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CalCPA Joins Coalition to Advance DEI Within Accounting Profession

 Inc. (formerly the National Association of Black Accountants), 

 (California Society of Certified Public Accountants), 

, today announced a partnership pilot program in California to encourage Black students to pursue accounting as a profession and Black professionals to consider sharing their experiences in the accounting classroom. The program will look to increase the number of Black and African American individuals who are fluent in accounting, the language of money, business, and wealth.

Under the partnership agreement, the six organizations will combine their resources for outreach to Black students and to professionals for teaching roles in California. Pending the success of this pilot program, it can eventually expand to other demographic groups and geographies.

The program will comprise four exclusive tracks that will aid participants in their success — three student tracks: the 

 (Certified Management Accountant) track, which will map out a career in management accounting and ready participants to become CMAs; the CPA (Certified Public Accountant) track, which will map out a career in public and private accounting and ready participants to become CPAs; the leadership track to help participants become business leaders; and the faculty track, which will include faculty development from AAA and assist in the practitioner-to-faculty transition.

All of the tracks will include complimentary memberships to the respective relevant organizations in the partnership, along with resources and exposure to Black business leaders and faculty. Participants in the 

 courses, a leader in the accounting exam prep space and trusted by candidates for more than 45 years.

The pilot program implements actionable solutions from the April 2022 

Diversifying Global Accounting Talent: Actionable Solutions for Progress

 report from IMA, CalCPA, and IFAC (International Federation of Accountants), in which all other organizations in this pilot program partnership were involved, that are directed toward attracting diverse talent with various types of campaigns. This program responds to the key call to action found in the research: advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals.

Applications for participants will open in January 2023. For more information about the program, visit 

https://nabainc.org/diversifying-the-accountancy-pipeline-program/

 is one of the largest and most respected associations focused exclusively on advancing the management accounting profession. Globally, IMA supports the profession through research, the CMA

 (Certified Management Accountant) and CSCA

 (Certified in Strategy and Competitive Analysis) programs, continuing education, networking, and advocacy of the highest ethical business practices. For more information about IMA, please visit 

For every past, present and future CPA and accountant, CalCPA is a members’ club and professional education provider offering the leadership the CPA profession needs for change, and the knowledge you need for what’s next. Our education, member community and advocacy are transforming the profession for a brighter future.

NABA Inc. is a nonprofit membership association dedicated to bridging the opportunity gap for Black Business Leaders in accounting, finance, entrepreneurship, and related business professions. NABA advances people, careers, and its mission by providing education, resources, and meaningful career connections to professional, student and corporate members. Visit 

About The American Accounting Association

The American Accounting Association is the largest community of accountants in academia. Founded in 1916, we have a rich and reputable history built on leading-edge research and publications. The diversity of our membership creates a fertile environment for collaboration and innovation. Collectively, we shape the future of accounting through teaching, research and a powerful network, ensuring our position as thought leaders in accounting.

The Center for Audit Quality (CAQ) is a nonpartisan public policy organization serving as the voice of U.S. public company auditors and matters related to the audits of public companies.

Gleim creates online self-study courses for accounting certification exams, including the CPA, CMA, CIA, and EA. For 45+ years, Gleim’s mission has been to maximize knowledge transfer while minimizing customers’ time, frustration, and cost. With their proven system of success, Gleim Exam Prep has helped millions of candidates earn passing scores.

 “One of our objectives is to reduce inequities by exposing participants in this program to the life changing outcomes that the accounting profession can provide, and our hope is that Black students and professionals will take advantage of our program’s resources to remove barriers, choose accounting as a career path, and in turn, thrive in their careers and lives,” said Loreal Jiles, vice president of research and thought leadership at IMA.

“Black students and professionals often lack exposure and access to resources to explore the range of opportunities available in the accounting profession,” said Suzanne Brown, senior vice president, program design and implementation, NABA Inc. “This program is giving students an avenue to pursue management and public accounting, and professionals the opportunity to leverage accounting for success or become adjunct faculty and influence the next generation of Black Business Leaders.”

“As evidenced by the research and solutions offered over the last few years, it is essential that we diversify our profession and its leadership for everyone’s benefit,” said Denise LeDuc Froemming, CPA, CAE, CEO of CalCPA. “As the largest accounting organization in California, we are proud to be the first state to offer this program to our Black students and professionals and to partner with organizations that share our common goal.”

“The foundation for tomorrow’s accountants begins in the classroom and it is important for students to have representation from those that are instructing them,” said Yvonne Hinson, CEO, American Accounting Association. “With this program, our hope is to turn accounting practitioners into adjunct faculty and provide a presence for the Black community that improves readiness for the profession and retention within collegiate accounting programs.”

