Many years ago as an employee of a large international CPA firm, I attended many SF Chapter CALCPA events. When I changed my primary focus to accounting education, I was very fortunate to stay involved with CalCPA as a author and teacher of CalCPA Eduaction Foundation courses. About ten years ago I returned to CalCPA seeking smaller firm contacts and practitioner advice on what students need to succeed as a practicing CPA. The details are blurred but there was the SF Chapter energy ,the financial literacy initiative, and now the accounting education initiative. It's been a good time, doing good things with good people.... that's what CalCPA has been for me.

I have been a CalCPA member since 1977. In those almost thirty years the Education Foundation has been a mainstay for my continuing education needs to keep my CPA certificate active. Since I have worked in industry for most of those years I have been somewhat challenged to find meaningful courses, but the Foundation has been responsive to those of us no longer in public practice. I have always been impressed with the professionalism and high level of service of CalCPA. You are truly the voice of the accounting profession.

My experiences with CalCPA have provided me with a great venue to get involved in the CPA profession beyond just the workplace. In the process, I've enjoyed meeting interesting and influential people, as well as broadening my understanding of the accounting profession.

I've been a proud part of CalCPA for a long time. Strategic relationships and great friendships with other CalCPA members over the years have been invaluable, both individually and professionally. The educational resources
provided by the CA CPA Education foundation continue to be an important part of my professional growth as well.

As for what CalCPA has done for me–I'd say that it has done a lot. Among the things that it has done for me are that: 1) it has helped me to build confidence as a professional through interaction with more experienced professionals, who no doubt have helped me to grow, 2) it has provided me with a network of friends that I can go to for advice and guidance.

I first joined CalCPA to meet other CPAs and stay current on issues facing the profession. Over the years, I have found that my involvement in CalCPA has helped me serve my clients better. I am able to provide information on resources for Sarbanes-Oxley, tax planning opportunities and new technologies. I also have a large network of CPA friends and colleagues.

When a client needs a consultant or new employee with a specific expertise, I am often able to make a quality referral to another CalCPA member.

About ten years ago, after working for several California CPA firms, I began thinking about going out on my own. Through the encouragement and support of my family and clients, I made the big leap. I have to confess I was not at all secure in this decision, and knew I would need to connect with fellow CPAs if I had any chance of being successful. Prior to this time, I had not been a member of any professional society, but I had heard good things about CalCPA and decided to join.

Fast forward to today. I am a partner in Kaufman Schmid Gray & Salt with offices in Claremont and Woodland Hills. How did this happen? How did I grow from one phone line, one computer, and no staff in one little room in a professional building, to a four-partner firm with two locations and half a dozen staff? The answer is quite simple: Through my participation in and the support of CalCPA.

It has been an amazing journey. I began by attending local chapter meetings and getting to know other CPAs. When I had an issue I needed outside expertise on, I had someone to whom I could turn. I also subscribed to various CalCPA listserves. Instantly, I was connected to thousands of “virtual partners” up and down the state, and even across the country. Eventually, I met some of these folks and developed great friendships. One of these friends was Steve Kramer.

I first met Steve and several others at an APRES (Accountants Poetry Reading and Eating Society) meeting in Los Angeles. We would also get together annually at the PTTF (Paco’s Tacos Task Force) meeting which is held each June on the first day of the Technology Show. Then there were the BAD (Books Accountants Read) meetings. All of these get-togethers involved food, drink, and camaraderie. Of course there were numerous chapter and committee meetings, discussion groups, conferences, and CPE events and over the years I came to thoroughly appreciate the incredible quality of my fellow professionals. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Early on in my CalCPA membership years, I had no idea of the goings on at the state level and I wasn’t aware of Steve’s involvement. When he asked me if I would be willing to serve on a planning committee for the MAP Conference, I thought it sounded like fun and jumped in. That was one of my better decisions. Being introduced to the remarkable men and women who serve CalCPA – some compensated, some not – I came to appreciate even more the depth of the excellence of those who make up CalCPA.

At both the local and state level, I became more involved each year. I have served as local and state MAP Committee Chair, have been on Council, am now on the chapter and state board, and have served on various conference planning committees. I have learned more in the last ten years of my involvement than I have in the previous forty years of my life.

There are two lessons to be learned from my story:

1. Reach out and ask someone to participate in something – a committee, an event, anything! Even though he is no longer with us, Steve Kramer has left a lasting legacy by asking me to participate in that conference planning committee. I don’t know that I would have gotten as involved as I am, or at least as quickly, if he wouldn’t have given me the nudge.
2. Having said that, GET INVOLVED! Volunteer for a committee, an event, anything! If I am not participating in CalCPA, I cut myself off from the crème de la crème of our profession. I personally guarantee you will get back ten times what you invest in terms of time and energy. And the friendships that you develop will be rich and lifelong.

Here’s to the next 100 years!

