I am excited and honored to be the new Chair of the Dallas Society of CPAs. My predecessors include a long list of outstanding leaders who have developed one of the largest and most successful Chapters in the Texas Society of CPAs. When asked what my agenda will be, my inclination is to recognize that the Society is quite successful as is. But I realize that serving as Chair presents a great opportunity to make a difference as well.
One of my goals is to continue expanding on the Society’s efforts in reaching out to the younger generation of CPAs. I am a firm believer in the
Leadership Development Academy (the “LDA”), which the Dallas Society of CPAs began two years ago. The purpose of the LDA has been to identify the next generation of leaders for the accounting profession within the Dallas area and to assist them in assuming their leadership roles. The inaugural class of the LDA graduated in May 2010.
In order for the program to be fully successful, however, our Society must ensure that these individuals have the opportunity to assume leadership positions within the Dallas Chapter. Already, graduates from the inaugural class have formed a Young Professionals Group, which is working to meet the needs of young professionals through networking, continuing education and community involvement. My goal is to assist these young leaders in further developing their professional involvement within the accounting profession by assuming leadership positions within the Dallas Society of CPAs.
Another one of my goals is to continue developing the Society’s continuing education program, which already reflects one of the most successful programs of its kind in the state. This success is probably best evident in the
annual CPE conference, which continues to increase in size every year. This year we had approximately 1100 in attendance with 6 different tracks and nationally-recognized speakers from throughout the U.S. Largely funded by sponsorship dollars, this conference provides high-quality, continuing education at very little cost to our members. We have already begun working toward next year’s conference. My goal is to continue developing our continuing education program by providing world-class educational and networking opportunities for our members.
We also heard recently from accountants in the business and industry area that the Society should do more to meet their specific needs. We have begun the process of responding to that call by forming an advisory group consisting of accountants working in various business and industry areas to provide guidance as to how the Society can help meet their needs and benefit their careers. Our initial efforts will likely focus on continuing education specifically targeting business and industry professionals. We hope to eventually form a permanent committee to successfully and dynamically serve the needs of accountants who work in this area.
Several years ago the Dallas Society of CPAs began working with the Dallas Business Journal to provide a CFO of the Year Award. This annual event has become one of the most successful events within the business community in the Dallas area. This year we also partnered with D CEO Magazine, Financial Executives International, and the Association for Corporate Growth (“ACG”) to present the Top Financial Executives Awards, which honored recipients in several categories. Our partnership with other professional organizations to recognize top leaders has brought the Society a new level of distinction and recognition. As Dallas continues to grow in size and economic importance, these partnerships will ensure that the Society remains fully connected with its emerging leaders. I am committed to continuing these partnerships and exploring any new partnership opportunities that may surface.
I am also a firm believer in the various
committees of the Society. When properly established and with the right leadership, committees can represent the center of activity for the Society. To date, I have appointed persons to chair most of the Society’s committees for the next year and have met with most of them to discuss their roles and measures that the Society can take to help their committees become fully successful. I am particularly excited about our existing Partners in Education Committee, Young Professionals Group, PAC committee, and our annual CPE conference planning committee. I am also very excited about our new “Sponsorships Committee” which will focus on securing sponsors for our different events, particularly the annual CPE conference. We are also working on establishing a new networking committee, CPE committee and business and industry committee.
I am also committed to continuing the Society’s involvement in charitable events throughout the year. Last year, the Society participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and the Love for Kids program. It also partnered with the Dallas Morning News to provide a tax hotline for taxpayers during tax season. Last year, I was particularly impressed with the magnitude and efficiency of our involvement with the Love for Kids program, which benefits under-privileged children during the holidays. These are all important activities that the Dallas CPA Society participates in and which I am fully committed to continuing over the next year.
As I move forward with my tenure as Chair of the Dallas Society of CPAs, I am mindful that the organization was established to provide outstanding educational, networking, leadership, community involvement, and development opportunities for accountants throughout the Dallas area. I am also mindful that the Society serves as a voice for the accounting profession when needed. I look forward to my role in helping to fulfill this purpose over the next year as Chair of the Society.
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David Colmenero
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2011-12 Chair
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Dallas CPA Society
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