VSCPA News

VSCPA to hold Bylaws vote at annual meeting

On Jan. 22, the VSCPA Board of Directors approved a proposal to amend the VSCPA Bylaws to allow the Society to be more nimble and future-focused to meet the rapidly changing needs of the CPA profession. As part of developing the VSCPA2025 strategic framework, the Board discussed the challenges the VSCPA currently faces with its membership model and the need for more flexibility to ensure long-term viability and relevance. The proposed changes include:

• Life Member dues waiver: The proposal eliminates the

Life Member status and requirement to waive membership dues for individuals that have been a member for 40 consecutive fiscal years. Based on association trends, indepth research and financial analysis, the Board determined the waiver is not sustainable and the VSCPA must focus resources on building our pipeline of future CPAs, growing membership in new and innovative ways and increasing meaningful engagement at all stages of membership. The

Society will continue to honor members obtaining the 40year milestone for their loyalty and commitment, including special recognition at the VSCPA’s annual Honors & Awards dinner and a renewed focus on engagement. The waiver would discontinue effective for the 2019–2020 membership year, and current Life Members would be grandfathered and maintain their $0 dues rate.

• Fellow membership criteria: The proposal simplifies the language for Fellow members, since all CPAs must meet all licensing requirements to obtain membership. Peer review requirements for membership will be included in Board policies. • Student membership criteria: The proposal allows for additional flexibility for membership options to support the

VSCPA strategy to encourage students to become CPAs.

Specific student membership requirements will be included in Board policies.

• Dues tied to fiscal year: The proposal removes provisions that aligns dues payments to the VSCPA fiscal year. This supports a more future-forward, flexible membership model.

• Dues refunds: The proposal eliminates the provision that mandates dues refunds in the Bylaws, which is typically determined by operational and Board policies.

• Language changes: The Bylaws proposal also includes several changes aimed at modernizing, rephrasing, cleaning up and simplifying language to align with nonprofit organization best practices as recommended by VSCPA legal counsel.

Members in attendance at the VSCPA’s annual meeting May 10 at the Omni Richmond Hotel will vote on the proposed changes. If the motion carries to send to a member vote, the entire membership will receive ballots via email or through mail, depending on communication preferences. Two-thirds of ballots received must be in favor to enact the changes.

The proposed Bylaws amendments with redlined changes can be viewed in full at vscpa.com/Bylaws. If you have any questions on the proposed changes or the voting process, please contact VSCPA Vice President, Innovation Tina Bates, CAE, at tbates@vscpa.com.

VSCPA ANNUAL MEETING AND 2018–2019 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The VSCPA’s Annual Meeting will be held Thursday, May 10, 2018, at 11:55 a.m. at the Omni Richmond Hotel. During the meeting, the Nominations Committee will present the following nominated members for election as 2018–2019 officers and directors:

Chair: Richard Groover, CPA, Wall, Einhorn & Chernitzer, Norfolk

Chair-Elect: Gary Thomson, CPA, Dixon Hughes Goodman, Richmond

Vice Chairs: Henry Davis III, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond Jaime Lynn Dernar, CPA, The Siegfried Group, Vienna Anne Hagen, CPA, Masonic Home of Virginia, Henrico Krystal McCants, CPA, CST Group, CPAs, Reston

At-Large Directors: David Bendahan, CPA, General Dynamics, Charlottesville Melinda Coley, CPA, Anthem, Inc., Virginia Beach Hope Cupit, CPA, SERCAP, Roanoke George Forsythe, CPA, WellsColeman, Richmond Melisa Galasso, CPA, CGMA, Galasso Learning Solutions, Charlotte, N.C. Ali Gunbeyi, CPA, Jones CPA Group, Norfolk Gabriele Lingenfelter, CPA, Christopher Newport University, Newport News Aaron Peters, CPA, Peters & Associates, Falls Church Stephen Theuer, CPA, Deloitte, Richmond Rick White, CPA, Dixon Hughes Goodman, McLean

vscpa news

Congratulations to the following members!

