As fall approaches, the MICPA Board of Directors begins to shift from one season of leadership to the next. Our board, made of up dedicated volunteers, reflects the commitment of our members to the profession and our mission to support Michigan CPAs now and into the future. We are deeply grateful to these volunteers for their perspective, time and guidance. Before passing the torch to this year’s incoming members and chair, we take a moment to thank outgoing Board Chair Jamie Lopiccolo, CPA, managing member, Capocore Professional Advisors, and fellow outgoing officer Michelle Randall, CPA, professor of accounting, Schoolcraft College and outgoing director Kathy Petroni, CPA, professor of accounting, Michigan State University.
“In our profession, we’re getting challenged every day – by the Intuits of the world, by artificial intelligence (AI)…,” says Lopiccolo, who assumed the role of chair with the goal of ensuring that evolving small firm needs were recognized within the association. One of the many culminations of this effort was during the August 2024 Small Firm Practitioners Conference where small firms were offered new strategies for tackling issues like AI and ESG. “Keeping small firms in a strong position is essential to ensuring the CPA brand endures.” Exiting as chair this year, Lopiccolo says that his work with the MICPA has made him a better CPA. “The volunteering I’ve done with the MICPA has made me a better businessperson and helped me to service my clients better.” He adds, “Talking with others I’ve met through the [association] has allowed me to adopt a clearer vision of what I want my firm to be. It’s opened opportunities that I don’t think would have been possible had I not been active within the MICPA.”
Randall shares her sentiments. “My favorite part of being on the board is the people!” she declares. “Throughout my time in leadership at the MICPA, I have had the opportunity to meet all sorts of stakeholders: members, staff, students, recruiters, politicians, leaders in the accounting firms and in business and industry. I am amazed and completely grateful at how generous everyone is with their time and talents.” During her time on the board, Randall called on her expertise as an educator to provide direction on resources and support for the future generations of accountants. “There is no doubt we have challenges with our pipeline. I am proud of the work I have done in this area, and I’m more hopeful about the future of our profession than I was when I started,” she says. “I see real progress being made with firms and businesses understanding how work culture impacts talent attraction and retention…Educators are changing, finding innovative approaches to make accounting education more relevant and meaningful. Starting salaries are becoming more competitive. AICPA and NASBA are working together to modernize the CPA license process. As a profession, when we work together, we can solve anything.”
Petroni agrees that educators provide a necessary perspective on the CPA talent shortage. She notes, however, that being on the board also provided her with a clearer vision of the state of today’s profession. “I sincerely appreciate the opportunity I had to serve on the board. I learned so much about the state of the profession.” Like her colleagues, Petroni also appreciated getting to know her fellow board members and exploring the opportunities afforded by being more active within the association. “Meeting and working with the other board members, as well as the MICPA staff, was something I greatly enjoyed. They were all very dedicated to the mission of the association, and highly capable.”
As Lopiccolo, Randall and Petroni move into the next phase of their respective journeys, MICPA members Sheryl Madden, CPA, deputy CFO and controller, The Kresge Foundation, and Dr. Emily Zoet, CPA, MBA, assistant professor of accounting, Ferris State University, will join the Board for the first time while Laurie Horvath, CPA, principal, Baker Tilly, will assume the role of its chair. Horvath brings more than 25 years of experience, with extensive insight gained throughout her time as Baker Tilly’s Detroit not-for-profit (NFP) practice leader. As a former AICPA NFP Expert Panel member, former chair of Lighthouse of Oakland County, and former president of the Junior League of Birmingham, Horvath is no stranger to NFP organizations and leadership. She currently sits on the board of the AICPA Foundation and serves as treasurer of Honor Community Health in Oakland County. She looks forward to her role as MICPA chair saying, “I look forward to giving back to the profession that has given me so much. Working as a CPA in Michigan has offered me incredible professional opportunities, an extensive ability to learn, deep connections with colleagues and clients and a passion for non-profits in our area.”
Joining Horvath in the year ahead as a director, Zoet will continue to provide an academic perspective as a dedicated educator and advocate for the profession. “It is my personal mission, and my mission as an MICPA board member, to tell the truth about the accounting field: it’s interesting, it’s full of opportunities and no two accounting careers are the same,” says Zoet, who first became a member of the MICPA over 15 years ago when she was a student at Central Michigan University. “I consider the MICPA to be the link that connects CPAs in Michigan as well as serving as a resource and advocate for the CPA profession. It provides a connection to both people and resources…and has helped me to grow my professional network.”
Madden, also a longstanding MICPA member, MICPA Professional Ethics Committee Chair, FASB NFP Advisory Committee Member and advocate for the profession, agrees. “The MICPA has been a strong partner in providing opportunities for me to advance my professional knowledge while building relationships with other members.” Madden adds that volunteering as a director on the board is her way of giving back to the profession. With over 25 years of experience, she boasts a wealth of knowledge in accounting, auditing and leadership, and brings insights that span various sectors of the industry, including nonprofits, higher education and real estate. As a board member, Madden is prepared to leverage these experiences. “I’d like to contribute to innovative discussions, assist on developments in the field of accounting, participate in process and procedure improvements, find personal opportunities for growth, and engage and empower the next generation.”