The First 100 Days: Reinforcing the Foundation of Trust

The First 100 Days:

Reinforcing the Foundation of Trust

BY ALICIA GELINAS, CPA, CEO

Alicia Gelinas, CPA, has stepped into the role of COCPA CEO, but she’s not new to the organization. A member since her student days at the University of Denver (DU), Gelinas has taken an active role at the Society for the past 20 years, serving on the Board of Directors and chairing committees, receiving awards and accolades along the way. She also has made her mark at the national level through multiple training and leadership opportunities with the AICPA. (See the September/October 2022 issue.) Alicia reflects on the path that led her to this peak, key lessons she has learned along the way, and her focus for the first 100 days.

My first experience with an accounting professional came when I was five years old. My father passed away, and many friends, family, and professional advisors stepped in to help my mother navigate the unknown and uncertain future.

One such advisor helped her navigate our financial burdens while also compassionately acknowledging her grief. While I couldn’t put feelings or words to what this advisor provided me and my mother then, I now know that this accounting professional provided us with TRUST and a FUTURE. When it came time to choose my own professional career, I knew I wanted to provide the same level of trust, compassion, and positive future for others, which naturally led me to pursue a career in accounting. I began my career in EY’s audit practice and loved the technical challenge and the caliber of teams I was privileged to work alongside. The nine years I spent in public accounting not only provided me with deep technical accounting experience but also reinforced the value of people and relationships to the fulfillment of meaningful work. Early in my career, I strived for personal success, growth, and advancement which, over time, produced a diminishing return of satisfaction. I learned the important lesson that winning in the game of success at the expense of relationships wasn’t winning at all. The foundation of any great work is people who maintain relationships built on trust, properly equipped to execute on a shared vision. To better equip myself with skills in building relationships, establishing trust, and helping individuals change behaviors to achieve their highest and best potential, I left EY to attend the Hudson Institute of Coaching. During this time, I developed my professional vision: “To improve the quality of life by becoming and

living like an Arnold Palmer (iced tea/lemonade).” My technical experience and drive for achievement represents the iced tea - fully caffeinated and ready to get things done. My focus on people development and personal impact represents the lemonade - sometimes tart, but often finishes with a sweet reward. No matter where my day job has taken me or where I’ve been in my career journey, the COCPA has been a professional home to me, a place where I felt safe to explore new opportunities and sometimes new identities, in community with other professionals. The Society has provided me support in the process of entering the profession, building my network, gaining critical leadership skills, navigating career transitions, and learning new technical skills. I feel honored to be selected to steward the future of the COCPA and represent our profession. I’m not finished learning. There are going to be times I make mistakes or My focus on people development could do better. My commitment is to be willing to take and personal impact represents the those risks for the sake of the lemonade — sometimes tart, but people serving in this great profession. often finishes with a sweet reward. The foundation of the COCPA as a professional home to over 6,000+ professionals, like the profession it serves, has been built on TRUST. My focus as CEO in these first 100 days has been to reinforce this foundation of Trust so that we can continue to build the COCPA’s future together. To ensure the COCPA can continue to provide a consistent level of service to its members and the Colorado accounting profession, my core focus begins with reinforcing the relationships with our staff, volunteer leadership, the AICPA, other state societies, firm and industry leaders, the Colorado State Board of Accountancy, and the Colorado Department of Revenue. One of my first priorities has been hiring a replacement in the COCPA CFO role and Educational Foundation of COCPA Executive Director role that I have filled for

