and improve the quality of life for other people. They do not expect or ask for special appreciation. Nonetheless, we would like to recognize the dedication of our peers.
You may be aware of CalCPA’s annual Public Service Award. You probably know that former chapter president Gary Condie of Condie & Wood, CPAs PC made us very proud when he received the 2009 award. While the tradition continues at the state level, the chapter has many members who share their talents regularly by volunteering at local charities, churches, schools and other nonprofit organizations. Your chapter leadership would like to begin a new tradition by honoring a member from the chapter for his or her public service. Therefore, we are proud to announce the Los Angeles Chapter Public Service Award, for which we are accepting nominations.
I urge you to consider and nominate associates, peers or colleagues who might be deserving of this recognition. Each individual nominated must be a chapter member in good standing and meet at least one of the following qualifications:
- has participated in charitable, civic or religious activities that have had a long-term, significant effect on the community;
- has been responsible for a public service project that has a positive, significant impact on the community;
- has served in a notable volunteer capacity in local, state or national government; or
- has served in an outstanding manner as an appointed or selected official at the local, state or national level
No doubt you or someone you know meets one or more of these criteria, and you are strongly encouraged to nominate one or multiple chapter members. A committee of chapter leaders will select the 2010 recipient based on nomination forms received, and the award will be presented at our annual installation dinner in the spring. In addition, the recipient automatically becomes eligible for consideration in the selection of the CalCPA Public Service Award.
A nomination form is available online. Nominations are due by Dec. 31.
View Comments | Link/Bookmark/Share
August 31st, 2009
By Jenny Bolsky, CPA
A unique benefit of CalCPA membership is the opportunity to participate in our CalCPA Leadership Institute. The Leadership Institute is designed to develop and enhance participants’ leadership skills and prepare them for leadership roles in their business and volunteer positions by improving their leadership behavior, critical thinking and management skills.
Strong leaders in strategic positions are critical to CalCPA’s continued success, and this program is designed to teach members the specific skills necessary to grow into future leaders of both CalCPA and the profession. While the program aims to develop volunteer leaders for CalCPA, participants will find that the program’s benefits extend into their professional and personal lives.
Every year a select group of approximately 20 individuals is accepted to the five-day highly interactive program. I had the privilege of participating in the 2008-09 class and found it extremely rewarding. We worked with an outstanding instructor to identify our individual strengths and weaknesses, and learn strategies for building our professional relationships, management skills and productivity. It is a top-notch training program and I have been enriched by the relationships we built in the collegial environment. Plus, I had a lot of fun!
The Leadership Institute takes place over five days from October through January in three segments, alternating between Northern and Southern California locations. The first two days cover “situational leadership,” a process by which participants identify the fundamentals of leadership and assess their leadership styles. Participants learn how to determine the appropriate style for various situations and types of individuals, as well as the consequences of inappropriate leadership behaviors. This segment is designed to enable attendees to translate the behavioral sciences, principles and concepts into effective action.
Day three is about leadership within an organization, such as CalCPA or a CPA firm. This segment covers strategic planning and goal setting, structuring your organization for success, trends in our profession and benchmarks. Managing people is covered on day four and includes communication skills, emotional intelligence and organizational leadership (building teams and relationships). Participants also will learn best practices for managing, motivating and developing people and creating a desirable workplace environment. The final day addresses firm management fundamentals, such as how to develop the necessary standard operating procedures to strengthen the foundation of your organization, implement accountability and create a personal marketing plan.
CalCPA and the California CPA Education Foundation underwrite the significant cost of this excellent program. Attendees must only pay a small administrative fee and travel expenses. Acceptance to the Leadership Institute involves a nomination process designed to identify members with the greatest potential for fulfilling future leadership positions at CalCPA. A committee of top officers and leaders select participnts based on nomination forms received; self-nomination is encouraged. To be considered for this year’s Institute, you must submit your completed nomination form by Thursday, Sept, 10. I encourage you to learn more about the Leadership Institute and download an application online.
