Longtime CPA leader: ‘An amazing time to be in the profession’

Calvin Harris, CPA, knew he wanted to be an accountant well before he got to college. He had several mentors who helped him make that decision. It’s one reason he believes that accountants need to reach students early and tell a better story about the profession.

Harris was first on the JofA podcast in February 2022, when he was CFO of the National Urban League. Today, he’s CEO of the New York State Society of CPAs and keenly aware of some of the profession’s issues related to available talent.

He discussed some of the ways accountants can help attract candidates to the profession and commented on the draft recommendations in the recently published report by the National Pipeline Advisory Group.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• How technology has energized Harris and how it’s empowering young CPAs.
• How Harris’s mother, a former high school teacher, influenced his career choice.
• The crucial role diversity and inclusion can play in the future of the profession, according to Harris.
• Why telling a better story — and telling it early and often — is a must to address accounting pipeline concerns.
• How Harris, later in life, added the New York City Marathon to his list of accomplishments.