NEW HIRES

David Swartz, CPA, has joined Mitchell Wiggins in Richmond as a manager.

PROMOTIONS

Carolyn Irwin, CPA, was named partner at PBMares in Fredericksburg.

John Sheehan, CPA, was promoted to supervisor at DeLeon & Stang CPAs in Leesburg.

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

Roanoke-based Brown Edwards has added Charleston, W.Va.based firm Gibbons & Kawash, effective Jan. 1.

Richmond-based Cherry Bekaert has added Windward Tax LLC in Alpharetta, Ga., effective Dec. 31, 2017.

PHILANTHROPY

More than 125 PBMares employees volunteered at numerous charities in December as part of the firm’s PBMares Cares initiative. Organizations helped in Virginia were the Embry Rucker Shelter, Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank, Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, Virginia Peninsula Foodbank, Southeast Virginia Foodbank, Chesterfield Food Bank, Fauquier Fish and Grove Christian Outreach.

We want to hear from you! The VSCPA prints news of members’ awards, appointments and promotions as well as new hire and job change announcements. Firm news, such as mergers and acquisitions and community service activities, is also welcome. Email disclosures@vscpa.com if you have exciting news to share.

ONLINE CPE TEST

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

STAFF NEWS

Top: Emily Walker, CAE, Talley King, Catherine Meehan Bottom: Richard Gordon, Kate Eacho, Lauren Simonetti

ANNIVERSARIES

March 9: Marketing Manager Talley King, 7 years

March 12: Senior Manager, Member Services & Operations Richard Gordon, 6 years

March 14: Event Coordinator Kate Eacho, 2 years; Finance Specialist Catherine Meehan, 7 years; and Student & Member Engagement Specialist Lauren Simonetti, 2 years

April 1: Vice President of Advocacy Emily Walker, CAE, 15 years

NEW HIRE

The VSCPA has hired Veronica Boyett as learning manager. She is joining the VSCPA staff for the second time, having served as conference planner before leaving in 2015. Welcome back, Veronica!

WE MOURN THE LOSS OF...

Bob Gardner, CPA, of Roanoke. The managing partner at Barber & Gardner, he graduated from Virginia Tech and Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary and was an active volunteer at Shenandoah Baptist Church.

vscpa news

$50,000 in scholarships available

College is an expensive investment in a student’s future, and the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants (VSCPA) Educational Foundation has several scholarships available ranging from $1,000 to $5,000.

If you know a student who demonstrates academic excellence or financial need, encourage them to apply! All applicants must be members of the VSCPA. Scholarship applications must be submitted by April 1, 2018, at vscpa.com/scholarships.

OPEN VSCPA VOLUNTEER POSITIONS

Visit the Volunteer Manager on Connect to see the full list of current opportunities at vscpa.com/volunteer.

• Ask a CPA Email Program • Speaking & Community Engagement • Online Programs Planning Task Force • Chapter Officer

THE VSCPA’S NEWEST CPAs

Kenneth Blankenship, Williamsburg Gregg Cothran, Richmond Tyler Dunn, Arlington Laura Elledge, North Chesterfield Sarah Felmly, Washington Andre Fletcher, Sperryville Brian Garrison, Charlottesville DeAnna Hilton, Virginia Beach Milly Ikundi, Alexandria Macy Irvin, Glen Allen Inra Jang, Arlington Dayana Marquina, Bristow Sone Massango, Henrico Aaron Meer, Falls Church Beenish Meghani, Richmond Amy Menerick, Wytheville Joel Mullen, Roanoke Thien Huong Nguyen, Springfield William Palmer, Bristol, Tenn. Robert Patten, Woodbridge David Ritz, Petersburg Lindsay Roche, Washington Thais Salomao Ribeiro, Woodbridge Rebecca Soder, Washington Nicole Taylor, Henrico

List from December and January. Compiled Feb. 2, 2018.