View Comments | Link/Bookmark/Share
July 31st, 2009
By Jenny Bolsky, CPA
I would like to invite you to meet your leadership. A board of directors comprising seven officers and 17 directors represents chapter members locally. Our chapter also boasts 20 members on CalCPA Council, which is CalCPA’s governing body. Four of our members also serve on the CalCPA Board of Directors, the equivalent to an executive committee. In addition, your chapter leadership includes several dozen committee chairs and co-chairs, many of who participate in state committees as well.
It is generally thought that organizations of all kinds are enriched by board diversity, and wider diversity has been advocated as a means of improving organizational performance by providing boards with new insights and perspectives. We are fortunate that our chapter board is diverse, representing the full spectrum of CalCPA membership. Our board benefits from gender, age and ethnic diversity, and members exemplify the broad range of career choices our profession offers. Our officers and directors include members from the academic world, consulting, government, private industry and public practice, ranging from sole practitioners to the Big Four. We are lucky enough to have several young and emerging professionals who bring lots of fresh ideas to the table, and a number of long-time leaders whose experience is invaluable to good discussion and decision making. The abundance of viewpoints and new ideas contributes significantly to the governance process, and as a result we have an energetic and productive board.
Chapter leaders are involved in CalCPA for a number of reasons, not the least of which is a desire to serve our profession and the organization that contributes to our success. We choose to participate in the process of governance, and we have been chosen to represent the membership. To serve you better we want to know our members’ views. I hope you will take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with your chapter board and committee chairs and council members. Better yet, I invite you to meet your leaders in person at one of our four member networking mixers scheduled for this summer and fall.
We would like to hear from you one way or another, so I encourage you to share your views and expectations with your leadership. I hope you will come to one or more networking events to meet your leaders in person or e-mail us directly from the links at CalCPA’s website.
View Comments | Link/Bookmark/Share
June 30th, 2009
By Jenny Bolsky
2009 marks an important milestone for CalCPA—its 100th anniversary. In 1909, shortly after inception of the accounting license, the California Society of Certified Public Accountants was launched with just 36 individuals. This year we celebrate our centennial with more than 35,000 members. We are the largest CPA association in California and the largest state CPA society. CalCPA has worked since the beginning to promote and protect the value of the CPA designation on behalf of its members.
Our organization has accomplished a great deal over the past century, and looking forward to the next 100 years, it is clear that great opportunities and challenges await. CalCPA, by way of the governing council, board of directors and staff, has worked hard to develop a strategic plan to support CalCPA’s vision, mission and long-term success. I would like to share with you our strategic priorities:
Advocate for members on issues that affect the profession: Our aim includes shaping legislative and regulatory policy to achieve professional objectives in California (such as reciprocity with other states) and increasing visibility with state and local government officials. We wish to establish CalCPA and its members as leaders who are sought to educate legislators and the public about issues best served by CPA expertise. CalCPA supports a strong licensing and enforcement program in California and provides a means to bridge gaps in California Board of Accountancy resources. It also supports member participation on the board and committees. Our desire is to enhance grass-roots programs and joint ventures with other state societies and national and international organizations with common interests to strengthen the profession.
Enhance and promote the visibility of the profession and CalCPA: We seek to develop and implement strategies to raise awareness of the full spectrum of CPA services, including specializations, as well as enhance CalCPA’s brand with key audiences through targeted campaigns. Such campaigns shall focus on media outreach and membership recruitment and retention. We want to position CalCPA and its members as leaders and build an understanding that CalCPA helps CPAs perform their jobs better and encourage employers to support participation in CalCPA. We are working to enhance CalCPA visibility with students and educators at colleges and universities, build more strategic alliances and create opportunities and tools to increase peer-to-peer promotion of CalCPA.
Attract, educate and support CPAs in their professional and personal development: We intend to be there for CPAs throughout the professional life cycle and to position CalCPA as the place for professional support—technical advice, networking, career building. We wish to build connectivity among members to enable them to leverage their peer networks and expand leadership opportunities and training. We need to support bottom-up mentoring that encourages relationship building across generations and disciplines. Further, we wish to broadly address accounting education needs and issues, expand CalCPA’s focus beyond student scholarships and increase visibility of small CPA firms in campus recruiting.
