04 2018 advantage final

News from Your Accounting Association

CPAmerica Advantage Upward Evaluation Surveys: Using leadership One of the tell-tale signs of a successful firm involves their commitment to continuous improvement. CPAmerica has designed and made available its Upward Evaluation Survey (UES) to help partners and managers hone their leadership characteristics and make their firm run like a well-oiled machine.

Making this tool work all starts with the decision to take to heart the steps to truly become a “best place to work.” The UES customizes select question with each participating partner and/or manager assessing their own leadership skills. Then, staff completes an evalu ation on each partner with whom they work with. Of course, privacy and impartiality is key to making this all work.

Melissa Ware, human resource manager of said about the survey, “[Our firm] utilized the CPAmerica Upward Evaluation Survey for the first time this past November to conduct surveys for all our principals and managers. The firm wanted to provide a high level of confidentiality and we knew we had to engage a third party to conduct the surveys. Our goal was to provide our management team with insight on how their management style is

April 2018 New member: Swink Smith Coplen

perceived by the staff and give them Member News P. 3 areas for improvement. CPAmerica made the process easy and we were President's Corner - Alan Deichler P. 4 able to tailor the survey questions for our firm. The results were provided [quickly and] were shared with each individual. The principals and managers Celebrating 40 years of Improving appreciated being able to understand their Through Sharing at CPAmerica areas of strengths and weaknesses as perceived by the staff.”

In the short term, advantages of the survey include staff being able to have a voice and in the process of filling out the survey, make evident whom they see as leaders within their firm.

Peggy Parker, firm administrator of DMJ Polar Plunge: This month , said, “We we go back to 2006 and look at courageous DMJ & Co., PLLC recently engaged CPAmerica to handle our four employees jumping into 36° water first [UES] … While it is too early to tell how for their cause, Special Olympics this feedback will result in changes, it is clear North Carolina. that our staff really appreciated the opportunity to provide their candid and confidential input.

Some of the most valuable information obtained for See Surveys, continued on page 2

New Member Snapshot: Swink Smith Coplen & Company, P.C. Swink Smith Coplen & Company, P.C. 3890 South Lindbergh Blvd. Suite 200 St. Louis, Missouri 63127 Tel: (314) 842-2001 | Fax: (314) 842-3303 www.swinksmithcoplen.com

Since 1980, Swink Smith Coplen & Company, P.C., as a full-service services in the St. Louis metropolitan area. They are progressive in technology and industry practices, while adhering to the fundamental values of honesty, integrity and professionalism in their client engagements. They have built a reputation for excellent service and forming long-lasting business relationships.

Earl W. Swink | Managing Partner | eswink@ssc-cpa.com David P. Smith | Partner | dsmith@ssc-cpa.com Kenneth A. Coplen | Partner | kcoplen@ssc-cpa.com Jacob V. Potter | Partner | jpotter@ssc-cpa.com Kim D. Russo | Firm Administrator | krusso@ssc-cpa.com Kim D. Russo | HR Director | krusso@ssc-cpa.com David P. Smith | Marketing Director | dsmith@ssc-cpa.com Michael A. Cooper | IT Network Administrator | mcooper@ssc-cpa.com

Headquarters:

St. Louis, Missouri

CELEBRATING:

CES Technologies for CPE Training in Firms

By Brian F. Tankersley, CPA/CITP, CGMA, Tankersley Consulting As many of you know, Randy Johnston and I attend the Consumer Electronics Show in January every year to find new things to feature in Tech Update and other technology presentations. We found a few items as we walked the show floor which you might find useful as you hold meetings and events.

Denon Professional Audio had a self-contained lectern called the Lectern Active. This very interesting device is available in black or white, and features four built-in speakers, a tweeter, a 200-watt amp, and a microphone, all in a very nice podium package.

If a room is so large that you need outside amplification, you can take a line out/audio out off of the podium and feed it into an external sound system. The device features two outlets to power your laptop, as well as hooks to help with cable management. ($899 MSRP, available at: www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1279634-REG/denon_lecturn_ active_amplified_speaker_lectern.html) An emerging trend in Asia is renting a rechargeable battery pack for your smartphone. Brezze is a company which makes small rechargeable power banks that can be rented on the go and returned to any location.

The company is based in Singapore and has a mobile app to help users find one of the 5,000 locations which they project to have by the end of 2018. The charging/rental stations are available as a six-piece docking unit, a ten-piece table slot unit, or a 30-piece standing slot unit. If you’d like more information on the company and its technologies, you can find them online at: www.brezze.global.

