Networking Mixer

ABC Networking Breakfast

Tax Night

Technical Committee and Discussion Groups

For more information, contact program associate Sandy Benitez.

• If your username is your email address, it remains the same.
• If your username is your CalCPA member ID, it will change to your primary email address.
• Your password will not change, BUT you will be forced to change it at first log in. Your default password, if you did not previously change it, is your last name with a capitalized first letter.

CFO Awards
The San Fernando Valley Business Journal’s Fifth Annual CFO Awards recognize the work of CFOs as financial stewards in public, private and other organizations. If you know a great CFO, nominate them today. If you are a CFO, self-nominations are welcome. The deadline for nominations is May 9, and awards will be made Tuesday, June 12.

More information is available online.

Valley’s Trusted Advisers Awards
This event recognizes the work of CPAs, bankers, attorneys and insurance professionals in the greater San Fernando Valley region. Ten individuals in each of the four professions will be recognized. Specialty awards will also be presented in the following categories: Client Services Award, Trailblazer Award, Community Leadership Award and Professional Services Advocate. The nomination deadline is July 11, and awards will be presented Aug. 8.

More information is available online.

Candidates must have a master’s degree or CPA designation, and relevant professional experience; teaching experience is a plus, but not mandatory.

For more information and to request an instructor application, contact Michael Martinson.

What brand of CPA are you? As we move into a new chapter year, CPAs around the world are working hard to identify their role in a complex and changing profession. I am excited and honored to serve as your new chapter president, and in that capacity I aim to be your guide to CalCPA and all the benefits it offers to help you navigate this challenging task.

Coming from a mixed bag background myself, including public accounting in both internal and external audit, consulting and, most recently, management accounting in private industry, I understand many of the issues facing the various sectors of our profession. After all, what does it mean to be a CPA these days, and how can CalCPA be everything to everyone? Just as CPAs have had to adapt and change to handle the volatile economy and its many disasters, so too has CalCPA adapted and changed to address the many facets of a single certification.

CalCPA recognizes that your time is a precious commodity and has increased its array of options for continuing education, including discount packages for online and on-demand CPE for busy professionals. Each year the tireless efforts of the CalCPA staff and dedicated volunteers enable us to advocate for the profession as a whole, including lobbying our state and local legislators on issues of great concern, such as sales tax on professional services and parity for your CPA license across the United States. Last but not least, CalCPA excels at attracting and retaining members like you! Our chapter alone represents more than 11,000 of CalCPA’s nearly 40,000 members.

Some believe that CalCPA does not speak for them as individuals. I believe, however, that our diversity is our strength, and I urge each and every one of you to think about what it means to be part of such a strong association. Let us be a resource for your future.

Whether it is looking outward at the increasing globalization of business and what that means to us as U.S.-certified accountants, or looking inward to our communities and neighborhoods, and what we can do to help restore confidence in our local economies, CalCPA is here to help. The possibilities are endless!

Join a local discussion group or technical committee and help further the debate. Volunteer your time to help troubled families and businesses navigate the tricky financial waters. Come network with other professionals at one of our mixers. Chances are you have more than just questions; you have a voice, and that is a powerful contribution to any organization.

Please join us Wednesday, May 16 for the installation of our chapter board of directors and officers. The event will be held at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, where beautiful art and scintillating conversation will combine for a most memorable event. I hope to see you there!

To be a financial literacy volunteer, contact Melissa Thornton.

Are you an accounting student interested in gaining insight and one-on-one advice from an accounting professional? If so, you can take advantage of the chapter’s mentor program in three easy steps:

• Identify your personal goals and needs that a mentor could help you with.
• Review the mentors’ bios.
• Email the mentor who fits your areas of interest and could provide related advice.

More information is available on the chapter’s website.

• Excellence in teaching and mentoring, as evidenced by receiving various awards or citations;
• Educational innovation, including developing curriculum, case studies and new programs;
• Published articles in professional or academic journals or written textbooks for use in accounting classes; and
• Significant involvement in professional or academic societies and related activities.

Download nomination criteria and a nomination form which is due May 1.

Tickets are available online.

For questions or to book groups of 10 or more, contact Steve Herman.