I hope you will take advantage of the myriad benefits CalCPA offers, and participate in the processes that continue to build and strengthen our organization.
View Comments | Link/Bookmark/Share
May 22nd, 2009
By Jenny Bolsky, CPA
CalCPA recently held a special dinner to honor the volunteers who do so much for our organization: the Los Angeles technical committee and discussion group chairs.
The dinner, attended by CalCPA CEO Loretta Doon and CalCPA Chair Greg Burke, among others, demonstrated our appreciation for the dedicated volunteers who lead these groups. Our chapter’s nearly 30 technical committees and discussion groups address a broad spectrum of topics that CPAs want and need to expand their knowledge, increase their technical expertise and connect with fellow professionals. Chairing a technical committee or discussion group requires time, energy and commitment. What this effort gives back is an opportunity to build relationships with top professionals in accounting, auditing, tax and related fields. Some of our leaders have been performing this labor of love for close to 25 years. They have some interesting stories to tell about their experiences as group leaders, from receiving guidance in starting an accounting practice to helping connect a fellow professional to someone who could assist with a difficult career move. Those stories illustrate some of the advantages of participating in the numerous events that CalCPA offers.
The chapter’s technical committees and discussion groups provide one of the most accessible benefits of CalCPA membership. Subject matter ranges from specific technical topics in audit and tax, to technology, management of an accounting practice and young and emerging professionals. Our groups and committees offer top-quality CPE at a very reasonable cost, as well as provide access to the best professionals from a variety of institutions and agencies.
Our chapter is always working to identify new technical topics delivered in a variety of geographic areas to benefit our members. Chapter board members Mark Pribble and Beth Bayer recently teamed to launch the Torrance Discussion Group, which serves members who live and work in the South Bay. In the San Fernando Valley, we have joined forces with the SFV Bar Association to create a new CPA/Attorney Discussion Group.
When you think of what CalCPA can do for you, please consider the myriad discussion group and technical committee meetings that take place each month. In these difficult economic times, the reasonable member cost of CPE at a chapter discussion group or technical meeting can’t be beat. (A while back I met a CPA who gets all of his annual continuing education by attending these groups!)
We host meetings all over the greater Los Angeles area, covering a broad range of topics important to the practicing CPA. Whether you require a few hours of CPE to renew your license, education on a technical topic or an opportunity to exchange ideas with your peers, technical and discussion group gatherings can meet your needs.
I encourage you to go online and review upcoming technical committee and discussion group meetings.
— Jenny Bolsky, CPA
View Comments | Link/Bookmark/Share
April 23rd, 2009
By Jenny Bolsky, CPA
Thank you for electing me chapter president. I joined CalCPA 17 years ago, and I am honored to serve our chapter and its nearly 10,000 members. Collectively we represent almost one-third of CalCPA members statewide. CalCPA’s mission is to increase the value and promote the integrity of the CPA profession, contribute to the success of our members, and strengthen client, employer, public, and government trust in CalCPA member advice, work products and opinions. Every day, in many different ways, CalCPA’s innumerable volunteers and dedicated staff are working to fulfill that mission. I encourage you to follow CalCPA on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook for real-time updates on what our organization is doing to support our members and our profession. Visit CalCPA’s website to explore the full spectrum of CalCPA resources.
One of the most valuable benefits CalCPA provides to us as CPAs is a collective voice. That voice is now more important than ever as we strive for comparability with other states’ licensing standards. Our ability to practice outside of California may be jeopardized if we don’t have licensing criteria that are substantially equivalent to those in other states. You may have read or heard about the push for a 150-hour education requirement. Meeting this provision is now a requisite for licensure in 46 states, making California one of only four states in the country with a lower standard. The perception that our state’s licensing requirements are not on par with the rest of the country could restrict our ability to serve clients in other states and limit our professional opportunities in this increasingly global economy. CalCPA is sponsoring legislation (SB 691) to require that all candidates entering the profession after Jan. 1, 2014 meet the Uniform Accountancy Act’s 150-hour educational requirement.
