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Message from Kay Dobbins

Chapter CPE  

Welcome New Members

Dues

Scholarships Awarded

From TSCPA 

Job Opportunities

TSCPA Satellite CPE

Message from Kay Dobbins

Here we are at the end of my year as president of the Chapter.  I’m happy to report to you that it was a very good year.  You may remember back in June 2008, I told you that our goals for the year were to improve the website and get members involved in local community-service projects.  We accomplished both of those goals with flying colors. 

If you haven’t checked out the website lately, give it a look.  I’m sure you’ll agree that it is much-improved.  Also Chapter members were involved in three projects for local charities—a Habitat “House Build” last fall, the KBTX Food for Families food drive in December, and the KAMU telethon in March.

The Habitat House build was sponsored by local Lions Clubs, and about 16 of us tagged along with the Bryan Evening Lions on a beautiful Saturday in October and wielded shovels & picks to move and level dirt and plant grass, shrubs, and trees.

Our shift for the food drive was 8:00 a.m. on a bitterly cold snowy day in December.  We sorted food and toted boxes, then all went to our respective jobs with a good feeling for having done our part to fight hunger in our community.

Four of us manned the phone bank for the KAMU fund drive in March. I’m not sure they reached their goal that night, but the staff was effusive in their thanks, and they must have said the words “Brazos Valley Chapter of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants”—no easy task--on the air a hundred times. 

Rodney Horrell, our PR chair, worked wonders with our advertising budget, which included the TSCPA advertising match dollars.  Among other things, we placed a Chapter banner on The Bryan College Station Eagle website, and bought an ad in the Chamber of Commerce annual report. 

We participated in two career-awareness events—one the annual event for 8^th graders put on by the local Chamber of Commerce.  To entice the kids to stop by our booth, Keely Dunn, our membership chair, suggested giving ITunes gift cards as prizes.  I created a change-making game using Excel, and the kids who stopped to play seemed to enjoy it.  We gave away several $10 gift cards—that was definitely the draw.  See the website for pictures taken that day.  The 2^nd career night was in the big city of North Zulch.  Thanks to Lyn Kuciemba for spearheading our career awareness efforts. 

Our CPE chair, Jodi Jones, did a great job on coordinating our CPE efforts for the year.  Amber Bass, Chapter secretary, was extremely accurate and timely with her minutes, and Edward Zavodny did a fabulous job as treasurer.  

Joe Dunn, incoming Chapter president, and Linda Johnson, our Executive Director, were responsible for the work that when into updating and maintaining the website

 Which brings me full circle, and reminds me to thank the entire board for all their hard work during the year.  It was an honor to serve with you all.

 Kay Dobbins

President, 2008-2009

WELCOME New members and returning members in the past year

Danielle Carlson                                                Emily Hogan    

J.M. Chernow, CPA, ABV                                  Kristin Howell, CPA      

Sarah Chisholm, CPA                                        Boyd Larsen, CPA        

Leonard Cloud, CPA                                          John Meismer, CPA                  

Ann Marie Cotton, CPA                                      Robert Recer

Tino Do                                                             Patrick Reichert

Amanda Dotson, CPA                                       Shelley Scheffer, CPA

Janet Dudding, CPA                                          Jim Shaw, CPA

James Ethridge, CPA                                        Nancy Todd, CPA

                                                                       Matthew Wren, CPA

CHAPTER CPE

Contact Linda Johnson, Executive Director, to register

Linda@bvcpa.org or Phone 936-435-998

Ethical Business Decisions by Texas CPAs

David W. Holt, CPA, CFE

July 16, 2009; 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.

College Station Conference Center

$100 member & non-CPA staff;

$125 non-member

(4 hours of required Texas Ethics CPE)

This new State Board approved course, will cover not only the “rules” of professional conduct, but also realistic workplace situations often experienced by CPAs in industry, government & public accounting.

The session will include:

• A lively, interactive format, with substantial group discussions

• Coverage of the Ethics Rules and how they help CPAs make valuable, long-term professional decisions

• Quizzes and case studies, to affirm and illustrate the proper application of “the rules”

Learning Objectives include:

·         Understanding of & compliance with the Texas Ethics rules.

