Perspective
Excellence Abounds at CGA
This column is aptly named "Perspective" because it gives every CGA-Canada Chair a unique opportunity to speak directly to our 62,000 CGAs and students from the special perspective of an individual, who each year fulfills the role of Board Chair of this leading and innovative accounting organization.
And since this is my final opportunity to speak to you from this podium, my thoughts inevitably turn to one word which I see as the driving force behind our designation. The word is excellence. The Association has accomplished much during my term of office. Our success includes huge progress, and in some cases victory, in our fight for full public practice rights for CGAs in every region of Canada.
There is pride in our new national standard for Continuing Professional Development. It will ensure that all CGAs remain at the top of our profession now and in the future. And there is our ongoing work in evolving and refining our education program — again a sign of our unbending commitment to excellence, which will make sure we continue to educate new generations of accountants who are equipped with the skills and knowledge to succeed.
As much as I am proud of these accomplishments, there is something more important that will stay with me long past my current term as Chair. It is an overall commitment to excellence which I see all around me among my fellow CGAs. I believe this commitment to excellence is deeply imbedded within CGA values.
This excellence is reflected in the dedication and commitment of the many CGA volunteers who serve on our boards and committees. It is reflected in the pride with which we hold our designation up to public view. And it is reflected in the commitment of such individuals as our latest John Leslie Award recipient — John Williams, MP, FCGA, Conservative member of Parliament for the riding of Edmonton-St. Albert, Alberta.
The John Leslie Award was founded by CGA-Canada in 1988 to recognize the achievements of exceptional CGAs. This year's recipient is a four-term member of Parliament, a member of the Conservative caucus, and the Chair of the Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption, an international organization focused on promoting good governance, accountability, and transparency among parliamentarians from around the world. Indeed, John Williams has made it his mission to return accountability to Parliament — a fight that will benefit us all.
Mr. Williams is joined by a new group of 27 Fellow recipients, FCGAs, who are being recognized for their exemplary service to the Association, the profession, and the public. This latest group of FCGAs is yet another reflection of the excellence in our ranks.
I believe this Association has carved out a place for itself in the Canadian accounting landscape over the past century because of an underlying desire to be the best at what we are — leading accounting professionals. This unwavering commitment to excellence so evident among us will always make me proud to be a CGA.
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