STATE BOARD COMMITTEES REMAIN ENGAGED & ACTIVE BY DAN SWEETWOOD, NEBRASKA BOARD OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTANCY STATE BOARD REPORT THE NEBRASKA BOARD OF PUBLIC Accountancy (State Board) is continuing its momentum into 2026 with a full slate of committee activity and important discussions. During the first round of committee meetings, members tackled a variety of significant issues that will shape the profession in the coming year. Melissa Ruff, CPA, now serving her historic fourth year as chairman of the State Board, has “reshuffled the deck” by rotating several members onto new committees for the 2025-2026 term (September 2025-September 2026). This approach is designed to broaden members’ understanding of the State Board’s diverse areas of work. 2025-2026 BOARD COMMITTEES Executive Committee Chairman: Melissa Ruff Vice Chairman: Andrew Blossom Secretary: Christi Olsen Legislative Committee Chairman: Melissa Ruff Member: Andrew Blossom Licensing Committee Chairman: Amy Holzworth Members: Sarah Borchers / Andrew Blossom / Christi Olsen CPE Committee Chairman: Christi Olsen Members: Mark Manning / Donald Neal Exam & Education (E&E) Committee Chairman: Sarah Borchers Members: Jeff Kanger / Melissa Ruff / Donald Neal Peer Review Committee Chairman: Mark Manning Members: Jeff Kanger / Amy Holzworth The new committees began their work following the September 2025 State Board meeting, with several meeting again before the November meeting. KEY AREAS OF DISCUSSION New Pathway Legislation The Nebraska Society of CPAs has asked State Senator Mike Jacobson to introduce major legislation in January 2026 to amend the Nebraska Public Accountancy Act. In preparation, the Licensing and E&E Committees are reviewing proposed regulation updates within NAC Title 288 to align with the forthcoming law, which will establish an additional pathway to CPA licensure in Nebraska. Under this new pathway, individuals holding a bachelor’s degree—including the required accounting coursework—may qualify for licensure, provided they meet additional experience requirements and pass the CPA Examination. The existing 150-hour education pathway will remain available, offering reduced experience requirements. Details on both pathways were outlined in Issue 4 of the Nebraska CPA magazine. 10 Nebraska CPA
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