State CPA Society News & Updates – August 2026

State CPA Society News & Updates is a selection of recent announcements and initiatives by CPA associations in the United States and its territories.

Executive Summary:

State CPA organizations across the U.S. announced key leadership changes and upcoming events. The New York society honored the memory of former chapter president Thomas Novak. Meanwhile, the Colorado, North Dakota, and Arizona societies opened registrations for their upcoming fall 2026 accounting and tax conferences. In leadership transitions, the Florida Institute welcomed Amy Kistka as its 99th Board Chair—marking its first Big 4 firm chair in over two decades—supported by a newly appointed 2026–27 board and council. Additionally, the Georgia Society elected Cromwell S. Baun as its Board Chair for the 2026–27 year.

The New York State Society of CPAs (NYCPA) announced the passing of former NYCPA Suffolk Chapter President Thomas Novak who passed away on July 8, 2020. A member of the Society for more than 40 years, Thomas served as president of the Suffolk Chapter from 1997-1998.

Thomas served as chair of the Construction Contractor Conference, member of the Construction Contractor Committee, chair of the Real Estate Committee, and director on the statewide Board of Directors. His involvement and dedication to the profession impacted countless individuals, and he will be deeply missed.

The Colorado Society of CPAs (COCPA) has announced dates for the PEAK Colorado Accounting and Finance Summit. The Summit will take place November 11-12 at the Sheraton Denver West. For more information and registration details, visit the COCPA website.

The North Dakota CPA Society (NDCPAS) has opened registration for the 2026 Farm Tax Conference, which will take place in Grand Forks, ND, September 21-22, 2026. The Conference will also be available virtually.

The conference is $449 for NDCPA members, with a non-member price of $549. One day pricing is also available. To learn more about the conference or to register for the in-person or virtual conference, visit the conference page on the NDCPAS website.

The Arizona Society of CPAs (ASCPA) has opened registration for the ASCPA Converge Conference, which will take place October 29-30, 2026 at Venue 8600 in Scottsdale, AZ. The member cost for the two-day conference is $350, with non-member pricing of $550.00. For more information or to register, visit the conference page on the ASCPA website.

The Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants (FICPA) has welcomed Amy Kistka as the 99^th Chair of its Board of Directors effective July 1, 2026.

Kistka is the Managing Director and Marketplace Leader of Deloitte in Jacksonville. A graduate of the University of North Florida with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting, she has spent her entire career in Deloitte’s Jacksonville office, beginning as an audit assistant in 1998. Steadily ascending through the ranks over a span of two decades, she was ultimately named Managing Director in 2016 and Marketplace Leader in 2018. She is the FICPA’s first Chair from a Big 4 public accounting firm in more than 20 years.

Kistka began her volunteer service with the FICPA in 2019 as a member of its State Legislative Policy (SLP) Committee and Women in Leadership Committee. She joined the FICPA’s Board of Directors in 2023 and advanced to Vice Chair of the SLP Committee in 2024. She has also overseen the Women in Leadership; Content Advisory; and Valuation, Forensic Accounting, and Litigation Services Conference committees as a Director. Outside the FICPA, she is an active member of the AICPA Council and the Board of Directors of City Year Jacksonville, supporting local students in public schools.

As Chair, Kistka will be supported by the FICPA Board of Directors and Council members listed below:

2026-27 Board of Directors: Carshena Allison (WatsonRice) (Chair-Elect), Karen Lake (SALTexpert LLC)(Immediate Past Chair), Robbie Maya (Kaufman Rossin), Chris Oatis (Grant Thornton), Jennifer Paget (Crowe), Mindy Rankin (Warren Averett), Christopher Stemley (Disney Financial Services), Alex Sueiro (PAAST), Alex Welsh (A-LIGN), Dana Zukierski (EY) and Katey Exum (A-LIGN) (Young CPA Committee Chair; non-voting)

2026-27 Council members: Ed Duarte (Foreign Parts Distributors) (Past Chair), Daniel Amat (KPMG), Danny Castro (BDO), Carlos Grosmann (Kaufman Rossin), Meg Hampton (Frazier & Deeter), Genevieve Hancock (G Hancock Advisory), Kathryn Horton (Kathryn K. Horton CPA), Binita Mehta (PwC), Kahlil Osborne (Norwegian Cruise Line), Michael Riskin (CPS Investment Advisors), Heber Rojas (TRCPA), Christopher Rux (Cherry Bekaert), Jean Marie E. Saintyl (CLA), Ian Shapiro (Socorro Partners), Brion Sharpe (PwC), Cheri Swain (Carr, Riggs & Ingram), Paul Thompson (Forvis Mazars) and Aharon Yoki (University of South Florida)

The Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants (GSCPA) has elected Cromwell S. Baun, CFA, CFP®, CIMA®, CPWA®, Elected Chair of GSCPA Board of Directors for 2026-27 Year.

Baun has been an active and involved member of GSCPA for more than two decades. He previously served on the GSCPA Board of Directors and has volunteered his time on numerous committees and task forces. During his year as Chair, Baun hopes to help reshape how people view the accounting profession and highlight the many ways CPAs serve as trusted advisors, problem solvers and leaders across industries. Baun is proud to call Atlanta, Georgia home.