The future demands much of our time and attention these days — and given the changes and complexity we face, deservedly so.

But in the race to future-proof our profession and careers, we can’t know where we’re going without reflecting on — and learning from — where we’ve been.

The MACPA took that directive to heart on June 22 during its second annual “Celebrate the Profession” event to pay tribute to the Maryland CPAs who have blazed a leadership path toward the future.

Held at the Junior Achievement of Central Maryland offices in Baltimore, the celebration focused squarely on the remarkable achievements of so many MACPA members and volunteers over the past year. They include the following:

• The 29 Maryland accounting students who received more than $75,000 in scholarships this year from the MACPA Foundation. View the entire list of scholarship winners here. 
• The 87 new MACPA "Legacy Members" who have supported the association and the profession for more than 40 years. View the complete list of Legacy Members here. 
• The 23 graduates of the MACPA's most recent Student Leadership Academy, designed to teach the critical skills that the next generation of CPA leaders will need to succeed. From Bowie State University: Rocky Aliping, Abdulaziz Althiyab, SaKiara Hopkins, Ibiyemi James, Kenneth McMillan, Marthe Medalebem Sandjol, Eric Mondrgaon, Renzo Raven Labajanan, and Tykara White. From Carnegie Mellon University: Darius Taylor. From HeimLantz CPAs and Advisors: Scott Lee. From McDaniel College / Mister Burton & French: Claire Olson and Robert Tang. From Stevenson University: Jubelo Oyeniran and Logan Beaty. From Towson University: Kimberly Paliza. From the University of Baltimore: Jason Essilfie and Briauna Snowden. From the University of Maryland: Eduardo Mendes and Zanna Qian. From the University of Virginia: Ololade Ihaza. Additionally: Joe Jawad and Dominic Taylor.
• The members of the MACPA’s Anne Arundel County Chapter, who were collectively awarded the association’s 2022-23 Max Teichmann Award for their tireless volunteer work as an MACPA champion and volunteer. The winners were Jane Eubanks, Elizabeth "Betsy" Fravel, Lawrie "Alice" Gardner, Beth Palmer, Melvin Petty, Kaitlyn Loughner, and Rebecca Sheppard.
• The most recent donors to the MACPA Foundation. Champion Donors: Deloitte, RSM, and CliftonLarsonAllen. Advocate Donors: UHY LLP, April, and KPMG. Partner Donors: Garbelman Winslow, World | Roger CPA Review, Gleam CPA Review, and Bert Smith & Co. Major Donors: Samantha Bowling, Avonette Blending, Ray Special, Nicholas Tatum, Pat Byer, Christine Aspell, Gray Smith, Jeff Wilson, Tami Bensky, Kimberly Ellison-Taylor, Anoop Mehta, George Willie, Barrett Young, Herb Gery, and Tom Hood.

Other notable achievements by MACPA members over the past year include:

• Jessica McClain, Kimberly Ellison-Taylor and Lexy Kessler, who were named on June 6 by AICPA and CPA Practice Advisor among the Most Powerful Women in Accounting for 2023 .
• Jeff Wilson II, CPA/PFS, CFE, CGMA, CDFA, founder of The W2 Group in Upper Marlboro, who was named one of the AICPA's Outstanding Young CPAs for 2023 .
• Anoop Mehta, a Maryland CPA and former chair of the MACPA's Board of Directors, brought his yearlong tenure as chair of the American Institute of CPAs to a close on May 24 during the spring meeting of the AICPA's Governing Council in Washington D.C.

Funding our future
While celebrating the MACPA's recent past, those in attendance took a close look at the future of accounting and finance in Maryland and what they can do to help strengthen the profession

Supporting the MACPA Foundation is at the top of that list. The Foundation is dedicated to improving the pipeline of new CPAs into the profession, and to increasing the diversity, equity, and inclusion of accounting and finance professionals everywhere. Doing that requires money and resources, and those who gathered for the “Celebrate the Profession” event donated approximately $3,000 to the cause.

It’s not too late for you to do your part, too. Make your donation to the MACPA Foundation — an organization dedicated to ensuring the vitality of the CPA profession in Maryland for years to come — by visiting MACPA.org/Foundation or GiveButter.com/MACPAFoundation. Your donation is your commitment to the future of our profession, and we thank you.

Learn more about how the MACPA Foundation supports Maryland's CPAs and future CPAs here: