December 2013 Newsletter

President's Message

" What is past is prologue" ~ William Shakespeare

As you may remember, my November newsletter article was about celebrating today, the moment we have now.  We have some exciting events happening at the AKCPA that are a celebration of our past and our future.

Celebration of the Future: December 3rd is the first session of the first class of the AKCPA Leadership Academy (AkLA).  The Board of Directors and the Leadership Committee is very proud to announce the participants in the first class of the AkLA.

• Theresa Harris, CPA, Elgee Rehfeld Mertz, LLC
• Thomas Huling, CPA, Thomas Head & Greisen, PC
• Rosny Rizk, CPA, NANA Development Corporation
• Sarah Villalon, Cook & Haugeberg, LLC
• Kelly Ward, CPA, Robinson & Associates, PC

Look for my January newsletter article about the exciting day!

Celebration of the Past:  2014 is the 60th Anniversary of the Alaska Society of CPAs, a big celebration of our profession in this great state.  Below is a letter from the Annual Meeting Planning Committee.  They have put a lot of time in creating a wonderful event that is a celebration of our past, present and future (and has great CPE thrown in to boot).  I encourage you all to save the date and meet us in Talkeetna!  Help us commemorate the wonderful past 60 years as a prologue to our future.

"We are planning many events to celebrate this milestone.  Our annual meeting will be held in Talkeetna May 28-30, 2014. AICPA Chairman, Bill Balhoff will be attending our conference and will participate in a variety of activities with us.  It will be important to have representation from as many Alaska firms as possible at this event.

As a part of the celebration, we would like to have a "Walk Down Memory Lane".  We are asking all CPA firms in Alaska to participate by providing an Alaska history of their firm.  Many firms began in one form and have merged and changed over the years.  Since Alaska really is small town, we thought it would be fun to see how various firms have evolved and reminisce over old times and pictures of our fellow CPAs.

Our plan is to have the presentations available for the opening welcome reception and throughout the meeting for participants to browse through.

The Alaska Society will prepare a presentation of the history of the society.  We are also asking the three university student accounting organizations to provide a presentation as well.

We would like you to present your history in whatever creative form you would like.  Some examples of how your firm could participate would be PowerPoint presentations, scrapbooks, poster boards with pictures and stories, time lines, flowcharts, stories or live presentations.  We do not want this project to become so onerous that you don't participate, so keep things in perspective.  You may find your presentation to be helpful for recruiting or introducing new staff to your firm.  We also encourage you to contact your retired CPAs to both help participate in your presentation and to invite them to our annual meeting.

We encourage all firms, sole proprietors and accounting organizations to participate so the entire history of Alaska CPAs is told.  We will need a commitment from you by January 1, 2014 so that we can continue planning our "Walk Down Memory Lane".  We need to have your presentation by May 15, 2014.

We will contact you prior to Decembre15 to answer any questions you may have.  We look forward to seeing you at the annual meeting."

Sincerely,

The Annual Meeting Planning Committee

 PROPOSED SLATE OF CANDIDATES 2014-2015

Cathleen Hahn, Secretary

The following is the proposed slate of candidates based on nominations from the membership to be included on the ballot for election to the Board of Directors for the 2014-2015 fiscal year.  As stated in Article 16 Section 5:  "Additional nominations of eligible members may be made by written petition addressed to the Society's regular office and received on or before December 18th, signed by five members and accompanied by the written acceptance of each such candidate.  No person may be a candidate for more than one position and the additional nominations which are provided for  herein may be made only from those members who have not accepted a nomination from the Nominating Committee". 

PRESIDENT-ELECT

Josh McIntyre

TREASURER

Jason Bontrager

SECRETARY

Kara Moore

 DIRECTORS

Kristine Kennedy

Irina Morozova

Steven Pence

Elizabeth Przywojski

Stasia Straley

Wesley Tegeler

Lisa Turner

HAGELBARGER DIRECTOR

Bethe Davis

The empty nest.....urban myth or just a personal conspiracy?

