Actively Pursuing Diversity

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State Board Report

August

State Boards are being encouraged to reach out to minority group professional associations to increase diversity on the Boards. Diversity Committee Chair Tyrone Dickerson reported to the Board of Directors that NASBA has been discussing with the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) ongoing ways the organizations can work to increase the number of African-American CPAs, and NASBA hosted a booth at NABA’s convention in June. He urged State Boards to contact NABA for volunteers to become Accountancy Board members or to serve as advisers to the State Boards. Mr. Dickerson suggested contacting NABA Executive Director Jina Etienne ([email protected]) for appointment recommendations.

The Diversity Committee is also working to establish relationships with the Accounting and Financial Women’s Alliance (AFWA), American Woman’s Society of Certified Public Accountants (AWSCPA) and the Association of Latino Professionals For America (ALPFA).

Texas State Board of Public Accountancy Presiding Officer J. Coalter Baker said the Texas Board has been turning to others besides the State CPA Society for individuals to serve as the Board’s advisers and committee members. NABA has been a “great source” of non-traditional volunteers, he stated.

This year NASBA staff has once again been joined by two interns from the Inroads Project, Darius Lewis in finance and Gus Surrano in data analytics. Ryan W. Hirsch, NASBA Center for the Public Trust Operations Director, began his career as an Inroads Project intern at NASBA.

NASBA continues to support the work of the Ph.D. Project, promoting business doctoral programs for minorities underrepresented on business faculties. Throughout August the Project will be holding informational sessions across the country.