CPABC in Focus November/December 2013 | Page 33

Q&A Bob: In the next year, my role as vice-chair is to support Shelley and work with others, both on the board and in accounting organizations across Canada, to further confirm unification of the profession. I see myself as an ambassador to help spread the message and ensure full unification under the CPA umbrella. We also need to celebrate the significant successes we’ve accomplished by sharing who we are and what we deliver to all stakeholders, including employers and the business community, students and educational institutions, governments, and the general public. Ultimately, the common thread that will tie unification together will be a good governance model both nationally and provincially. We need good strategies and creative decisions to ensure the impact of CPA Canada is realized both domestically and internationally. How can members feel pride in the CPA designation? Bob: We know members are proud of their legacy designations, and asking them to give those up will be hard. Each designation had a great certification program and did a great job in promoting the profession. But now, we’re building something bigger and better. For our members, this means that we have to meet and exceed the promises we made to them when we entered into merger discussions. The CPA profession needs to build a very good education product that will provide value to members and employers. We need to be at the forefront of accounting and business education, ensuring that the certification program is better than any of our legacy programs, and that it aligns with employer needs. The staff and board members must also engage in relevant and diverse communication with members and the public—not only to discuss technical proficiencies and provide the latest standards updates, but also to emphasize the sense of community with the profession. Also serving on the CPA Canada board In addition to Shelley Brown and Bob Strachan, the following BC members serve as directors on the board of CPA Canada: Barb Carle-Thiesson, CPA, FCA Partner, MNP LLP John Nagy, CPA, FCGA Shareholder & Director, Reid Hurst Nagy Inc. US and cross-border tax is our business. Let us help you with yours. US citizens resident in Canada Cross-border business activities Canadians with US investments US tax return preparation Warren Dueck FCA/CPA Steven Flynn CA/CPA Brent Hoshiza