the last five years. I am excited to welcome Josh An, CPA, as COCPA CFO and Paul Greiving as Educational Foundation Executive Director, effective October 2022. Serving the accounting profession today not only includes maintaining a strong reputation in traditional areas such as audit and tax but also carving out new pathways where CPAs are trusted to help our communities thrive. As the accounting profession itself evolves, it is exciting to imagine what may look different from what we’ve done in the past and what new ideas we can experiment with to ensure the Society remains a relevant professional home for years to come. As the COCPA’s foundation is secured, you can count on us offering high-quality resources, delivered personally, in the areas of Advocacy, Career Development, Connection, Learning, and Service. Pulling from lessons learned in my early career, I cannot do this alone. I need you! Your profession needs you! Your community needs you! There are many ways you can be involved in building the COCPA of the future. I believe it all begins with owning our collective stories. Be proud to be a CPA. Be proud to belong to COCPA. Not sure how? Consider taking one or more of the following five actions: 1. Make a personal commitment. Renew your individual membership. If you are a firm leader, consider becoming a 100% Member Firm. Contact Derrol Moorhead, COCPA Director, Member & Business Development at derrol@cocpa.org for information on this program. 2. Follow COCPA and other CPAs on social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter). 3. Use the COCPA logo in your online branding. Visit www.cocpa.org for logo downloads. 4. Tell your story and invite others to join COCPA - your and their professional home.

5. Engage with COCPA by responding to my CONNECT online discussion plat-

form post: “I am proud to be a CPA because…” Thank you for the opportunity to serve as COCPA’s CEO. I look forward to shaping the future together and always welcoming you home! Email me whenever you have comments or questions at alicia@cocpa.org. On a more personal note Gelinas and her husband, Roland, enjoy spending time with family and friends. They share an adventurous streak and a love of travel that has taken them to Europe, Africa, Australia, and camping all over the U.S. If a camping adventure includes water, so much the better. You’ll find them fishing and boating on lakes or enjoying the ocean. When they’re not traveling, they enjoy nights at home with a bowl of popcorn, watching a movie or playing games.

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Making a Difference The 2022 Everyday Hero and Heroines

BY KELLI DAVIS

On Nov. 10, 2022, the profession gathered at the Westin Denver Downtown to recognize four individuals for their service to their communities and colleagues. We applaud their accomplishments and appreciate their commitment to making our world better. In their honor, the COCPA made a donation to the charity of each one’s choice.

STEPHANIE E. DANIELS, CPA

Assurance Accountant, RubinBrown LLP, Denver

After coming from what she calls “very humble beginnings,” COCPA Everyday Heroine Stephanie E. Daniels, CPA, an assurance accountant with RubinBrown LLP, Denver, has always been grateful to those who have supported her in her CPA journey. It was a major health scare in 2020 that spurred her to do more for her community. She learned that she had Stage 5 kidney disease and would require a transplant. Fortunately, Stephanie’s husband, Ryan, was a match. Following her transplant, she is back to living a full life and jokes that she “carries his kidney with me everywhere I go.” “That was a huge wake-up call,” she says. “That made me realize that life is short. And what am I doing to make an impact on the world? Just working? Doing my job and coming home at night? That’s what I was doing, and it kicked me back into gear and reminded me that I needed to do something.” Professionally, Stephanie’s commitment to “doing something” started with joining the COCPA Educational Foundation of COCPA Mentor Program. From there, she joined the COCPA’s Nonprofit Working Group and its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Working Group. She now serves as an Educational Foundation Trustee, too. Whether it’s a community cleanup day or time spent stuffing Halloween treat bags for seriously ill children, you can count on Stephanie to be there. She is particularly passionate about her involvement with the Educational Foundation, as she knows first hand the life-changing impact the Foundation’s scholarship program can have on those who are pursuing their accounting degree. While earning hers at the University of Northern Colorado – as a nontraditional student and a single parent – she received a COCPA Educational Foundation scholarship. “It’s really important for me to be able to give back to the [profession] and to help the next person in line coming up.” Beyond her involvement with the COCPA, Stephanie serves on RubinBrown’s Diversity and Inclusion Council and is a frequent volunteer with several local charities. She is a past member of the Urban Peak Board of Directors, which strives to help youth exit homeless and create self-determined lives. On the cuddly side of things, she and her family regularly foster puppies in their home through Lifeline Puppy Rescue. “Stephanie is a selfless individual who puts others ahead of herself,” writes RubinBrown Partner Rodney Rice, CPA, who nominated Stephanie. “Giving back to the community is part of the fabric of who she is. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of her devotion to the community is the genuineness with which she does so, expecting nothing in return. There is no ulterior motive with Stephanie; she’s motivated purely to do good for others.” Whether it’s sharing her story of humble beginnings and significant life obstacles to inspire others, helping to strengthen the pipeline into the accounting profession, or providing a warm temporary home to a furry friend who is awaiting its forever home, we salute Stephanie for truly making a difference in her community. CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