“The accounting profession is laser focused on closing the diversity gap,” said Liz Barentzen, vice president, talent initiatives, CAQ. “With this pilot program, we are able to connect Black students with resources and mentors that will help them understand the benefits of a career in accounting and ultimately join this profession.”

“Diversity is at the core of Gleim Exam Prep and has been since its first published CPA Review in 1974. Dr. Irvin Gleim created a course that everyone could benefit from no matter their background,” said Lorie Gleim, chief executive officer of Gleim Exam Prep. “This program is a natural fit since our mission has never changed, and we continue to invest resources to reach diverse students and provide the best accounting support to help them pass the CPA and CMA exams. We are ecstatic to support Black students pursuing a career in accounting.”

Leading Accounting Organizations Partner to Diversify the Accounting Profession

The program will look to increase the number of Black and African American individuals who are fluent in accounting, the language of money, business, and wealth.

 — Okorie L. Ramsey, CPA, CGMA, PMP, NACD.DC, Vice President, Sarbanes/Oxley for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, is the new chair of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). He also will serve as chair of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, which combines the strengths of the AICPA and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).

Ramsey, a CPA who also holds the Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) designation, was elected to the one-year AICPA volunteer post by the organization’s governing Council, which concludes its Spring Council session May 25. Carla McCall, CPA, CGMA, managing partner of Alexander Aronson Finning CPAs, was voted in as the AICPA’s vice chair.

“We are a profession of leaders,” Ramsey said in his acceptance speech. “And it is our duty to guide people, firms, businesses and economies. Together, we can seize the moment and shape our future.”

Ramsey listed three areas of focus for his term:

Ramsey hopes to capitalize on the advancements made by the profession over the past few years by embracing and leveraging technology to streamline processes, increase efficiency and drive greater value. He also urges the profession to evolve through lifelong learning, business model transformation, and the CPA Exam itself. “Through CPA Evolution, we are on track for the January 2024 launch of the new CPA Exam,” he said. “There will be an increased focus on data and technology concepts in all exam sections.” 

Instill integrity and trust into sustainability.

Ramsey believes environmental, social and governance (ESG) is an area where professional accountants can drive meaningful change. He will encourage the AICPA and the Association to work with stakeholders to integrate responsible and sustainable practices into their businesses and operating models. “Our profession is more prepared than any other to drive strategic conversations on sustainability opportunities and risks,” he said. “I believe this is a space where we can move from having a seat at the table to being at the head of the table.”

 Support the next generation and give them enhanced opportunities to succeed.

Ramsey supports working together with other professional organizations, state CPA societies, colleges, high schools and firms and employers to create a more inclusive accounting and finance profession. He cites collaboration as a key to improving diversity within the profession and getting students interested in the accounting field. He noted that while progress has been made, there is much more work to do. “The profession needs you. And we need our young professionals to see you to understand the art of the possible,” Ramsey said. 

 Ramsey served for the past year as the AICPA’s vice chair and has held several other volunteer posts, including those on the AICPA Board of Directors, the Association Board of Directors, the AICPA and Association Audit and Finance Committee Chair, the AICPA Investments Committee and AICPA Council. He is a Lifetime member of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) and won NABA’s Inaugural Core Values award in 2022. He also previously held roles as Chair of the CalCPA Education Foundation Board of Trustees and chair of the Accounting Career Awareness Program, San Francisco Bay Area. He and is also a former adjunct professor for San Francisco State University’s Master of Business Administration program. 

 Ramsey has a bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting from San Francisco State University, and a Kaiser Permanente Executive Leadership Program Certificate from Harvard Business School. He is married and has two children. His interests include family time, music, investing and mentoring young people to help them reach their full potential.

CalCPA Member Okorie Ramsey Named Chair of AICPA

Okorie L. Ramsey, CPA, CGMA, PMP, NACD.DC, Vice President, Sarbanes/Oxley for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, is the new chair of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA).

 — CalCPA has joined the growing coalition committed to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within accounting through 

, a nationwide campaign to attract a new generation of diverse students into the talent pipeline.

, a nonpartisan public policy organization serving as the voice of U.S. public company auditors, Accounting+ is a first-of-its kind, profession-backed, campaign to actively engage high school and college students with dynamic, tailored resources on the benefits of a career in accounting, including paths to entrepreneurship and to helping build vibrant local communities. 

The campaign dispels misperceptions about accounting—namely that it is not interesting or a profession that can help them reach their goals. The Accounting+ campaign is based on research that found substantial openness to accounting as a profession.

By joining Accounting+, CalCPA commits to be a part of the collective effort to improve diversity in accounting by playing an important role in upskilling communities and working to create a more diverse talent pipeline.

Accounting+ is a nationwide campaign to attract a new generation of diverse students into the talent pipeline.