Tackling the Talent Shortage

Chair’s Message

Welcome to your July/August issue of Today’s CPA. This is my first chair’s message, which is special to me because my involvement in TXCPA began when I was invited to serve as a member of the TXCPA Editorial Board. I have served in many different roles for the past 20 years, at both the state level and for TXCPA Houston. I am grateful to have been introduced to volunteer leadership with TXCPA by originally helping steer the direction and content for this magazine.  

My time as TXCPA Chair comes at a particularly exciting time for an accounting educator like me. You’ve no doubt read and heard about TXCPA’s commitment to growing the CPA pipeline and our multi-year CPA Pipeline Strategy that launched in 2022-2023. This past May, AICPA’s National Pipeline Advisory Group (NPAG) released a draft report with proposed profession-wide solutions to tackle the talent shortage and attract more people to a rewarding career in accounting.

At the Annual Meeting of Members in Frisco, Texas at the end of June, our agenda included time devoted to discussing how we can be a part of the solution and incorporate NPAG’s proposals into our own plans and actions. The talent challenges are impacting all of us – from employers to educators – and I am encouraged by the way our profession is committed to reversing the trends and how our members are pledging to share the many ways they benefit from being CPAs.

I am honored to serve as your TXCPA Chair as we navigate the pipeline challenges and other critical professional issues together. You can learn more about my background and vision in the cover story, and I welcome your feedback throughout the year if there is anything TXCPA can do to help support you or add value to your membership.

I look forward to serving with you!