Presidents-Elect Communicate Common Concerns

The Big Nine--to some that phrase probably smacks of a football rivalry--but to certified public accountants, it represents the nine largest (by membership) CPA societies in the United States: California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York (the largest of the group), Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The presidents-elect of the Big Nine had the opportunity to meet several times during the AICPA Council's fall meeting where it became obvious that the societies had similar concerns and goals, and the organizations could learn from one another. As a result, the presidents-elect agreed to continue the dialogue via conference calls throughout their current terms and their 1999-2000 terms as society presidents.

As our president-elect, I volunteered to spearhead the initiative which resulted in a January conference call that included participants from six societies. After discussing the weather around the country (without coming to a resolution--so what else is new?) the call, which lasted for one hour, covered several significant areas.

Getting Acclimated

All the presidents-elect are working closely with their soon-to-be predecessors learning about the additional responsibilities involved as president. The presidents-elect agreed that while there would be significant hours devoted to their organization, they had been training for the job for many years in different capacities in their respective state societies. For example, I have chaired Society committees at the state and chapter level; served on the board of directors, as treasurer; and currently am a New York delegate to the AICPA Council. I will be relying on the NYSSCPA's excellent administrative staff to continue to improve the Society's responsibilities to its members and the public.

The Vision Process

The AICPA concluded its study on the future of the accounting profession and is preparing to drive it home to its members. (See the December 1998 issue of The Journal of Accountancy and the November 1998 issue of The Trusted Professional.)

A number of the state societies have begun explaining the vision to their membership as has the NYSSCPA, which will continue efforts over the next 12 months. All agreed that this was a significant project with much importance to the certified public accountant.

Uniform Accountancy Act

The presidents-elect provided updates on their states' efforts regarding the Uniform Accountancy Act. Of the states participating in the call, Ohio and Illinois have incorporated UAA reforms into their state accountancy acts. The other states are in various stages of reviewing the UAA legislation.

New York is in the process of drafting proposals for its state legislature. (See page 1 for more details.) These provisions are based on the town hall meetings, conducted by NYSSCPA President George Foundotos throughout the state, and the ratification of the proposals by the Society's board of directors. The other states are in various stages of reviewing the UAA legislation.

Florida's For-Profit Investment Advisory Service Subsidiary

Jeffrey Greene, the Florida Institute of CPAs' president-elect, spoke about its wholly-owned subsidiary formed to assist accountants who want to offer investment advisory services. FICPA has formed an association with a financial services organization that will provide back office support to qualified accounting firms.

Other areas of interest discussed during the conference call included dues and political action committees. All in all, it was a productive hour which assisted and gave guidance to the incoming leadership. *