The personal stories of our members are fascinating. I visited many different areas of the state this summer and early fall to meet with members. I left every event with a new list of members to follow up with, or interesting stories I could not wait to share.

As CPAs, our members may share a dedication to ethics, integrity, and lifelong learning. However, the background, reasons to be in the profession, dreams, and pathways of every member that I have met are all quite different.

Many members have shared stories about the unique jobs they held while working their way through school or shortly after starting in the profession. Some have overcome or are dealing with illnesses or extreme challenges. Women have relayed how they decided to get their CPA licenses against wishes of their parents or partners at a time, just a short while ago, when there were not many women in the profession. I have met immigrants who came to the U.S. with the dream of getting their CPA licenses. I have met multi-generational CPA families and siblings with the CPA credential. To me, these stories are interesting and inspiring.

We have members who serve the profession by volunteering at local and national levels. Consider the CPAs that serve as regulators on the Washington State Board of Accountancy, or the volunteers helping to create better working relationships with other governmental agencies like the Department of Revenue or Internal Revenue Service. They typically are exposed to challenging professional issues and may not receive the round of applause that they deserve for their time and efforts. These members should be recognized and appreciated for their attempts to leave the profession better than they found it.

At this year’s Members’ Receptions, I met many student members who are on their way to finish the CPA exam and get their licenses. If you know one, cheer them on! If you have staff sitting for the exam, carve out time in their work schedule for studying; it shows how important the license is. Traveling around the state I have met partners at firms, CFOs in niche industries, sole practitioners, and entrepreneurs in all kinds of businesses. I have learned about the nuances of various businesses and have seen the passion of the CPAs that serve them.

Few educational paths can open so many doors; CPAs work in, or for, every type of business imaginable. Your license is just as valuable to a small craft brewery as it is to a Fortune 500 company. They obviously have very different needs, but they both need CPAs.

Just as your story and journey to become a CPA is unique, so are your professional interests and areas of expertise. In order for the WSCPA to provide you information and resources that are of interest to you, it is vitally important for you to share your professional interests with us. If you have not taken the time to add interests to your WSCPA member profile, I encourage you to take a few minutes and do it today. Go to www.wscpa.org/mywscpa and select Manage My Interests, or click the “update your preferences” link at the bottom of a WSCPA email. Once you select interests, your Short Form newsletter will include articles and CPE opportunities that you are more likely to find interesting.

I hope to meet many more members and hear more of your stories in the upcoming year. In this issue, be sure to read WSCPA Chair Kirsten Duke’s story of how she became a CPA. I think you will enjoy it.

Kimberly Scott, CAE, is President & CEO of the Washington Society of CPAs, and Executive Director of the Washington CPA Foundation. You can contact her at kscott@wscpa.org.

This article appears in the fall 2018 issue of the WashingtonCPA Magazine. Read more here.