Wow! Where do I began to express my gratitude to CALCPA for the professional and personal experiences over the last 20 years. As a young professional, I was encouraged to be active with CALCPA by my employer. From committee member, to Bulletin Editor, chapter board member and finally Chapter President, I was involved. I became the second only women President in our chapter's history and the youngest ever. As a chapter officer, I also became active at the state level. Again, from member of state commmittees to state director to Executive Committee. I was part of major changes in CALCPA. From the CPA candidate membership to the complete overall of the governance. What an experience! The friends and profesional contacts are too numerous to list here. I'm still in contact with many of these persons even those who no longer live in state. I mourn those who have passed. One example of these relationships is the number of CPAs that flew from all over California for my wedding 3 years ago. These contacts through CALCPA have become life long friends. THANK YOU!

As I was sitting at the conference table listening to Loretta Doon, Executive Director of CalCPA, deliver her welcome speach to the Council, I was flooded with gratitude for all the things that CalCPA has given me. I am a fairly new member (5 years), compared to some of the old-timers (no offense Mitch) but was really able to appreciate how much CalCPA has enhanced my passion for my career. Here's a few I came up with:
1. The Leadership Institute
2. Women's Initiative
3. Financial Literacy Volunteering
4. Financial Literacy State Committee
5. Leadership of the Financial Literacy Committee
6. Council Member at Large
7. PFP State Committee
8. Industry Association Strategic Alliance Task Force
9. Media Training
10. TV & Radio opportunities for me & my clients
11. Legislature relationships
12. Connection with AICPA
13. National influence
14. Connections with bankers & attorneys

But even more importantly, the encouragement, the insight and the mentorship I've received have cultivated my confidence and my pride as a CPA in more ways than I can count.

It was a great feeling at CalCPA Day at the Capital to demonstrate the passion I've gained in what CPA's do, who we are, how we give back, and how our profession stands out.

Thank you CalCPA (and Clar Rosso, et al) for all the opportunities you've offered me and for your contribution to my success!

Angie

In today’s hectic world that many times results in a lower level of personal interaction, I am happy to say that the very personal interactions that I have had with colleagues throughout the state of California and nationally have had an important impact for my firm and my clients. We have all benefitted from our interactions. About ten years ago, I received a call from a college friend, Gary Yoon, who was working with Ed Jordan on the OC/LB Members in Industry Committee. That started a long journey where I have benefitted and my clients have taken advantage of. Some of the benefits we receive are:

1. Media opportunities: More than meets the eye
Media sharpens the professional saw. When preparing for a media interview, it is not good enough to have general knowledge. If a new tax law comes out, I become an expert on the legislation within 24 hours of signature. This is often prior to the update on the online version of the tax services. I may read 300 pages of text to come up with the juicy details that will both benefit the news outlet, but most importantly, my clients. I can immediately integrate the opportunities with my clients. There may be issues being discussed in accounting, such as XBRL. While most did not know what XBRL was a few years ago, I went on a discovery process prepared materials for presentation to an entire business department of a newspaper, and discussed the benefits of XBRL for all investors. Whether it is radio, television, or an interview at a newspaper somewhere in America, we are better off because of our interactions. Clar Rosso, Bill Spaniel, Aldo Maragoni, and Damien English provide the insight, expertise, and coordination to deliver a professional media experience.

2. Professional Expertise: Sharpening the saw
As a member of the Personal Financial Planning Committee, and its current chair, I have the opportunity to work with many financial planning experts, some of which are listed on the Worth 100 list and many of which are the most highly regarded financial professionals in the country today. If I ever have an issue that needs an answer, it is just a phone call away. We discuss practice management issues, investment issues, client centered solutions, and accept to our meetings leading financial experts. We have had the founder of a mutual fund company talk to our committee. We have had top pension experts discuss the subtle nuances of pension legislation, and we have been entertained by the softer side of human communications, the most important aspect of financial communications. Quite simply, CalCPA PFP is where I get my intellectual stimulation and the majority of my intellectual capital from.

3. Networking: A process of discovery and enlightenment
Networking has a number of connotations associated with it. Some have had negative experiences, some have had positive. The way I look at life is that it is a series of events that we have control over getting benefit from or frustration as a result of. I always choose having fun and deriving benefit. I meet exciting people from all over the United States of America who are making valuable contributions to our country and state. It is exciting to learn from them and to be a part of history in the making. It is also powerful to know experts that we can refer our clients to. My clients are all over this great country of ours. All I have to do to find a great CPA for my client in San Diego, Sacramento, San Francisco, Houston, New York City, or any other place is to pick up the phone and ask. I look good, and I always prefer and enjoy referring business to CPAs.

4. Meet the Leaders: Perspective that you can’t get by going online or reading the paper
We get the opportunity to network with the top people in our profession; the head of the Franchise Tax Board, the folks that run CalPERS, politicians, beloved television, radio, and newspaper reporters, Barry Melancon and many others from the AICPA leadership, and many others. Perspectives that we just don’t get anywhere else.

