Associations
FROM: MAY-JUN 2004 ISSUE
New Territory for Manitoba
As the largest and fastest growing accounting body in Manitoba, CGA Manitoba has entered new territory, which brings new challenges, says Doug Collins, FCGA, and president of CGA-Manitoba for 2003-04. "Our current focus is planning to ensure we continue to provide a high level of service to our more than 3,000 members and students," Collins says.
Collins holds the Chartered Insolvency and Restructuring Professional (CIRP) designation. He is vice-president of Keith G.Collins Ltd., Trustee in Bankruptcy, where he works with his father, Keith, and sister, Donna, who are also both trustees in bankruptcy. Collins joined the family firm, which has 18 staff in total, in 1986.
Collins says he knew an accounting designation would give him a great foundation for his career in the insolvency field. "On contacting CGA Manitoba, I was immediately impressed with the personal attention I received, and enrolled in the program," he recalls. He received his CGA in 1989, and FCGA in 2003.
"I wanted to try to give back, so I contacted Len Hampson, executive director of CGA Manitoba, to see if there was an opportunity to become involved. He put me on the regulatory services committee and from there, I found myself on the board, and then the executive," says Collins who was born and raised in Winnipeg. He has been married to his wife, Helen, for 18 years, and the couple has three children — Laura, 14,Brian, 11, and Kevin, 7."Three years ago, we moved onto nine acres in Cooks Creek, in the regional municipality of Springfield. In addition to the five of us, there is one dog, two horses, and four cats," he adds.
Serving with Collins are: Michael Geiger-Wolf, MBA, CGA, first vice-president;Arlene E. Egnell, CGA, second vice-president; Stephen Rosenfield,B.Comm.(Hons.), FCGA, treasurer; Leonard Hampson, FCGA, secretary; and Greg Kuzminski,B.Comm.(Hons.), FCGA, past president.
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Equal Representation in Nova Scotia
CGA-Nova Scotia's main goal this year is to work toward changing the composition of the Nova Scotia Public Accountants Board (PAB), which issues licenses to public accountants, says John McCulloch, CGA, and president of CGA-Nova Scotia for 2003-04. Currently, all members of PAB are CAs. The Association believes that there should be equal representation from all three accounting designations, and is actively lobbying the provincial government to include CGAs on the board.
McCulloch, who has lived in Halifax all his life, has both a bachelor of commerce and an MBA from Saint Mary's University. He is a controller for the Karlsen Shipping Company — a position he has held for the past three and a half years. Before joining Karlsen, he worked at the public practice firm of Bill Shellnutt & Associates for four years.
McCulloch received his designation in 1999 and has been involved with CGA-Nova Scotia's marketing committee since 1996. "I joined the provincial board in October 2001 as the chair of the marketing committee, and became involved with the Atlantic Image Enhancement Project that year. I also served on the task force to select CGA-Nova Scotia's first executive director, became first vice-president in October 2002, and continued to be involved with the marketing committee and the Atlantic Image Enhancement campaign," he says. McCulloch also served on the planning committee for CGA-Nova Scotia's annual conference, and is currently the chair of the Atlantic Image project.
As for involvement on a national level, he was selected to be on CGA-Canada's audit committee in the fall of 2003. "I look forward to becoming more involved on a national level in the future," he says, adding, "our Association is growing and it is an exciting time to be involved. It has been a great experience to see the progress we've made with the image enhancement campaign; to actually see our ads in print and the favourable reaction we have received is exciting and rewarding," he exclaims.
"Choosing to earn a CGA designation has been rewarding for me and becoming involved with the Association has made it even more so. My involvement has allowed me to meet people with similar backgrounds and experiences that I would not have met otherwise," says McCulloch.
Serving with McCulloch are Joan Jewers, first vice-president; Don Larlee, second vice-president; and Anne Driscoll, past president and secretary/treasurer.
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Hong Kong News
CGA-Hong Kong elected its board members for 2003-04 at its annual general meeting in November 2003. They are as follows: Charles Lau, FCGA, president and chair of CGA-Hong Kong;Alac Ho, CGA, vice-president;Jeffery Cheung, CGA, secretary; William Tin, CGA, treasurer; Raymond Yeung, CGA, past president and directors; Simon Ho, CGA; Dr. Helen Kwok, FCGA; Kai Hing Lau, CGA; Michael Li, CGA; Winnie Chiu, CGA; Dr. Steven Wong, CGA.
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