CPABC in Focus September/October 2016 | Page 24

what we could do to deliver on our mandate , but also keep staff and the organization engaged . “ If you ’ re able to make others around you successful , you and your team can and will accomplish so much more ,” he adds . “ And when you allow yourself to be open and vulnerable with professionals who are working towards a common cause , you grow and develop personally .” It was to further his own growth that Dave made a significant career change this summer , leaving BCLC to join the City of Kamloops as its budget and reporting manager . “ A few years ago , I started to look at my career and what I wanted to do ,” he says of the decision . “ I took an executive leadership program , and the finance module made me start to miss some aspects of accounting — you could say it rekindled my interest in accounting . I decided to search for the right opportunity to move closer back into the profession .” Not that Dave has ever been out of touch with the profession . He began volunteering in support of CMABC in 2003 , a year before earning his designation , and later became a member and chair of the Kamloops CMA Chapter . In 2011 , he was elected to the CMABC board of directors to represent BC ’ s central region , and it was while serving on the board that he was asked to become second vice-chair .

“ At the time , the merger was in fairly early discussions ,” he recounts . “ Having been an observer on the board , I found the process very interesting and thought it would be a great opportunity to participate at a closer level .” While serving as CMABC ’ s second vice-chair in 2013 , Dave joined the Transitional Steering Committee ( TSC ) for CPABC . “ The more I participated in the unification discussions , the stronger my interest grew in wanting to see this through ,” he says . “ This kind of opportunity doesn ’ t come along many times in one ’ s life , and , for me , the decision to serve on the TSC was driven by the belief that the merger was the right thing for the profession at this time .” As for staying on the board post-proclamation and taking on the role of chair , Dave says he sees value in providing a window onto past activities and historical positions . “ By merging , we ’ ve created an opportunity to build a stronger , united accounting profession that has taken a very professional working relationship and formalized it into something more ,” he says . “ Having this vision in mind while chairing the board helps to further the direction that was established by the chairs of the legacy organizations who worked so tirelessly to accomplish the merger .” And that ’ s exactly the plan for the coming year .

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24 CPABC in Focus • Sept / Oct 2016