22 minute read
MEET YOUR NEW LEADERS
MEET YOUR NEW LEADERS:
Introducing the 2021-2022 COCPA and Educational Foundation Nominees
Maintaining the profession’s relevance; leadership development; the pipeline into the profession; technology; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and much more are top of mind for these new members who will join the COCPA Board of Directors and Educational Foundation of COCPA Board of Trustees, May 1.
COCPA BOARD CHAIR NOMINEE
Randy Watkins, CPA, CGMA, CCIFP
Partner, BDO USA, LLP, Greeley
Randy literally grew up in the accounting profession, watching his father Lee Watkins build Watkins & Schommer, Inc., a local CPA firm, in Greeley, Colo., with partner Dan Schommer. Rolling beyond graduation from Wiggins High School and the University of Northern Colorado with a B.S. in Business Administration - Accounting emphasis, Randy developed his technical skills with several organizations before returning to Greeley to work in the family business. When his Dad retired in 2008, Randy purchased the firm. In 2010, he merged it into Anton Collins Mitchell LLP (ACM) - the firm with which he’d worked two years earlier. Today, Randy is an assurance partner in BDO USA, LLP’s (BDO) Northern Colorado office, ACM having merged with BDO in late summer 2020. He focuses on auditing and financial reporting services for exempt organizations, construction, manufacturing and distribution, and software and technology companies. He takes special interest in getting to know his clients so he can help them accomplish their goals. With 20 years of experience, he is able to identify opportunities to make practical improvements in clients’ operational efficiencies and internal controls over financial reporting and accounting. The intimate knowledge he gains from these audits, coupled with his analytical skills, enables him to help his clients look beyond the numbers to the story their financial statements tell. A member of the COCPA and AICPA, Randy has served in a variety of roles including a previous term on the COCPA Board of Directors and in his current position as Vice Chair and Budget Committee Chair. He is a former member of the AICPA Governmental Audit Quality Center (GAQC) Executive Committee and the AICPA annual Government Accounting and Auditing Conference planning committee. He regularly presents on technical topics at AICPA Government and Construction conferences.
Randy belongs to the Associated General Contractors of Colorado, Colorado Government Finance Officers Association, and Construction Financial Management Association. A firm believer in giving back to his community, Randy is heavily involved in charitable organizations throughout northern
Colorado. He chairs the United Way of Weld County Board; is past president of the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) Alumni Association Board; and president of the Board for United for Youth (UniFY - formerly Northern Colorado Active 20/30). At the top of the priority list for Randy is “maintaining relevance in the Information Age, establishing our relevance in providing assurance on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting, and attracting diverse top talent from the next generation.” He brings Creativity and Innovation Super Powers to the Board table as well as practical experience from his other nonprofit board service.
When he’s not immersed in professional activities, Randy spends his time with family - wife Nicole, who also is a CPA, and daughters Lennon and McCartney; playing golf, boating, camping, learning new songs on the guitar, and watching sports. Some of his most favorite trips have been twoto-three-week road trips in the family’s 5th wheel. They’ve been to upstate New York and back; to the Black hills of South Dakota, and beyond to Montana, Idaho, Nevada, and Wyoming; and last summer to Lake Michigan, the Upper Peninsula, and back home through Wisconsin. Oh, yes, Randy is a diehard Beatles fan, too. And, yes, that’s why his daughters are named after two of the Fab Four.
