WSCPA CEO, Member Named to Advisory Group to Support Development of National Strategy to Address CPA Talent Shortage

Kimberly Scott, CAE, President & CEO of the Washington Society of CPAs, and Thomas Neill, CPA (retired), WSCPA member, have been named to the American Institute of CPAs’ (AICPA) newly-formed advisory group representing a broad spectrum of the accounting profession that will help shape a national strategy to address the profession’s talent, including accounting students who go on to obtain a CPA license.  

The National Pipeline Advisory Group’s work is part of a multi-pronged approach that includes an intensive effort to use technology and in-person forums to solicit insights and input from a diverse array of groups around the country. 

The National Pipeline Advisory Group includes stakeholders who represent a range of perspectives, experiences, and constituencies, including state CPA societies, accounting firms of various sizes, state boards of accountancy, educators and business and industry. The group also reflects a blend of small, medium, and large states from across the nation. 

“The national discussions around our profession’s talent shortage have been increasingly passionate.  The challenges are complex,” said Kimberly Scott, CAE.  “At our initial meeting, council members acknowledged that we share a real sense of urgency to develop pipeline solutions. I am honored to serve on this council to represent the voices of our members and the perspective of a state CPA society.” 

Tom Neill, CPA, a past chair of the WSCPA Board of Directors and the Washington State Board of Accountancy, currently serves as chair of the AICPA Uniform Accountancy Act Committee and is a member of the WSCPA CPAPAC and the Government Affairs Committee.  

“We are at a critical juncture in the CPA profession,” said Tom Neill. “We need to critically evaluate the existing pipeline and its existing structural issues to allow us to envision alternatives that both assist in retention of existing licensees and that provide more choice for incoming candidates without losing what we have gained over the last 20+ years, that of CPA mobility. 

“The slowdown in young adults choosing accounting as a career is a collective problem for the profession and requires a collective solution,” said Susan Coffey, the AICPA’s CEO of public accounting and executive sponsor of the advisory group. “We want to make sure we have a broad range of viewpoints and perspectives to help define the profession’s pipeline strategy moving forward. This deep, capable, and experienced group will play a critical role in guiding that conversation and subsequent call to action.” 

Additional members of the Advisory Group are: 

(Chair) Lexy Kessler, CPA, CGMA, Mid-Atlantic Regional Leader, Aprio and board member, Association of International Certified Professional Accountants 
(Facilitator) Jennifer Wilson, ConvergenceCoaching 
Jeannine Birmingham, CPA, CAE, CEO, Alabama Society of CPAs 
Ken Bouyer, CIA, EY Americas DEI recruiting leader and member of the AICPA National Commission on Diversity & Inclusion 
Susan Coffey, CPA, CGMA, CEO of Public Accounting, AICPA 
Daniel J. Dustin, CPA, Vice President of State Relations, National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) 
Joe Falbo, CPA, CGMA, Partner at Szymkowiak & Associates CPAs, PC, and past president of the New York State Society of CPAs 
Jonathan Hauser, CPA, Partner at KPMG and chair of the Illinois CPA Society 
Angela Ho, CPA, CGMA, Chief Compliance Officer, OceanFirst Bank 
Kathy Johnson, CPA, CFF, CGMA, Vice President, JS Held, adjunct professor, California State University, San Bernadino and past chair, California Society of CPAs 
Lori Kaiser, CPA, CGMA, Founder and CEO of Kaiser Consulting, LLC and past chair, Ohio Society of CPAs 
Elizabeth (Betsy) Krisher, CPA, CEO/Chairman, Maher Duessel CPAs and president of the Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs board 
Allen Lloyd, CAE, Executive Director, Montana Society of CPAs 
Michelle F. Randall, CPA, CGMA, Accounting Professor, Schoolcraft College and chair of the Michigan Association of CPAs 
Jodi Ann Ray, CAE, President and CEO, Texas Society of CPAs 
Marcus Rayner, Managing Director, U.S. Public Policy at PwC 
Rick Reisig, CPA, Principal, Pinion, LLC, and board chairman, NASBA 
Lindsay Stevenson, CPA, CGMA, Chief Transformation Officer, BPM and board member, Association of International Certified Professional Accountants 
Mark Taylor, CPA, Director, University of South Florida’s Lynn Pippenger School of Accountancy and 2023-24 president, American Accounting Association 
Emily Walker, CAE, Vice President, Advocacy, Virginia Society of CPAs 
Shelly Weir, President and CEO, Florida Institute of CPAs 

The advisory group began meeting last week and will report on its progress at the AICPA’s Fall Council meeting in October. A resolution passed by AICPA Council members in May called for a collaborative process resulting in research-driven national pipeline strategy that, among other things, addresses the image of the profession as well as educational and experience requirements, and outlines short and long-term actions that address the profession’s human capital needs. The Council resolution affirmed a commitment to preserving mobility for CPAs, a critical element of the system of state licensure allowing CPAs to practice across licensing jurisdictions. 

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