Thomas White, CPA, CGMA, director of accounting for CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, has been named chair of the 2024-25 Board of Directors of the Maryland Association of CPAs.

White was elected chair by the MACPA membership during the association’s 2024 Annual Meeting, held on June 26 at the Junior Achievement of Central Maryland offices in Baltimore. He succeeds Christine Aspell, CPA, managing partner of the Baltimore office of KPMG LLP, who served as 2023-24 chair.

White, the association’s first-ever millennial chair, ascended the association’s leadership ladder through a combination of timely mentorship and intentional volunteerism. The MACPA provided him with both, and he wants to pay it forward by showing young professionals how to advance their own careers by building relationships and saying yes to key opportunities.

“This profession has given me more than I can ever give back. I met my wife through public accounting. Some of my best friends are accountants and CPAs. I work with some of the smartest people around,” White said. “The story we need to tell is what the MACPA and the CPA profession can do to springboard our careers. There’s no way I would be here today without the MACPA. It opened countless doors for me.”

White said other stories need to be told as well, particularly when it comes to addressing the profession’s ongoing talent shortage. Any solution, he said, must include an effort to redefine what it means to be a CPA — to focus less on what CPAs do and more on why they do it. That focus on the purpose behind the profession is a continuation of Aspell’s priority as MACPA chair, and one White carries forward with pride into his term.

“Look around this room. The people here are CPAs and MACPA members, but they are so much more than that,” White said. “They are leaders throughout Maryland and across the country. And though our credential means the world to us and is one of the most important things we’ve done, we’re not just CPAs. We’re moms and dads, triathletes, PTA presidents, sneakerheads, mentors, audit committee chairs, people who make financial statements smell like Old Bay, boat captains, disc golfers, wranglers of rocket scientists, and so many more things.

“These are the stories we need to tell — that we’re not just the individuals in the back office crunching the numbers, doing the taxes, working the late hours. We are CPAs and leaders in every one of our communities. I’m excited and proud to continue the work that Christine has begun around sharing that purpose behind our profession.”

An MACPA member since 2010, White has more than a decade of accounting and audit experience in various industries, currently focusing on health care. He has extensive knowledge of health care finance, internal audit, and compliance. He started his career in public accounting with large firms, focusing on international, public, and non-profit clients. He then transitioned into industry at CareFirst.

White is an active MACPA and AICPA volunteer whose work includes involvement with the MACPA’s Mentor Program, Champions Program and Scholarship Committee, as well as the AICPA’s Council and Health Care Expert Panel.

Joining White on the 2024-25 MACPA Board of Directors are:

• Vice chair: Maxene M. Bardwell, CPA, CIGA, CIA, CFE, CISA, CITP, CRMA, assistant inspector general in the Office of the Inspector General for the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission
• Secretary / treasurer: Savedra N. Scott, CPA, CGMA, CrFAC, MSA, MBA, owner, Savvy Financial Solutions
• Past chair: Christine Aspell, CPA, managing partner, KPMG LLP Baltimore office
• Karl Ahlrichs, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CSP, senior consultant, Gregory & Appel
• Monique Booker, CPA, chief operating officer, SB & Company, LLC
• Jackie Cardello, CPA, president and managing partner, GRF CPAs & Advisors
• Michele Chalmers, CPA, managing principal, Maryland office, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP
• Bo Fitzpatrick, CPA, COO / director of executive programs, Dembo Jones, PC / 20-20 Services LLC
• Robert Goldstein, CPA, controller, Paul Davis Restoration of Greater Baltimore.
• Gregory Repas, CPA, vice president and comptroller, McCormick & Co., Inc.
• Janice Stucke, CPA, chief financial officer, CREW Network / CREW Network Foundation / CREW Network Canada

Nancy Bechanan awarded Teichmann volunteer award
Also at the June 26 Annual Meeting, Nancy Bechanan was awarded the association’s 2023-24 Max Teichmann Award for her tireless work on behalf of the MACPA’s Peer Review Committee and in helping to establish Coastal Peer Review as a new entity that serves CPAs in both Maryland and North Carolina.

Named in honor of the association’s founder, the Max Teichmann Award recognizes an MACPA member or members who have made significant contributions over the past year on behalf of the profession.

"Nancy has consistently gone the extra mile, volunteering for special tasks beyond her regular (Peer Review Committee) duties and devoting countless hours each month to meticulously reviewing peer reviews to ensure that firms meet quality control standards,” MACPA CEO Rebekah Olson said. “Her commitment was particularly instrumental in ensuring a seamless transition to Coastal Peer Review during the integration of new members from North Carolina, alongside her Maryland colleagues.

“Her willingness to embrace new processes, despite the challenges they may present, and her congenial nature make her not just a valued committee member but a delightful colleague to work alongside.”