Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants

The Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants (FICPA) is a professional membership organization representing approximately 18,500 CPAs and accounting professionals in Florida and beyond. Deborah L. Curry, CPA, CGMA, is the FICPA's President/CEO and Mia Thomas, CPA, is the Institute's 2015-2016 Chair of the Board.

The FICPA provides opportunities for professional development, knowledge sharing, networking, community involvement, leadership and camaraderie while lobbying the Florida Legislature on issues that affect CPAs and promoting the CPA designation. It is also one of the 11 nonprofit members of the Federation of Schools of Accountancy.

In December 2014, Forbes listed FICPA number 19 on The 100 Must-Follow Tax Twitter Feeds.

History

The FICPA was founded in 1905.

Walter Mucklow, T.G. Hutchinson and two other Florida accountants envisioned an association that would promote the exchange of ideas; enhance confidence in public accountants among businessmen; and encourage a high standard of efficiency in the science of accounting and the art of bookkeeping. These four men lobbied the Legislature and pushed through the first accountancy law in the Southern states. They created an accountancy exam. In 1916, they organized into a group of CPAs under the name of the Florida Society of Certified Public Accountants.

In 1955, the Florida Society of Certified Public Accountants was renamed the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants (FICPA). At the time, there were 811 members and 350 candidates sat for the CPA exam.

With interests in building a governmental relations program, the Board of Governors voted in 1979 to relocate the FICPA's headquarters to Tallahassee, Florida. In 1985, the FICPA moved into its new, official headquarters within walking distance of the Florida State Capitol. Four years later, the building was expanded.

When it celebrated its 100-year anniversary on April 20, 2005, it represented more than 18,400 CPAs throughout Florida. Authors Lloyd "Buddy" Turman and Heidi Tyline King published a paperback book titled "FICPA: Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants" in 2005 commemorating the milestone.

The FICPA aims to uphold the high standards of the accounting profession and ensure its continued growth and success. The organization employs 65 association professionals, who focus on programs to enhance members' competency and professionalism; support standards of independence, integrity and objectivity that also are in the public interest; promote community involvement; and monitor and actively participate in the public policy-making process.

Past FICPA Presidents/Chairs

Chairs

• Jeff Barbacci (2014–15)
• Ken Strauss (2013–14)
• Scott Price (2012–13)

Presidents

• Stam Stathis (2011–12)
• Michael R. Pender Jr. (2010–11)
• Jose Valiente (2009–10)
• Ben A. "Steve" Stevens, III (2008–09)
• David L. "Dave" Dennis (2007–08)
• Beryl H. "Berri" Davis (2006–07)
• Richard A. Berkowitz (2005–06)
• Tommye E. Barie (2004–05)
• Dominic C. "Dom" Pino (2003–04)
• Winston K. Howell (2002–03)
• J. Stephen Nouss (2001–02)
• Ron Thompkins (2000–01)
• Jeffrey H. Greene (1999-00)
• Carol P. Deegan (1998–99)
• Barbara A. Burner (1997–98)
• Wayne N. "Skipp" Fraser (1996–97)
• Alan C. Fisk (1995–96)
• Randy W. Moore (1994–95)
• Ramon A. Rodriguez (1993–94)
• Robert J. Batson (1992–93)
• John R. Rowe Jr. (1991–92)
• Robert R. Harris (1990–91)
• William D. Pruitt (1989–90)
• Scott T. Rhine (1988–89)
• Wilber G. Van Scoik (1987–88)
• E. M. "Jim" Campbell Jr. (1986–87)
• Sharon C. Brown (1985–86)
• James M. Lane (1984–85)
• Arthur J. Stites (1983–84)
• Jack E. Brooks (1982–83)
• Raymond L. Crippen (1981–82)
• Morton L. Weinberger (1980–81)
• Patrick J. Knipe (1979–80)
• Donald P. Zima (1978–79)
• Harold E. Walker (1977–78)
• Russell S. Bogue Jr. (1976–77)
• I. Jerry Bloom (1975–76)
• Louis W. Dooner (1974–75)
• Jerome A. Schine (1973–74)
• Robert C. Ellyson (1972–73)
• James T. Lang (1971–72)
• Drakon B. Odom (1970–71)
• Jerrold S. Trumbower (1969–70)
• Harry E. Hurst (1968–69)
• James W. Kindelan (1967–68)
• George E. Tornwall Jr. (1966–67)
• Arthur L. Shealy Jr. (1965–66)
• Robert F. Stonerock (1964–65)
• Barney Bernstein (1963–64)
• Jack W. Lucas (1962–63)
• Richard E. Darby (1961–62)
• William Bond (1960–61)
• Thomas E. Triplett (1959–60)
• R. Bob Smith (1958–59)
• Lyndon C. Conlon (1957–58)
• Richard L. Barnes (1956–57)
• Mark W. Eastland Jr. (1955–56)
• Robert M. Altemus (1954–55)
• Harry W. Bower (1953–54)
• Jewell A. Davis (1952–53)
• Charles S. Roberts (1951–52)
• Gordon P. Blitch (1950–51)
• Roy L. Purvis (1949–50)
• Robert M. Morgan (1948–49)
• Paul R. Smoak (1947–48)
• Russell S. Bogue (1946–47)
• O. J. Oosterhoudt (1945–46)
• Leonard L. Abess (1944–45)
• Charles H. Lindfors (1943–44)
• Joseph A. Sweeney (1942–43)
• Claude K. Milligan (1941–42)
• Manuel A. Montenegro (1940–41)
• James I. Keller Jr. (1939–40)
• Harry M. Turnburke (1938–39)
• Prim W. Fisher (1937–38)
• R. Warner Ring (1936–37)
• Charles H. Goodrich (1935–36)
• Charles C. Potter (1934–35)
• Frank Brooks Colley (1933–34)
• Elon Russell Sheldon (1932–33)
• Benjamin E. James (1931–32)
• Hugh F. Purvis (1930–31)
• Jay E. Bigham (1929–30)
• Walter Muckalow (1928–29)