One of the new technologies which we were thrilled to discover to perk up your webinars and video meetings is the Marantz Professional Turret. This is a $299 video/audio device designed to raise the production quality of your webcasts and meetings. Turret includes a H.264 compatible 1080P camera with an adjustable light ring (with three different color rings to adjust the light temperature/shading), a high-quality cardioid microphone on a swing arm, a headphone jack, and a line in for streaming audio from other sources. The device has a small power brick and uses a USB-C connector to connect to your laptop. Turret is available online at: www.bhphotovideo.com/c/ product/1340586-REG/marantz_professional_turret_broadcast_ video_streaming.html.

With most of us doing electronic course materials and some outside facilities charging exorbitant prices for internet access, some associations are thinking of using flash drives to distribute on-site electronic materials. A company called Vinpower Digital makes rigs which can be used to copy materials onto inexpensive flash drives quickly. An entry level USB drive duplicator that will copy and/or securely erase up to seven drives simultaneously is called the Digital USB Shark, and is priced at $595. For more information, you can visit the item’s page on Amazon at: www.amazon.com/Vinpower-DigitalUSBShark-Standalone-Duplicator/dp/B002DGU81U/.

Brian F. Tankersley, CPA.CITP, CGMA (@BFTCPA, CPATechBlog.com) advises firms and companies on accounting technology issues. He has served as the technology editor for a major accounting industry publication and currently teaches courses in the U.S. and Canada through K2 Enterprises for professional accounting organizations. Tankersley and his family make their home in Farragut, Tennessee.

This is part 2 of the 100 Year Anniversary for Aldridge Borden article from the March 2018 Advantage issue. To read part 1, go to: https://tinyurl.com/ yctl9d2y.

... Having an opportunity to be involved with and a part of good clients and good personnel that work with you – that is probably our biggest accomplishment.”

Sibley added, “Along those lines, as you grow older, you get more reflective of the past and you don’t always think about how you are being molded. One thing I realize is that not only have I learned the [CPA] trade, but what I have also learned from the past leaders of this firm is really how to treat people - whether they are an employee or client. Obviously, we want to do good work and all those things that good CPAs strive to do, but our culture throughout my tenure here (I’ve been here 30 years), has been to treat people right.”

When asked about the firm’s core values, Floyd said, “It’s the golden rule; do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

When we look at the values that define the role of a CPA – integrity, objectivity, quality in the [work] you do, those attributes have really defined our firm … that came from our founder, Mayer Aldridge, and has been important and will continue to be important for our firm.”

The firm has steadily grow over the past 100 years. Sibley attrib uted their success in the firm’s willingness to invest in people in order to make them the best CPAs they can be. She said, “In this industry, what we do is all related to people. You look at what our major cost is and [the answer is] ‘it’s our people’ - salaries, benefits, training, and investing in them … knowing that we appreciate their contributions to the successes of this firm.”

Floyd spoke about the future of the firm. “Technology has changed so much from what we have seen in the past 25 years, so I think the tools we use will continue to change, but if you stick to your core values of integrity, objectivity, and treating others with respect … then going forward, you’ll be able to adapt to whatever the future brings, and not just for the sake of growing the firm but to be an asset to the community.”

Sibley added, “It’s really easy to say, ‘that’s not the way we’ve done it in the past,’ but change is happening quicker and quicker, so a firm has to be able to recognize it and have the attitude that you are going to change with it.” With this adaptability, it looks like Aldridge Borden has positioned itself to be around for a long time.

Surveys, continued from front page management is that it is very clear whom the staff view as leaders and role models.

“The process was very smooth and took very little time on our end. It took one phone call to get all the information I needed to begin, including a sample of survey questions which we chose to use over the one we had drafted. Colleen was very helpful in guiding me through the process and helping us to extend the deadline for input several times in order to get more responses. The man ner in which it was handled gave our staff the reassurance that their identity would be kept confidential and provided them with a good explanation of the purpose of the survey … We will likely repeat this process annually.”

This was part one of two of the Upward Evaluation Survey article.

Part two will be printed in the next Advantage newsletter.

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CELEBRATING:

Member News Harper & Whitfield, P.C. announce Pedersen, Penn as new managers

Farmington, Conn.-based member firm , announced that Joshua R. Pedersen, CPA, CGMA, MBA and Wendy J. Penn, EA have been promoted to manager.

