When uncertainty is the norm: Drawing inspiration from our legacy, looking to the future

In the words of the late Jay Richardson, who preceded me as 2017-18 Chair of the Society, one of the great privileges of serving as Chair is “being able to share my thoughts about the profession and its future in The Accountant.” Almost ten years later, as I take the reins as your 2026-27 Chair, the Society’s flagship publication is now Accounting Connect, but I am just as excited to share my thoughts on where our profession stands and how we move forward into the future. Three of my predecessors inspire my vision for the Society’s future.

In Jay’s inaugural message in April 2017, he surveyed the history of our profession, tracing accountants back far beyond Luca Pacioli and 15th century Italy, to the first century B.C.E. Roman Res Gestae Divi Augusti and ancient Sumerian hieroglyphs. “Now that is a great legacy,” he concluded. He didn’t just look backward, though. Jay also saw a path forward: “the future will be bright,” he wrote, “if we continue to strengthen the Society and leverage its impressive resources and its heritage.” I hope that we can continue to learn from our collective experience, our extensive legacy, and from our seasoned leaders.

Many of you who know me might not be surprised that before I was an accounting major in college, I wanted to study political science (I haven’t really shaken the interest in politics). Following my dad’s advice to minor in “something practical,” I chose business. Part of the business minor curriculum was financial accounting, and I begrudgingly signed up for Introduction to Financial Accounting in my junior year. This is where the second of my predecessors comes in. Michele Henney, who was 2013-14 Chair of the Society, happened to be the instructor of that class. And if you know Michele, it’s no surprise that that is where it all happened — something clicked for me and I decided I wanted to be an accountant. She later chaired my honors thesis committee (my honors thesis may have been the first one on an accounting topic, and was definitely, in retrospect, extremely boring), and I remember the ways she involved University of Oregon accounting students in OSCPA events — she must have been there the first time I went to Circle of Excellence my senior year.

In Michele’s inaugural message to the Society in May 2013, she wrote about her personal philosophy: “find a way to say ‘yes’ when someone needs you.” I’d be hard pressed to think of a more inspiring educator or a CPA who has given more back to accounting education and students than Michele — and it’s no wonder, because she’s always finding a way to say “yes.” Michele also (unsurprisingly) advocated for new and younger professionals to join the Society and say “yes” to leadership and other opportunities to get involved in the profession. I’m inspired to continue to encourage both our younger and newer professionals to say “yes” to getting involved, and to encourage our retiring leaders to say “yes” to getting their colleagues involved in the ways they have been. Our volunteer leaders are the lifeblood of the Society and help drive our profession forward; we have to continue to grow our ranks and involve a more diverse selection of members from different firms, industries, regions, backgrounds, and demographics. As Michele said, the next generation’s “energy and technological savvy will be important for the Society’s success.”

The third of my predecessors encourages us to recognize the extraordinary nature of the times, and to elevate competence and integrity in our profession. Gary Holcomb, now Immediate Past Chair, who I thank for his leadership over the last year (as well as his patience and willingness to “hear me out,” often over and over, on tax policy debates), said it well in his message in the Winter 2026 issue of Accounting Connect: “this past year has been anything but typical.” While it’s not looking like this coming year is going to be typical either, I think that’s also indicative of the world today: the atypical is now typical; uncertainty is the norm. What a crucial time to be a trusted advisor.

I couldn’t agree more with Gary’s summary of the Society’s mission: “to promote the CPA profession, strengthen relationships, and elevate competence and integrity.” I especially want to emphasize that last part — focusing on competence and integrity within our profession. This is something that sets us apart. Around the country, many licensed professions (including CPAs) are facing challenges to their licensing requirements. For many years, the Society has worked to build a reputation of competence, integrity, and objectivity that sets us apart from other industry and trade organizations who routinely appear before the Oregon Legislature. By promoting the profession, including our stringent licensing standards and robust continuing education requirements, and by strengthening our relationships with the Oregon Board of Accountancy, the Department of Revenue, and the Legislature, the Society enhances the reputation of the profession and of individual CPAs. The Society’s extensive professional development offerings and partnerships encourage members to maintain their competence, whether members are in industry, public practice, government, or academia. And the Society’s in-person and virtual events and the online community Bridge™ offer opportunities to connect with other professionals and stay on top of changing standards. These Society efforts don’t just benefit individual members: we all benefit from the public’s confidence in our collective competence, integrity, and objectivity.

I hope to see many of you at OSCPA events throughout the coming year, especially outside of the Portland Metro area at chapter and Society events in the Willamette Valley, at the Coast, in Eastern, Central, and Southern Oregon, and online through our webcasts. I’ll be asking you how the Society can support you as a professional, and how you think we can best engage our younger leaders in shaping the future of our profession. If you have ideas, please email me — I’d love to chat.

I hope to have the opportunity to engage you in conversation about how the Society can support both CPAs and CPA firms, especially as our industry adjusts to changes in technology, processes, and services, as well as how we structure and operate our firms. If you’re like me, you’re also thinking about the future — not just of our firms but of our profession. I hope you’ll join me in encouraging our younger professionals to step up into leadership roles in the Society (that is, say “yes”) — whether that is by chairing a committee, serving on a task force or conference planning committee, or joining OSCPA, The OSCPA Educational Foundation, or OCPA/LAC boards of directors. Our next generation of leaders will be better prepared to guide our profession into the future if they can benefit from the mentorship and experience of veteran CPAs, and investing in them is investing in our collective future.

And finally, to our younger leaders, newer professionals, and the next generation of CPAs: it’s time to step up. While we should celebrate the legacy of our profession, we also have to move forward. Say “yes” to being involved in your profession, say “yes” to having your voice heard and to having a seat at the table, and say “yes” to continuing to focus on competence and objectivity in our profession — after all, trust is at the center of what we do.

Thank you for trusting me as the youngest Chair of the OSCPA in its 118-year history. I look forward to helping lead our organization forward. Here’s to another “anything but typical” year!