Standing on the shoulders of giants – The MACPA Strategic Partners
“Making History, Anticipating the Future” was the theme of the MACPA’s annual CPA Summit, held Dec. 15 at the John Hopkins Applied Physics Lab in Laurel.
The Hopkins APL — birthplace of the Hubble Space Telescope — was selected due to its place as a global innovation center in Maryland, said MACPA CEO Tom Hood.
Hood then invited all of the event’s sponsors (pictured above) to be recognized on stage, saying the MACPA is “standing on the shoulders of giants.” These organizations are strategic partners with the MACPA and a resource for members to see farther and anticipate future trends ahead of their competition. These sponsors joined MACPA leaders and volunteers to participate in a ‘think tank’ about the future of the CPA Profession the day before the Summit.
The sponsors incuded:
- Sage
- Wolters Kluwer — CCH
- Xero
- CPA.com
- XCM Solutions
- AON / CNA
- M&T Bank
- Kelly Payroll and Benefits
- TriBridge Partners
The Summit sessions featured the latest developments in technology, risk and insurance, human resources, and client accounting services. One of the major highlights was a report on the latest legislative and regulatory developments on Capitol Hill by Mark Peterson, executive vice president of advocacy for the American Institute of CPAs. Peterson included a look at President-elect Donald Trump’s transition and policies and the post-election makeup of our new Congress. (See our post President Trump: What Does He Mean for CPAs.)
Hood also invited the attendees to stop the war between generations and instead become members of “Generation Flux,” a term coined by Fast Company editor Robert Safian, who called Gen Flux “the group of people best positioned to thrive in today’s era of high-velocity change.”
“Fluxers are defined not by their chronological age but by their willingness and ability to adapt,” Safian wrote. “These are the people who are defining where business and culture are moving. And purpose is at the heart of their actions.”
History was made during Kimberly Ellison-Taylor’s endnote presentation, “Leading Through Disruptive Times.” The presentation marked Kimberly’s first official appearance since taking the helm as chair of the AICPA’s Board of Directors. She is the first African-American to chair the AICPA in its 128-year history and the first-ever chair from Maryland in our 116-year history. (See her story here.)
Hood closed with this quote: “This is the moment for an explosion of opportunity, there for the taking by those prepared to embrace the change.” The MACPA is here, as your association, to help you be even more future-ready to take advantage of these opportunities.
- See the CPA Summit Twitter recap showing our social reach of more than 4 million impressions.
- Read the Summit’s Storify social story via participants with photos and tweets
Save the date – Next year’s CPA Summit – December 13th, 2017 at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab in Laurel, Maryland.