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A young CPA’s view of the 2025 Leadership Forum

June 24, 2025

Alyssa Downs
Wilcox Arrendondo & Co., Canby
Chair, OSCPA Young Professionals Committee
 

I just got back from the OSCPA Strategic Leadership Forum in Newport. I left inspired. There are three main takeaways I had: the CPA pipeline issue, the opportunity to get involved with the legislative and other OSCPA committees, and the welcoming nature of OSCPA members.

Pipeline: Talk about yourself
The CPA pipeline issue was addressed by several of the speakers including Carla McCall, AICPA Board Chair and Jennifer Wilson from Convergence Coaching. There remains a dearth of new CPAs coming into the field and it is a real issue for firms. 

One thing that we can do as members of the OSCPA is to get out in the community and talk about how awesome it is to be a CPA. It made me proud to be at the forum and to be a CPA. There are so many opportunities it gives you professionally and many types of work you can do. I would like to encourage CPAs whether in industry, public accounting, not-for-profit, or government to go out there and talk about the work you do. 

Go to that career day at your kid’s school or talk to their high school business class. CPAs are the trusted advisors of many small businesspeople and often know so much about their lives. Being a CPA is a numbers business, but more than that, it is a people business. We have endless opportunities to serve people well and make a difference in our communities by directly lifting up our small business community.

Advocacy: Things change under your nose
There are multiple committees open to OSCPA members, if there is a professional interest that you have there is a committee for you to serve on. I was incredibly impressed by the dedication of the legislative committees. They meet with lawmakers, review bills, and testify before the legislature. They are able to actually help shape the bill and what becomes law. 

The OSCPA is our biggest advocacy group as CPAs in Oregon. Sometimes things change under your nose while you are busy working away and you may feel that you don’t have time to engage. Thankfully, there are ways to engage as the occasional “ad hoc” member and to provide testimony on critical issues to CPAs such as licensure requirements or taxes that may affect clients. 

Additional committees like the Estate Planning Committee plan the Estate & Trust Conference the OSCPA hosts each year. I would encourage you to consider serving on a committee as this may be your chance to influence the law or get to know your peers who work in the same specialties.

What are CPAs like? Friendly!
Lastly, I was impressed with the welcoming nature of OSCPA members. Everyone was very friendly and always had helpful words of advice on any questions I asked. There are many opportunities available. It is encouraging to connect with CPAs who are further along in their career and to see the wonderful things they are doing, like testifying before the Oregon Legislature! Each person I met was approachable and had helpful suggestions for how to get more involved. There are wonderful ways to learn if you are willing to get plugged in.

Overall, the Strategic Leadership Forum opened my eyes to the possibilities for involvement. I was impressed, encouraged, and derived energy from the excitement of the other attendees. We really have something special in the Oregon Society of CPAs and not everyone knows about it. You have something to bring and something to receive from this organization. I highly encourage you to think about how you could get more involved, in big or small ways.

Alyssa Downs is the Chair of the OSCPA Young Professionals Committee.

  • Find the volunteer opportunity that works for your schedule and interests: https://www.orcpa.org/get-involved or email the OSCPA Membership Team.
  • Save the Date! Next year's Strategic Leadership Forum will take place in Newport, Oregon on Tuesday - Wednesday, April 28-29th, 2026. We hope to see you there.