By: Melisa Galasso
My NCACPA membership means a variety of things to me making it easy for me to renew it each year. First off, means friendship—before I moved here from DC, I had never been to Charlotte before. The first thing I did after our house hunting trip was reach out to the Charlotte Chapter’s board to find out about getting involved. Many of those people have made a significantly positive impact on my transition to NC. The people I meet regularly, like NCACPA staff and the volunteers have all been amazing.
Beyond the awesome people I get to work with in different capacities, I renew my membership because I joined a profession that is ever changing. NCACPA stays on top of the changes and keeps us informed, they insure the profession stays on the right track, and seek to hold the profession to the highest standards. I worked hard to obtain my license and I’m happy NCACPA is there to make sure it keeps the prestige it deserves.
I also renew my membership because it is worth much more than it costs. The people, the activities, the ways to get involved, all offer me ways to be part of something much bigger. I’ll be in the profession for many years to come. I figure, if I’m going to spend a significant amount of time doing something, I should be passionate about it and jump in with both feet. I don’t want to sit in the back seat and let someone else drive for the next 30 years. I want to make sure I’m involved in driving the profession forward.
For all these reasons, I find my membership fulfilling, and I’m sure most active members would say the same thing!
Melisa is an Audit Manager in the Professional Practices Department at Cherry Bekaert, LLP, in Charlotte. She currently serves on NCACPA’s Accounting & Attestation Committee and is Chair-Elect of the Charlotte Chapter. Melisa can be reached at [email protected].