·         Discussing the spirit & intent of the rules, as the primary focus of resolving ethical decisions.

The course is a group, live format, with no prerequisites or advanced preparation required.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Governmental Accounting & Auditing Update (New for 2009)

David W. Holt, CPA, CFE

July 17, 2009; 8:30 a.m.– 4:30 p.m.

College Station Conference Center

$225 member & non-CPA staff;

$285 non-member

Lunch provided

This update course will focus on new accounting, audit, GAO, and OMB standards issued for Governmental entities. We’ll spend most of our time on the new Yellow Book (GAO) & a few controversial new GASBs.

We will also consider the effects of the Risk Assessment Audit Standards (SAS 104-111) on Governments.

Learning Objective(s):

·         Review all recently issued accounting standards relevant to Governments

·         Discuss any new or proposed audit guidance (AICPA, OMB, and GAO) for Governments

The method of presentation is group-live instruction and the program level is basic. There are no prerequisites for this course nor is there any advanced preparation required.

Have you paid your dues?

Don’t forget to include your donation to the Chapter Scholarship Fund.  If you’ve already paid your dues and you overlooked that opportunity, contact Linda Johnson to make your contribution today!

To pay your dues online, go to www.tscpa.org, and click on “Pay Dues Online”(!)

Chapter Scholarships Awarded

Brazos Valley Chapter awarded scholarships to two Texas A&M Accounting students for next school year:  Kelli Downing & Farah Eklili.  Kay Dobbins met these young ladies at the Texas A&M Accounting Department Awards Banquet in April.  

Farah Negin Eklili was born and raised in College Station.  Her parents are originally from Iran and moved here about 32 years ago so my father could study engineering.    She is currently in the PPA program at Texas A&M in the audit track and works as a part-time manager at Blue Baker.

Kelli Downing is a junior accounting major from Arlington, Texas, in the Business Honors Program at Mays and a student worker in the honors office.  She is involved in Business Student Council and was recently elected as VP of Events. Kelli is also a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and currently the committee head for Project Mays, the business school's largest annual community service event. This summer, she will be participating in Aggies On Wall Street with 19 other business students for 3 weeks in May and June in New York City. In July, she will attend KPMG's Fast Forward Leadership Conference in Hollywood, CA. Kelli says, “I am excited about a career in accounting, but particularly about the possibility of specializing in forensics!”

          We wish them well in their studies and their careers.       

FROM TSCPA

TSCPA Debuts New Affiliate Membership Category for Non-CPA Employees

At the Midyear Board of Directors Meeting in late January, TSCPA leaders approved creating a new membership category for non-CPA employees who work for or are supervised by a current TSCPA fellow member. The new non-CPA employee affiliate membership lets more people take advantage of TSCPA’s benefits, including accounting news and information, discounts on products and services, education and training, insurance, and more. Members of this new affiliate category must work on a substantially full-time basis and be sponsored by the TSCPA member who employs or supervises them.

TSCPA Local CPE

ACPEN Satellite Broadcast

June 17, 2009 Not-For-Profit Accounting, Auditing & Tax Update

9 a.m. - 5 p.m. at KAMU-TV/FM Studio on Texas A&M campus at Houston & Russell Street

$195 for members and $320 for non-members

To register and/or for additional information, log on to TSCPA www.tscpa.org/cpe/satellite/default.asp, click specific course description above, or phone the CPE InfoLine 800-428-0272 Monday - Friday from 8 am to 5 pm

Park in garage at Koldus building (not included in the cost)

To be an Onsite Coordinator and receive a refund for 50% of the course fee, contact Linda Johnson at 936-435- 9989 or LNJ@bvcpa.org. Duties include taking care of a sign-in sheet, giving out the handouts, collecting evaluation forms, handing out certificates, and mailing evaluations to TSCPA.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

go to separate section

BRAZOS VALLEY CHAPTER TSCPA

Executive Director, Linda Johnson

phone 936-435-9989   fax 936-435-9915

558 Elkins Lake, Huntsville, TX 77340
Linda@bvcpa.org

click here to visit : Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants

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