COCPA BOARD VICE CHAIR/CHAIR-ELECT NOMINEE Angela Roberts, CPA
Angela began her career as an auditor with Deloitte & Touche and as a senior manager with Arthur Andersen before transitioning into private industry as a controller, CFO, and national practice manager. Founder and Managing Partner at Aclivity, LLC, the Denver-based executive recruiting, staffing, and consulting firm, Angela also is a Mindset of Leadership Coach and Trainer, teaching the value of becoming the most successful and effective leader and/or teams you can be to the U.S. Military, Fortune 500, and private growing organizations. Angela first volunteered with the COCPA as a University of Colorado Denver (UCD) student member. In 2005, she founded the CFO & Controllers Roundtable which continues to provide programming and networking opportunities for Colorado accounting and finance executives. She previously chaired the COCPA Women in the Workplace Committee and served on the Strategic Planning Committee and Board of Directors. A lifetime Girl Scouts USA member, Angela joined the Girl Scouts of Colorado Board in 2018, serving on the Finance Committee and currently as its Treasurer. She also is a mentor for Gold Award Girl Scouts. Since 2013, Angela has helped the University of Colorado plan and develop curricula and programs as a Community Member of the University of Colorado Business School Accounting Advisory Council. She currently is helping to develop its Controllership and Communications-related curriculum. In 2018, Angela was one of the founding members of HomeStretch Moms, an alliance with Channel Mom and the Denver Rescue Mission dedicated to mentoring single mothers. Angela says building the best leaders in business should be our top priority. “We do a good job of training CPAs in the technical aspects of accounting and finance. We need to emphasize and develop our professionals’ leadership skills,” she emphasizes. “And, we need to be proactive in mentoring our ‘up-and-coming’ CPAs. Daily, through my firm, I connect with and represent CPAs who are focused on advancing their careers. A continuing theme is their desire to work in a culture that fosters management experience, provides mentoring, and develops their leadership skills. The COCPA is in a position to help foster the future leaders in our CPA firms and corporate organizations.” Her Super Power is getting to know people and their stories. “I love this profession. I have met amazing people through the Society, and I have learned so much. I want people to know that I am dedicated to advancing your career, whether with your current organization, your next opportunity, or connecting you with someone who can!” This Colorado native holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Accounting from UCD. She is married to Mark Pougnet and a proud mother of two. When she isn’t working, parenting, or volunteering, Angela is usually found on the yoga mat, reading, traveling, or gardening.
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COCPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS NOMINEE Diego Baca, CPA
Audit Senior Manager, EY LLP, Denver
For Diego, a chance encounter with CPA and COCPA member Robert Dixon was the spark. “When I was about 12 years old, I met Mr. Dixon, one of the two or three CPAs in my hometown, Trinidad, Colo., at the local golf course. I had been paired with him a few times, and we didn’t have much in common. But one day, I saw his shiny Cadillac, and I noticed his nice golf clubs and clothing. I mustered up the boldness to ask him what he did for a living. He said, in his noticeably Southern accent, “Son, I’m a CPA.” That brief exchange stuck with me - I made the decision as a junior at the University of Colorado to pursue my master’s and become a CPA. I tell the story because being open and authentic, especially with younger people who might not come from the same background as you, can have a profound impact on them. It’s why I’m focused on mentoring and educational access, especially for those underrepresented in our profession and in society as a whole.”
Diego has worked on a variety of clients in various industries including asset management, technology, health insurance, energy, media and entertainment, manufacturing, consumer products/retail, and employee benefit plans. His most relevant experience comes from serving a large multinational, publicly traded client in the technology industry. His eleven years at EY include experience in serving clients of varying sizes, from small startups, not-for-profits, and private equity backed entities to large, multinational, U.S. publicly traded companies. Throughout this time, Diego has gained extensive experience in SEC reporting, Sarbanes-Oxley 404 reporting, and other public company reporting requirements. He serves as a liaison for the office’s diversity and inclusiveness professional networks and facilitates technical and soft skill trainings, notably as a consistent “Top Tier Facilitator” within the firm’s Audit Academy. Diego’s passions include a focus on educational access and mentoring, both with EY and in the community. He currently serves as the Denver executive sponsor for EY’s College MAP (Mentoring for Access and Persistence) program. Previously, he led the Denver and Southwest regional program for EY College
MAP. Diego also leads recruiting efforts at the University of Colorado. He is active with various non-profit boards, including serving as Treasurer of the University of Colorado Forever Buffs Latinx Alumni Association and most recently as Past President of the Educational Foundation of COCPA Board of Trustees. Diego has volunteered with Junior Achievement, the Denver Scholarship Foundation, Greenhouse Scholars, and Strive Prep as well. He is a former member of the ALPFA Denver Chapter Board of directors and a former member of the AICPA CPA Board of Examiners which oversees the CPA Examination’s development and content. Diego is an avid non-fiction reader (focusing on autobiographies in business, music, and politics). He enjoys playing golf as much as possible during the summer months. He enjoys listening to and making music; listening to and studying stand-up comedians; and watching his favorite TV shows repeatedly. Just for fun, Diego has recorded two rap albums since 2010 and has most recently begun learning piano - his 2021 goal after giving up social media. Diego says the top issues the profession must address are how to grow the CPA pipeline overall and for diverse candidates from underrepresented backgrounds and how to keep up with the pace of change caused by digital technologies and the massive amounts of data and information that are produced each year. “My Super Power is my authentic perspective. I have a unique viewpoint given my background: single parent household, small town, first generation college graduate from an ethnic demographic that is still in the minority in the profession. My voice, like many others in the profession from similar backgrounds, tells a story from a different viewpoint that can add value to the collective Board.”
