Florida Institute of CPAs

The Florida Institute of CPAs (FICPA) is a professional membership organization representing over 19,000 CPAs and accounting professionals in Florida and beyond. The FICPA offers opportunities for professional development, knowledge-sharing, networking, community involvement, leadership, and camaraderie while lobbying the Florida state Legislature on issues that affect CPAs and promoting the CPA designation.

FICPA History

The Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants (FICPA), the professional association representing the interests of more than 18,400 CPAs throughout Florida, celebrated its 100-year anniversary on April 20, 2005.Since its founding in 1905, the FICPA’s mission has been to uphold the high standards of the accounting profession and ensure its continued growth and success. The organization employs 65 association professionals, who focus on programs to enhance members’ competency and professionalism; support standards of independence, integrity and objectivity that also are in the public interest; promote community involvement; and monitor and actively participate in the public policy-making process.

FICPA's Role

Affiliation with the FICPA represents commitment to the CPA profession, including adherence to the Code of Professional Conduct and to a stringent set of professional and technical standards. In addition to ensuring that standards are met, the FICPA provides information and resources that enable CPAs to enhance the quality of their services. Publications such as Florida CPA Today, the FICPA’s bi-monthly magazine and NewsFlash, the Institute’s bi-weekly electronic newsletter, update members and invite CPAs to share their expertise on important professional and public issues with members of the business community, the media and the public.

Institute Objectives

The FICPA has eight fundamental objectives around which all of our activities, benefits and services revolve. Those objectives are: To foster ethical conduct and promote standards of independence, integrity and objectivity in the profession.

To promote the establishment and maintenance of high educational and professional requirements for persons in the profession.

To monitor and actively participate in public policy-making processes which impact the profession.

To collect, analyze and interpret data on changing market, economic, governmental and technological conditions affecting the profession.

To encourage the analysis, discussion and understanding of issues and trends in the profession.

To expand the public’s knowledge and understanding of the profession.

To maintain relationships and activities with other organizations in pursuit of the Institute’s mission.

To provide an organizational structure that efficiently utilizes volunteer leader and professional staff resources for the continuing development of programs which effectively address the expectations of all members.

Leadership

The FICPA serves its more than 18,400 members needs at a local level through its 27 chapters across Florida. These chapters are further grouped into six geographical regions. Each region and the chapters within that region hold and promote programming of local interest and provide a conduit for communication with the FICPA leadership. Each of these chapters has its own set of elected officers, consisting of a president, president-elect, secretary and treasurer.Regional and local chapter members also provide locally elected representatives to serve on the FICPA Board of Governors. The 30-member Board of Governors, the governing body of the FICPA, is made up of six regional representatives, 14 members-at-large, the three most recent past presidents and the seven members of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee is made up of the FICPA president, president-elect, four vice-presidents and the Executive Director, who serves as the secretary-treasurer. Each of these officers, with the exception of the Executive Director, serves a one-year term that runs from July 1 to June 30.

In addition to the chapter and board officers, the FICPA has dozens of committees, Sections and task forces which have steering committees assigned to provide leadership for these targeted groups.

Vision

The Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants is the premier professional organization representing Florida’s Certified Public Accountants.

Mission

We serve the diverse needs of our members; enhance their competency and professionalism; support professional standards; promote the value of our members and advocate on behalf of the profession.

What We Value

Members, who are the reason for our existence The respect and recognition of the CPA designation Our volunteers and staff Integrity, competency and ethics Collaboration through trusted relationships Promotion and facilitation of life-long learning Acting as trusted stewards of our members’ investments Dedication to continued membership growth Fostering leadership development Communicating actively with our stakeholders Building on diversity as an ongoing commitment Being a leader in actively pursuing regulatory and legislative reform Involv1ement in our communities as trusted financial advisors

Public Service Announcements (Video Clips)

[http://www1.ficpa.org/%7B1675A40C-5B14-4749-9833-C9943B15FADD%7D 2007 Public Service Announcement - CPA Office]

[http://www1.ficpa.org/%7B4C4678C3-69CE-4C32-ACBC-2220119D06D5%7D 2007 Public Service Announcement - Locks]

[http://www1.ficpa.org/%7B3C24C09E-FEA6-4137-8D91-22BBEB192055%7D 2007 Public Service Announcement - Who Do You Trust?]

[http://www1.ficpa.org/%7B9DB90175-EEF7-44A0-8540-ACB305469680%7D Public Service Announcement - Slice of Life]

[http://www1.ficpa.org/%7B11B11692-83D6-4E6C-9CD3-33D7A2FF4619%7D Public Service Announcement - Behind the Scenes]

[http://www1.ficpa.org/%7BA40E842C-327F-4D9D-A6D7-2E20A06EC3D6%7D Public Service Announcement - Professionals]

External links

* [http://www.ficpa.org Florida Institute of CPAs (FICPA) Web site]