Peggy Haw Jury 2005-2006 MACPA Chair of the Board

The MACPA believes that the future of the profession depends on recruiting excellent students and preparing them for leadership roles. We provide many career resources for high school and college students. As Incoming Chair of the Board, I’m especially excited to tell you about our efforts in two areas that will make a significant impact on our career awareness and recruitment efforts.

The first is a $250,000 endowment over the next five years to the Michigan Accountancy Foundation (MAF) Scholarship Fund. These monies will directly support current college accounting majors, helping to fund their fifth/graduate year. The MAF scholarships provide crucial financial assistance to outstanding, dedicated students who are committed to a career in accounting.

While the MAF has done a remarkable job over the past three years in creating this scholarship program and funding more than 40 awards so far, our gift will have a significant impact on the number of scholarships being awarded in the future. Certainly, this endowment will help assure an adequate number of qualified and competent accounting professionals in years to come.

I am also happy to report that another important program is expanding, as well, thanks to our firm sponsors and education partners. We’re adding two new venues to our already successful line-up of High School Leaders Conferences, which play an important role in our student recruitment campaign.

With successful programs already in place at Oakland University, Wayne State University and Aquinas College, our new events at Eastern Michigan in Ypsilanti and Michigan State in Lansing will strengthen our geographic reach in mid-Michigan.

These programs feature dynamic speakers who build awareness of the variety of careers available to CPAs. The high school students learn about opportunities in business and industry, the IRS, public accounting and more. They hear first-hand, from CPAs who are enthusiastic and excited about their jobs, how the CPA designation can translate into fascinating assignments, challenging work, travel and boundless opportunities. They meet CPAs who are leaders, on the cutting edge of business and industry.

More than 90 percent of the students who attend our High School Leaders Conferences tell us they’ll consider a career in accounting.

Moving forward on these two initiatives is just a small – but important – part of what the MACPA is all about. As I step into the role of chair later this month, I am optimistic about the challenges we face. I look forward to working with our board, our task forces, many volunteers and the staff, who collectively make the MACPA one of the best state societies in the country!

Peggy Haw Jury
2005-2006 MACPA Chair of the Board

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