The Future of WSCPA: Your Feedback Guides us Forward

by Kimberly Scott, CAE

The accounting profession is at an inflection point. How CPAs learn, connect, and build careers is changing rapidly, and the expectations of current and future members are evolving just as quickly. The Washington Society of CPAs leadership believes this moment calls for decisive action—not incremental change.

Our purpose is clear: WSCPA is a community of CPAs and financial professionals cultivating authentic relationships, unique learning experiences, and purposeful advocacy for our future. This purpose guides every decision we make. It also demands that we continually evolve to meet members where they are and where they are going.

During the past year, we have taken a hard look at the sustainability of our business model, the rapidly evolving business climate, the shifting marketplace for education, and the needs of a new generation of professionals. Just as importantly, we have deeply and intentionally listened to you, our members, former members, students, firm leaders, educators, and professional partners across the state. We asked what you need to succeed in your careers and businesses and what you want and value from WSCPA. We engaged more than 300 individuals at our 2025 Membership Summit, convened 80 members and professional leaders in focused discussions, and partnered with an external research firm to provide industry insights and to survey members, prior members, and students statewide. We also met directly with firm leaders and educators across Washington. Your insight shaped our vision for the future.

The WSCPA Board of Directors is looking at making a strategic investment during the next two or three years to support this transformation. This will be a long-term investment, and the return will be measured in near-term financial results and also in long-term relevance, engagement, and impact. Our goal is to sustain WSCPA and to ensure it thrives in a more complex and competitive environment.

This transformation aligns with our strategic pillars:

Connection & Community
We are strengthening the ways you will connect with other members. Through in-person experiences, local engagement opportunities across the state, and new cohort-based models that foster authentic relationships, we will create spaces where you can, regardless of your career stage, feel that you truly belong. You made it clear that a strong peer community is not a “nice to have” but is central to your professional fulfillment and resilience. We are investing in more effective ways to reach you as members, tell your stories, and recognize your professional growth. We will be meeting you where you are and celebrating your contributions to the profession.

Professional Development
We are reimagining our educational offerings and leveraging technology to deliver learning that is more personalized, experiential, and relevant to where you are in your career. We aim to support your lifelong development, and meaningful skill-building, not simply to help you remain in compliance with your licensing requirements. Our goal is to empower you to grow and lead in this changing workplace.

Advocacy
We will continue to elevate our role as a trusted voice for CPAs in Washington, ensuring you as members understand the impact of this work, and are meaningfully engaged in shaping the profession’s future.

Sustainability
The work and investments we make now are to ensure WSCPA remains strong, relevant, and adaptable in a continually evolving business climate. This transformation is about building an organization that can serve you today and for decades to come.

We also recognize that this work requires urgency. The pace of change in our profession will not slow, and waiting for perfect solutions is not an option. Our commitment is to move forward thoughtfully, learn quickly, and continuously improve, guided by your feedback and anchored in our purpose.

We are grateful for your trust, your involvement, and your partnership as we live out the WSCPA’s purpose and build the future of the profession together.

Kimberly Scott, CAE, is WSCPA President & CEO.
Contact Kimberly by email.