A CPA’s Journey: Gary Holcomb on Leadership, Advocacy, and Adaptability

Thank you so much for meeting today. Can you share your journey to becoming a CPA?
My undergraduate degree was from Arizona State University in organizational communication with a marketing minor. I’d only taken one accounting courses in college, and then I went to law school at the University of Arizona and became an attorney, planning to be a litigator.

However, in law school I also met the woman who would become my wife, Jennifer. After law school she did not want to move back to Colorado where I was from. So if I wanted to be with her, and I did, I needed to find work in Arizona.

I was hired by the Arizona Department of Revenue as a Policy Analyst, which is where my interest and enjoyment in accounting really grew. From the Department of Revenue, I went to work for Arthur Andersen. By then I wanted to continue in accounting, so I pursued a post-baccalaureate and that gave me 20 hours of accounting classes, enough to sit for the CPA exam. As people know Arthur Andersen collapsed in 2002. I worked briefly at KPMG and then had an opportunity to join Alvarez & Marsal in New York. We moved to Manhattan for two years. Our son and daughter were in first and third grade. 

We loved the adventure and had the complete New York experience living in the Financial District. In the end, we missed the green—my wife wanted grass—but it was a fun, family adventure. So it hasn’t been as straight of a path as you might think, but then again, no one really has a straight path all the way through their life.

In your professional journey as a CPA, what stands out the most?
The reason I’ve stayed in public accounting, and you hear this a lot, is the variety. It’s not one constant. When you work with clients, you have to understand their business inside and out. I’ve been right there at ground level—I’ve been in La-Z-Boy factories, timber factories, I’ve been in bunny suits touring semiconductor manufacturing sites. The range of businesses that I’ve learned about has just been incredible. I’m always learning, and I’m always interested. And what that means is you’re reinventing and adapting yourself nonstop.

You’ve been in the state and local tax space most of your career. Was that unusual to be specialized when you were starting out?
I think it was. I’ve been very specialized when it wasn’t even popular to be so specialized, say 30 years ago when there were a handful of people doing state and local tax. Within our firm now, you do have to pick a pathway. Other firms do it differently, but EY has a program where your first two years you’re allowed and actually encouraged to work for months in different groups to experience different kinds of work and see what you are interested and engaged with. People can find what they love and build a career they are passionate about.

How has OSCPA involvement influenced your career?
(Note: in addition to Board service, Gary has served as Audit Committee Chair, Budget Committee Chair, Legislative Policy Committee Chair, Legislative Analysis Subcommittee,
Educational Foundation Board of Directors, and has served over twenty years on the Taxation Committee.)
OSCPA has expanded my professional network in powerful ways. However, I don’t know that newer or younger members completely realize that serving a professional organization can help their career tremendously. I have been in meetings with people who were very important to my career. Involvement in your professional community, whatever your profession, is key to your own success. Yes, it does take time, sometimes a lot of time, but it is a win-win beyond belief.

As Board Chair, what message will you be sharing with OSCPA members?
If you are a professional, OSCPA is your professional community. The Society is more than a place to get great CPE. I mean, it is a place to get great CPE. But advocacy is the focus. OSCPA protects the CPA license. We all know how hard that license is to get. I don’t know if people truly realize how tenuous that is. We see across the country the states debating legislation saying professional licensure isn’t important anymore. Even if you’ve been licensed for decades, one bill can threaten your professional livelihood. I’m not trying to scare people, but, honestly, we should all be a little scared. Or at least be alert. Every single legislative session, OSCPA members step up and give their time to read the bills introduced in the Oregon Legislature. That is not an easy job. It’s tax season and many people are already overloaded. We’re looking for that one bill that could change everything for CPAs, clients, and the public. I don’t know if people realize that without OSCPA, there is no watchdog.

We talked about the term networking. What does networking mean to you?
I think the word networking means different things to different people. To some, it’s attending a social and drinking a beer with someone. Nothing is wrong with that, it can be a way to expand your circle. But networking has many layers. You have to prove that you have a differentiating skill. That’s where your years you’ve spent engaging with your professional peers through committee service, board service, legislative, etc., has built you a valuable network. Those relationships become part of what differentiates you as an advisor for that potential client—whether you’re a sole practitioner or part of the Big Four. Those relationships and then being able to convey your knowledge. The value of your professional relationships becomes the value to your client or employer.