Diego almost gave up on becoming a CPA. “After failing REG multiple times, I let all the parts I’d passed expire. I was mentally prepared to quit and stopped thinking about the exam and licensure for a couple of years. It wasn’t until I got to know some of my EY colleagues that I felt I could do it – and I needed to do it –to achieve my full potential. I tell this story to remind all of us in the profession that we must support and help people in the profession pipeline achieve this milestone. The number one reason I see so many young professionals of color give up on the CPA is because, like me, they think it’s just not meant to be for people like them. But with our help and our focus on the pipeline, we can show that it’s not only meant to be but also well worth the effort. We must demonstrate how life-changing being a CPA can be.”
COCPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS NOMINEE Jim Gilbert, CPA, CITP, CGMA
Managing Principal, Jim Gilbert, CPA LLC, Highlands Ranch
Jim is passionate about supporting the CPA profession and helping his peers embrace technology to prepare for the ever-changing landscape of business and automation. He has focused his entire career, over more than twenty years, on integrating technology into strategic plans and business processes alike. Jim began as a billing clerk, progressively moving into many different staff and management roles, including CFO, in many different industries including architecture, engineering, construction, technology, automobile, medical, and real estate, with small businesses up to Fortune 500 companies. He is experienced in forming a variety of business entities, business expansions, divestitures, mergers and acquisitions, and business closures. A COCPA member since 2004, Jim is a founding member of the COCPA Technology Users Group. Top of mind for him? “The adoption of technology and the impact on CPAs are profound. We must be leaders and get in front of the impending change to provide value to our clients and all types of organizations.” He is eager to provide guidance on the importance of CPAs to be more adaptable and pivot toward new concepts, technologies, and needs of clients. As Jim puts it, “The traditional Audit, Tax, and Consulting service models have changed. CPAs now need to be leaders and innovators.” Jim looks forward to bringing passion, energy, leadership, a creative and open mind, and a technology focus to the Board. “The COCPA has the opportunity to provide our members with additional value that will benefit them near-term and long term. I recently served on the AICPA Certified Information Technology Professional Credential Committee and currently serve on the AICPA COVID Technology Committee. Both recommend that CPAs focus on immediate adoption of technology skills and digital transformation. Our members need to be ready to repurpose their technical and daily efforts to support their internal and external clients. They will need specific information, tools, best practices, and relevant ideas no matter if they are beginning their CPA career or are partners in CPA firms. Our clients, company leaders, and organizations demand that CPAs be technically competent to understand modern business, and how to be leaders not only in accounting, tax, and consulting but also in the innovation of technology.” Jim likes to travel, work out, and spend time with family. He also enjoys spending time on well-rounded self-improvement and obtaining knowledge. This ardent supporter of the CPA profession looks forward to sharing insight, knowledge, AICPA committee experience, and knowledge of technology trends and practices with his Board of Directors colleagues. As Jim says, “Being a servant leader is paramount for success, along with having a pay it forward mentality.”
COCPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS COMMUNITY MEMBER NOMINEE Amy King
Senior Vice President/Chief People Officer, Centura Health, Centennial
For over 25 years, Amy King has been a transformative human resource leader focusing on local and national trends that continue to impact organizations and their human capital. She started her career in human resources in 1998, holding a variety of progressively responsible positions within the higher education Human Resources administration industry. She is responsible for articulating a vision for human resources that translates strategic priorities into operational imperatives and advancing the ongoing evolution of human resources to an integrated and strategic model. Currently, Amy also serves as a consulting strategist and coach for boards, organizations, and individuals.
This Colorado Christian University graduate received her B.S. in Organizational Management with an emphasis in human resources. She also earned a certificate of advanced study in alternative dispute resolution and a master’s degree in leadership and organizations with a specialty in human capacity in organizations from the University of Denver. Amy has served on a variety of non-profit boards throughout her career, most recently serving as chair of the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce and on the Catholic Charities Executive Committee.
