By Maureen Renzi, vice president - communications

PICPA’s Annual Meeting held in Philadelphia on June 3 was an outstanding opportunity for members to take part in camaraderie, great food, and networking with colleagues. If you weren’t able to attend, I want to share with you some insight into what PICPA has accomplished this year and what we plan for the future.

The meeting kicked off with a professional issues update from Eric Hansen, AICPA’s immediate past chair. A highlight of Hansen’s presentation included his call for CPAs to embrace disruption – the disruption happening at their own companies, and the disruption taking a toll on their clients. CPAs can leverage these changes if they embrace them rather than resist them. Mike Colgan, PICPA’s CEO and executive director, sat down with Hansen and Steve Christian, immediate past president of the PICPA, after Hansen’s presentation to talk about professional challenges and the development of the CPA talent pipeline.

Incoming talent is critical to the profession’s future, and how we lift accounting majors to CPAs is key. Changes to the CPA Exam was the topic tackled by Liz Kolar, CPA, executive vice president and chief knowledge officer of Surgent CPA Review. After her presentation, Meg Killian, PICPA’s vice president of member relations, sat down with Kolar to discuss the most important changes to expect in CPA Exam and how CPAs can mentor the next generation of CPAs.

The afternoon began with PICPA’s official business meeting. Colgan provided a year-in-review and discussed how PICPA’s recent member survey will inform our future strategies. Jen Cryder, CPA, PICPA’s executive vice president and COO, presented the financial statements. Christian spoke about all the opportunities within the profession, and then passed the gavel to Martin Levin. The final piece of the annual business meeting was the election of Levin as 2019-2020 president. His goals include evaluating and improving the PICPA value proposition; driving more students to consider a career as a CPA; engaging our corporate finance leaders; and continuing to lead effective advocacy efforts. The presentations at the business meeting were broadcast live on the Facebook platform, and are now available to view here.

Don Smolenski, president of the Philadelphia Eagles who also just so happens to be a PICPA member, closed the annual meeting with a keynote address. He discussed how the professional skepticism he learned and honed as a CPA helps in his role with a professional sports team. He also explained how running a professional sports franchise is akin to running several businesses at once. Find out how his skills are employed in the many businesses that make the Philadelphia Eagles run successfully. 

The annual meeting is a unique blend of business and social aspects. Luckily, it’s not the only chance you have to build your PICPA network. All members can take advantage of the many summer fun events scheduled by our various chapters and have access to hundreds of CPE programs. Find what works for you, and take advantage of the value of PICPA membership.

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