Fresno Chapter
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Archive for the ‘President’s Message’ Category
September 15th, 2008
By Denise M. Patterson, CPA
By the time this Bulletin is issued, two chapter events will have occurred. The first was the annual CPAs Care–United Way Day of Caring took place Sept. 13. I hope you and your firm’s professionals, staff, family and friends had a wonderful time working to improve our community. The other event, our Annual Student Night, took place Sept. 16. Again, I hope you were able to attend and had a wonderful evening meeting the students from our local colleges and universities. Additional results of these events will be shared with you in the next Bulletin!
Be sure to mark your calendar for upcoming CalCPA and Fresno Chapter events, including: the Annual Golf Tournament (Monday, Oct. 27); Members’ Recognition Dinner (Wednesday, Nov. 19.); Women’s Leadership Forum in Los Angeles (Wednesday, Dec. 3); and the Past Presidents Breakfast (Wednesday, Dec. 17). Look for additional information in this issue of the Bulletin, as well as direct e-mail messages.
During the past year, CalCPA began a strategic planning effort that is continuing into the current year. Several priorities have been identified, including: advocate for members on issues that affect the profession; enhance and promote the visibility of the profession and CalCPA; and attract, educate and support CPAs in their professional and personal development. Our chapter leadership has been asked to develop a plan that addresses how the Fresno Chapter can contribute to the success of the strategic plan. Over the next several months, your chapter board of directors will develop a plan to address each of the stated priorities. You can download a copy of CalCPA’s strategic plan online. If you have any suggestions as to how the chapter can implement the stated objectives, feel free to share those with me via e-mail. We look forward to learning of your ideas and including those in the chapter’s plans.
Nominations are being accepted for the Outstanding Young & Emerging Professional Awards for Excellence.
The award categories are:
- Young and Emerging Professionals in the Community—An individual who has made a significant contribution to his/her community through charity or voluntary work.
- Young and Emerging Professionals of Determination—An individual who has had to overcome significant adversity or challenge to make a difference or to succeed personally or professionally.
- Inspirational Young and Emerging Professionals—An individual whose behavior, actions, words or achievements have inspired others.
- Innovation of Young and Emerging Professionals—An individual who has shown a continued effort to share his/her ideas of how to improve and modernize the CPA profession.
- Young and Emerging Professional Demonstrating Leadership and Team Work—An individual who demonstrates leadership and teamwork in his/her profession.
- Young and Emerging Professional of the Year—Overall winner.
Download the nomination form online. Nominations are due Wednesday, Oct. 8. Please consider nominating one or several of your young and emerging professional staff members for these awards!
In member news over the past month, Laura Cullen appeared on ABC30 to discuss how to minimize taxes by having your property value reassessed and revisiting your income tax exemptions. And Gary Istanboulian appeared on KSEE–TV 24 to discuss when an individual should begin receiving Social Security payments. Thank you Laura and Gary for representing CalCPA and the Fresno Chapter!
— Denise M. Patterson, CPA (FL)
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August 19th, 2008
By Denise M. Patterson, CPA
Well, the summer is nearly complete and soon another academic year will begin. If you have family and friends returning to school this fall, I wish them all the best for a year filled with wonderful experiences!
With the advent of a new academic year, the chapter’s activities also begin to boom. We have a number of events coming up during the fall months. First, our annual CPAs Care—United Way Day of Caring takes place Saturday, Sept. 13. The day will begin with a kick-off celebration and pancake breakfast from 7:30–9 a.m. at Arte Americas in downtown Fresno. From there, we will travel to our service location.
In the past, chapter members have painted and landscaped facilities for various nonprofits and sorted food for the food bank. Be sure to sign up your firm, family and friends to participate in this wonderful event. T-shirts will be provided for those who take part in the event. Additionally, a pizza party will be awarded to the firm, business or group that has the most participants.
To register, contact Kay Coffin by Monday, Sept. 1. It is always heartwarming to see how much can be accomplished within the community during the Day of Caring.
Also in September will be our Annual Student Night. This event provides an opportunity for local college students to meet area professionals and learn more about career opportunities. We also recognize our scholarship recipients from the community colleges, California State University, Fresno, and Fresno Pacific University. Student Night 2008 will take place Tuesday, Sept. 16 at Tornino’s. The social hour begins at 5:30 p.m. and dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $25 per person. Professionals can also sponsor a table for $200 or individual students at $25 per student.
To register, contact Kay Coffin. Reservations must be made and paid for by Sept. 10.
