advocacy
Pancakes . . . and Advocacy By Judy Love,WSCPA Director of Advocacy
t an AICPA/state society staff Interchange conference in July, the government relations types were asked to describe successful strategies in our grassroots programs. Most responded with the usual — “engaging new professionals,” “inviting legislators to chapter meetings,” “having members deliver PAC checks.” Then the newest member of the group spoke up. “I have just one word,” he said, “Pancakes.” Pancakes?!? Did we hear that right? Was he kidding? We were holding the late-afternoon session in the hotel lobby bar at the end of a long week. Perhaps we had misunderstood. We leaned in closer to hear that the Michigan Association of CPAs invites members to informal gatherings with their legislators at local Waffle Houses, Denny’s, etc. to talk about issues of mutual interest. Even more important than the discussions, however, are the relationships that develop. This reminded me of the weekly, if not daily, early morning gatherings of great minds at the Copper Kettle in Ellensburg years ago when all the problems of the world were thoroughly dissected and debated. Whether it was due to the syrup or the conversation, relationships were cemented, even among those with widely —sometimes wildly—divergent opinions. Seven years ago WSCPA President & CEO Rich Jones and I started attending NASBA (National Association of State Boards of Accountancy) meetings twice a year. Of course we were interested in learning firsthand about any new regulations that might be brewing. However, the primary motivation was the desire to repair a WSCPA/WBOA relationship that had become very strained. The underlying dysfunction — an Us v.s.Them mentality — was not serving the profession well, posing significant barriers to working together on important legislation that was on the horizon.
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Contribute to the CPAPAC today at www.wscpa.org (search “CPAPAC”) From that first meeting in Anchorage, to the one held again in Anchorage this past June, we have spent many, many (did I mention many?) hours in general sessions with WBOA members and staff, enjoyed dinners together in wonderful restaurants, laughed together and shared breakfast (maybe even a pancake or two). A couple of years ago, the entire WBOA staff came from Olympia to the Society office for lunch with WSCPA staff. Everyone was meeting for the first time, although most had communicated with each other regularly for years. In other words, we have forged relationships that are frankly the envy of many state societies and boards around the country. This relationship resulted in immediate benefits for the profession – it was no accident that Washington State was among the first dozen states to pass mobility legislation. Does this mean there are never different points of view? That the Society doesn’t question, push back when necessary? Of course not! But despite the built-in tension between those who regulate and those who are regulated, the Society has been able to advocate successfully on behalf of members because of those relationships. Input from WSCPA members and staff helped shape a rule on
WashingtonCPA September/October 2012
requirements for responding to requests by clients and former clients for records (WAC 4-30-051), particularly regarding electronic records. WSCPA staff and members worked together with WBOA members to address and implement an outside consultant’s recommendations for process improvements to Board operations. The new CPA Retired designation is the result of collaboration between the Society and the Board. And, most recently, in an effort to understand the cause of a high number of late license renewals this year, the Society asked for comparative data for the past nine years, Rich Jones and I conveyed member concerns during a lengthy discussion at the July 26 WBOA meeting, and we committed WSCPA support to the Board’s increased outreach about license renewals in the future. Back on the legislative front, as I write this, WSCPA members are responding enthusiastically to a request for volunteers to deliver CPPAC checks to legislative candidates.Thanks to everyone who engages in this important activity, over 50 new relationships will be forged by the middle of September. Please pass the syrup! You can contact Judy Love at jlove@ wscpa.org. www.wscpa.org
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