For CPE opportunities in the Nashville area, visit www.tscpa.com/chapter/nashville/cpe.aspx.


November 2007
 

November 20 Chapter Meeting
Location: Nashville Airport Marriott
600 Marriott Drive
Nashville, Tenn.
For a printable map, please visit http://www.tscpa.com/chapter/newsletters/Nashville/AirportMarriott.pdf
 
Registration: 11:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Lunch: 12 - 1 p.m.
Afternoon CPE: 1:30 - 5 p.m.
CPE Topic: "Federal Tax Update"
CPE Speaker: James L. McCoy
CPE Credit: Earn four hours of tax CPE if you attend the lunch and afternoon program. Earn three hours of CPE if you attend the afternoon program only.
Fees: No fee for members; $50 for guests to attend lunch and CPE.
Registration: Register by noon on Friday, Nov. 16. Register online at http://www.tscpa.com/Public/Catalog/CourseDetails.aspx?courseID=070611
or by calling 1-800/762-0272.

In accordance with the Nashville Chapter’s cancellation policy, members who make a reservation to attend the chapter meeting and/or CPE must cancel their reservation before noon on Friday before the meeting, or a no-show fee of $25 will be imposed. Any exceptions to this policy must be reviewed by the chapter board of directors.
 

 CPE Speaker
James L. McCoy is a managing member of Surgent McCoy CPE, LLC, a firm specializing in CPE course development. He currently services tax and consulting clients from his Raleigh, N.C., office.

McCoy has more than 25 years of experience in local and national firm tax departments specializing in taxation of individuals and closely-held family businesses. In addition, he is a highly-rated discussion leader known for his ability to communicate complex technical issues in an easy-to-understand, practical manner.

McCoy earned a bachelor's degree in accounting, summa cum laude, from Franklin University in Columbus, Ohio and a Master of Science in Taxation (MST) from Florida International University, Miami, Fla.
 

Upcoming Chapter Event

 Nashville Chapter Holiday Party
Saturday, Dec. 15
6:30-9:30 p.m.


Dave and Busters, Opry Mills Mall

Look for registration details in next month's newsletter!
 

Ethics: Your License Depends On It!

Ethics Webcasts
Nov. 19, 2007

REPLAY Session 1: General Ethics
9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. CST
Standards for Tennessee CPAs: Important Ethical Concepts, Principles and the Rules for CPAs in Tennessee

REPLAY Session 2: Tennessee Specific Ethics
12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. CST
 Standards for Tennessee CPAs: Important Ethical Concepts, Principles and the Rules for CPAs in Tennessee

 For more information and to register visit: http://www.tscpa.com/cpe/webcast/ethics.htm.

Nashville Chapter Member Moves and Mergers

Joseph Decosimo & Company, PLLC, CPAs recently hired Sean M. Goodwin as assurance manager.

 Timothy M. Hardy recently joined York, Dillingham and Company as a staff accountant.

Michael S. McKeown has joined HORNE LLP as a partner in the firm’s assurance services.
 

Officer's Message: "Bean Counters Unite!"
Crystal Shields, CPA, Nashville Chapter Vice President

When I first came into the accounting profession more than five years ago, the stereotype of the average “bean-counter” haunted me. I envisioned rooms full of people with pocket protectors, high-waisted pants and modest personalities. Plus, I just couldn’t imagine sitting at a desk all day, punching numbers into a clunky calculator. “What have I gotten myself into?” I thought.

Of course, I really couldn’t answer that question until I had a few years of experience under my belt. I quickly realized that there was A LOT more to accounting and the people that do it. The phrase “bean-counter” just doesn’t cut it, especially in the public realm. In addition to the typical accounting duties such as preparing financial statements and tax returns, we must have at least a basic knowledge of all sorts of things – retirement plans, legal issues, estate and trust issues, investment opportunities, relationship building and personal finance just to name a few. The list goes on and on ...

The people of accounting are great too! We always get labeled as the “nerds” of the crowd, but I’ve met some very interesting and fun people in the accounting profession. In addition to crunching numbers all day, many accountants are very active in their communities, and we know how to have a good time too! (Anyone that was at the Nashville Chapter Holiday party last year can vouch for that.)

So, the next time someone exclaims, “Wow, you’re an accountant! You must be really good at math, right?” tell them what we’re really all about! Maybe one day people will see that there’s more to the accounting profession than counting beans.
 

It's Almost Time For the 2007 Nashville Chapter Holiday Party!
Royce Rhea, Nashville Chapter Social Chair

 You and a guest are invited to join your fellow TSCPA members at this year’s Nashville Chapter Holiday Party to be held at Dave & Buster’s in Opry Mills Mall on Saturday,
Dec. 15, 2007 from 6:30 - 9:30 p.m.

Dave & Buster’s offers fun whether you are in the mood to eat, drink or play. You can watch the latest game on TV and when you’re ready for more excitement, you can check out their huge arcade loaded with an incredible assortment of state-of-the-art video and interactive games.