Amy says, “As with any profession, the need for diversity and inclusion is imperative. Transforming the CPA profession in the space of diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging can create experiences that allow individuals, teams, and organizations to grow. As an HR professional, I will say publicly that focus should not be solely on the shoulders of HR to create and invite change.” As the COCPA Community Member on the Board of Directors, Amy brings the ability to challenge the strategic capabilities brought to the membership. “For boards I have served on, I have been asked to lead the strategic planning and transformation of board activities and offerings to ensure the organization is bringing forward what the membership is requesting and providing foresight into the needs of the members in the future.”
Amy loves spending her non-work time with family. She and her husband have two sons, Michael (17) and Alex (13). “We are a very active family with both boys belonging to a competitive travel baseball organization.” Amy adds, “Growing up in a small rural farming community in Nebraska, I learned the value of hard work and the importance of connection – to people and the land. With those inherent values, I look forward to getting to know my fellow board members, learning, and making a difference wherever I can!”
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EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION TRUSTEE NOMINEE
Lora L. Finley, CPA, Littleton
Lora has 23 years of experience in public accounting and private industry. Her public accounting experience includes manufacturing, government, banking, and fund accounting while her industry experience encompasses commercial real estate, construction, and professional services. She is proficient in multi-organizational accounting, small business startups, system conversions, intercompany accounting, GAAP-based accrual accounting, forecasting, budgeting, project management, and human resources. As a CFO, Lora has led the due diligence process to assist in the sale of a multi-million dollar mortgage banking firm. This 1996 recipient of an Educational Foundation of COCPA scholarship has served on the COCPA Member Connections Committee; Audit Committee as both a member and chair; Investment Committee; Board of Directors as director and treasurer in 2012-2014; and Nominating Committee. Lora enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband Mike and their Australian shepherd. She is a scuba diver and enjoys all the outdoor activities Colorado offers. She can’t wait to indulge her travel bug again, post-pandemic. Currently, Lora is working to complete a Certificate in Client Accounting Advisory Services. She received her B.S. in Accounting from Metropolitan State University of Denver. Lora’s reputation for sticking to the meeting agenda is legendary - she says that is her Super Power. She also brings insight, laser-focused questions, and humor to the table. For her, the top issue the Foundation must address is “making sure the amount and number of awards are appropriate for this day and age.”
What does Lora want COCPA members to know? “I was very appreciative to have been a recipient of an Ed Foundation scholarship back in 1996.” She’s looking forward to making that happen for today’s accounting students.
EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION TRUSTEE NOMINEE
Ronald L. Goodrich, CPA, CGMA
President & Managing Shareholder, McPherson, Goodrich, Paolucci & Mihelich, PC, Pueblo
Ron received his B.A. in Accounting from Western State College, now Western Colorado University, in Gunnison, Colo. He has been employed with the same firm, MGPM, PC, since 1987, becoming the president and managing shareholder in November 2017. Ron specializes in preparing tax returns for corporations, S corporations, partnerships, individuals, trusts, and estates, and in providing advisory, accounting, and auditing services to not-for-profits, governmental entities, and small businesses. Many of his clients are in agriculture, real estate, wholesale, governmental, and not-forprofit industries. He is part of the firm’s technology advancement team charged with keeping the firm on the forefront of technology. MGPM moved to a paperless auditing and tax return environment in late 2019.
Ron serves on the COCPA CPE Board and is a past president of the COCPA’s Southeast Chapter which he led the effort to revive in 1988. An avid hunter, fisherman, and conservationist, Ron spends some of his spare time working with groups on conservation issues. He is a member of the National Rifle Association, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Back Country Hunters and Anglers, Pueblo West Sportsmen’s Association, and Coloradans For Responsible Wildlife Management (CRWM). Its goal and purpose is to educate and defend the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. Ron is serving his sixth year on the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Sportsperson’s Roundtable. In 2019, he assisted in getting the Colorado Future Generations Act passed. He now is also serving on the Colorado Wildlife Area working group. Each September, for 20+ years, Ron heads to San Diego for his annual tuna fishing trip. For 40+ years, he has participated in Colorado’s big game hunting - bringing home a 6x7 bull elk in 2020. In addition to hunting and fishing, Ron enjoys spending time with his wife Lynette, children, grandchildren, and extended family. Many weekends in the summer, you will find Lynette, Ron, and various family members in the Colorado mountains enjoying camping, hiking, wildlife viewing, and scouting. Ron says a top issue the Foundation must address is understanding the changes in the investment market due to the change in the Administration, changes in technology, and how the top tech companies affect what the general public sees and hears. While he’s humble about his Super Power, Ron acknowledges he has many years of experience assisting not-for-profits like the Foundation with accounting, auditing, and investments.
EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION TRUSTEE NOMINEE
Tiffany Knight, CPA
Director, Kundinger, Corder & Engle, P.C., Denver
Tiffany is a Director with Kundinger, Corder & Engle, P.C. (KCE), an accounting firm that has provided audit and tax services exclusively to not-forprofit organizations in the Denver area since 1991. She graduated from Metropolitan State College of Denver in 2005, obtaining her CPA license directly out of college, and has spent her entire career with KCE. She is active with the Colorado Society of CPAs, currently serving on the Member Connections Committee (MCC). She recently was appointed to chair the Audit Committee. She also is a graduate of the COCPA LeadFit program, a leadership program designed specifically for younger CPAs. Top of the list for Tiffany is keeping up with technology and the fast-changing environment. “The pandemic has forced upon us a significant change in the way we both conduct and deliver our services. We are going to continue to see changes in the way business is conducted going forward and, as a result, we need to find ways to keep pace, adapt, and remain a relevant and strong profession. Most importantly, I think we need to find that healthy balance between technology and delivering personal services to our clients. Also, the job market for hiring CPAs is tough right now. We need to continue to find ways to attract and maintain strong talent in the profession.“ Tiffany has been working exclusively with nonprofit organizations for over 15 years and will bring to the Foundation her breadth of knowledge about nonprofit organizations and, even more specifically, membership organizations such as the COCPA. “With my experience with nonprofits and the MCC, I hope to bring fresh and new ideas to the table. Also, I’m open-minded, and I enjoy the creative process of hearing other ideas and coming together to expand and deliver on an idea.” Tiffany loves spending time with her family. She is married and has “two amazing sons, ages 21 and 16, as well as two crazy dogs, Ziggy (a French Bulldog) and Pablo (an American Bully).” She loves being active, too - hiking, swimming, and working out. This huge Denver Broncos fan’s family has had season tickets for over 50 years. Tiffany also loves to travel, especially internationally. “I’m ready to get back out there when it is finally safe to do so.”
Tiffany shares, “I feel incredibly lucky to have found the CPA profession. I was a teen
mom, giving birth to my first-born son at the age of only nineteen. I didn’t really have any direction at that time and decided to pursue a degree in accounting and eventually obtain my CPA license. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made as the profession has provided me with a strong, stable, and prosperous career.” Through service with the Educational Foundation, Tiffany will seize the opportunity to encourage others to make that “best decision ever,” too.
EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION TRUSTEE NOMINEE
Judy Thomas, CPA
Chair, Accounting, Economics, and Finance and Associate Professor of Practice, Anderson College of Business and Computing, Regis University, Denver
Judy worked in industry for over 25 years before becoming a full-time professor. She gained experience in manufacturing, telecommunications, consulting, and the federal government. She has taught accounting and finance courses for over 22 years. She served two four-year terms on the Colorado State Board of Accountancy and was a member of the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) Communications Committee. She also has been a member of the COCPA Accounting Education Committee. Judy has been married for 40 years and has two children. She enjoys reading and loves music - both playing it and listening to it. She even has a room in her home dedicated to musical instruments. Her first love is baseball and the Colorado Rockies. The Thomas family goal is to visit all 30 MLB parks, and they have seven yet to see. She says she doesn’t know what they’ll do when they’ve achieved their goal. Perhaps by then, it will be time to start again “from the top,” to borrow a musical phrase. Judy says the Foundation must address diversity, equity, and inclusivity. “Through the Foundation, DE&I can be addressed, as well as support the overall mission of the COCPA. I also believe it is important to bring an innovative culture and competency to the COCPA and the profession. We, as professionals, need to be agile and nimble. I hope the “super power” I bring to the Foundation derives from the Jesuit values instilled during my undergraduate education. These include promoting human dignity, striving for better, pursuit of justice for all, education of the whole person, action to address social problems, and finding God in all things. What this means to me is that I am dedicated and committed to making a difference for the good of all.”
