By Dan Sweetwood, Nebraska Board of Public Accountancy
The approach of the Nebraska Board of Public Accountancy’s September meeting signals a time for change. The change includes new leadership and new committees for the 2020-2021 year. First, I would to like acknowledge and thank our outgoing Chairman Michele “Shelly” Stromp, CPA. Stromp provided excellent leadership while serving as chairman in 2020 during the year of the pandemic. She guided the State Board over the course of the pandemic, which included the cancellation of the March meeting, initiation of the staff contingency plan, and the launch of the State Board’s first virtual WebEx meeting, among many other issues.
State Board Vice Chairman Thomas Purcell, III, PhD, CPA moves into the position of chairman as selected by his fellow board members. Over the course of my long career with the State Board and during these uncertain times, I cannot think of a CPA better positioned to take over the reins as chairman than Dr. Purcell. He has a long and extensive record of service to the CPA profession nationally and in Nebraska, including recognition by the Nebraska Society of CPAs, the AICPA, and his employer Creighton University, among others. We are all fortunate that members of your profession like Stromp and Purcell continue their service by joining the State Board!
Board members Stromp and Michael McClure, CPA have successfully served eight years, signaling their final terms on the State Board. They will both be recognized for their service at the State Board’s September meeting. If you see either of these individuals, please be sure to thank them for their service. We anticipate that Governor Pete Ricketts will appoint new members to the State Board this fall.
Some quick updates:
- Board staff continues in their partial contingency plan with one member in the office and others working remotely. This allows us to remain safe and not take the chance of severely impacting operations. Remember, if you need to contact us and we do not answer the office telephone, please leave a message or send us an email and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
- As reported, LB 808 was passed and approved by Governor Ricketts this summer. The bill expands the ability for CPA examination candidates in Nebraska to sit 120 days before completing the 150-hour education requirement. We anticipate this will assist graduate students with the ability to sit for the examination during their last semester. Do not hesitate to contact our office if you have any questions in regard to this change. This is another great example of the State Board and the Nebraska Society working together before the Nebraska Legislature. A big thanks to President Sundquist and Society leadership for their assistance with LB 808!
- We remind those individuals who are submitting applications for their certificate or an initial permit to practice to remain patient. We understand the anticipation of receiving their certification or permit to practice; however, it can take three to four weeks depending on the number of applications received. State Board Administrator Kristen VanWinkle works hard to process the applications but must follow due diligence and complete her checklists before issuance, including review by the State Board’s Licensing Committee. So again, remain patient and send her a quick email for an update if needed at kristen.vanwinkle@nebraska.gov.
- The CPA Evolution Project continues to move forward under the leadership of the AICPA and NASBA. The first substantial phase has been launched with significant changes to the Uniform CPA Examination scheduled in 2024. The examination would include three updated core sections as of today; however, the fourth section can be chosen by the candidate as an area of interest. State Board members will receive updates on this important project during NASBA’s virtual annual meetings set for the first week of November. Of course, more to come on this in the future!
Take care and never hesitate to contact our office with any questions and/or concerns.
Dan Sweetwood is executive director of the Nebraska Board of Public Accountancy. You may contact him at (402) 471-3595 or
dan.sweetwood@nebraska.gov.
You may also contact Kristen VanWinkle, administrator of the State Board, at kristen.vanwinkle@nebraska.gov.
This story appears in 2020 Issue 5 of the Nebraska CPA Magazine.