Just when you thought that it could not get any better, they also have a world class billiards and bowling center. In addition to enjoying the atmosphere of Nashville’s largest sports bar, great food and open bar, you will not want to miss our first ever bowling, billiards and skeeball tournaments which are being hosted by the Young CPAs of our Nashville Chapter. They have promised fabulous door prizes as well as an awards ceremony presenting trophies to those who finish in the top three spots in their respective age divisions.

Register to attend the party in next month's newsletter!
 

Upcoming CPE Opportunities
Course No. Date Course Name Location
285 11/14 ACPEN - Estate and Financial Planning for the Small Business Owner

TSCPA, Brentwood
286 11/14 Surgent McCoy's 2007 Top Ten Tax Topics TSCPA, Brentwood
288 11/15-16 AICPA's Annual Accounting and Auditing Workshop Hilton Suites Brentwood
305 11/28 FIN 46R Variable Interest Entity Consolidation Rules - Not Just a Big Company Issue! QHR Conference Center, Brentwood

Play the Odds
Tunica Cluster
Nov. 15-16
 Grand Casino Tunica, Tunica
For more information and to register visit:
 http://www.tscpa.com/clusters/tunica.aspx

Feed the Crowd
Sports & Entertainment Conference
Nov. 16
 TSCPA Meeting Center, Brentwood

For more information and to register visit: http://www.tscpa.com/conferences/sports.aspx
Essential Tools
Tennessee Accounting & Auditing Symposium
Nov. 12-13
 Willis Conference Center, Nashville

 For more information and to register visit:
 http://www.tscpa.com/conferences/aa.aspx

Healthy Choice
Healthcare Conference
Nov. 26-27
 Cool Springs Marriott, Franklin

For more information and to register visit: http://www.tscpa.com/conferences/healthcare.aspx
Upcoming Live Webcasts

Need a few critical hours of CPE but not sure you have the time to get into a classroom? TSCPA has a full slate of webcasts and online learning opportunities that you can take right from your office or home computer!
 

Live Webcast Title

Dates

CPE Credit
2007 Estate and Financial Planning for the Small Business Owner Nov. 14 8 hours

REPLAY- 2007 Estate and Financial Planning for the Small Business Owner

 Nov. 28 8 hours
For a full schedule of upcoming webcasts and to register visit: http://www.cpalearn.com/tcpa/catalog.asp.
 

Nashville Chapter  Young CPA Happy Hour Photos

The Nashville Chapter Young CPAs hosted a happy hour social on Oct. 25 at Sam's in Hillsboro Village. Nearly 50 young CPAs were in attendance. Look for details on more Young CPA events in upcoming newsletters, or visit TSCPA's Young CPA Web site at http://www.tscpa.com/youngcpas/default.aspx for more information on Young CPA activities.

Nashville-Area Volunteer Opportunities

Lupus Foundation of America, Mid-South Chapter, seeks a CPA to fill the treasurer position on the chapter board. The Lupus Foundation of America, Inc. (LFA) is the world's largest organization exclusively dedicated to finding a cause and cure for lupus and serving people with lupus, their families and friends. The Foundation has as its primary purposes the eradication of lupus through support of research, the early detection of undiagnosed cases through awareness promotion and the alleviation of suffering for persons with lupus through patient services, education and support. Interested candidates please contact Karl Jarhling at 615/312-9050. For more information on the Lupus Foundation visit lupusmidsouth.org/about/board.html.
 
Nashville Small Business Incubation Center, a non-profit organization which provides management and tactical support to local small businesses, seeks several CPA volunteers to provide financial guidance to new business owners. Volunteers are needed for an average of 1-2 hours per month. Interested volunteers please contact Angela Crane-Jones, assistant director, at 615/963-7184 or acjones_nbic@bellsouth.net. Visit www.nbiconline.com for more information on the center.

The Nashville Chapter Supports TSCPA Life Associates Program
The Educational & Memorial Foundation of TSCPA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, established in 1978 to receive tax deductible contributions to support its scholarship program for promising young accounting students. Scholarships totaling as much as $135,000 have been awarded annually to deserving accounting majors throughout Tennessee, and the number grows steadily each year.

Associates of the foundation pledge support for the scholarship program. The program has seven levels of support for which members are recognized.

The Nashville Chapter will contribute the first $100 toward a five-year ($500) commitment pledged by any chapter member.

For more information on the TSCPA Life Associate program, or to view the levels of support, please visit http://www.tscpa.com/about/EMF.aspx.
 

2007- 08 Nashville Chapter Officers

H. Rowan Leathers III, CPA, President, 615/244-9270, rleathers@millermartin.com
Grant T. Smothers, CPA, President- Elect, 615/202-2122, g.smothers@comcast.net
Crystal D. Shields, CPA, Vice President, 615/259-9038, cshields@phhw.com
Joseph D. Proctor, CPA, Secretary, 615/321-3303, joseph.proctor@youngmgt.com
Susanne Reseland, CPA, Treasurer, 615/309-8335, Susanne@drwealthmgmt.com


This Web page is provided courtesy of the Nashville Chapter of the Tennessee Society of CPAs.