The OSCPA Board recently met to envision a strategic plan for the organization’s next three years. What’s most exciting to you about the future of the OSCPA?
I’m excited about alternative pathways. OSCPA leadership and volunteers have worked hard these past few years to create more avenues toward licensure, so that any aspiring
CPA who is willing to put in the effort can meet that goal. This is a huge benefit for individual aspiring CPAs, but also for the profession as a whole. Alternative pathways bring in different people, different ages, different stages of life, a variety of life experience, different abilities—it will breathe life into everything. 

There is a wealth of opportunity for those entering the CPA profession. A large generation is heading into retirement, but the importance of what CPAs do will only increase. It’s not just about the number of CPAs - it’s about the depth of their knowledge. Technology and automation will allow even entry-level CPAs to do more high-level work. Regulators aren’t giving us a break and saying, “Not enough CPAs, that’s okay, just let your quality go down.” Standards will stay high.

What difference do you believe you have made in the life of your clients? 
As CPAs, you really do have to become the trusted advisor. Not only in the specific thing that you’re doing, but in the vitality and longevity of their business as well. Even in large businesses, you have to look out for the people in the tax group. Not just sitting back from a compliance standpoint and saying you can’t do this, you can’t do that. To advise your client or your business means you may have to put in extra work, extra effort, but that effort will be remembered.

How do you become a trusted advisor?
Curiosity. You have to be genuinely curious - about the person and their business. Care, listen, ask questions. You might be a great technician - but are you a trusted advisor? That’s something else entirely.

How do you characterize your leadership style within your firm?
I think the term would be collaborative, I try to be a team builder. I think that has always been the most successful aspect of my career.

Has that style changed over time?
Absolutely. I don’t know if it’s age, but I think when you’re younger you’re a little more aggressive, and more, my way is the right way and I’m going to make sure everyone knows it. That’s something I try to coach people on. Over time you learn that you need your own opinion, and you have that right. But in the end, you’re working with other people, and the organization’s strength is going to be in its ability to collaborate.

Are you influenced by the younger people in your office?
I’m definitely interested in them and influenced by them. My son is similar in age and a business analyst on Wall Street. Seeing how he works and interacts at work gives me insight into what kind of environment our newer staff might find supportive. There are new ways to do things, you don’t have to do it like I did it. It’s not wrong, it’s just different. We can all adapt.

On that note, what advice do you give to new professionals starting out?
To be open to change. Our profession is all about change. When tax laws change you have the chance to learn and become an expert. You could be senior-level and know as
much about tax changes as a more experienced partner. Embrace the changes and see what opportunities you can create for yourself.

How can OSCPA help members navigate change, let’s start with technology?
That’s a good question. My feeling is that new technologies are here. How are you going to use them to help change your world? It’s going to be there regardless. Why not try to figure out how to use it? Stay curious.

How about with regulatory changes?
We have great relationships with many entities that affect our profession. These have been built over decades. OSCPA members benefit from these relationships every day, even
if they don’t know it. Our work together with the Oregon Board of Accountancy, we have a strong reputation with the Oregon Legislature where they seek us out for our ability to educate and clarify the real day to day impact of proposed legislation. If you’re a CPA in Oregon, I really don’t think you can overstate how crucial OSCPA’s advocacy work is.

On a personal note, tell us about your family. 
I’ve been married to my wife Jennifer for 32 years. As I mentioned, my son Nate is in New York working as a business analyst. Just last night he worked until 1:00 a.m. My daughter Katie is in Oregon and last year she started working as a nurse with Kaiser.

What do you do for fun?
We have a cabin at Lake of the Woods in southern Oregon that has been in my wife’s family, and that’s where I worked during the pandemic. I spend a lot of time in Medford and
places around Oregon for work and love spending time around the state. But any time I can be at the cabin, that’s where I want to be.

What are you reading, watching, or listening to these days?
I read some type of fiction almost every day. I will read thrillers, sci-fi, post-apocalyptic, and alternative history. My favorite though is typically historical fiction. James, a novel by Percival Everett, was a recent favorite and adds a modern perspective to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Streaming favorites are pretty varied as well, from White Lotus, to Hacks, to Finding Your Roots. My wife and I are currently getting through Slow Horses.

Before we go, one last question: What would people be surprised to know about you?
I make great Hot-Damn Dill pickles every fall.

Gary Holcomb is the 2025-26 Chair of the OSCPA Board of Directors. He can be reached at chairgary@orcpa.org.