Legislation has been introduced to align California with national licensing standards so that we can serve our clients in other states. I hope you will support this initiative and help us achieve comparability with the rest of the country and enjoy practice reciprocity with other states. You can contribute to this process by volunteering to meet with your local legislators, writing or e-mailing your state representatives, making a donation to CPA-PAC when you pay dues or simply by spreading the word among your fellow CPAs. Please join me in the effort to educate our government representatives, peers and other professionals about the importance of attaining substantial equivalency. More information, including history and talking points, is available online.
I would like to thank our outgoing president, John Samore III, for his outstanding leadership and dedication—he is an exceptional role model for all of us. I also thank the nominating committee for its long hours and hard work in putting together an excellent board of directors for the 2009–10. It is going to be a great year, and I am looking forward to serving you!
— Jenny Bolsky, CPA
View Comments | Link/Bookmark/Share
April 1st, 2009
By John Samore III, CPA
My message this month is about reflection. It is about what happened over the past year in the Los Angeles Chapter. Like any good professional, I think it is important to reflect on what was accomplished during the year so as to understand what worked well and what didn’t. One also cannot forget to address what needs to be done to continue moving in a positive, beneficial manner.
Overall, the chapter experienced great success, and I want to extend an enormous thanks to our program associates Sandy Benitez and Delia Rincon. Their great enthusiasm and tireless work effort helped us meet the needs of our members. I also want to recognize Gary Hammond, our program director and liaison to CalCPA.
I was fortunate to work with a fantastic group of officers and board members during my term. What made them fantastic is that they took an active involvement in the chapter from the beginning of my presidency. They were unselfish with their time and expressed their opinions and thoughts in an open forum that helped to make the chapter and its activities successful.
The following are some highlights from this past year:
- Membership levels increased. On June 1, the chapter and CalCPA memberships were 9,557 and 32,516 members, respectively. During the past 12 months, both the chapter and CalCPA experienced an increase in membership. As of Feb. 28, membership was 9,742 and 33,195, respectively.
- Networking mixers. We had four successful events throughout the chapter’s jurisdictions that allowed professionals from diverse backgrounds and experiences to get to know each other.
- Discussion groups. Our chapter gathered and utilized information to continue to address the needs of our members, which lead to the launching of the Torrance Discussion Group and Woman’s Partners Group. Additionally, a San Fernando Valley CPA/Attorney Discussion Group and Downey CPA/Attorney Discussion Group will host their first events within the next couple of months.
During the past year, our board meetings were much more proactive than in previous years. Goals were established—and met. For example, each chapter board member was assigned to serve as a liaison with a discussion group or technical committee. The chapter strived to have a leadership representative at each of these meetings. The liaisons made themselves available as a direct contact so members could raise their concerns about how to improve the quality of the meetings or discuss any matters of importance that should be discussed at the board meetings.
One major work in progress includes the revitalization of a couple of discussion groups that were dark this past year. It is important to continue to identify and bring in new leadership and to work with current leaders of all the discussion groups and technical committees. Often new leadership or a renewed effort with current leaders affords new ideas, new opportunities and even higher energy levels. Although the chapter made great progress in streamlining the reporting and maintenance process of all discussion groups and technical committees, the work in this area is not complete. Some facets of running a discussion group or technical committee are autonomous, while other facets must adhere to regulations. Balancing these two components is something our chapter continues to strive to attain. I want to thank all of our leaders for their time in working with the chapter to achieve these goals.
I would like to share so many more good topics about the chapter if there were enough time and space. We are on our way to bigger and better things, but we cannot do this without the support of you, our members. As I mentioned in my first President’s Message, this is your professional organization, and without you, we wouldn’t exist. I encourage all members to share ideas, meet other professionals and attend chapter and CalCPA events. I am looking forward to this upcoming year. Jenny Bolsky, your next president is going to do a fantastic job!
I wish all of you success over the next year and I, again, thank you!
— John Samore III, CPA
View Comments | Link/Bookmark/Share
