PICPA Elects 125th President of Statewide Organization at Annual Meeting

The Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) has named Aaron R. Risden as president PICPA for the 2022-2023 year. Risden was elected at the PICPA’s historic 125^th Anniversary Annual Meeting on June 1, 2022.

Risden serves as chief financial officer and treasurer of Vision Benefits of America Inc. (VBA), a vision insurance company in Carnegie, Pa. As PICPA president, Risden will be dedicated to empowering the PICPA Board and staff to move its strategic goals into action.

“In a membership organization, active participation is vital to our continued success,” said Risden. “Accordingly, I plan to facilitate greater Board, Council, and member engagement. With the support of our current membership, I will propel the next generation of Pennsylvania CPAs to become the accounting leaders of tomorrow.”

The PICPA supports CPAs and future CPAs by providing education, networking, and volunteer opportunities to its 20,000 members. It plans to prioritize digital transformation, member service innovation, and professional development as part of implementing its strategic plan.

Jennifer Cryder, CEO of the PICPA, added, “Our dedication to a future-focused profession will help our members and the accounting industry as a whole to be on the cutting-edge of the opportunities available to us.”

Risden is the past president of the PICPA’s Pittsburgh chapter. He currently serves on PICPA’s Budget and Finance and Corporate Finance Steering committees, and is a member of the Pennsylvania CPA Foundation.

At VBA, Risden oversees the accounting, enrollment, human resources, and information technology departments. Prior to joining VBA, Risden earned his Master’s Degree from the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh and worked for a large Pittsburgh-based public accounting firm.

Elected officers in attendance at the annual meeting included Elizabeth Krisher, chair and chief executive officer of Maher Duessel in Pittsburgh (president-elect); Shea S. Saman, chief financial officer of Feeding Pennsylvania in Camp Hill (vice president); R. Charles Waring, director of assurance and technology control services at EisnerAmper in Philadelphia (vice president); and Ryan G. Lafferty, partner with Attolon Partners LLC in Philadelphia (treasurer).

For a complete list of the 2022-2023 PICPA leadership, visit https://www.picpa.org/join/who-we-are/volunteer-leadership