NoTES & NEwS
Notes from the Leadership
By Karen Christiansen, CPA, FCA, David Sale, CPA, FCGA,* and Tammy Towill, CPA, FCMA
W
e will soon enter the Year of the Horse, a sign recognized for its energy, strength, and
success—symbolic of what is sure to be a landmark year for CPA in BC. With 2013 ending
on such a high note, we should be optimistic about the coming year—the last two
remaining accounting bodies, CGA Ontario and CGA Manitoba, are now in talks, and the goal
of a single national accounting designation is finally within reach.
As we look to the future of our profession, it’s only fitting that we pause to celebrate the next
generation of professional accountants. With that in mind, we’re pleased to spotlight 2013’s
highest-achieving legacy students in this issue of the magazine. You’ll find profiles of the
CGA-BC Top Ten, the CMABC medallists, and the ICABC UFE Honour Roll in our cover
story, as well as some stats on our graduates and UFE passers (page 37). We congratulate all of
our 502 CGA-BC graduates, 239 CMABC graduates, and 549 ICABC UFE passers on their
success. Bravo!
In terms of the focus for your leadership, getting CPA legislation enacted is at the top of our
agenda. CPA legislation will legally protect the Chartered Professional Accountant designation
in BC, which is now in use, and a full merger will allow us to move to one regulatory regime
for all designated accountants. This will both serve the public interest and reduce confusion in
the marketplace—a message we urge you to share with colleagues, clients, and other stakeholders.
Thus far, we’ve received strong support from Amrik Virk, the minister of advanced education,
and senior officials within his ministry.
While passing new legislation will be a very public expression of CPA in BC, our three
organizations will continue forging ahead over the coming months to integrate the operations,
staff, and facilities of the three legacy bodies. Key to our progress thus far has been the incredible
commitment of the staff and the phenomenal support of our respective memberships. The
membership has embraced our culture of collaboration, and we are pleased to be working on
a wide range of member benefits and services to help all of you achieve your goals.
As we prepare for the year ahead, we’re
mindful of how far we’ve come already. That
progress is in part due to the considerable
efforts of past CGA-BC chair Candace
Nancke, CPA, FCGA. Candace played a
crucial role in establishing a strong working
relationship among the three organizations
in BC, and in bringing the goal of one
accounting designation to reality. We’d like
to thank her for her tremendous efforts in
support of unification.
Finally, we wish all of you an equally successful and rewarding New Year.
Karen Christiansen, CPA, FCA
David Sale, CPA, FCGA
Tammy Towill, CPA, FCMA
*On January 1, 2014, David Sale, CPA, FCGA,
took on the role of CGA-BC chair from
Candace Nancke, CPA, FCGA.
Past CGA-BC chair Candace Nancke, CPA, FCGA, with Edward Downing, CGA-BC director of communications, at the second joint board meeting, held on
November 27, 2013.
CPABC in Focus • Jan 2014
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