Doing more with less.

• Author: Zimmer, Christina

Work demands. Family activities. Soccer games. Church/Synagogue. Civic organizations. With all the demands for your time, volunteering for your profession can easily fall off the priority list. Since today's climate is "do more with less," The Ohio Society of CPAs offers you ways to do just that--here are Ohio Society members reap professional benefits in a way that works with their diminishing cache of available time.

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For instance, when you volunteer for Accounting for Kids Day[R], you are not only spending time with children in your community (maybe even your own children), you are broadening your professional network and giving back to your community. In just half a day, members are helping young minds grasp basic financial concepts while shaping the image of CPAs. In addition, the four hours you spend can have a great impact on the future of the profession and beginning the student recruitment process.

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By helping plan CPE courses in your area, you not only influence the type of CPE in your city, you also meet other CPAs in your community who share your interests. These contacts can become sounding boards for discussing professional issues, maybe even assist you with an area of expertise when you need assistance or advice. This same benefit comes from involvement with any of the Society's committees, most of which meet via conference call throughout the year. These conference calls allow members to remain at work while helping shape their profession.

An Independent Sector article entitled "Ten Tips for Wise Volunteering" notes that potential volunteers should consider the skills they have to offer, research the issues that are important to them and seek to learn something new. As a CPA, you have a broad skill set that has the potential to positively impact any organization. Volunteering offers opportunities to develop new skills or refine those you already possess.

"From volunteering with the Columbus Women's Forum, I gained confidence in speaking that I might not have just through work," says Teresa Gossman, a senior accountant with Ernst & Young in Columbus.

For others, volunteering is more of a civic responsibility. Matt Boehm, CPA, CFO and administrator for Northwest Ohio Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Lima, believes "we have to give back. I believe it is our responsibility to contribute to the betterment of the profession. Everyone has something they can give back to society--or The (Ohio) Society."

In a survey commissioned by Lions Clubs International, one of the world's largest service organizations, 90 percent of volunteers questioned believed that volunteering made them feel closer to their community. "We tend to get so myopic sitting in our offices day after day. We don't get a good feeling of what's going on in the profession," says Sue Kerslake, CPA, controller at ABB, Inc. in Columbus. "My volunteer experiences make me feel like part of an organization and it has made me more knowledgeable of issues facing the profession."

The following is a snapshot of some of the many members who volunteer with The Ohio Society. Their backgrounds, interests and time commitment varies, but they all help move the profession forward.

Name: David A. Brockman, CPA

Hometown: Fairlawn, Ohio

Family: Wife and two boys, ages 12 and 14

Hobbies: Golf, racquetball, certified swimming official

Occupation: Shareholder, Director of Business and Assurance Services at Brockman, Coats, Gedelian & Co. in Akron

Dave first became involved with The Ohio Society of CPAs because someone asked. "Very early in my career, a partner in my firm invited me to an Akron/Canton Chapter dinner meeting," he recalls. "I was asked to get involved and so I volunteered for the Attorney, Banker, CPA (ABC) Luncheon Committee."

The ABC luncheons, an Akron-area networking series, continues today with input from local professionals, including members of Brockman's firm and others in the Akron area. He...