ASCPA to Honor Field and Glasper as Life Members at Annual Meeting on May 17
Heidi Frei
Larry Field, CPA
When you go to the Arizona Society of CPAs’ Web site to sign up for a CPE course, post a message to the list serve or receive an e-mail newsletter from the ASCPA, all of this has been made possible by the support of Larry Field. He will not take any credit for these services and will make sure to tell you that it is made possible by the great volunteers and staff of the Society. But without the vision and direction that Field provided to the ASCPA while serving on the board of directors, these services could not become a reality.
When asked about working with Field on the ASCPA board, Rufus Glasper commented, “Larry is a person who will ask the question that no one else will ask. He is vocal. He is an excellent technician, an excellent analyst and very truthful. He sees the big picture.”
Field understood the important role technology would play in the success of the ASCPA. “You can’t communicate with 5,000 plus members without technology,” Field said. “The improvements in technology and communication over the years by the ASCPA have been exciting.”
Advocacy is another area that Field became involved in. During his term on the board of directors, the ASCPA worked to build better relationships with legislators and with the State Board of Accountancy. He worked with the State Board to re-write the accountancy act. In that re-write the Board was able to adopt much of the Uniform Accountancy Act. Through that process Field testified in front of a Senate committee. “It was a very intimidating experience,” Field said.
“When you talk about accounting reform in the last five, six years, Larry has helped to drive it,” fellow member Rufus Glasper said.
Field explained the importance of the legislative activities of the ASCPA. “We have worked hard to become a player in the political arena and have developed a great reputation,” Field said. “When an issue comes up that is related to accounting or tax, the legislators want to know how we feel about it.”
He also stressed the importance of contributing to the PAC and other political fundraisers through the ASCPA. “You can’t buy someone’s vote, but you can get their attention,” Field said, “and we have been able to do that.”
Field has enjoyed his service to the profession and encourages others to give back. “I know it makes me a better CPA,” Field said. “If you’re involved, you’re forced to stay current on what is going on in the profession.”
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“Larry’s business skills have made the Society a better run organization. His vision has allowed us to help CPAs succeed in many new ways and his leadership has established the ASCPA as the premier organization representing CPAs in
When looking at the future for CPAs, Field again looks at technology. “I don’t think anyone has a clue (including me) how technology will change our lives in the next 20 years,” Field said. “The impact of instant and accurate information will have a huge impact on the profession.”
Lawrence Field, CPA, the managing member of the firm Field Lawdahl, PLLC in
Since graduating from ASU in 1978, he has worked in both industry and public accounting. Among the positions he has held are CFO for a publicly traded franchising entity and COO for a privately held health care consulting company. He was one of the founding shareholders of Field, Sarvas, King, P.C., where he was responsible for the firm’s accounting and auditing practice prior to retiring in 1998.
Among Field’s contributions to the profession are service on the AICPA Council (2002-2005), Chair of the ASCPA (2001-2002), and active participation in the work of the ASCPA (1991-2005). Field is continuing to impact the profession with his new role on the profession’s Board of Examiners. Field also has a long history of community involvement. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Ronald McDonald House of Phoenix, Inc., where he holds the position of President.
Rufus Glasper, CPA
As chancellor of the largest community college system in the
Glasper had to overcome some of the common stereotypes that CPAs face. “People have for many years perceived me as only a finance person,” Glasper said. “Part of what CPAs are doing now is changing that image.”
Glasper helps people by talking about accounting in a way that they understand. “It is the notion of being global. It’s the notion of using strategic planning as a major tool to use in your decisions in terms of budgeting, so that you have the resources. It’s the notion of then accounting for those resources through financial reporting, and using them to drive your decisions in the future.
Accounting is summarized by financial stability, but in order to be financially stable, you need to understand the accounting and the impact of the decisions you make.” This focus on financial stability has helped the Maricopa County Community College District earn an AAA bond rating.
During Glasper’s term as chair of the ASCPA, there was much discussion in the accounting profession about the future of CPAs globally. “It was a pivotal time in the Society and in the profession where we were truly looking at what it meant to have a global credential and to experience the discussion at both the state and national level about this thing called the Cognitor,” Glasper said. “It was exciting because you had an organization that had tradition and culture and now you were being asked to not necessarily think differently, but to do differently and be different. It was a scary time, because it involved change. No one could define an image that they were comfortable with.”
“Rufus’ global view of the profession and knowledge of the many talents of CPAs impacted the Society in significant ways,” ASCPA President & CEO
Fourteen years ago Glasper was approached by fellow member Mike Daggett to get more involved in the ASCPA. “I had so many questions and I was challenged, quite frankly, by a fellow member to not just ask questions but to help recommend solutions and be a part of the solution. To either put up or shut up,” Glasper said. “I took that very seriously. It was kind of a wake up call to say people are asking you to get engaged. If you choose not to get engaged, you can only blame yourself for the results.”
When looking back at his years of service to the ASCPA, Glasper described the Society as family. “You can come in a room and talk about multiple issues. You can laugh. You can be disgusted. You can walk out and you are still family. It’s watching people grow.”
This analogy is especially significant because fellow member Larry Field said, “Rufus is the kind of person we should all aspire to be. If I could get my boys to be a certain way, I would want them to be like him.”
Hubiak added, “Rufus is a role model for all CPAs. He shows us that we can use our talents in many ways and that our financial foundation can make a great difference.”
Rufus Glasper, CPA, holds a doctorate in higher education finance from the
His expertise in finance has been demonstrated through a dedicated career of service in public finance leadership capacities; consultation with business, higher education, and governmental entities; teaching as an adjunct faculty member in the ASU graduate college; and publishing a variety of public finance articles.
Glasper served on the ASCPA board of directors (1991-2005) and served as chair (2000-2001). He also represented
Several awards and recognitions mark Glasper’s career. Most notably among these is the Kellogg Foundation/League for Innovation Fellowship in Community College Leadership and the Maricopa County NAACP Roy Wilkins Award.
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AZ CPA - March/April 2006
