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NASBA Communications Committee Chair Kenya Y. Watts (OH) joined her committee members in hosting a webinar entitled “Communicating During a Pandemic: A Virtual Discussion for Boards of Accountancy,” on June 17. She explained the purpose of the virtual meeting was “to discuss how and what Boards are communicating now during the pandemic.”

Participants reported on their Boards’ experiences with different virtual meeting platforms. An on-line poll of the group found 34 percent were using Zoom, 15 percent Teams, 17 percent Webex, 15 percent Skype, 12 percent some other platform and 7 percent were not holding virtual meetings. NASBA Communications Chief Thomas Kenny then asked how they would rate the platform they have been using. Twenty-three percent said it was doing a great job, 36 percent a good job, 26 percent an adequate job and 15 percent said it was “okay.”

Strategies for meeting with educators were discussed. The North Carolina Board has held annual meetings with educators for 34 years, and this year it will be done virtually, North Carolina Executive Director Robert N. Brooks stated. Ohio has an Accounting Program Leadership Group, composed of the local schools’ accounting department chairs, and NASBA speakers have met with them, Communications Committee Member Gerald Weinstein (OH) reported. Many educators are interested in what is going on with the Uniform CPA Examination and NASBA is ready to put on a webinar for states that want to bring their educators together to learn about the initiative, he said.

A social media guide that can assist Boards in reaching out to students can be found on NASBA’s website, Communications Manager Cassandra Gray told the webinar (https://nasba.org/app/uploads/2015/03/2016-Social-Media-Guide-Final3.6.17.pdf). She encouraged the Boards to repost material received from NASBA on their own websites and social media channels.

Communications Committee speakers on the webinar included Barry M. Berkowitz (PA), Patty Faenger (MO), Leslie A. Mostow (MD), Robert W. Sinkewicz (VT), Susan M. Strautmann (WI) and Gerald Weinstein (OH).