PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Members spoke; the Society answers

As a member of the Rhode Island Society of CPAs, you are the most important part of this exceptional organization.  It is your Society. And it is continually shaped each and every day by members, just like you, who are involved in the various activities and operation of it.  In most cases, it doesn’t take a lot of time, but the return on investment can be amazing!

In fact, the message that resonated throughout the well-attended “Membership Day” event, held on Sept. 30, was very clear: Without member participation, there would be no Society.  A complete copy of the PowerPoint presentation, which includes a review of Society finances and a summary of this past summer’s membership survey results, can be viewed on the welcome page of the Society’s website.

And the survey said?

The survey clearly indicated that the reason more than 80 percent of our members don’t belong to a committee or become more active is that they have other time constraints.  I can certainly see where none of us would ever have any time, particularly if we only allow the time we have “left over” to participate.  But, if we think of it as the monthly savings contribution that a client puts on the very first line of their budget, rather than the “left-over” line, we can find the time.  I am confident that once you (or the partners in your firm) make your active participation a priority, you will find that the benefits you receive far exceed your time commitments, guaranteed!

Certainly no complacency here!

A majority of the members who responded to the survey also stated that they “wouldn’t change a thing” when asked, “If the Society could change one thing, what should it be?”  However, the Society staff and your Board of Directors do not see this as a “ticket” for complacency.  Rather, we see it as a chance to focus on our three strategic initiatives, the first of which is to continue to attract the “best and the brightest” students into the profession and our Society. Why? Because they will be the ones who perpetuate the value of the CPA designation in the future.  

Another strategic initiative is the leveraging of technology to improve Society operations, as well as the delivery of information and CPE to our members. Why? Because the more efficient we are, the lower your CPE costs and membership dues, and the more capable the Society is to deliver information and CPE programs that you can’t get from any other source.  

Lastly, is the initiative to “find and mine” the future leaders of our profession and the Society. Why? Well, let’s just say the gray hair on my head may indicate “experience,” but the energy, the ideas and the direction of our profession requires the input of the many more youthful members of our Society.   

Many of the 200-plus members who responded to the survey also stated that they want the Society to “keep the dues and CPE costs low.” Well, I have good news! As the Society’s treasurer, Jim Morrison, illustrated during his thorough review of Society finances at Membership Day, our membership dues are among the lowest in New England, and are also among the lowest when compared to other state societies of similar size nationally. This is a clear reflection of the Board’s awareness of the marketplace, the fiscal stability of the Society, our exceptionally high percentage of Society members versus total licensees in the state, as well as the continued success of the CPE program.  

Your continued support in the design, maintenance and utilization of the Society CPE program is a critical component of our ability to keep membership dues competitively priced.  I urge you to communicate your specific educational needs, firm program requirements and critical comments of the CPE program to Executive Director Bob Mancini, Chair of the CPE Committee Sharon Kennedy or any Board member.

You can make a “BIG” difference    

Whether it is your first year as a Society member or your 40th, I encourage you to take ownership of your Society.  Your active participation matters. Your input matters. Your ideas matter. Do not let another month go by without signing up for a committee position. In fact, the Business, Industry & Government (BIG) Committee is an exciting example of how our members can meet each month to exchange ideas and to support one another. With its renewed agenda, fostered by Chair Tom Eagan, this committee now brings CFOs, controllers, educators and professionals in government together to discuss the many topics of concern of those not practicing in public accounting.

Final thoughts

Isn’t it amazing that we already find ourselves at the mid-point of the year? Please allow me to reiterate my personal goals for a successful Society year. Simply stated, they are: “To have the Society’s services exceed your expectations,” and, “To leave the Society better than I found it.”

I would like to thank the hard-working Society staff, the extra efforts of all committee members and the respective chairs, and the dedicated Board of Directors, for supporting these goals in all that they do at the Society. You, too, can support these goals by sharing your positive or critical feedback with the staff or any Board member. At some point, we would like to hear from each and every one of you.    

Remember, it is your Society, so embrace it. Make it what you want it to be. After all, you are a member!

With warmest regards,
Arthur Lambi, Jr., CPA, MST
Rhode Island Society of CPAs, President