Bylaws
Voting is now open. Any Certified or International member can learn more about the proposals below and cast your vote using this link today.
About the Vote
The CTCPA Bylaws Committee met and considered several proposed changes to the organization’s bylaws.
The CTCPA Strategic Planning Committee suggested many of the modifications after a thorough review of the current bylaws to identify where the society should make changes to bring the organization and its membership structure in line with today’s professional environment and ensure it is future-ready. The last revision to the bylaws took place nearly a decade ago.
The Bylaws Committee and the Board of Directors both fully support and recommend that the membership vote in favor of the proposed amendments.
Certified and International members can cast your vote using this link until Wednesday, June 30, 2021.
Proposed Changes to the CTCPA Bylaws: An Explanation and a "Pros and Cons" Discussion
There are five different proposals for consideration:
Proposal 1 – Change from an Audit to No Less than a Review
Proposal 2 – Administrative Changes, Clarifications
Proposal 3 – Increasing Board of Directors Numbers, Terms
Proposal 4 – Membership Category Modifications – Professional Colleagues
Proposal 5 – Membership Category Modifications – Student Members
Proposal 1: Change from Audit to No Less Than a Review
Explanation:
This proposal would permit the CTCPA Board of Directors to decide whether the CTCPA’s annual financial statements should be subject to an independent firm attestation at a level of an audit or a review. It is unclear when the CTCPA bylaw requiring an audit was last considered. We know the CTCPA was organized in 1909, and a review level engagement was not an option until 1978. At present, the CTCPA has no regulatory requirement for an audit of its financial statements.
Pros:
- Allows for reduced costs and staff resources if the CTCPA Board determines that a review is sufficient for the organization.
- The CTCPA has no regulatory requirement for an audit.
- If it is determined that an audit is recommended or necessary, the new language would still allow for that.
Cons:
- A review is a lower level of attestation than an audit.
Proposal 2: Administrative Changes, Clarifications
Explanation:
The CTCPA bylaws have had limited updates over the years, the most recent of which took place approximately ten years ago. Many of the proposed changes in this amendment are simple or minor rewrites to ensure a modern, user-friendly, legal, and internally consistent bylaws document. The proposal would also allow the Board of Directors to make administrative changes and address compliance issues when needed.
Pros:
- Ensures grammatical correctness.
- Modifies areas where bylaws language is outdated.
- Eliminates contradicting language.
- Permits the Bylaws Committee and the Board of Directors to make administrative changes and address compliance issues when necessary.
Cons: None.
Proposal 3: Increasing Board of Directors Numbers, Terms
Explanation:
To increase continuity and collaboration within the CTCPA, the Strategic Planning Committee suggested increasing the number of members on the Board of Directors from seven to nine and increasing the length of the terms of office of the Board members from one year to two years.
Pros:
- Ensures there are enough individuals on the Board of Directors to serve on various specialized committees and work collaboratively with the CTCPA Advisory Council.
- Allows for more diverse member representation on the Board of Directors, including employment, ethnicity, expertise, gender, generation, geography, etc.
- There is a learning curve for members of any Board of Directors as they begin their terms. Two-year terms would allow Board members more time to serve after becoming familiar with the organization’s operations and would create more continuity in carrying out longer-term projects and initiatives.
Cons:
- Some volunteer leaders may prefer shorter one-year terms as opposed to two-year terms.
Proposal 4: Membership Category Modifications - Professional Colleagues
Explanation:
As CPAs’ roles continue to change, our public accounting, industry, government, and education members more regularly collaborate with subject-matter experts, IT professionals, attorneys, engineers, and other certified advisors.
While we currently offer an Associate membership category, it only allows for a very narrow group of non-CPAs who work directly under the supervision of a CPA to join our organization.
This proposal would replace the current Associate non-CPA membership category with a broader non-voting Professional Colleagues non-CPA category.
Pros:
- Allows for increased dues revenue and resulting organizational resources from Professional Colleagues who can enjoy many benefits of membership but without voting rights.
- Reflects the accurate composition of today’s professionals working together in public accounting firms and finance/accounting departments.
- Offers members valuable opportunities to form meaningful relationships and engage in idea exchanges with a more diverse group of professionals.
- Allows individuals outside of traditional tax, accounting, and audit roles to take advantage of CTCPA resources and engagement opportunities.