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STACEY E. DUKE, CPA

Assurance Office Managing Partner, BDO USA, LLP, Denver

The positive impact of education can extend to multiple generations of families, and Everyday Heroine Stacey E. Duke, CPA, is committed to making that happen for thousands in her community. Among her numerous charitable endeavors and in light of her passion for education, Duke, Assurance Office Managing Partner with BDO USA, LLP, Denver, currently serves as a co-chair of ACE Scholarships. The organization provides children from low-income families with scholarships to private schools in grades K-12 and advocates for expanded school choice. “I love getting out in the community and doing as much as I can to give back,” she says. “What has been so eye-opening to me is that ACE is about the kids and giving them a great education, but it also inspires the parents who may not have been able to finish high school or go to college to get that degree. So it impacts not only the child but also the whole family. When you see a high school senior graduate, with mom or dad getting that GED at the same time, it’s really impactful.” “We’re breaking the cycle of socioeconomic disadvantage and giving the entire family, for generations to come, a better outlook,” Duke says. Greg Anton, CPA, who nominated Stacey as an Everyday Heroine, writes, “So far in Colorado, with support from volunteers like Stacey,

DANIEL J. HAWKINSON, CPA

Senior Tax Manager, CBIZ MHM LLC Feeling free to be himself in all facets of his life has made all the difference for Everyday Hero Dan Hawkinson, and he wants others to feel that same freedom. Dan, who is openly gay, is a senior tax manager with CBIZ. While in the same role at Wipfli three years ago, he served on the initial leadership team of the Wipfli Pride LGBTQ+ Business Resource Group, where he and his colleagues worked to create the group’s mission, vision, and initial goals. He co-led the group’s talent pillar, which focused on education, along with career and resource development. He says that joining the Wipfli group “really opened my eyes and opened my experience in public accounting. It was the first time where I was joining a group of coworkers who were allies or members of the community,” he says. Twelve years into his career, “for the first time, I felt free to be myself,” he says. Since joining CBIZ, he’s teamed with two of his colleagues to launch the CBIZ Denver Diversity and Inclusion Committee. The group seeks to promote both local and national initiatives, with education, communication, and creating a safe and nonjudgmental space for conversations among its other goals. The members have organized pronoun training for CBIZ staff and provided social opportunities in the form of happy hours. Dan believes that his involvement in firm-based inclusivity initiatives, as well as his experience in knowing the value of acceptance, have made him a stronger manager. “It’s helped me as a manager to ACE has awarded more than 29,000 scholarships with a cumulative worth of more than $63 million, helping to send kids from low-income families to the schools of their choice.”

Duke believes that CPAs are uniquely positioned to better the community and serve nonprofits with their financial acumen. “We fill a need. We have financial skills, and we know how to run businesses and advise our clients on matters related to their businesses. Not-for-profit and philanthropic organizations are businesses; they’re just “mission-driven businesses” that need the expertise only CPAs can offer. And the benefits flow in both directions, Duke adds, encouraging young CPAs to make time for volunteering from the beginning. “There’s no better way to learn how to be an advisor than to do it for free, and try – and fail – and learn. As much as you’re giving back, you’ll get more in return, and you’ll grow from the experience,” she says. Anton describes Stacey as “a selfless advocate for all who cross her path. Stacey is humble yet a force to be reckoned with.” “Every day,” Anton continues, “she strives to empower those around her to reach their fullest potential, whether volunteering to make her community a thriving place, mentoring fellow CPAs to exceed their career trajectory, or leading the operations of one of the country’s largest public accounting firms.” Thousands of local children – whose futures look a lot brighter thanks to Stacey’s dedication – couldn’t agree more.

