Rich Continuum of Service

By Jerry Sample, CPA

This is my final “President’s Message.” It has been an honor to serve as your chapter president and a privilege to work with your outstanding board of directors this past year.

When I became your president last year, I said I was part of a continuum, and as I become past president, your incoming president, Jamshed Gandi, will continue the commitment to service that is a hallmark of the San Francisco Chapter Board of Directors. You’ll note I said serve, not  govern or administer. In addition to attending board meetings, board members plan and execute all chapter events and liaise with chapter committees, state committees, CalCPA Council and local legislators.

Our board of directors reflects the diversity of San Francisco, and I believe that our diversity is one of the reasons why we have been so successful. Because our board is representative of the chapter’s population, we are attuned to the needs of you, our members. However, maintaining diversity means continually developing a diverse pool of talented individuals to serve as committee chairs and directors.

But for many members, business and family responsibilities take first priority. I was a single parent and didn’t become active in the chapter until my son graduated from high school. Even then, I was tentative to accept responsibilities. As time went on, I became more confident and assumed more responsibility, realizing the tangible and intangible benefits of being active in CalCPA.

By volunteering my time to CalCPA, I have grown as a professional and an individual. My business also has prospered because my participation in CalCPA has created a network of CPA friends throughout the state. As I think about the benefits of belonging to and being active in CalCPA, I am reminded of a line from a play: “Life is a banquet, and most poor fools are starving to death!” My active participation in CalCPA has been and continues to be a banquet.

If you have the time and are so inclined, please join us at the banquet. Your chapter needs you, and, perhaps, you need the banquet.
— Jerry Sample, CPA

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 15th, 2009 at 11:17 am and is filed under President's Message. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.