I seem to be stuck in a strange holding pattern the last few years.  I am beginning to believe the "empty nest" is an unattainable goal for my family environment and I'll tell you why.  It all started a few years ago when my oldest went off to live in the dorms, after a couple of semesters he changed his mind and subsequently joined the US Air Force and was off and away.  My oldest and youngest are five years apart so we still had a while to go before the house was empty but it changed some of the ways we envisioned the near future.  My husband and I began to see different possibilities, make plans, and to look at the space in our home with a different eye - no doubt each plotting who would take over which room.  We were not super serious; we had a few years yet before the youngest would be out.  We did have plenty of time to start measuring, drop hints, and begin sentences with phrases like "when I get the hobby room set up" or "in my new office" as we jokingly jockeyed for territory.

Once the youngest reached senior status in high school, things were a little closer to home and I went from anticipatory to strangley reluctant.  Although my husband and I still laughed about all the things we could do all "all alone" in the house, I was worried about how I would face that passage from hands on parenting to a more distant arrangement, not to mention the fact we now had approximately twice as many plans as could be accommodated by the future empty space.  What had seemed like an exciting bonus of free space, eventual financial rewards, and wonderful alone time with my spouse was now looking a little too quiet and a little too empty.

Finally, as planned, last year the youngest went into the dorms.  However, one week before her departure to the UAF dorms, my mother moved in for a three and a half month stay while in the middle of a transition to the lower 48.  Before my mother had departed for a warmer locale, my mother-in-law arrived for her annual extended holiday visit, with her two dogs (making four in the house).  My husband and I joked around about getting the kids out only to have the moms move back in.  I was still feeling that an empty nest may not be as great as it was cracked up to be, but I too had started counting days.

Two weeks before my mother in law left, my son (who had completed his tour of duty) arrived home and moved back in, planning on trying college again.  It took a bit before he found the college plan was still not his cup of tea.  After taking about 10 months to realize this, get well employed, on his feet, and locate alternatives, last month the oldest moved out of the house!!! We were very excited when informed until we looked at the calendar and realized we had approximately 1 partial week for the "home alone" plan (during which I would be out of town for 3 days) before the mother-in-law and Schnauzers arrived again on the annual extended visit.  The two day "home alone" event as a blur of cleaning and preparation for the visit.  Not once did we lounge around in our birthday suits reveling in the empty house.

This year, when preparing for the mother-in-law's arrival I carefully marked the departure date, counted days and notice all reluctance was gone.  I was ready for an empty house and I think I wanted things to be too quiet.  While I enjoy the bustle, good cooking, and laughter a visit brings I was truly ready for more than two days alone.

You've probably guessed it - last week my daughter decided after her third semester in the dorms she wold like to move back in to save a little more money in addition to other reasons.  We are supportive and feel she made a well thought out decision.  We love our kids, we love our family...really we do!

We counted the days on the calendar and realized that she would be back home about one and a half weeks before my mother-in-law left.  My husband wryly pointed out if we HAD started lounging around in our birthday suits when we had a chance no one would want ot move back in or visit now.

I just finished looking at my calendar and counting estimated weeks till graduation, wondering if she will go out of state for any of it and wondering if we will ever have to worry about it being too quiet. I think about how I always wanted a bigger family and that maybe I am getting it now - just in a multi generational, all grown up manner.  I wonder how many people out there are just like me and if they to have a calendar for counting days.

I don't have my hopes up.  My mom could decide she missed Alaska and need a transition locale, or Mike's mom could need some assistance on a daily basis...anything can and does happen as so many familites can attest.  I never really thought about a second home before but I am thinking about it now.  Maybe, a little one bedroom somewhere with a one car garage and hardly any kitchen. Mike says we are too old to be running away from home but then he is not cooking and cleaning bathrooms.  Personally, I am not so sure about that... anyone out there with a nice little rental?

By Bethe Davis

 Member Book Discounts

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CPA LICENSE RENEWAL

Renewal Forms

Online renewal, and the renewal forms, for the January 1, 2014 through December 31, 2015 licensing period will be available online approximately 30 days before the December 31, 2013 expiration date of your license.

•  Application for Continuing Education Hours for a Written Publication, #08-4630, Revised 10/03/13.