PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE WINNING ORGANIZATIONS AND successful leaders must be able to embrace discomfort. A willingness to step outside our comfort zone helps foster growth and forward progress. The same may be said for the profession. While the skills and competencies needed within the CPA profession advance and the requirements to become a CPA evolve, we all must remember that through the discomfort comes new thinking, creative solutions, and growth opportunities to enhance the profession. Both the AICPA’s National Pipeline Advisory Group and NASBA’s Professional Licensure Task Force have been working hard to address the CPA talent shortage. Both groups have a good mix of representatives from across the U.S. and within the profession, and both are seeking solutions that will maintain substantial equivalency and mobility. The AICPA Regional Council Meetings in March provided a good opportunity for CPAs and State Society CEOs to discuss their ideas and thoughts on the future of the profession and the work of the National Pipeline Advisory Group thus far, with more to come at the AICPA Council Meeting in May. During the recent NASBA Executive Directors Conference in March, the Professional Licensure Task Force presented information on an additional path to licensure—one that would offer education, documented experience, and other elements that would provide an equivalent path within the Uniform Accountancy Act (UAA) for candidates to qualify for licensure, without the need of having a fifth year to complete a 150-hour education program. We will keep you apprised of these efforts as they continue to develop. Formulating a CPE Game Plan While many of you in public accounting have been laser-focused on filing tax returns and extensions, your Society has been diligently working on opportunities for your professional growth as we busily plan this year’s CPE offerings. We held our annual Business, Industry & Innovation Conference on April 24 at the Champions Club in Lincoln, followed by a tour of Memorial Stadium, and are finalizing an exciting lineup of speakers and sessions for our remaining conferences this year. Recognizing the diverse needs of our members, we continue to support traditional in-person learning experiences alongside a robust lineup of online courses. In addition, we recently launched our brand-new OnDemand learning solution, now totaling 140 curated courses covering a wide range of topics in accounting and auditing, tax, technology, and more. These individual courses, along with the option for an OnDemand Annual Subscription at $299 for members, represent significant value. I encourage you to explore these opportunities under the CPE & Events section at nescpa.org. Huddle Up in a Committee As we finalize the membership of our committees for this fiscal year, I invite each of you to consider joining us in these crucial roles. Your participation is vital in shaping the future of our profession and our Society. Sign up today at nescpa.org/committees. Enjoying Halftime at the Legislature This year has been pivotal for the Society in legislative advocacy. Thanks to the joint efforts of the Society and State Board, LB 854 was signed by Governor Jim Pillen on March 11, allowing candidates to sit for the CPA exam with 120 hours of qualifying college credit and a bachelor’s degree beginning in 2025. (Read the joint news release on page 12.) One of the most heated issues taken up by the Legislature this year involved the Governor’s property tax plan, which was met with strong opposition from a broad coalition. The legislation (LB 388) included a significant reduction in property taxes in exchange for increases in the rate of sales tax on various products; the elimination of certain sales tax exemptions; and a new tax on digital advertising. In addition, the EMBRACING DISCOMFORT TO MAKE FORWARD PROGRESS BY JONI SUNDQUIST, NEBRASKA SOCIETY OF CPAs 8 Nebraska CPA
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