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CONTACT: Entities are Collaboratively Introducing Initiative That Makes This Goal a Top Priority Greenbelt, MD (BlackNews.com) - According to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Blacks only comprise three percent of all CPAs and make up less than one percent of partners in accounting firms, numbers that have remained flat for almost two decades. The National Association of Black Accountants, Inc. (NABA) and the Howard University School of Business Center for Accounting Education (HUCAE) want this to change. The organization and the school have launched CPA Bound, an advocacy initiative to address the barriers to certification and educate their respective constituents on the importance of obtaining the credential. At the NABA annual convention in June, a summit was convened with more than 40 representatives from corporations, firms, and academia, as well as the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), various state CPA societies and CPA preparatory firms, to identify and explore issues which contribute to the small number of Black CPAs, such as: * Challenges in communicating the importance of a the certification and the advantages the designation has with respect to career advancement * Reluctance of accounting majors to pursue their CPA directly post-graduation * Misconceptions and anxiety about the CPA curriculum and exam preparation. NABA and HUCAE will release a summary of their insights, along with attainable solutions for increasing the number of Black CPAs, in a white paper early this fall. "CPA Bound is an excellent opportunity for NABA and HUCAE to bridge the gap between the demand for CPAs and the current number of Blacks within the accounting profession who are certified," says NABA National President and CEO Gwendolyn D. Skillern, CPA. "The participants did an excellent job bringing a number of issues to the surface and suggesting potential solutions for NABA and affiliate organizations to consider. NABA will work to develop a well-coordinated, multi-faceted action plan, on both the national and local levels, to increase the number of Black CPAs. This will enhance Black professionals' ability to rise in the profession and assist corporations in achieving their diversity goals." "Getting Blacks certified as CPAs was one of the bedrock issues NABA was founded upon when it was established in 1969. Moving forward, our organizations are going to take ownership around this issue and do everything we can to move the dial and increase the numbers," says HUCAE Director and NABA Founding Member Frank Ross, CPA, who served as the organization's first president. The efforts that emerge from CPA Bound will work in concert with NABA's existing initiatives to increase the number of Black CPAs, which include the NABA Division of Firms, a NABA subsidiary group established specifically for accounting and financial services firms that are minority-owned and -operated; the Ralph Grant Institute, the Division of Firms's professional development program; and the Howard University School of Business Center for Accounting Education. NABA has also taken steps to identify Black CPAs at the partner, CEO, and CFO levels, and heighten their visibility as a means of example and modeling, and has conducted high school accounting career programs to educate pre-college teens about the accounting profession. "Blacks are underrepresented in the profession, and while we have made strides, it's not enough with respect to the CPA credential, which is one of the most-trusted certification one can attain," says George Willie, CPA, managing partner at Washington D.C.-based Bert Smith & Co. and one of the principals of the CPA Bound initiative. "There are so many opportunities one can pursue with respect to a CPA -- academia, corporate America or within a specific profession or field. This is an important time for NABA to examine the 'how', 'when' and 'why' as they relate to getting Blacks certified." As a result of feedback from the summit, CPA Bound's first steps will focus on celebrating and showcasing those who achieve the CPA designation by recognizing all new CPAs at NABA's 2008 national convention. Other proposed actions include featuring a CPA-dedicated learning track at all NABA regional conferences moving forward, instituting a CPA mentorship program through the NABA national office, and developing a survey of CPAs in order to provide a much-needed database of behaviors and insights that will steer and inform future CPA Bound programs. NABA and HUCAE will also use intelligence from the organizations and associations in NABA chapter cities to help guide and incentivize next steps -- for example, there are local associations that provide scholarship support for those who want to take the CPA examination, or grant money for those who pass the exam. Many of the proposed solutions cited the need to make a stronger, more absolute corollary between the CPA designation and the accounting profession as a whole, which would trickle down to academia but also would need to be reflected among NABA membership. In this vein, the organization will consider incorporating and earmarking the CPA exam cost into future scholarship awards and taking a more active role in educating members on individual state requirements. "I want to applaud NABA and the Howard University Center for Accounting Education for convening the Summit, and for their willingness to ask the difficult questions," says AICPA Senior Vice President Arleen Thomas, CPA. "NABA, the CAE and the AICPA share a common goal: Attract minorities to the CPA profession and retain them throughout their careers -- the profession as a whole is graying, baby boomers are retiring, and the pipeline of new CPAs isn't as full as it should be. There is a huge demand for CPAs and, as a result, there are many opportunities for bright, talented young professionals." "The CPA Summit was thought-provoking and very-much needed. A great deal of effort will be required to increase the number of Black CPAs, and while I am disappointed that we are still discussing the dearth of CPAs in 2007, I am pleased that NABA and Howard University are addressing this issue," says NABA Past National President, Kim Griffin-Hunter, CPA, a partner with Deloitte. Carla Welborn, National Assoc. of Black Accountants
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 23, 2007
Meghan Haynes
Beaman Incorporated
mhaynes@beamaninc.com
312-751-9689, ext. 15
THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLACK ACCOUNTANTS, INC (NABA) AND THE HOWARD UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, CENTER FOR ACCOUNTING EDUCATION (HUCAE) ARE LEADING THE CHARGE TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF BLACK CPAS
John C. Honor, Jr., executive director, Human Resources, KPMG LLP, addresses the CPA Bound Summit. 
Walker Godin, national account manager, Bisk Education, Inc., and Shirley Friar, Ph.D., chair, of the accounting department at Clark Atlanta University, discuss recommendations to increase the number of Black CPAs. 
Frank Ross, CPA, director of the Howard University School of Business, Center for Accounting Education (HUCAE), and Gwendolyn D. Skillern, CPA, NABA National President and CEO.
The National Association of Black accountants Inc. (NABA), which represents the interests of more than 100,000 people of color in furthering their educational and professional aspirations in the related business fields of accounting, consulting, finance and information technology, is one of the premier professional organizations in the nation. Established in 1969 by nine African-American accountants in New York City, the organization currently boasts more than 185 professional and student chapters across the country. For additional information about the CSOP and NABA, please contact NABA at (301) 474-6222 or visit www.nabainc.org
MEDIA CONTACT:
Meghan Haynes, Beaman Incorporated
mhaynes@beamaninc.com, 312-751-9689, ext. 15
cwelborn@nabainc.org, 301-474-4222
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