Chapter: TXCPA Fort Worth
President: Jacob Briggs, CPA
Executive director: Michelle Barton, CPA

Working with TXCPA to accomplish strategic plan goals focused on community and connection, advocacy and professional excellence, the Fort Worth Chapter achieved success through attaining the following goals for 2020-21: 

• Maximize member retention
• Promote the CPA profession to area university students
• Offer CPE courses with local networking opportunities or connections
• Promote the value of CPA brand in the local community

Goal: Maximize Member Retention

• Chapter leaders sent emails to 412 members who had not paid their dues, resulting in 77 or 19% renewing their memberships
• Initiated monthly member-to-member Welcome Wagon outreach to new licensees resulting in continuing to hold the highest new licensee retention record statewide
• Held two virtual ceremonies recognizing and welcoming new licensees
• Held two virtual member roundtables (nonprofit and small to midsize tax practitioners) to idea share and hive problem solve
• Held two virtual member networking happy hours

Goal: Promote the CPA Profession To Area University Students

• Emailed 47 faculty members at all five area universities  asking them to promote our November 5th student event with extra credit, and offered Chapter members to speak to classrooms or clubs;
• Virtually presented Pathway to CPA to three student groups at Tarrant County College;
• Virtually presented Pathway to CPA to six classes taking 2301 at UTA in the hopes that those taking the course as a business school requirement will consider accounting as a major
• Twenty CPAs hosted 265 area students in a virtual seminar where eight CPAs were asked to speak for 7 minutes on an aspect of teamwork and give real world applicable advice;
• Held a trivia networking event online for 40 students to interact with 10 local CPAs;

Goal: Offer CPE Courses with Local Networking Opportunities or Connections

• Held four virtual courses covering PPP loan application and forgiveness
• Record breaking attendance at Federal Tax Updates taught by fellow TXCPA members Steve Tillinger and Blaise Bender
• 273 members attended virtual Members CPE Day in August
• The Business and Industry Committee shifted their Lunch and Learn focus from industry specific topics to discussions on issues that affected all. Their highlight reel includes: Two economic updates from nationally recognized speaker: KC Mathews, once in June, and an update in October; Ken Huffman shared innovative ways to save money through insurance; Steve Peglar talked about working from home from an HR perspective; Kenneth Besserman, TXCPA, gave an update on the election and what legislative changes we can expect; Donna Rutter brought a timely Texas Franchise Tax Update; and, Tram Le gave a Sales Tax Update

Goal: Promote the Value of CPA Brand in the Local Community

• Over 430 members and their colleagues participated in Santaccountants which benefits children who are homeless, live below the poverty line, or have socio-economic challenges such as incarcerated parents.
• Launched a social media campaign in December which highlighted the Chapter’s Financial Literacy volunteers throughout the year
• Placed five articles in Fort Worth Inc magazine in 2020 which highlight the value of CPA professionals to c-suite executives
• Presented Money Management 101 to the life skills class at Goodwill Industries of Fort Worth Inc!
• Presented Money Management 101 to the junior high and high school boys at HOPE Farm
• Nine CPAs volunteered to review Preserve the Fort applicants P&L statements; resulting in higher approval rates for the second round of funding
• Distributed 400 copies of The Berenstain Bears' Dollars and Sense for Santaccountant families to read together
• Offered members opportunities to brand align with fellow members through apparel purchases and a unifying digital background for statewide meetings

New This Year

The City of Fort Worth and other local partners worked together to provide the city's small business community with financial assistance through the Preserve the Fort small business grant program to reimburse the costs of business interruption as a result of the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Applicants needed to provide a profit and loss statement for year-end 2019, as well as a profit and loss statement for 2020 showing data monthly. A common issue with completing applications in Phase I of Preserve the Fort was that many applicants had never prepared a P&L before. Chapter members worked with applicants to review documents prior to submission, resulting in higher grant approval rates.

Chapter members held 176 of the 265 document assistance meetings. A total of 1,640 grants were awarded to local businesses for a total of $54.9 million.