INCPAS is pleased to introduce four new members to its board. Three are CPAs, and one is a public member who will lend his perspective as an outside business professional. Below is a brief background about each new member, as well as their insight on different aspects of the INCPAS strategic plan and rapidly changing role of the CPA.
E. ZeNai Brooks, CPA
Brooks is the corporate responsibility and foundation controller at Cummins. Previously, she spent almost 10 years in public accounting, focusing on the not-for-profit industry. Brooks graduated from University of Louisville in 2008 with a degree in accounting and obtained her CPA license in 2021.
Her INCPAS involvement includes serving on CPA Advocates, Diversity Advisory Council, Education Foundation Trustees, Leadership Cabinet & Emerging Leaders Alliance, and as a Scholars Mentor. She also serves as the Central Region President and National Director of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA), a board member at Leadership Indianapolis and is the First Lady at New Liberty Missionary Baptist Church. Brooks was named NABA “Outstanding Member of the Year” in 2020 and a Junior Achievement of Central Indiana’s “Best & Brightest” finalist in 2017.
What is your organization doing to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in the profession?
Many firms and organizations have committed to DE&I initiatives by expanding their internal employee resource groups, hosting internal “real talk” conversations and even partnering with organizations like NABA, ALPFA and Ascend to increase recruitment and retention of minority employees.
I challenge companies to think externally as well and really engage with their local communities to remove the barriers preventing minorities from entering into the profession. For example, many companies have signed the
CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion Pledge showing commitment to racial equity and addressing diversity and inclusion as a societal issue.
The work we do at NABA and INCPAS to prepare students and developing professionals needs to be supported and driven by employers who are intentional about equitable opportunities for education, employment, health and welfare, and specifically increasing the percentage of underrepresented minorities in the accounting and finance industry.
What steps do you take to ensure you’re continuously learning?
For a technical standpoint, I try to attend various webinars and conferences to stay current on updates affecting the industry and also my clients. In general and socially, I am a serial listener of podcasts, webinars and audiobooks, especially while working out. I am committed to learning as much as I can about the history, successes and issues that affect my community and the world. Reading, listening and learning are fundamental to our personal growth but also expand our perspective, giving us the ability to understand others, empathize and extend grace.
Trevor K. Gregory, CPA
Gregory is a senior manager at PwC LLP, where he has been since 2011 and primarily serves public companies in the consumer and industrial products industry. Prior to joining PwC, he was as an accounting intern at Kemper CPA Group LLP. He graduated from the University of Evansville in 2010 with a degree in accounting and received his masters in accounting from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business in 2011.
He received the INCPAS Building Bridges to the Profession Award in 2019. His community involvement includes previously serving as treasurer for the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA), treasurer for the Indianapolis Minority Joint Professional Committee (IMJPC), a board member of University of Evansville Alumni Board, and as the Campus Diversity Champion for PricewaterhouseCoopers' Indiana University Recruiting Team.
What is the first step you would recommend for organizations trying to figure out where to start with adopting new technologies?
The biggest hurdle we've identified in getting staff/teams to adopt new technologies and digitally upskill is “not enough time.” To address this, on a quarterly basis, our calendars are blocked for a “Learner” day where we focus on digitally upskilling and utilizing new tools. In addition to this, we have a digital expert available for the day to help us however we need—whether it's helping us build an automated workflow, using a bot, or just fielding technology questions. All of this said, what I've found useful is doing this as a team (virtually) and learning together as opposed to going at it alone.
What is your organization doing to advance diversity and inclusion in the profession?
I am proud of the work PwC is doing as it relates to diversity and inclusion by “walking the walk.” Our CEO, Tim Ryan, has committed to making bolder changes to accelerate the pace of becoming a more diverse and inclusive workforce. One of those bold actions was the release of the 2020 PwC Diversity and Inclusion Transparency Report, which includes a summary by gender and race of our U.S. firm (data shows diversity by staff class, number of partners, people in leadership, etc.). Many of us in the profession are data-driven, so we believe reviewing these results annually will hold us more accountable. My hope is the trailblazing we are doing by being one of the first major companies to share this data will inspire other accounting firms and corporations to publish as well.
Corbin L. Miller, CPA, CGMA
Miller is an auditing and accounting partner at Insight Accounting Group, PC, where he has been since 2007. Prior, he worked as assistant controller for Adorn LLC and staff accountant at McGladrey & Pullen. He graduated with a masters in accountancy from Manchester College in 2001.
His previous INCPAS involvement is as a member of the Genesis Local Firm Network since 2014. His current community involvement includes serving as a board member for the Greater Goshen Association and Crossroads United Way, and also serves as a finance committee member for Indiana United Ways.
What is the first step you would recommend for organizations trying to figure out where to start with adopting new technologies?
I recommend organizations first look for ways to reduce the use of paper and passing of paper around the office by looking into workflow management software. A good workflow management software will allow everyone to track the progress of a project, while maintaining the accountability and controls through electronic sign-offs. This will save time for everyone involved, as they will no longer have to send emails or instant messages to found out the status of a project.
Ron Pelletier, CBCP, CCFE, CISA, CISSP
Public Member
Pelletier is the original founder of Pondurance, having started the company in 2008, and presently continues on as founder and chief customer officer. Prior, he was a senior manager at EY and senior consultant at Haverstick Consulting. He also served as a computer emergency response team lead for the Indiana Army National Guard, as commander of HHC 88th Regional Support Group, an adjutant to the CIO – Deputy CISO, and as 2nd Lieutenant – Captain and Deputy Chief of Protocol for the U.S. Army. He graduated with a bachelors degree in English from Indiana University South Bend in 1994.
What skills do you expect from a modern CPA?
In light of the total digital transformation, I expect that CPAs now have at least an entry-level competency regarding cybersecurity fundamentals—and resulting system dependencies—in today’s business world.
What skills do you hope to bring to the Board?
Based on my audit and security background, I hope to bring clarity and added knowledge regarding security controls and the influence they have on financial reporting.