Women's initiatives in the accounting profession will continue to progress under a new plan that will see the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) Women's Initiatives Executive Committee (WIEC) continue the name and ideals of the American Woman's Society of CPAs (AWSCPA).
The AWSCPA has represented and advocated for women in the accounting profession since 1933. Through training, mentorship, and advocating for executive sponsorship of women, the AWSCPA has played a pivotal role in the advancement of women in the CPA profession.
On Sept. 19, the AWSCPA membership overwhelmingly approved an agreement to dissolve the organization and transfer its name and other intellectual property to the AICPA.
"We are very excited about the opportunity to pair the passion of our AWSCPA members with the resources and goals of the AICPA," Cynthia Cox, CPA, president of the AWSCPA National Board, said in a news release.
For years, the AICPA and AWSCPA have worked closely together to advocate for women in the profession. For example, AWSCPA members helped the AICPA develop its highly successful Women's Global Leadership Summit.
Now the AICPA will create a task force of former AWSCPA members within the WIEC to provide insight into continuing efforts to develop communities and programming for women in the accounting profession.
"This agreement allows the AWSCPA's influence to continue to be felt through our shared goal of promoting women's leadership in the profession," Melissa Hooley, CPA, chair of the WIEC, said in a news release.
—Ken Tysiac (Kenneth.Tysiac@aicpa-cima.com) is a JofA editorial director.