open the eyes of my associates and let them know there’s more to this job than charge hours.” It’s also helped him connect with and be a resource to others, “especially to younger generations or people my age who are in a similar position. After 12 years where you’ve spent so much time hiding who you are rather than working, [being free from that] can open things up and keep people in the job. I want my team to stay; it’s so much easier and so much more fun,” he says. And Dan’s scope is widening; he’s been tapped to be the national leader of the CBIZ LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group which launched this past December. He’s been working to assemble a leadership team to support his goal of helping all CBIZ team members “feel safe authentically showing up for work.” He advocates for taking that wider perspective when looking for opportunities to plug in and make a difference. “That’s really what drives me now,” he says. “It’s about connecting and trying to build these groups, make them stronger, and get more people involved. Break through the local office wall, connect with people nationally, and get involved and be part of this whole company” rather than just focusing locally. “There’s a whole nationwide network out there. There might be someone nationally with whom you can connect more personally, and you could really benefit from him or her being your mentor.” Whether in his role as mentor, manager, or colleague, he’s always asking the question, “What can I do in my life to make everyone around me know that they can be themselves at all times?” The value of just “being there,” with an open-door policy and ready to listen, can’t be understated, he says. “When you understand who

these people are and what drives them, you can put them in a better position to succeed. That’s always been my goal.” Caitlyn O’Neil, CPA, a CBIZ colleague who nominated Dan, writes that he “truly cares about the lives of his mentees, and under his guidance they have flourished.” We’re certain they all would agree, and so do we.

ALEXANDRA TUNE, CPA

Managing Director, Deloitte LLP, Denver The path to an accounting career was a winding one for Everyday Heroine Alexandra (“Alexie”) Tune, CPA, with stops in music and chemistry during her college years before setting her sights on accounting. Today, she is committed to helping others find their way first to a college education and then to the profession she loves. Starting out as a music major, Tune, who is a Managing Director with Deloitte LLP, Denver, “quickly realized that that was not going to be my path forward,” she says. “So I switched to chemistry and was terrified that I was going to blow myself up in a lab. For some reason I took an Introduction to Accounting class, and that was where I decided I needed to be.” Alexie’s deep commitment not only to the profession but also to education is evident through her volunteer activities. She serves as Chair of the University of Denver School of Accountancy Advisory Board, President of the Educational Foundation of COCPA, and member of the Denver Scholarship Foundation’s Audit and Finance Committee.

The positive impact that education has had on her life is what drives her to support educationally focused causes. She’s drawn to these particular organizations because of “the impact they have, helping students to see that they do have the potential, if they want that, to attend college. And once they get there, making a difference in that college experience is wonderful,” she says. At DU, her contributions – benefiting students, faculty, and the program – range from helping to develop accounting curriculum and mentoring students to delivering guest lectures and leading fundraising efforts. Sharon Lassar, Ph.D., CPA (Florida), DU School of Accountancy Director, nominated Alexie as an Everyday Heroine. She notes that in addition to Alexie’s larger contributions to the program, including her support of faculty members as they strive to conduct and publish impactful research, she has made a dramatic difference in the lives of students. She recalls a situation some years ago when one of the program’s strongest students academically didn’t secure any second interviews. “The faculty was baffled,” Lassar remembers. “Alexie tracked down the Deloitte professionals who interviewed the student to learn about the student’s interview deficiencies. She arranged for multiple professionals, including herself, to give the student feedback and conduct mock interviews.”

“It worked,” Lassar continues. “The student secured multiple second interviews in the next cycle and accepted a job. This is just one example of how Alexie is selfless and generous.” Taking the time to listen has been a key ingredient in Alexie’s success as a professional and a volunteer. “I think the most valuable lesson from volunteering is that everybody has a story, and you need to take time to hear that story, understand it, and then appreciate the story,” she says. “It just gives you a new perspective and helps you understand people,” Alexie says. From music to chemistry and finally to accounting, Alexie’s story is one of landing in just the right place to make a difference for many. She’s definitely playing the right notes in the accounting profession.

COCPA HONORS MEDLEY WITH DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD

Congratulations to recently retired COCPA President and CEO Mary E. Medley, who received the COCPA Distinguished Service Award on Nov. 10. Given in recognition of Mary’s significant and lasting contributions to the CPA profession over the course of her 48-year career, the award has been given just 13 times in the Society’s 118-year history. We thank Mary for her immeasurable contributions and lasting impact on the COCPA, its members, and the accounting profession.