CPABC in Focus November/December 2014 | Page 9

Notes & News CPABC Chapters Launch A fter many months of planning, the CPABC chapters officially launched in September. By the time of this writing, two chapters had already held their inaugural events; others were slated to host their inaugural events very soon. The CPABC Vancouver Chapter held three events in September, starting with the first of its free monthly networking breakfasts, which was held on September 9 at the Vancouver Club. More than 40 members and students attended the event, where they got a chance to meet the Chapter’s first board, including its chair, Derek Johnson, CPA, CMA. Next came the official Chapter launch event, which was held on September 18. Although the venue was flooded just days before the event, the Chapter board managed to find a new location quickly, rerouting the 50+ attendees to the Marriott Renaissance, where they enjoyed an evening buffet of delicious canapés. On September 25, the Vancouver Chapter held its first PD breakfast session, offering a presentation on “Fair Market Value and Fair Value” by Michael Sileika, CPA, CA, CBV, a partner with MNP’s valuation and litigation support group. The CPABC Richmond/South Delta Chapter held its first PD session— “Lead Indeed!”—on September 20. Presented by Carol Ann Fried of Friedom Training & Coaching Services, this session provided the 60 participants with useful information about leadership styles and tips on how to deal with difficult people. More about chapters online As detailed in the September/October 2014 issue of CPABC in Focus (page 25), each CPABC chapter has its own unique blog and events page. Visit www. bccpa.ca/members/cpabc-chapters to find out more about upcoming events, to subscribe to chapters’ RSS feeds (these feeds provide automatic notification of new posts), and/or to find out which chapters are also active on Twitter and Facebook. Allison Burton, CPA, CA, vice-chair of the Vancouver Chapter, with attendees Grace Wong, CPA, CMA, and Hitesh Kothary, CPA, CA, at the Chapter’s official launch event in September. Member Engagement Tour D uring the months of October and November, CPABC President & CEO Richard Rees, CPA, FCA, along with council/board president/ chairs Dan Little, CPA, FCA; Simon Philp, CPA, FCMA; and David Sale, CPA, FCGA, will be touring the province to meet with local members and students and provide an update on the accounting profession in BC and Canada. The tour encompasses 21 stops across the province, with the first stops located in the Cariboo and Okanagan regions (Kamloops, Kelowna, Penticton, and Vernon), followed by the Pacific Northwest (Terrace), Vancouver Island (Victoria, Duncan, Nanaimo, and Campbell River), the Kootenays (Nelson and Cranbrook), the Central Interior (Prince George), and the Lower Mainland. The first leg of the Tour was very well attended. A total of more than 250 members turned out for the first four events, which were held at the Coast Kamloops Hotel, the Ramada Kelowna Hotel, the Penticton Lakeside Resort, and the Prestige Hotel in Vernon. At each stop, Rees delivered a 45-minute presentation that covered unification, CPA certification, proposed regulatory changes, and various other topics. CPABC thanks the chapter leaders in the Cariboo and Okanagan regions for their spectacular efforts in organizing and hosting the receptions during the first leg of the Tour. More information about the Tour is provided online at bccpa.ca. From top to bottom: MET stops in Kamloops, Kelowna, Penticton, and Vernon. CPABC in Focus • Nov/Dec 2014  9