The Annual Golf Tournament will take place Monday, Oct. 27. The Tournament Committee is working hard to put on another wonderful event. More information will be forthcoming in the next few weeks.
This year we are recognizing our Young & Emerging Professionals, 40-year members, new members and past presidents at our first Members Night Wednesday, Nov. 19 at Tornino’s.
During the event, we will announce the Young and Emerging Professional Awards for Excellence, which recognize our young and emerging professionals who have significantly impacted the profession or their community. Awards will be granted to individuals in five categories. Award applications are now being accepted and can be obtained from Kay Coffin or myself. Please consider the members of your firm for these awards!
Ladies, be sure to mark your calendar for Wednesday, Dec. 3 for the Celebrating Women CPAs conference in Los Angeles. This year, we are working to put together a group of professionals from the Central Valley to attend this event. It is a wonderful event and one I hope you will plan to attend.
Plus, a lunchtime celebration will feature winners of CalCPA’s first Women to Watch Awards presented in cooperation with the AICPA.
Learn more or nominate your favorite woman CPA leader online.
Did you know that during the 2007–08 fiscal year, the chapter awarded more than $39,000 in scholarships? This is the third largest amount among CalCPA’s 14 chapters! Only the Los Angeles ($65,000) and Silicon Valley San Jose ($42,000) chapters surpassed us. What an outstanding accomplishment for our chapter.
You may be asking how these funds are generated. Each year, in additional to individual members’ contributions to scholarships, the net proceeds of our chapter events and meetings are accumulated in the Chapter’s Scholarship Fund. Funds are then awarded to the chapter’s endowed scholarships at California State University, Fresno and Fresno Pacific University. Each institution then awards scholarships to their accounting students.
Additionally, the chapter has two scholarship programs for students attending area community colleges, as well as those transferring from a community college to a four-year institution. With the support of the chapter’s members, our ability to assist students in their academic careers has been increasing. I want to thank all the chapter members for their individual contributions and for attending events during the year that make our scholarship efforts possible.
Over the past month, chapter members have appeared on KSEE 24’s program, Central Valley Today. Tracey Scharmann presented information on how your credit score may be costing you money. Gary Istanboulian discussed what people need to know about their spouse’s finances, as well as interview arrangements for getting a raise. Thank you Tracey and Gary for representing CalCPA and the Fresno Chapter!
—Denise M. Patterson, CPA
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July 10th, 2008
By Denise Patterson, CPA
CalCPA held its Annual Members Business and Council meetings, as well as the California CPA Education Foundation Annual Meeting, June 26–28 at the beautiful Waikoloa Resort in Hawaii. The location was wonderful and the meetings were exciting and informative. I’d like to share with you some of the issues discussed at the meetings.
During the Education Foundation meeting, Fresno Chapter Past President Adrienne Cantrell (Baker, Peterson & Franklin) was elected to serve on the Education Foundation’s Board of Trustees. Congratulations, Adrienne!
Several legislative issues continue to be important to the profession, including mobility, substantial equivalency and peer review. During this legislative session, AB 2473 was introduced to align California with the rest of the nation and the mobility provisions included in the Uniform Accountancy Act. The bill’s substantial equivalency provisions would have allowed California CPAs to provide services to clients across state lines without requiring licensing in those states. Unfortunately, the bill did not meet the deadline for passage out of the Assembly Business and Professions Committee. However, CalCPA will continue its efforts related to passage of mobility and substantial equivalency legislation. With respect to peer review, it is anticipated that the California Board of Accountancy will pursue legislation in 2009 for mandatory peer review for all firms providing audits, reviews and compilations. CalCPA is in favor of this legislation, as it is important to consumer protection.
As part of CalCPA’s efforts to promote these issues, the chapter will meet with area legislators this fall. CalCPA Program Director Kay Coffin will schedule meetings with the legislators while they are in their district offices. We are asking that all interested chapter members participate in the meetings. CalCPA will provide information packets and you will be thoroughly briefed on the issues prior to your visit. We expect the meetings will be scheduled on either a Thursday or Friday and last approximately 30 to 45 minutes. If you are interested in participating, let me know!
Also, the 2009 CPA Day at the Capitol will be held Wednesday, Jan. 21. Be sure to mark your calendar for this event and plan to spend the day in Sacramento meeting with your legislators. It is an exciting event and one well worth attending.