Pedersen joined the firm after graduating from Western New England University with a bachelor's in accounting and from Central Connecticut State University with an MBA. He is being promoted from his previous position of senior accountant. He is a member of the AICPA and Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Wendy Penn joined the Harper & Whitfield team in 2004. She is being promoted from her previous position of senior accountant and is also responsible for the day-to-day operations of the firm’s Simsbury office. Penn received her accounting degree and attended Tunxis Community College and Central Connecticut State University. She is a member of the National Association of Enrolled Agents and the Avon Business Network International.

Erickson, Brown & Kloster adds new partner Colorado Springs, Colo.-based

(EBK), announced that Kim Mead, CPA, has been named a partner of the firm. Mead has 20 years of public accounting KIM MEAD experience and is a leader in EBK’s tax department, serving as a trusted advisor to a wide variety of individuals and closely held businesses. One of Mead’s professional passions is helping families navigate the complexities of estate and trust administration and taxation. Mead is a graduate of Chadron State College with a bachelor's in Business Administration.

Mead also serves as president of REACH Pikes Peak, a local nonprofit that enhances the lives of lower income individuals in Southern Colorado.

Thomas Howell Ferguson P.A. CPAs welcomes Stevens to the firm Tallahassee, Fla.- based,

, welcomed Ben A. (Steve) Stevens to their Assurance Services Department.

Stevens attended Florida State University and earned a bachelor’s in both accounting and in finance. He is a licensed CPA and will serve as a director in the assurance services department in the Tallahassee office. Stevens is a member of the AICPA and is also a member of the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Kassouf & Co., P.C. announces Jerry Callahan, Jr., CPA as new managing director

announced the election of Jerry Callahan, Jr., CPA, PFS as the new managing director of the firm.

Callahan succeeds Gerard J. Kassouf, CPA, as managing director, who has led the firm in this role since 1989 and will remain a director of the firm.

Callahan joined the firm in 1989 and has served in various roles, JERRY CALLAHAN, JR. including his most recent position as a director in the firm’s Healthcare Services Group. He specializes in healthcare management, tax compliance, financial planning, human resources and employee benefits, and business consulting and advisory services. Callahan earned a bachelor's from Jacksonville State University and is actively involved in several community and professional organizations. He is a member of the Sunrise Rotary Club of Birmingham, the Medical Group Management Association of Alabama and Birmingham, the AICPA, the Alabama Society of Certified Public Accountants, and Hunter Street Baptist Church.

Albany Business Review names TBC the area's largest CPA firm

The Albany Business Review has named

P.C. (TBC), as the area’s largest CPA firm, according to a list that ranks CPA firms based on the number of CPAs employed in their Capital Region office.

TBC has finished as the area’s largest firm for the last three consecutive years.

This year, TBC kept its rank in first place with 54 CPAs. In addition, TBC is ranked in the Top 300 Firms list - a national ranking of public accounting firms based on net revenue published by Inside Public Accounting.

The firm also announced the addition of eight new employees: Kristina Farrell, Karen Jennings, Matthew Murphy, Sonia Hoogkamp, Brittany Stahura: staff accountants; Sue Blair: operations specialist; Ludmila Alexandrov, CPA: tax supervisor; and Josh Conn.

New employees at Baum, Smith & Clemens, LLP

Member firm LLP, based in Lansdale, Pa., announced the following new hires: Michael Lombardo, CPA, joined the firm as a tax senior; Michael J. Stevens, CPA, MST, as tax manager, and Joshua Lerch as a staff accountant.

Widmer Roel announces Holmstrom as partner/shareholder

Tanya Holmstrom, CPA, has been named partner/shareholder at , based in Fargo, N.D. A graduate of the University of Jamestown, Holmstrom has more than 12 years of public accounting experience, with emphasis in business, individual, and non-profit income taxation. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and North Dakota Society of Certified Public Accountants.

She is also a member of the Bismarck Optimist Club and serves on the board for the Missouri Valley Family YMCA.

CS&L CPAs promotes new principal to leadership team

, a CPA firm based in Bradenton, Fla., announced that Jennifer Messal, CPA, has been promoted to principal.

Messal provides full service tax consulting and compliance, specializing in federal taxation. With more than 15 years of experience, Messal has extensive experience working with family businesses spanning multiple generations placing importance on estate and succession planning.

She is a member of the AICPA, the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants (FICPA) and the Manatee County Estate Planning Council. Messal serves on the board of directors of the Manatee County Library Foundation and is a graduate of Florida Atlantic University and the University of Florida.