Role & Objectives

Affiliation with the FICPA represents commitment to the CPA profession, including adherence to the Code of Professional Conduct and to a stringent set of professional and technical standards. In addition to ensuring that standards are met, the FICPA provides information and resources that enable CPAs to enhance the quality of their services.

Publications such as Florida CPA Today, the FICPA's bi-monthly magazine and NewsFlash, the Institute's electronic newsletter, update members and invite CPAs to share their expertise on important professional and public issues with members of the business community, the media and the public.

The FICPA has eight fundamental objectives around which all of its activities, benefits and services revolve. Its website states those objectives as:

1. To foster ethical conduct and promote standards of independence, integrity and objectivity in the profession.
2. To promote the establishment and maintenance of high educational and professional requirements for persons in the profession.
3. To monitor and actively participate in public policy-making processes that impact the profession.
4. To collect, analyze and interpret data on changing market, economic, governmental and technological conditions affecting the profession.
5. To encourage the analysis, discussion and understanding of issues and trends in the profession.
6. To expand the public’s knowledge and understanding of the profession.
7. To maintain relationships and activities with other organizations in pursuit of the Institute’s mission.
8. To provide an organizational structure that efficiently utilizes volunteer-leader and professional-staff resources for the continuing development of programs that effectively address the expectations of all members.

Membership

With more than 18,500 members, the Florida Institute of CPAs is one of the largest CPA organizations in the United States.

The FICPA serves Florida CPAs from all areas of practice, including public accounting, industry and government. The Institute also provides specialized membership to meet the needs of accounting professionals who are not yet certified, accounting educators, professional affiliates, accounting firm administrators and students.

The FICPA membership is organized through 27 chapters across Florida. These chapters are further grouped into six geographical regions. Each region and the chapters within that region hold and promote programming of local interest and provide a conduit for communication with the FICPA leadership. Regional and local chapter members also provide locally elected representatives to serve on the FICPA Board of Governors. Participation in local chapters provides members with the opportunity to develop leadership skills by taking an active role in both the Institute and the profession.

Members of the FICPA may also participate in leadership through the organization's 31 committees to help facilitate networking, community outreach, conference-planning, professional development and information dissemination.

Young CPAs

As a committee of the FICPA, the Young CPA Committee (YCPA) is geared towards developing ways to engage young CPAs (age 35 and under) in the accounting profession.

The Young CPA Committee's goals are to provide increased networking opportunities for young CPAs by developing and promoting strong local YCPA organizations across the state; organize and support philanthropic events sponsored by YCPA organizations across the state; and to encourage other young CPAs to get involved with the FICPA and the profession as a whole.

Advocacy

The FICPA serves as a liaison for the CPA profession with various legislative and regulatory agencies in Florida. The FICPA's Governmental Affairs team helps develop annual proposed legislative and regulatory policies; monitors state legislation and regulatory actions; lobbies on behalf of the FICPA; and communicates changes to FICPA members. Fourth-generation Floridian and FSU graduate, Justin Thames is the current Director of Governmental Affairs.

Florida CPA/PAC

The CPA/PAC is an entity completely separate from the FICPA. It is supported solely by the voluntary contributions of the FICPA's members and others. The objective of the Florida CPA/PAC is to help protect the trust, confidence and esteem the CPA certificate holds in the public's eye.

In 2001, the Florida CPA/PAC was separated into three geographic regions. Each chapter is "nested" into one of the three regions. Members are assigned to one of the three regional CPA/PACs based on geographic location:

• North (includes 11 chapters)
• Central (includes 9 chapters)
• South (includes 7 chapters)

Continuing Professional Education (CPE)

The FICPA helps CPAs meet continuing professional education requirements by coordinating hundreds of in-person events across Florida as well as webcasts, webinars and on-demand courses. The Florida Board of Accountancy requires license holders to complete 80 hours of CPE for each re-establishment period, including at least 20 hours of accounting and auditing credit and four hours of ethics credit.

The Florida Institute of CPAs is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy as a Quality Assurance Service sponsor of continuing professional education.

Educational Foundation

The FICPA Educational Foundation, Inc., is a not-for-profit organization that raises money to provide scholarships and educational programs to and for Florida’s prospective and current accounting students.

Established in 1959, the FICPA Educational Foundation has provided more than $3 million in scholarships and education programs to support Florida's accounting students. Through the donations of FICPA members, the Foundation continues to provide more than $200,000 a year in scholarships to assist Florida’s future CPA leaders.

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