Notes from the Chair
NOTES & NEWS
Notes from the Chair
By Dave Hallinan , FCPA , FCMA
In this issue of CPABC in Focus , we celebrate the excellence and achievements of our members , as we profile CPABC ’ s second group of Member Recognition Program honourees ( pages 20-28 ). These 18 individuals were celebrated at the Member Recognition Dinner on February 15 ( pages 46-47 ). CPABC ’ s two Member Recognition committees were very pleased by the calibre of nominations received , and I encourage all members to consider nominating deserving peers for recognition in 2017 . The 2017 nomination forms are now available online at bccpa . ca . Other significant events held in early 2017 included the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade ’ s Economic Outlook Forum ( see page 10 ) and the BC Budget Recap ( look for a recap of the February 22 event in our May / June issue ). CPABC was a premier sponsor of both events , each of which focused on the important economic trends BC will face over the coming year . I would also like to highlight some upcoming events with which CPABC will be involved . We will be a gold sponsor of the Influential Women in Business Awards on March 8 , and will copresent the BC CFO of the Year Awards with Business in Vancouver in June . We ’ re pleased to participate in these celebrations of business excellence in the broader community . Also coming up is CPABC ’ s Spring Pacific Summit , which is being held in Vancouver from May 17 to 19 . Once again , CPABC ’ s events team has secured a top-notch lineup of keynote speakers and presenters , professional development courses , and networking opportunities ( see pages 29 and 45 ). Registration is now open , and I encourage you to check out what the conference has to offer . Spring also brings my favourite event : Convocation ! This year , our newest CPAs will walk across the stage of the Vancouver Convention Centre on May 27 . I look forward to being there and welcoming you all to the profession ! In terms of what to expect over the summer , we ’ ll be alerting you once we have posted the Annual Report and Financials online in anticipation of the Annual General Meeting being held in June . This will be the first year of board elections , so stay tuned for the call for nominations . In addition , you should have recently received the membership dues notice for 2017-2018 . CPABC committed to assessing provincial fees once integration had been completed and the organization had begun to realize efficiencies . We found that more extensive progress had been made across the organization than originally anticipated , and members will now benefit from these economies of scale . We are pleased to be in a fiscal position that allows us to reduce most provincial fees by approximately 5 % for the upcoming fiscal year . One last item I ’ d like to address is the CEO transition for CPABC . In the January / February 2017 issue , we highlighted the contributions Richard Rees , FCPA , FCA , has made to the profession and thanked him for his outstanding service . Richard ’ s final day with CPABC is March 31 , 2017 . Once again , on behalf of the board and staff , I would like to thank him for everything he has done for the profession and our organization . As previously shared with you , we ’ d made significant progress towards identifying Richard ’ s successor and had expected to have the new president & CEO begin their tenure on April 1 . Unfortunately , unforeseen circumstances are now , understandably , preventing the successful candidate from being able to take on the role at this time . As a result , we are moving forward and re-engaging our Search Committee to consider additional candidates . We will keep you informed as this process unfolds . In the meantime , CPABC will continue to be managed by its highly professional staff and executive team . I know I speak for the board when I say that we have every confidence in the Search Committee ’ s ability to move forward and find the right person to take the helm at CPABC .
David B . Hallinan , FCPA , FCMA CPABC Chair
Reminder for volunteers
At this time of year , many CPAs volunteer to prepare tax returns for low-income taxpayers . If you ’ re volunteering , be sure to read the important reminder about licensing and insurance on page 13 .
CPABC in Focus • Mar / Apr 2017 9