5. Professional Association: We are fortunate to work with the best in the country
As California goes, so goes our country. I learned a long time ago that being biased can be helpful. I am biased toward our association for the clear benefits that I personally derive from participation. I have been exposed to national issues by working with the Department of Labor out of Washington D.C. and the head of western region IRS audits of qualified plans. I have been amazed by how much one advocate of our profession can achieve for all of our benefit. Bruce Allen has been able to keep CPAs off of many exclusion lists and regulatory requirements over the years. Because I participate in our Sacramento events, I get to be a represent our profession for a day. Bruce’s work benefits every CPA in the state of California, not just members of CalCPA. I have benefitted on learning how to talk. Goofy as that sounds, one must be trained on how to say what needs to be said to the media. Believe it or not, this education applies outside of media interaction as well. I have had the opportunity to dust off my leadership threads and step into activities that I enjoy taking down barriers and promoting success through the leadership of others. Leadership is not about what I do as a leader, but rather, what I can promote and allow other leaders to do in their capacity and capability. In controversy, I get to hear both sides of the story. Many organizations show only one side. We discuss all sides of an issue, and how refreshing that is.

6. Friends: Counting on good people to share our fellowship
Most important are the new friendships I have developed over the years. I have met many people from across the country and in California and Nevada that I consider great friends. Through CalCPA, I met David Colgren out of New York City. Extremely intelligent and very diversified in terms of business, we enjoy getting together and learning from each other. Because of his global expertise, I have enjoyed bringing my clients to him to explore business opportunities in India and China. I met Glenn Daily, one of the top three fee only insurance advisors in the country. We met at an AICPA conference in Scottsdale Arizona. I attended because of Mitch Freedman, who was PFP Chair at the time. Glenn lives in Manhattan and we have developed a friendship over the last half decade. We enjoy sharing information that we have collected on the insurance industry, but above all, enjoy the opportunity to have dinner when I am in town and just share our fellowship. Ed Jordan, CFO of KetelOne Vodka…need I say more. Ed has a great sense of humor, and his philanthropic activities are something for all of us to admire. If you ever have an opportunity to attend an Ed Jordan Signature Event, you will leave fulfilled, but most importantly, riding high and proud that we are members of the same profession. While I started out in the Orange County/Long Beach Chapter, I migrated to heavy involvement with the State Personal Financial Planning Committee. Wow! What an extraordinary team of men and women! Dan Thomas, Rob Healy, Michael Eisenberg, Irv Eisenberg, Tim Anderson, Joe Forlenza, Jim Sullos, and too many more to mention. I can’t wait to have our monthly steering committee meeting or in person meeting in Oakland, Los Angeles, or wherever we end up on a road trip (perhaps looking for Orcas in our spare time, or climbing the highest peaks in the Rockies, or just enjoying some time in Napa). What we all get from one another is an experience that is unforgettable. We all help each other grow and promote the benefits of using a CPA financial planner, and what a difference that is.

While I could go on for pages as a testimony to the experiences I have shared with others, and so many personal friendships developed over the years, I invite those who may not yet write a paragraph or two to begin a journey, our journey, a journey that is uniquely ours, and enjoy the start of the next 100 years.

I have been a member of CalCPA for approximately 30 years, ever since I received my California CPA License by reciprocity from New York State, where I first became a CPA. Between practicing in New York and California my career is entering its 45th year. It seems like a long time to me, yet it's only a fraction, less than half the time, that CalCPA has been existence serving its members.

During my career I have met numerous people in the CalCPA community. I have made friendships that will last my entire lifetime and I have interrelated with colleagues who have influenced and inspired me. Two such individuals come to mind as I muse about my volunteer leadership activities with CalCPA. It was probably about 13 years ago while I was serving as Vice-Chair of the CalCPA State Personal Financial Planning Committee under the able leadership of Joel Framson. His tenure was about to expire and I was about to ascend to the Chair of the Committee, a role that I was anxious to fill. Those who know me either personally or by reputation are well-aware that I am quite the opinionated individual. As I also tend to be somewhat autocratic in my leadership style I was concerned, because I wanted both the respect of the committee members and I wanted to have credibility to all CalCPA members while we dealt with some very important issues affecting the profession.

At that time the CPA profession in general and CPA financial planners specifically were going through some radical alterations. Regulation and registration of CPA financial planners was an enormous issue. But, perhaps the issue that caused the most acrimony among CPAs, which truly affected CPA financial planners more than others, was the lifting of the ban against accepting commissions.

In order to be congruent with the CalCPA mission and to serve the members of both the Personal Financial Planning Committee and CalCPA I reached out to two formerly active members of the State Personal Financial Planning Committee who had dropped out several years before. I asked Ron Linder of San Francisco and Stan Breitbard of Los Angeles to rejoin the committee and be my consigilieres, from "The Godfather, " meaning counselors. I told them that I wouldn't ask them to take on any heavy tasks or duties. I merely wanted them to be there to help guide me and help both the committee and I reach reasoned decisions about matters. I also wanted them to be my conscience. To my delight they both accepted. They were inspirations and mentors to me. The three of us hardly ever agreed on anything, but we were able to reach consensus through discussion and compromise. These two talented and dedicated individuals helped to shape me as a professional and leader and they also taught me that when peers reach out to you - be there.