INCPAS Chair Kyle Simmerman, CPA, reflects on his year as INCPAS Board chair and the challenges facing the profession.

As you leave the board, what strategic priorities are most important to focus on? What do you want the entire membership to know?

I want to make sure all INCPAS members know we operate from a strategic plan. The board sets the plan and the INCPAS staff executes it. This guide that tells us where we are going and what we want to achieve is critical to serving members and enhancing the value members feel through every stage of their career. Currently we are focused on:

• Creating meaningful connections for members.
• Protecting the CPA profession.
• Ensuring INCPAS sustainability and financial health.
• Developing future-ready CPAs, firms and organizations.
• Positioning accounting as a profession of opportunity.

Where is there still work to be done?

Even as we make our greatest strides and biggest accomplishments, rarely do I feel like we just check a box and something is complete. Part of being a dynamic organization serving our members is to continually monitor the work we’ve done, the work we are doing and the future needs of our members and the profession.

Workforce development is a good example. There is no magic wand, and even fixing the 150-hour requirement issue doesn’t instantly provide the talent our profession needs. But if we continue to focus on our circle of control and circle of influence—like increasing the number of high school and college student members we have—we’ll keep tackling these big items.

Putting on your former managing partner hat, how will firms be challenged in the coming five years?

My best guess says the same challenges will exist then as do today as did 10 years ago. They will just evolve and need different solutions. That doesn’t mean we aren’t making progress, but rather that we have to keep focusing on key priorities. As our profession continues to evolve, the firms, employers and organizations that focus on talent will be best positioned for whatever challenges come. This means investing in team members, being transparent in communication, delivering an engaging career path and supporting the overall well-being of your team. If we combine that with an agile technology plan, we’ll continue to move forward and be positioned for success against the backdrop of future challenges.

How has INCPAS worked to envision success for these organizations in the future?

The best way for us to envision success is to listen to members. We are committed to collecting, developing and sharing best practices. If we combine that with creating meaningful connections and collaboration among members, it will create success for many. Gone are the days where firms and organizations must view each other as competitors—today we look for that connection and collaboration inside the profession.