State CPA Society News & Updates – June 2023

State CPA Society News & Updates is a round-up of recent announcements and initiatives by CPA associations in the United States and its territories.

The Massachusetts Society of CPAs (MassCPAs) recently launched a scholarship to honor the legacy of current Society President and CEO Amy A. Pitter. 

The Amy A. Pitter Presidential Scholarship will to honor the legacy of Pitter, who is set to retire on December 31, 2023. Pitter joined MassCPAs in 2015 and was previously the Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. On May 1, 2023, the Society announced that Pitter was retiring and Deputy CEO Zach Donah, CAE, would succeed her as President and CEO effective January 1, 2024. 

The Society will award the $5,000 scholarship each year to a deserving undergraduate or graduate student pursuing an accounting degree in Massachusetts. Scholarship recipients are selected through a competitive application process by the Board of Directors of the Society’s Educational Foundation. To qualify, students must have completed at least the first semester of their sophomore year; sustain a superior academic standing; have financial need; be willing to complete four hours of accounting-related community service; and intend to pursue a CPA career in Massachusetts.  
 
MassCPAs’ Scholarship Program is funded by contributions to the Society’s Educational Foundation. The Foundation supports and inspires a diverse pipeline of future CPAs through a series of initiatives.  

The Society also recently announced the appointment of 19 members to the Board of Directors, effective May 1. Appointees include

Board officers: 

• Board Chair: Laura O’Brien, CPA, MST, LGA, LLP
• Chair-Elect: Laura Felice, CPA, CGMA, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Inc.
• Board Vice-Chair, Finance Committee Chair: Declan Lee, CPA, KPMG LLP
• Board Vice-Chair, Audit Committee Chair: Carol Ruiz, CPA, PwC LLP 
• Board Vice-Chair: Dr. Sandra Richtermeyer, CPA, PhD, CMA, University of Massachusetts Lowell 
• Immediate Past-Chair: Karen McElroy, CPA, Deloitte LLP
• President and CEO: Amy Pitter, MassCPAs 

Directors: 

• Mark Audi, CPA, Baker Newman Noyes (BNN)
• Charlotte Cathro, CPA, TAC CPAs LLC 
• Marquis Cooper, Boston Scientific 
• Matthew Dyment, J.D., LL.M, BDO USA, LLP
• Molly Griffiths, RSM US LLP 
• Rose Jardim, CPA, Jardim & Marotta LLC 
• Adnani Johari, CPA, CGMA, MBA, Brighthouse Financial, Inc. 
• Josh LaPan, CPA, S&G, LLP 
• Arthur Marshall, CPA, MBA, EY 
• Amy Phelan, CPA, MST, Tonneson + Co.
• Linda Smith, CPA, Smith, Sullivan & Brown, P.C. 
• Katie Soule, CPA, CFP, CIMA, Merrill Lynch 
  

PARTNERING FOR SUSTAINABLE PIPELINE SOLUTIONS

PICPA Issue Brief: CPA License Requirements, Mobility, and Capacity Challenges

The Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) announced their support for the profession coming together to address the talent shortage and all of the possible solutions currently under discussion.

The following key items need to be considered when framing out a solution to the workforce challenges: 

1. Trust matters most – both rigor and capacity impact trust 
2. Explore Pathways to expand access to the profession that preserve mobility: 
   1. Increase diversity and access to the profession 
   1. Do not threaten mobility 
   1. Ensure the profession maintains its position of trust and authority 
   1. Better prepare candidates for a career as a CPA
3. Work in partnership as a profession: The profession must collaborate to effectively solve these challenges
4. Capture and share more data to inform the discussion

The PICPA is also partnering with stakeholders on work-and-learn models that will give students pursuing their CPA better support for receiving college credit, working with accounting firms on meaningful projects, and taking the CPA exam without impacting the education requirement. 

The Delaware Society of Certified Public Accountants (DSCPA) is offering the Delaware Ethics for CPAs course. Eligible for 4 Delaware Ethics credits, the course, which is offered online on June 15 from 1:00 to 4:30PM Eastern Time, covers the core principles of professional conduct, including recent updates.

The course is designed for Delaware professional accountants and is $149 for DSCPA members and $209 for non-member.  Check out DSCPA.org for more information or to register online.

The Tennessee Society of CPAs (TSCPA) Strategic Plan is now available to download. The plan covers 2022-2025, and focuses on priority areas such as Connections, Professional Development, Advocacy, Students and Emerging Professionals, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

The Oklahoma Society of CPAs (OSCPA) provides details on SB 171, which modernizes the process to sit for the CPA examination in Oklahoma. The requirements include the ability to sit for the exam with a minimum of 120 college credits instead of 150 college credits. Though requirements for sitting for the exam have been updated, requirements to become a licensed CPA in Oklahoma remain unchanged.