Gregory A. Nowak, CPA, JD 2010-2011 MACPA Chair of the Board

On May 3, 1901, four accountants – John Clegg, William Thorne, Charles Zielke and E.H. Beach – filed Articles creating the Incorporated Michigan Association of Accountants. These four professionals likely never imagined they were launching a professional association that would today boast 18,000 members, with nearly 1,000 of those members involved on more than 70 task forces and committees.
 

It is fun to look back at where the Association began, and appreciate how far we’ve come in 110 years. We can all be proud of the history of the MACPA, and of our profession. You may enjoy reading more historical highlights in this article.

Today, the Association and its members continue to make a significant impact. As we marked the 110th Anniversary at the recent Members Advisory Symposium in Lansing, we had the incredible opportunity to hear first-hand from Rick Snyder, the first CPA governor in our state and only the third in our nation’s history! Gov. Snyder clearly understands the economic challenges facing Michigan, and has a comprehensive plan to address them. We are proud that he is utilizing his CPA experience to get Michigan’s fiscal house back in order.

During his speech, Governor Snyder expressed his appreciation for the work of our MACPA Involvement in Michigan’s Turnaround Task Force, which provided recommendations for the creation of the first-ever citizen-friendly Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for our state. The Governor also welcomed our continued involvement.

Whether it’s in response to a request from the Governor, or our ongoing efforts to help sort through tax issues (read related article), the MACPA stands ready to share the valuable expertise of CPAs to return our state to fiscal stability and economic vitality.

With the CPE reporting deadline looming next month, our members are focused on staying on the leading edge. The MACPA is committed to providing resources and tools to help. To assist members in meeting the reporting deadline, MACPA has hundreds of CPE programs between now and June 30 throughout the state. Members can use the CPE Tracker to organize and track CPE courses in one place, whether taken through MACPA or an outside provider. To access your CPE tracker, log in to the MACPA website and click “My CPE” under the Continuing Education section. Then click on “My CPE Tracker.”

And to think, in the early days, there were no education requirements for CPAs. Today, we can’t imagine keeping current without continuing education or the technology tools that help enable it.

At 110 years old, we are certainly not resting on our laurels. As always, we have much to learn and much work to do – with countless opportunities to explore. There’s never been a better time to be a CPA in Michigan!

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