Julian Dozier, 2022-23 Chair:
Since 1905, the FICPA has been committed to serving our members and advancing the accounting profession.
I’m Julian Dozier, your 2022-23 Chair, and it’s been my honor this year to usher in a new era in our proud history.
This past February, we celebrated the grand opening of our brand-new FICPA headquarters in downtown Orlando. This was a ribbon cutting more than seven years in the making.
As I stand here, in our new home, I am grateful to all the members and volunteer leaders who helped us get to where we are today. This space is the heartbeat of the FICPA, where more than 30 staff members work each and every day to Protect, Promote, Educate and Innovate on behalf of the CPA profession in Florida.
I am pleased now to introduce the President & CEO of the FICPA, Shelly Weir, as we look back on all we’ve accomplished in the last 12 months and look ahead to a bright future.
Shelly Weir, President & CEO
Thank you, Julian, for your leadership this year, and hello to you, our valued FICPA members.
The last 12 months have been a time of both great excitement and great challenge.
This past Fall, Hurricanes Ian and Nicole had a direct impact on members and firms across our state. Once again, the CPA profession pulled together in tough times, and we mobilized to support our friends and colleagues in need,collecting donations, distributing supplies, feeding the community, and bringing the IRS to Southwest Florida.
Before, during, and long after these devastating storms, our Governmental Affairs team went to work, providing our members with the most up-to-date information and top technical guidance. We pushed hard for state and federal action, helping to secure critical tax relief for all of Florida’s 67 counties. Our around-the-clock advocacy efforts ensured that CPAs counted when it mattered most.
Our ability to respond in times of crisis is a direct result of the relationships we develop with key lawmakers in Tallahassee. With your support, our CPA/PAC set a fundraising record for the second year in a row and achieved a 97% success rate during the 2022 election cycle. And in January, our Advocacy Days set the stage for this spring’s Legislative Session, when we protected our members from a series of proposals that would have adversely impacted CPAs.
Our Learning & Development and Membership teams have likewise been dedicated to making your CPE reporting process as quick and easy as possible. As CPAs across the state navigate Florida’s updated renewal process, our CPE Tracker provides one comprehensive certificate you can submit to DBPR, listing all your completed FICPA courses in one place.
While we’ve settled into our new home in Orlando, we’ve never stopped travelling the state. This year, our team made nearly 400 in-person visits, hosted more than 120 chapter events, and boasted a 99% retention rate with our member firms.
Finally, with an eye toward the next generation, our FICPA Scholarship Foundation awarded more than $200,000 in funds to future CPAs. We engaged more than 1,300 students during 41 campus visits and received a record number of scholarship applications. Armed with a new mission and vision to address the profession’s talent challenges our Foundation is dedicated to promoting the profession and strengthening the pipeline.
Of course, none of these efforts would be possible without the dedication of our members and the support of our Strategic Partners and sponsors.
As we turn the page on our FICPA calendar, I am excited to introduce you to the next Chair of the FICPA, Key O’Keefe.
Key O’Keefe, 2023-24 Chair
Thank you, Shelly. Thank you, Julian. And thank you to the more than 18,500 members of the FICPA.
I am honored to serve as our next Chair, and I have never been more excited about the direction of this great organization.
I look forward to serving you over the next year, as we work together to secure and grow the future of our profession.
I am grateful for your support, and I encourage you to join us in shaping the next era of the FICPA.
