California CPA Society Hits Record Membership

The California Society of CPAs (CalCPA.org) now has more than 44,000 members and continues to be the largest state association for Certified Public Accountants in the nation.

Kathy Johnson, CalCPA chair, credits the membership record to the Society’s efforts to provide services that benefit both members and their clients and its efforts to recruit accounting students.

“Through our chapters and our campus outreach programs, we continually strive to acquaint accounting students with the advantages of being part of an association that works on behalf of the profession’s best interests,” Johnson said. “We have governmental programs that advocate on behalf of our members and their clients before the state legislator and regulatory bodies.

“We also offer a wealth of services, including networking events, educational programs and print and online publications designed to improve member knowledge and skills.”

Johnson, who is CalCPA chair for 2017-18, said that the Society is particularly focusing on acquainting minorities with the accounting profession. “The majority of Californians are members of minority groups. If our profession is to continue to grow, we must attract more young people of diverse backgrounds and help them have successful careers as CPAs.”

Through its 14 chapters, CalCPA each year awards more than $200,000 in scholarships to college students throughout the state. The Society also has student ambassadors on 44 college campuses. These ambassadors host programs that provide accounting and business students with information on the benefits of becoming a CPA.

CalCPA has 13 categories of membership, ranging from student to lifetime members, who have been CalCPA members for 40 years. The Society recently began offering membership to financial professionals who have never been CPAs.

More than 130 accounting firms in the state have all their CPA staff enrolled in CalCPA.

Headquartered in Burlingame, California, the California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA.org) is the nation’s largest state accounting organization and the largest CPA association in California. It serves more than 44,000 members in public practice, private industry, education and government. Through CalCPA Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, CalCPA members provide financial literacy programs to high schools and community groups.