3 minute read
From the CEO
4309 Cox Road Glen Allen, VA 23060 (800) 733-8272 vscpa.com
JULY/AUGUST 2020 Volume 33, No. 4
Managing Editor Jill Edmonds disclosures@vscpa.com
Editorial Task Force Olaf Barthelmai, CPA Abby Brooks, CPA Cheri David, CPA Melisa Galasso, CPA Genevieve Hancock, CPA Karen Helderman, CPA Harold Martin Jr., CPA David Peters, CPA Mark Plostock, CPA Zach Shoaf, CPA Barbara Sukramani, CPA
Disclosures is published six times a year by the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants (VSCPA). The magazine’s mission is to communicate information of value to VSCPA members, including professional issues and VSCPA initiatives. The materials and information in Disclosures are offered as material only and not as practice, financial, accounting, legal or other professional advice. Statements of fact and opinion are made by the authors alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of VSCPA officers, members or editorial staff. Publication of an advertisement in Disclosures does not constitute a VSCPA endorsement of the product or service. Copyright © 2020 Virginia Society of CPAs.
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Listening and learning
After the death of George Floyd this spring and protests began in earnest around the country, particularly here in Richmond, we at the VSCPA knew we had to have frank discussions about who we are as an organization, where we are as a profession and what we want to be in the future.
That was the genesis of the VSCPA’s Statement on Racial Injustice, released in early June by our new chair, Henry Davis III, CPA and me. You can read the full statement on page 17, but essentially, we commit to take actions to eliminate systemic racism in our communities by increasing dialogue, education and awareness.
Luckily, we had already began efforts to further build on our organizational value of diversity and inclusion. Beginning last year, we instituted a Board of Directors Diversity & Inclusion Task Force to discuss challenges ethnic minorities face in the CPA profession and recommend solutions the VSCPA could take to address those challenges. From that Task Force came a variety of initiatives, but, still, the question remains. Is it enough?
As we confront our unconscious biases, personally and professionally, in our daily work and beyond, the answer is clear that there is always more we can do. I have pledged that, as the CEO of your professional association, I will listen to what you have to say, learn from your experiences and strive to make the profession stronger and more equitable for the generations of accountants to come. At the request of last year’s Board, I signed on to the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge, and my commitment to those ideals remains.
We’ve got bright and talented students just waiting in the pipeline to obtain the
coveted CPA designation, and it’s our duty to open our arms to them as an inclusive, welcoming profession. I’m excited to help you, our diverse group of members and leaders, as we increase dialogue and continue to bring awareness to existing and systemic injustices.
Our Board of Directors is continuing the conversation. The Board is convening a new committee to discuss issues related to diversity, inclusion and equity. Stay tuned throughout the year as we update you on their progress.
We have set up a new email account just to field your questions and thoughts on these issues, diversity@vscpa.com, and you can always contact me directly at speters@vscpa.com. n
Stephanie Peters, CAE, has served as VSCPA’s president and CEO since 2007.
speters@vscpa.com @StephPeters
