The California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA)

[http://www.calcpa.org The California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA)] is the largest statewide professional association of CPAs in the United States.

Almost every U.S. state has a Certified Public Accountant society, each of varying sizes depending on the number of members they serve. As of January 2008, CalCPA represents more than 31,000 members as the CPA world changes with the advances in technology and the ever-changing accounting regulatory provisions stemming from the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

Although 1909 is considered the year CalCPA was officially founded, public accountant organizations began forming before that time in California. In January 1903, CalCPA was first organized, followed by the formation of the Associated Certified Public Accountants of California, incorporated March 1906, and the Southern California Association of Certified Public Accountants, formed in October 1908. It was the merging of the three groups in 1909 that created the CalCPA that exists today.

CalCPA’s prevailing mission is to:
* increase the value and promote the integrity of the Certified Public Accountant profession,
* contribute to the success of its members, and
* strengthen client, employer, public and government trust in CalCPA member advice, work products and opinions.

Membership

Different from the [http://www.dca.ca.gov/cba/example.com California Board of Accountancy] , CalCPA provides CPAs in California with the following:
* [http://www.calcpa.org/Content/legissues.aspx Advocacy] CalCPA’s government relations team advocates on behalf of their members when accounting standards and practice issues are debated in the California Legislature or through the regulatory process. CalCPA alerts members on new legislation that may impact how they work or on that they may affect their clients or employers.
* [http://www.calcpa.org/Content/yoursociety.aspx Image Enhancement] CalCPA influences key constituencies and public perception of CPAs through public and media relations, as well as image advertising. CalCPA also produces community outreach programs, such as financial literacy and [http://www.calcpa.org/Content/community/outreach.aspx student outreach] initiatives.
* [http://www.calcpa.org/Content/Networking.aspx Networking] From business and industry experts to partners in national and local CPA firms to young and emerging professionals and key accounting educators, students and CPA candidates, members network with finance professionals through CalCPA’s events and chapters.
* [http://www.calcpa.org/chapters Continuing Education] CalCPA members receive discounts on all continued professional education (CPE) offered locally through CalCPA chapters, as well as discounts on all [http://www.educationfoundation.org California CPA Education Foundation] produced courses, conferences, self-study, online courses, reference materials, webcasts and webinars. The Education Foundation, CalCPA’s sister organization, offers [http://www.educationfoundation.org/courses/ courses] and [http://www.www.educationfoundation.org/conferences/ conferences] that satisfy CPAs’ need to earn CPE (40 hours a year, 80 biannually) and maintain their license.
* [http://www.calcpa.org/chapters Local Chapters] CalCPA’s 14 chapters feature technical committees, specific interest groups and geographically based discussion groups:
** [http://www.calcpa.org/bak Bakersfield]
** [http://www.calcpa.org/cnc Central Coast]
** [http://www.calcpa.org/chc Channel Counties]
** [http://www.calcpa.org/eb East Bay]
** [http://www.calcpa.org/frs Fresno]
** [http://www.calcpa.org/ie Inland Empire]
** [http://www.calcpa.org/la Los Angeles]
** [http://www.calcpa.org/oclb Orange County/Long Beach]
** [http://www.calcpa.org/pen Peninsula Silicon Valley]
** [http://www.calcpa.org/sac Sacramento]
** [http://www.calcpa.org/sd San Diego]
** [http://www.calcpa.org/sf San Francisco]
** [http://www.calcpa.org/sjq San Joaquin]
** [http://www.calcpa.org/sj Silicon Valley San Jose]

* [http://www.calcpa.org/chapters Leadership Development] CalCPA Leadership Institute is a high-level, five-day program that provides members with tools to develop their leadership skills and grow into future leadership positions within the profession. It is funded through the Education Foundation and CalCPA, so participant costs are nominal.
* [http://www.calcpa.org/Content/TechnicalResources.aspx Targeted Information] Members receive news on information that may impact how they work or that would affect their clients and employers via e-communication, podcasts, magazines, tax bulletins, hotlines, technology guides, listserves, web forums and state committees.
* [http://www.calcpa.org/affinity/partners.aspx Affinity Programs] All of CalCPA’s affinity programs have been selected to compliment a CPA’s professional needs, offering prices, products and services not available elsewhere.
* [http://www.calcpa.org/affinity/partners.aspx Insurance Plans] [http://www.cpaprotectplus.com The Group Insurance Trust of the California Society of CPAs] offers group health and welfare benefits to CalCPA member firms.
[http://www.camico.com Camico Professional Liability Insurance] offers professional liability coverage to public practice firms.
* [http://www.calcpa.org/Content/community.aspx Volunteer Opportunities] Student outreach member volunteers reach out and inspire talented students to discover the integrity, trust and career diversity that is the CPA profession while financial literacy volunteers deliver practical personal finance education to schools, community groups, businesses and citizens throughout California. Additionally, member volunteer efforts extend beyond supporting CalCPA directly, including disaster relief assistance and pro bono tax preparation service.

Leadership

CalCPA is governed by a board of directors and council. The 2008-09 officers are:
* Chair: Gregory M. Burke, CPA
* Past Chair: Teresa C. Mason, CPA
* First Vice Chair: Andrea G. Cope, CPA
* Treasurer: Conrad M. Davis, CPA
* CEO: Loretta Doon, CPA

External links

* CalCPA [http://www.calcpa.org http://www.calcpa.org]
* Multimedia [http://www.youtube.com/CalCPA http://www.youtube.com/CalCPA]
* California CPA Education Foundation [http://www.educationfoundation.org http://www.educationfoundation.org]
* Group Insurance Trust of the California Society of CPAs [http://www.cpaprotectplus.com http://www.cpaprotectplus.com]
* CAMICO Mutual Insurance [http://www.camico.com http://www.camico.com]
* California Board of Accountancy [http://www.dca.ca.gov/cba/ http://www.dca.ca.gov/cba/]