Chairs Message
A Fulfilling Experience
By Nancy L. Roach, CPA
As I began to think about what to put in my last column as Chair of the Board, I realized that over this year I have accumulated a lot of wonderful memories and have a lot of people to thank. This year has been a successful year for the ASCPA and it must be attributed to the hard work of many people, including a great staff, board of directors and membership.
In order to remember all the great events of this year and the people who have made this experience so fulfilling, I would like to use the analogy of the glass jar and the beach. If I use the rocks, seashells and sand from the beach to represent memories, I can fill up the jar and keep those memories safe. (I would love to take credit for this analogy, but I think Stephen F. Covey might object.) In order to fill the jar as full as I can, there is a certain order to follow.
First, I must put the big rocks in the bottom. These rocks are the main foun dation and representative of the successful completion of our strategic plan objectives, our Executive Committee, our Board of Directors and the fabulous staff of the ASCPA. I would be remiss if I didn't include rocks for the successful Annual Luncheon, the signing of Senate Bill 1389 by Governor Napolitano that the society helped to author, and the growth of donations to and awareness of the ASCPA Foundation for Education and Innovation.
After the rocks, I can start to put in the next foundational component, the seashells. T hese shells are representative of some of the wonderful individuals who made this year memorable and I want to make sure they have a place in the jar. I would put in shells for Ken Husband and Tony Astorga who encouraged me to take the position of chair. Next, there would be Peggy Ullmann, current President of the ASCPA Foundation who added her expertise and bubbly personality to the AICPA meetings we attended. Next would be Kate Forbes, our Public Service Award recipient this year, who quietly shared her intelligence to add to my skill set during the year. The seashell collection would not be complete without Doug Haywood who was mentor extraordinaire and answered all my questions without thinking them foolish. Last, but certainly not least, would be Larry Field who taught us that board meetings should be fun and has always been willing to share his wise advice. There are many more people to mention, but I fear if I put in that many shells, there will be no room for sand.
Last, I would fill the jar with sand. Each grain of sand would represent a member I have had the privilege of meeting and working with this year. Our membership is very committed to the profession, and I was able to see this in person as I visited the chapters around the state. I have been able to work with the members here in Phoenix for y ears, but now I see that some pretty amazing things are happening around the state. I hope to have enough room in the jar to fit in all the grains that I want to add.
Just before I close the lid on my memories and all the people I want to remember from this year, I must put in one last shell for Cindie Hubiak. Cindie makes the job of chair seem effortless, and believe me it is due to her hard work and the work of her staff. She is the best leader the Society could ask or hope for. It's obvious that the success of the organization and all who are associated with it is one of her top priorities. I must truly thank her for her patience and guidance and for helping me to fill my memory jar to the very brim.
Well, the jar is full and the year is almost over. It is with a small amount of sadness and much enthusiasm that I will pass the torch to Mark Landy, next year's chair. Mark is poised to take the reins and help move the ASCPA to the next level. I wish him luck and may he need to find a bigger memory jar than mine to fill for his year.