Brock, Schechter & Polakoff, LLP, announce promotion LLP, based in Buffalo, N.Y., announced the promotion of Kevin Majchrowicz, partner, to director of A&A. With this promotion, Majchrowicz now oversees and assumes responsibility for the quality control of the A&A Department at the firm.

He graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo with a bachelor's in accounting and has obtained the professional certifications of CPA, Certified Valuation Analyst and Certified Information Technology Professional.

He is a member of the AICPA, NYSSCPA and the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts.

DMJ professional earns CFE credential

Mason Barringer, CPA, of member firm , has been awarded the globally-preferred Certified Fraud Examiner credential by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) by meeting a stringent set of criteria and passing a rigorous exam administered by the ACFE.

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President's Corner: What is the Innovative Technology Committee?

Alan Deichler President

It’s pretty unusual at this time of year for nine CPA mer ica pa r t ners to volunteer to meet via an hour-and-a-half conference call every two weeks, rather than only doing actual tax work or year-end auditing. These are different times and this committee is “on a mission.”

This committee is the Innovative Technology Committee and its objective is to explore and conduct preliminary vetting of emerging technology, such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, data collection, and predictive analytics.

A cross section of partners were asked to participate. This was an attempt to ensure that all aspects of our firms were represented, including audit, tax, client accounting services, and technolog y practices. Yet, the committee is small enough to move quickly.

To date, we have met three times. The committee has decided its primary and initial objective is to provide information to our member firms. The delivery process has yet to be decided upon, but in the meantime, I am communicating our progress to leading partners and leaders of audit and tax on the respective liaison lists. The possibility of developing our own common applications have been tabled, though we are exploring all aspects of this new and innovative field.

We also have seen demonstrations to date by four technology companies; MindBridge, Auvenir, OnPoint and Qlytics. Some of you have seen the MindBridge demonstration.

It is an AI product that works in support of

current audit software. Today it primarily works with Thompson Reuters offerings, but we have been told it is planned to work with other packages. The offering is integrated with the accounting software providing insight into cybersecurity, audit anomalies, comparisons, and other reporting features.

MindBridge will be in Miami at our A&A Conference this June demonstrating their offering.

Auvenir is the Deloitte-backed company that is taking a fresh look at audit software.

To date, they have completed phase one, which includes scheduling and data collection. Phase two will be the audit work papers and process, while phase three will add the artificial intelligence features.

We have seen phase one and have seen how their dashboard provides insight into status, personnel and preparatory work.

While backed by Deloitte, Auvenir is open to offering their package to any firm. They see their initial sales coming from Deloitte's international firms - many the size of CPAmerica firms or smaller.

OnPoint is AICPA’s offering through their technical products subsidiary, CPA.com. As they felt an absence in service and support to smaller firms, they have built an all-new offering, addressing the areas of preparation, compilation, and review. Their next phase will address the audit proper. This product is being built in cooperation with Caseware and will be available to all CPA firms.

technology not fitting for our size or clients. It may be that we will have to look at developing some applications suitable to firms of our size. This approach may lend itself to that direction.

Following up on that thought, you may have noticed an absence of tax innovative technology. We have had great difficulty finding tax software with true AI. There are advanced applications that we will be looking at in the near future, but as of the moment, we have not found AI or machine learning in the tax area that is suitable for clients and firms of our size.

It’s a busy committee and it’s doing the groundwork so that you and your firm can explore the new innovative software coming to the accounting profession. You will be seeing and reading more about the efforts of this group of members soon.

Our fourth organization, Qlytics, is a bit different. They have an artificial intelligence platform with hundreds of independent scientists working to develop specific applications. While our primary objective is to provide our findings to our member firms, it is possible that our segment of the profession will find developed innovative

What’s better than going to CPAmerica’s Next Generation Conference? Also attending the Pre-Conference on May 16, 2018!

Gainesville, FL 32601 (352) 727-4070 www.cpamerica.org

Join Brian Kush of Intend2Lead for a day that can help establish attendees as leaders in the firm.

Sessions such as: Break the Dependence – Empower Through Curiosity Instead of Answers and Delivering Feedback that Rocks will start loading your your firm’s up-and-comers with the tools they need to make an impact and improve their leadership skills.

Send feedback and

FOR MORE DETAILS OR TO REGISTER FOR NEXT GEN, GO TO: www.cpamerica.org > under the News and Events tab, select Upcoming Events > 2018 Next Generation Conference

advantage@cpamerica.org OHM

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