A focus on membership, education and legacy in the coming year
By Gary Rosen
Manhattan/Bronx Chapter President
As the NYSSCPA’s Manhattan/Bronx Chapter is on the cusp of reaching the first quarter-century mark, it is important that we pause to regroup and reflect upon how we can strengthen our organization for the remaining 75 years we have until the year 2100. Although this seems like a period in the distant future, I will tell you with confidence that with new breakthroughs in health care—which I believe will include but not be limited curing various diseases, healthy living, and modern technology, there are new students graduating with their MBAs who will soon become members of our esteemed organization and remain as members to see the year 2100.
With that being said, my tenure as president of the Manhattan/Bronx Chapter of the NYSSCPA will concentrate on three key areas: 1) increasing membership; 2) education geared toward life skills and improving our members’ knowledge beyond the normal tax, audit and codifications we all utilize on a daily basis; and 3) legacy.
With all due respect to my fellow members, presidents and CPAs across our great Empire State and the nation, I truly believe that Manhattan/Bronx area has the highest concentration of CPAs currently practicing today. This concentration is primarily because our region has a significant number large CPA firms, and Manhattan is the headquarters for numerous Fortune 500 companies. In addition to these two factors, Manhattan and the Bronx are vertical areas which allows more CPAs to work and/or reside within the Manhattan and/or the Bronx’s limits. With all of the benefits CPAs receive from the NYSSCPA, licensed CPAs cannot afford not to join our ranks.
One of the aforementioned benefits of the organization is education. As a former college professor at the graduate level in my spare time, I believe if one stops learning they for all intents and purposes have decided that they do not want to grow in their professional career. In my opinion, this is unacceptable because no matter how long we have been practicing, we can always learn something new. My education platform this year will include various seminars and forums which will allow our members to learn new skills no matter if they are a newly certified CPA or have been practicing for over 45 years, as I have been. My goal will be to bring in outside professionals in other disciplines, including but not limited to attorneys, human resources specialists, security professionals (cyber and investigative), and life coaches to provide a new perspective and allow the attendees to think and learn “outside the box”.
My final goal but probably the most important is legacy. As part of my administration, I hope to include new members to serve on the expanded committees that will be offered under my administration. It is these committee members who will interact with the board by attending various board meetings throughout the year, where their voice will be heard. By executing their fiduciary responsibilities, they will also learn how the chapter operates and will ultimately become the future leaders of the NYSSCPA Manhattan/ Bronx Chapter. This long-term plan will ultimately lay the foundation upon which our organization will build its altar to its future members.
As we embark on this journey together, I hope all of you feel the urge to help build our chapter into the largest and best chapter not only in the state but in the nation. By supporting each other and taking an active role in helping me achieve my goals, I truly believe each and every member will benefit many times over. I look forward to working with each of you, and I am always available to discuss how we can all help improve our chapter. If you want to reach me about an idea or to join my administration, please email me directly at the address below. Let’s grow together and build that bridge to the year 2100.
gary.rosen@marcumllp.com