Did you know CalCPA provides peer review services to firms in California, Alaska and Nevada? Nevada has a mandatory peer review requirement for firms providing audits, reviews and compilations, and California is moving toward a similar requirement. To provide the necessary reviews for firms in the three states, additional peer reviewers are needed. If you or your firm are interested in becoming a peer reviewer, please contact Thomas Parry, chair of the Peer Review Committee or Linda McCrone, CalCPA technical services director, at Linda.mccrone@calcpa.org.
The Women’s Leadership Forum will be held at the Wilshire Grand Hotel in Los Angeles Wednesday, Dec. 3. Our chapter is putting together transportation for all interested women. Mark your calendars and plan to travel with your colleagues to an outstanding event!
The Young & Emerging Professionals initiative continues to be an important for CalCPA. YEP Committee chairs from around the state will convene in Redwood City this fall to identify the group’s needs at both the state and chapter levels. CalCPA has a professional networking site for young and emerging professionals and you can register to participate in the online community by going to http://calcpayeps.ning.com. You can view videos from the YEP Conference at www.youtube.com/calcpa.
At the chapter level, the YEP Committee is planning a social event in August. Stay tuned for additional information. The YEP Award application will be available this month. Be sure to nominate your favorite YEPs for one of the 2008 YEP Awards! We also are looking for chapter members who are interested in participating in our YEP Awards selection committee. If you would like to participate, let me know by Aug. 31.
Several of our chapter members have appeared on local television during the past few months. I’d like to thank Kendall Wheeler, Moore Grider & Co.; Fausto Hinojosa, Price, Page & Company; and Adam Blitz, Baker, Peterson & Franklin, for taking the time to prepare for and appear on KSEE-24’s Central Valley Today show. In April, Kendall was on the show and discussed taxes and the economic stimulus payments. He also provided information about energy savings. During May, Fausto provided information on “Protecting your Child Against Identity Theft.” In June, Adam appeared and discussed “Money-Wise Steps for College Grads,” while Kendall discussed “Newlyweds and Finances.” Thank you for your great representation of CalCPA’s Fresno Chapter.
During the next few months, many of you will be vacationing with families and friends. Have a wonderful, restful time and be safe in your travels!
— Denise Patterson, CPA
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June 9th, 2008
By Denise Patterson, CPA
On May 13, several Fresno Chapter members went to Sacramento to participate in the Day at the Capitol. It was fantastic! Over the course of the day, we met with Tiffany Zurligen, legislative assistant to Senator Dave Cogdill, Assemblyman Mike Villines and his policy and fiscal director, Deborah Gonzalez, and Assemblyman Juan Arambula and his legislative director, Andrew White. The topic for each of the meetings was Assembly Bill 2473—The Consumer Protection and Taxpayer Choice Act.
The focus of AB 2473 is “to conform the treatment of CPAs by all state boards of accountancy to provide seamless consumer protection and client choice.” The bill would conform the California licensing requirements to those of other states by making the 150-hour education pathway the only pathway to licensure, effective in 2012. By doing so, California CPAs would be allowed to provide services to their clients in other states. While it is not anticipated that the bill will be passed in the current legislative year, the California Board of Accountancy and CalCPA will continue to support mobility and substantial equivalency.
It was truly an historic day at the Capitol on May 13. Not only were the halls filled with CPAs, but also Karen Bass, an assemblywoman from Los Angeles, was sworn in as the first African-American woman to serve as Speaker of the Assembly. Unfortunately, we did not have passes that would have allowed us on the Assembly floor (or even in the gallery), but we were able to watch the proceedings on closed-circuit television. The process was fascinating, and I felt quite honored to have participated in the day!
As mentioned in last month’s newsletter, we currently have more than 950 members and are looking forward to increasing our membership. Did you know that CPA candidates receive their first year of CalCPA membership at no cost? If your company has any CPA candidates who are not currently CalCPA members, please encourage them to join.
Our Young and Emerging Professionals Committee is finalizing a program to recognize the professional and community contributions of our young, emerging colleagues. The purpose of the 2008 Young and Emerging Professional Awards is to honor young and emerging professionals in the Fresno Chapter area who have significantly impacted the profession or their community. We anticipate granting awards to individuals in five different categories. Applications will be available in early July. Please consider nominating members of your firm for these awards!
This month CalCPA will hold its annual business and council meetings at Waikoloa Village on the Big Island of Hawaii. In addition to the meetings, the Education Foundation will host its Continuing Education Week (June 23–26). To sign up for any of the continuing education seminars, please visit the Foundation’s website at http://www.educationfoundation.org/resort/.
— Denise Patterson, CPA
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