WSCPA Town Hall: Washington State Board of Accountancy Update WEBCAST

Cynthia Kay, Executive Director, Washington State Board of Accountancy

Cindy Kay, CPA, was appointed Executive Director of the Washington State Board of Accountancy by Governor Bob Ferguson, effective July 1, 2025. She brings extensive experience across public accounting, private industry, and government, including prior service on the Board.

Cindy began her career with a Big Five firm and later worked in public accounting and senior financial roles for publicly traded companies. She most recently served as Director of Accounting and Financial Services at the Washington State Department of Transportation.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in business management with an emphasis in accounting from Saint Martin’s University and is actively involved in the profession, including serving as co-chair of the State’s Financial Management Advisory Council and past president of the Washington State Chapter of the Association of Governmental Accountants.

Kimberly Scott, President & CEO, Washington Society of CPAs

Kimberly Scott, CAE, brings over two decades of dedicated leadership to her role of President & CEO of the WSCPA, a position she has held since 2017. Her commitment to advancing the CPA profession is evident in her extensive advocacy work at both state and national levels.

Since joining the WSCPA in 2000, she has served in various senior leadership roles throughout the organization. From 2009 to 2022, she also served as Executive Director of the Washington CPA Foundation. In the role of WSCPA’s Vice President of Government and Member Relations, Kimberly spearheaded the organization’s advocacy efforts, successfully driving the drafting and passage of multiple bills through the Washington State legislature, including a bill that secured $3.3 million for the Washington CPA Foundation. The Foundation now provides over $500,000 in accounting scholarships annually.

Beyond her role at WSCPA, Kimberly is involved in shaping the future of the accounting profession. She recently served on the AICPA National Pipeline Advisory Group and the AICPA Women’s Initiatives Executive Committee.

A Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential holder, Kimberly is passionate about continuous learning. She has graduated from programs with Heroic Speaking, Leadership Eastside, and earned her certificate for DEI in the Workplace from the University of South Florida.

She has volunteered her time and expertise on various boards, including recently serving on the Washington Society for Association Excellence (WSAE) DEI Task Force, the Homeward Pet Board of Directors, and the Human Services Commission for her city.

Michael Nelson, Manager of Government Relations, Washington Society of CPAs

Mike Nelson is the Manager of Government Relations for the Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants (WSCPA). At the WSCPA Mike oversees the societies legislative initiatives and political directions through the CPAPAC. He works with WSCPA members to advocate in various ways on regulatory issues facing the profession both within the state of Washington and on a national level. Before joining the WSCPA Mike spent nearly a decade at the Washington State Senate. During this time, he worked for various leadership offices including the budget chair, floor leader, and caucus whip. Mike graduated from Western Washington University with a major in Economics, Political Science, and Philosophy.