The FICPA created this Women’s Leadership web page to provide Florida’s women CPAs tools, support and event notifications geared to Florida's women business leaders and up–and–comers.

Do you know of a valuable resource for women in business? Tell us about it!

Women to Watch Awards

The second FICPA Women’s Leadership Summit was held May 20, 2011, in Fort Lauderdale. The Women to Watch Awards were presented at the Summit to four winners.

The Women to Watch Awards were created by the American Institute of CPAs to recognize outstanding women in accounting, and are given in two categories – Emerging Leaders and Experienced Leaders.

Emerging Leaders are women who have made significant contributions to the profession and their communities, but have not yet reached the highest levels of advancement. Recipients in the Emerging Leaders category were:

• Cindy Cruz, CPA, Rooms to Go
• Magda Sanchez-Farren, CPA, Crowe Horwath, LLP

Experienced Leaders are women who have advanced to a higher level or leadership position within her profession. Recipients in the Experienced Leaders category were:

• Deborah Garringer, CPA, Crowe Horwath, LLP
• Laura Krueger-Brock, CPA, CBIZ, Kirkland, Russ, Murphy & Tapp

Emerging Leaders were evaluated on their community service, demonstration of leadership, contribution to the accounting profession, creation and implementation of unique initiatives, and involvement with an alma mater or other local colleges and universities. Experienced Leaders hold leadership positions such as partners, owners, elected officials or appointees, or executives, and were assessed on their authorship of professional articles, major or unique contributions to the profession, community service, and mentoring other professionals.

Women’s Leadership Summit

The second Women’s Leadership Summit was held on May 20, 2011, at the Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale and provided Florida business women – of any industry – a day of education, networking and even some champagne and chocolate. We were honored to have such strong business women attend and present. Stay tuned for the 2012 event!

2011 Presenters and Topics

True Colors
Presented by Mia Thomas, CPA, Mia A. Thomas, PA
What's Your Color? How can knowing your true colors help you have more effective communication with others and help you get ahead? In this session, attendees tested their “true color” based on personality and behavioral traits and learned how and why we react to different situations. By the end of the session, we understood how to use our own true colors to react to others based on their personality.

A New Era of Women in Charge
Presented by Rita Keller, Keller and Associates
Rita Keller was back by popular demand and presented an update to her timely, relevant, and thought-provoking assessment of a new era of women in charge – socially, economically and politically. Attendees learned why, in professional service firms, we continue to struggle with retaining our best and brightest females. Women make up 60% of all accounting graduates, 52% of all new hires into public accounting, but only 23% of all partners. Rita Keller presented a lively session on:

• Helping female professionals understand the game of business
• Helping firms unravel the mysteries about developing women leaders

Professional Issues Panel
This session featured the 2010 Women to Watch Award winners:

• Jodi Kippe, Partner, Crowe Horwath, LLP
• Hema Rupnarain, Owner, Hema Rupnarain, CPA, PA
• Barbara Burner, Owner, Barbara A. Burner, CPA

Some of last year's winners discussed the professional landscape for women in accounting, addressed current issues facing the industry, and responded to questions from attendees.

Thank you to the 2011 Sponsors:

Interested in becoming a sponsor for the 2012 Summit? Please contact the FICPA Member Services Center: (800) 342-3197 (in Florida) | (850) 224-2727 | msc@ficpa.org

Resources

As a woman CPA in Florida, it is beneficial to stay abreast of news and development articles for and about women in leadership roles in business and in Florida. The resources listed below provide such resources.

For articles for and about women in business, visit the FICPA’s Women in Business News or check out these websites:

• Women Business Owners of North Florida – To create and recognize opportunities to lift up the successes of women in the business world, both collectively and individually.
• Business and Professional Women, FL – BPW Florida is "The Voice of Florida's Workingwomen" and can provide support, from scholarships and discounts to networking and community involvement.
• Women Owned Businesses – resource for government programs that can help women entrepreneurs
• Forbes Woman – for the woman leader in business
• Florida Women’s Business Center – in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership, a small business resource for professional development of women