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THE IMPorTANCE oF SoFT SKILLS >> Two minutes with Martha Mavredes, CPA

Martha Mavredes, CPA, CGMA, just passed the one-year mark as the Virginia Auditor of Public Accounts (APA), but she has worked at that offi ce

for 30 years. Th e APA audits executive and legislative branch agencies in Virginia, as well as constitutional offi cers in each locality, and provides oversight for the audits of local governments in Virginia performed by CPA fi rms.

I AM PASSIoNATE AbouT... Richmond Kickers pro soccer. I always have season tickets and attend all of the preseason practices and matches.

PEoPLE DoN'T KNoW THIS, buT… I enjoy genealogy when I’m not looking at debits and credits. I was able to trace my ancestors on my mother’s side of the family back to William the Conqueror.

MY ADVICE To ASPIrNG CPAS IS… Take it one day at a time. You have made a great career choice, but getting 150 hours of education and passing the Exam can be overwhelming if you only look at the end goal. You need to break it down into parts and have plans for each, and before you know it, you will have that certifi cate! I NEVEr LEAVE HoME WITHouT… My cell phone. It not only lets me check in at work when necessary, but it’s my connection to my grown daughters and two granddaughters.

I WISH CPAS KNEW… How important their non-accounting skills are. Th e CPA Exam tests us on our technical knowledge, but our soft skills, such as communications and management, are just as important. We use them just as frequently, if not more oft en, than the technical skills.

WHEN I TooK THE CPA EXAM… I sat at a table in the Scope Arena in Norfolk for two and a half days, with my picture ID on the table, ready to “strike the pose” if the proctor came by to compare me to the picture. No calculators were allowed, and trying to balance a Statement of Changes in Financial Position without one was a challenge.

I AM A CPA bECAuSE… I enjoy the variety it aff ords me. I became a CPA because of my love of numbers and how accounting helps to make sense of the business world. It has opened up a whole larger world in dealing with people and trying to help entities be their best. Th e possibilities are endless. n

Virginia Society of CPAs

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Don’t Go Through Tax Season Alone!

The VsCpa has resources to help you sort out your busy-season issues. Visit www.vscpa.com for:

• help from your fellow tax professionals in the Connect tax community • Weekly federal taxation podcasts • a 25 percent discount on CCh tax guides • a 30 percent discount on niQ tax and legal research • staffing help through the VsCpa Career Center • and even discounts on Keurig coffee supplies to help you stay awake during those long work days!