VSCPA NEWS

How to gain crucial leadership experience

BETH BERK, CPA LAUREN SOLES, CPA

In this installment of the LEAD Round, we’re quizzing a seasoned CPA and a young professional about how young CPAs can gain leadership experience and grow in their careers both inside and outside the office. To answer the question, we reached out to two VSCPA members with extensive recruiting experience: BETH BERK, CPA, a recruiter from Bethesda, Md., and LAUREN SOLES, CPA, financial recruiting manager at Vaco Richmond.

How can young CPAs gain and capitalize on leadership experience?

BB: Reflect back on jobs held and/or volunteer roles, including activities and/or associations prior to graduating undergrad and/ or graduate school. Also, think back to high school too such as yearbook related, cheerleading, sports, babysitting, camp counselor, fundraising, etc. Aside from titles you may have held, most likely you did something that required being responsible for others’ well-being and/or a company’s assets, help raise money and/or learned something that others may not know and would like to learn. Create a document describing how you led in these various roles/activities, and determine if any patterns in your actions and/or skills. This exercise can help you articulate what skills you have gained to date, may want to continue to enhance and shed light on what you would like to learn so you can seek opportunities to do so.

Once you have some clarity about leadership skills gained to date, find out what your company looks for from its employees. During this discussion, share what you have done to date. Keep in mind that there will be costs related to activities and time needed to attend and participate so you may need to come up with a budget and plan. Let management know you will schedule another discussion and come back with ideas on how to further capitalize on your leadership experiences so you can show management how you can lead within and/or outside the office. To prepare for that next meeting, you can re-read the ideas below, Google or ask your peers about activities they participate so you can determine which ones may be best for you to get started. This should be a continual process throughout your career.

LS: There are so many opportunities out there for young CPAs to get involved and begin developing professionally. I think these opportunities can initially be found inside the workplace. Typically, there are task forces or smaller committees within your company that require the time and energy of staff members. This is a great way to become associated with an initiative within your company, and it’s also a very easy way to meet colleagues who may not work on the same team as you do. Before you know it, people will start to peg you as the “go-to” person on that specific initiative, whether it’s technical in nature or more centered around networking and social planning. Volunteering your time internally will absolutely jumpstart your leadership and professional growth.

Once you have done a little bit of research and know more about some of the organizations around your community, I would encourage you to volunteer at an event or for a smaller committee within that organization. This will give you the chance to learn more about the mission, the purpose, the leadership team, etc. Once you’ve been exposed to various groups and initiatives within your community through volunteering your time, you will quickly find your passion. You will find the group that you love volunteering with, and you’ll want to dedicate more of your time to that mission and that organization. Be proactive in getting to know more about the folks you're volunteering with, and show that you are genuinely interested in being a part of something so wonderful. Once you do this, and once you prove that you are reliable and you start to build your reputation, they will seek you out for a leadership role within their organization. They will want you on their team, and they will value you more than you could ever imagine. Throughout this whole process, I would also recommend being very open and honest once you’ve made a commitment to an organization. Make sure you can dedicate the necessary amount of time.

The benefits of being involved with different organizations around Richmond are and will continue to be invaluable in my life. I have grown my network, found quite a few passions, enhanced my leadership skills and gained lifelong mentors. My career started about seven years ago, and I certainly wouldn’t be in the position I am today if I hadn’t taken a few chances and taken the time to connect and form relationships with other professionals in my community. n

Visit the VSCPA LEAD website at vscpa.com/ LEAD.

VSCPA news

Thanks for a great CPA Day of Service!

Scenes of service. Left: Hope Egan did planting and groundskeeping work at Sophie House in Glen Allen. Middle: Members of the VSCPA’s Tidewater Chapter volunteered at the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia in Norfolk. Right: Brian Wendroff, CPA, of Wendroff & Associates, loaded meals for delivery for Meals on Wheels in Arlington.

It was another successful CPA Day of Service

across Virginia and beyond! As always, Day of Service — which was held Friday, Sept. 23 — was the culmination of Virginia CPA Week, proclaimed this year by Gov. Terry McAuliffe as Sept. 18–24.

VSCPA members helped organizations including Maymont, the Richmond Animal League, Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro Habitat for Humanity, Ronald McDonald House of Richmond, the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia, the Virginia Beach Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Sophie House, the Boys and Girls Club of the Virginia Peninsula, the Fauquier Free Clinic, the Children’s Science Center of Fairfax, the Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program and many more. Visit the VSCPA Facebook page (facebook.com/ VSCPA) to watch interviews with several Richmond-area Day of Service volunteers.

We’re thrilled to be able to mobilize so many good, giving people who are so eager to give back to the communities where they live and work. Thanks for being a CPA Day of Service volunteer — you make us all look good! Interested in additional volunteer opportunities? Visit vscpa.com/Volunteer to learn more.

We’re holding a food drive at the Richmond CPA Center through Dec. 7, so if you’re joining us for a class, bring a can of food to donate! n

FIND THE CPE TEST ONLINE

Visit vscpa.com/CPE. Choose “On Demand” from the side filters to find the exam and others from previous Disclosures issues. n

100% MEMBER FIRMS

VSCPA 100% Member Firms show their commitment to their employees, the profession and the association. A 100% Member Firm is simply a Virginia CPA firm or company that has all of its CPAs enrolled as members in the VSCPA. The list of VSCPA 100% Member Firms has been omitted due to space. A full list is available at vscpa.com/100Percent. n

VSCPA news

Congratulations to the following members!

