A Deeper Commitment to ACAP - 2019 Spring Spectrum Magazine

NABA NEXT A Deeper Commitment to ACAP By Elaine W. Smith O’Garro has been involved in ACAP for more than 25 years. She is the founder/director of the Dallas/Fort Worth ACAP, NABA has deepened its commitment to which will be holding its 19th program June 9-14, 2019. the Accounting Career Awareness Program O’Garro was also instrumental in starting ACAP programs (ACAP) with the establishment of the ACAP in Atlanta, Wichita, Houston, Phoenix, Minneapolis, National Task Force. Boston, and North Carolina. O’Garro has served on the Board of Directors of the Dallas/Fort Worth ACAP since ACAP has been an instrumental NABA program, created 2001, and served as the NABA National ACAP chair for four to build and strengthen the pipeline of students entering terms. In 2015, she received NABA’s ACAP Legacy Award. the profession. The mission of the ACAP Task Force is to Harris agreed to serve on the Task Force because she loves participate in purposeful dialogue that results in activities the connectivity and mentorship of the programs. “I think to help transform, evolve, expand, and provide oversight it is important for minority students to have the type of of the ACAP programs. The Task Force will accomplish experience that pours a unique level of wisdom into them its mission by providing thought leadership, raising and I want to see the program expanded to thousands of awareness and offering guidance to existing and future students across the country,” she said. programs. The ultimate goal is to increase the number of Brown said, “During all of my professional career, I’ve underrepresented ethnic groups entering the accounting endeavored to ‘lift as I climbed’ or to make a positive and finance profession and achieving the CPA designation. difference in the lives of students and young professionals. That has been an important filter as I’ve accepted new Task force members are Arica (Morris) Harris, CISA, PMP, roles in corporate America, served on nonprofit boards, group leader, Banking Operations, Edward Jones (St. Louis, or accepted committee assignments, etc.  Serving on the Missouri); Odell Brown, owner, MPrints (Duncanville, Texas); ACAP National Task Force aligns with what I’ve always and Nora O’Garro, CEO and owner, Unamelt Event Planning. strived to do.” O’Garro’s reason for serving on the ACAP Task Force Harris, Brown and O’Garro are no strangers to ACAP. In is rooted in her own career challenges. “I got into the 2010, Harris chaired the first ACAP program in St. Louis. “As profession as a result of being a late bloomer. I went back chair, I witnessed the importance of introducing students to college at the age of 26 with three children under the to the profession. I realized that these students need us to age of 3. I needed a job that would afford my children the help groom them in a manner that no other association quality of life my mother could not provide – not because of can. ACAP has a secret sauce that cannot be replicated lack of desire, but lack of access,” O’Garro said. “The mission because of the professionalism, passion, experience and of ACAP is my driving force. Being the founder/director of compassion that NABA members carry within themselves the [Dallas-Fort Worth] ACAP, I know firsthand the benefit that passes on to the students that experience ACAP,” said of early exposure to career exploration combined with the Harris, who continues to chair the program in St. Louis. importance of dispelling the negative stereotype about accounting and finance for minorities. I know the difference Brown, who has served as executive director of Dallas between getting a job versus building a career path with ACAP since its inception in 2001, said that more than 800 the proper support system. This task force will make history students have graduated from the program. “In addition to by doubling the number of minorities who will enter the a wide range of technical expertise, I bring college recruiting, profession, become CPAs, and obtain other advanced instructional design, and facilitation expertise to the certifications over the next decade. I am honored and executive director role, and continue to mentor many ACAP humbled to take part in such an effort.” alums,” Brown said. He has also organized and facilitated Task Force members see ACAP as extremely critical to ACAP Western Regional Summits where “we’ve shared filling the accounting profession’s pipeline with minority best practices among ACAP chapters within our region.” In professionals. “It’s common knowledge that the profession addition to serving on this ACAP National Task Force, Brown is struggling to attract minority students to major in has been instrumental in sharing best practices and other accounting and to enter the profession,” Brown said. He strategies with the NABA National Office in order to provide said ACAP is important for the following reasons: content for the existing NABA ACAP Program Toolkit, and with the AICPA in establishing criteria for the current school- based ACAP programs. 34 SPECTRUM | SPRING 2019

NABA NEXT (Left) Arica (Morris) Harris JOiN NABA (Top) Nora O’Garro EMPOWER THE CHANGE WiTHiN (Bottom) Odell Brown NABA Members Get Early first impression:  Most high schools do not offer an accounting course. Exclusive Access To: Thus, it is not likely that a student will enter college majoring in accounting. ACAP facilitates an early favorable impression and enjoyable positive • Discounts on CPE and Online experience for students interested in accounting. A great experience in Learning ACAP can go a long way in attracting students to the accounting profession. Access to mentors:  ACAP provides access to mentors during and after ACAP • Business Management Week. Having an example or role model is an important factor for students and Executive Leadership in choosing accounting as a major. Local professional chapter members Development and CPA state society members who serve as guest speakers allow minority students to see others who look like them. • Professional Recruitment and Access to additional resources:  ACAP provides initial insights into the possible Referral Network training and learning opportunities and support system for students as they study for and pass the CPA exam.  Such insights help to dispel the myth that • Online Career Center accounting is all math and numbers, and that the CPA exam is too hard to • More than 175 Professional pass. “We all know that the number of people entering into the accounting and and Student Chapters finance professions continues to decline while the opportunities continue to • Regional Student Conferences grow,” said Harris. “We strongly believe that starting to influence and expose • Hundreds of NABA students to the profession earlier on in their lives plants a seed of interest. ACAP is effectively designed and positioned to provide the tools, advice and Scholarships support for those students who continue to pursue that interest through • Annual National Convention college and beyond. Many of the ACAP students find opportunities with some of the very companies that partnered with the ACAP programs.” Featuring CPE Sessions, CPA O’Garro said ACAP “provides a solid foundation for students to be nurtured Exam Review, Leadership to maximize their potential through the development of a plan for success Training, N etworking and as they matriculate through college and then to their professional careers, Career Expo not just jobs.” She also believes that student participation in technical and • Exclusive Online Community leadership development sessions helps dispel negative stereotypes and misconceptions about career opportunities in accounting/finance. “ACAP www.NSPARINBGA20i1n9 c| .oSPrEgC/TmRUeMm3b5ership provides an easier pathway to obtaining advanced certifications in the profession because of the access to the tools, scholarships and the support system NABA provides,” O’Garro said. ▲