Cons:
- The replacement of Associate members with the broader Professional Colleagues may increase the population of non-voting, non-CPA members.
Proposal 5: Membership Category Modifications - Student Members
Explanation:
This proposal would change the current Student designation to Student Member in describing undergraduate and graduate accounting students who join the CTCPA.
The modification also reduces from five to one the number of years after graduation that individuals may maintain their Student Member status. Still, it continues to permit the Board of Directors to extend status one additional year.
The final change will modernize and streamline the application process by allowing students to submit electronic applications and remove the requirement that the Board of Directors needs to vote on Student Member applications.
Pros:
- The Student Member category would remain a non-voting category of membership. Members under this category would not be able to serve on the Board of Directors, Audit Committee, or Nominating Committee.
- Instills a sense of pride in students by adding “Member” to their title.
- Enhances the CPA Pipeline and further encourages Student Members toward a full CTCPA membership.
- Reflects our current administrative practices in regards to Students.
- Modernizes the nomenclature to achieve consistency with similar organizations.
- Reduces the amount of time a student could maintain a free membership.
- Modernizes and eases the application process for student and CTCPA administrative staff.
Cons:
- Some CTCPA members would prefer not to invest resources in the CPA Pipeline.
Members Weigh in on the Proposals
Marie Benedetto
CTCPA President,
Innovative Business Solutions
“Remaining relevant is the driving force behind all the programs, advocacy initiatives, and opportunities that the CTCPA delivers for you.
To remain relevant, adaptation is required. The bylaws have undergone various modifications over the years and were last revised in December of 2012.
Not only have times truly changed, but the pace of change has been exponential. I implore you to make yourself familiar with the proposed bylaws changes that will transform the CTCPA to better serve our members, the profession, and communities we serve. These changes will ensure we solidify our past, incorporate our present, and revolutionize our future.”
Amber Moore
CTCPA Advisory Council Chair,
Goldblatt Bokoff, LLC
“No organization can afford to stick to the status quo – it is imperative that we adapt, push, and innovate to survive and thrive. That is precisely what the CTCPA is doing through this bylaws revision.
As a member working at a small firm, expanding CTCPA membership to include professional colleagues such as attorneys and technology experts will allow my firm and associates to make connections we need to help our business and our clients grow and thrive.”
Brian Kelleher
Strategic Planning Committee Chair and CTCPA Past President,
Fiondella, Milone & LaSaracina LLP
“The Strategic Planning Committee identified and recommended to the Bylaws Committee several modifications to our leadership and membership structures to bring members and their organizations more value and relevance.
As accounting and finance teams continue to expand into strategic and advisory services, the proposed expanded membership categories will allow our team members outside of traditional tax and audit roles to take advantage of vital CTCPA resources and engagement opportunities.”
Paul Iannone
Bylaws Committee Chair and Strategic Planning Committee Member,
Attorney at Law
“A primary goal of the Bylaws Committee was to reflect in the proposed bylaws the vision and future direction of the CTCPA in alignment with the outcomes of the Strategic Planning Committee. The Bylaws Committee also strived to modernize the bylaws to be aligned with current trends of professional membership organizations. I am confident that the proposed changes accomplish these goals, i.e., to strengthen the viability of the CTCPA so that it can continue to deliver high quality services to members for many years into the future.”
Brian Reilly
CTCPA President-elect,
Travelers
“As a leader in a multinational company and a former Big 4 partner, I understand the challenges finance and accounting professionals face as we adapt in a rapidly changing business landscape.
These bylaws proposals will bring our organization modernized student membership to ensure we are filling the pipeline and supporting the future of the profession, a new membership category to allow more robust interactions with professional colleagues, and an expanded leadership structure to ensure we have the talent we need to collaborate and move our organization forward.
If you are a Certified or International voting member, I encourage you to review the proposals, ask questions if you have them, and take a moment to cast your affirmative vote.”
FAQs
Who can vote?
Only Certified and International Members in good standing may vote on the proposed amendments.
What is needed for a proposal to pass?
We need at least 10 percent of eligible voting members to participate in order for a vote to be considered valid. For an amendment to pass, the vote must carry a two-thirds favorable majority.
Constitution and Bylaws of the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants
As amended through December 2012
Download the CTCPA Bylaws.