Brian Burns, CPA, and Bradlee Rogers

NEW HIRES >>

CHRISTINE ALLEN, CPA, has joined Updegrove, Combs & McDaniel in Warrenton as a senior staff accountant.

JULIE SOKOLOWSKI, CPA, has joined the Chesapeake office of Corbin & Company, PC, as vice president and principal.

JEFFREY STEPHENSON, CPA, has joined Dixon Hughes Goodman’s financial services practice in Norfolk as a senior manager.

PROMOTIONS >>

MATTHEW BRADY, CPA, was named partner at Cherry Bekaert in Richmond and Virginia Beach.

BRIAN BURNS, CPA, has been promoted to director of Dixon Hughes Goodman’s Forensics and Valuation practice in Richmond.

APPOINTMENTS & AWARDS >>

BRADLEE ROGERS, a student at Radford University, won a $1,000 scholarship from the National Society of Accountants.

FRANK STITELY, CPA, received the Golden Quill Award from the National Society of Accountants.

FIRM NEWS >>

SSI CONSULTING in Vienna has received the 2016 BI360 Sales Evangelist Award from Solver. n

THE VSCPA MOURNS THE LOSS OF...

LINDA COOPER, CPA, of Chesapeake. She volunteered with the VSCPA Speakers Bureau and was a participant in Financial Fitness Day.

HARTLEY DEWEY, CPA, of Virginia Beach. A graduate of the College of William & Mary, he worked for Peat, Marwick & Mitchell, Landmark Communications and Schaubach Industries and was a deacon and elder at Kempsville Presbyterian Church. He served on the VSCPA’s State and Local Taxation Committee.

ALLEN GREENSPAN, CPA, of Fairfax. A U.S. Army veteran, he graduated from Adelphi University. n

THE VSCPA’S NEWEST CPAs

JEEVAN BASNET MARIAM BELLO EDINA BLAZEVIC KRISTEN BRUCE CHRISTOPHER COLBERG JOHN DAYTON KRISTINA DLUGOZIMA DANA DYTANG TYLER GAMBILL ELENA GILLEY STEPHANIE GOLDSMITH LUCAS HOGUE CLAIRE HOMZA WESLEY HOST ADRIAN HUNG MEGHAN IREY KATHERINE KLINE MORGAN LEWIS MICHAEL LUPTON ERIK MARTINO ANNA MCGUIRE REGINA MOORE SELMA NUHANOVIC COLLEEN O’DONNELL NICOLE PROULX KRISTOPHER ROBINSON GREGORY ROWLAND TEJDEV SANDHU DENNIS SANESKI YUANJUN SONG CRAIG STEWART ROSS SUMNER KARISI TSO JOANNA WEDELL ERIC WONG JACQUELINE XU NAM YANG ALICE YEH

List from August and September. Compiled Oct. 4, 2016. n

VSCPA news

Do you want to be recognized?

Or do you know a Virginia CPA who

deserves to be honored as one of the VSCPA’s best? Don’t let exceptional work go unnoticed. Nominate yourself or a worthy colleague for a VSCPA Distinguished CPA Award:

TOP 5 MEMBERS UNDER 35: Nominate a young CPA member (35 or younger as of April 30, 2017) who has shown excellence in one or more of the following: professional achievement, VSCPA or local VSCPA chapter accomplishment, community contribution or dedication to the CPA profession.

OUTSTANDING MEMBER OF THE YEAR: Nominate a VSCPA member who has provided outstanding service to the profession through participation in VSCPA activities, civic engagement and charitable activities that further a positive image of accounting and the CPA profession.

Nominations are due by Friday, Dec. 2. Nominate online at vscpa.com/Awards or email VSCPA Member Engagement Manager Laura Cobb, CAE, at lcobb@vscpa.com. n

Staff news

Stephanie Peters, Linda Newsom-McCurdy and Chip Knighton.

President & CEO STEPHANIE PETERS, CAE, celebrates her 19th anniversary with the VSCPA on Dec. 1.

Education Director LINDA NEWSOM-MCCURDY, CAE, celebrates nine years with the VSCPA on Nov. 13.

Communications Manager CHIP KNIGHTON marks six years with the VSCPA on Dec. 13.

BEN MUNFORD has joined the VSCPA as an accounting assistant. He was previously an accounts payable specialist at McGuireWoods. Welcome to the team! n

OPEN VSCPA VOLUNTEER POSITIONS

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Due to space constraints, we cannot print degrees or designations awarded to members. n Thanks to all our volunteers who have used the VSCPA’s new volunteer management system! As a reminder, you can visit vscpa.com/VolunteerManager for a tutorial on how to sign up. We’re currently seeking volunteers for the following opportunities:

>> Accounting & Auditing Advisory Committee >> Tax Advisory Committee >> VSCPA Board of Directors (closes Dec. 15) >> VSCPA Educational Foundation Board of Directors (closes Dec. 15) >> VSCPA PAC Board of Trustees (closes Dec. 15) >> Young Professionals Advisory Council (closes Dec. 15) >> Writing and speaking opportunities >> You Can Afford College workshops

Visit vscpa.com/Volunteer to sign up. n