On May 31, my term as a Washington CPA Foundation Trustee will come to a close. During my four years on the board, I have had the distinct honor to serve as the chair of the Scholarship Review Committee. While I plan to continue as a volunteer scholarship reviewer, I have been reflecting on my time in this role.

Some very remarkable changes have taken place since I first joined the board in September 2015. I would like to thank my fellow board members and committee members, the volunteer scholarship reviewers and, of course, the wonderful staff of the WSCPA for their hard work and dedication to the profession and all the students who chose accounting as a career.

They say timing is everything. I happened to be sitting in the chair at the right time, but so much of what has been accomplished was in motion well before I arrived and is the result of the work and commitment of so many others these past years. Nevertheless, the progress is staggering and worth celebrating.

In 2015, the Foundation awarded scholarships to 21 deserving students. After the 2015 scholarship season, a scholarship fund was created through legislation utilizing funds from the Washington State Board of Accountancy. The Washington CPA Foundation was contracted to manage that fund.

At that point, things really started to take off. During the three completed scholarship seasons since I joined the board, 178 scholarships have been awarded, for a grand total of $890,000. Including the cycle currently in progress, over 1,200 applications have been started in the last four seasons, and 115 scholarship reviewers have volunteered their time and talent to the process (over 1,000 total hours for each scholarship season). During this time, the Roy J. Polley Endowment and the Rich Jones Accounting Scholarship Fund have been added as well.

The future is bright! The Foundation continues to evaluate new and innovative strategies for investing in the future of the accounting profession. Accounting students at Washington colleges and universities have a tremendous opportunity before them with the funds secured for future scholarships.

This leads me to one last thank-you, a thank-you to the students. Much has changed in the last four years, but what remains the same is the quality of the students who are impressive and talented. It has been an honor to hear your stories and provide support on your journey. Onward and upward!

Peter Miller, CPA, CFE, is a shareholder with Clark Nuber, PS. You can contact him at pmiller@clarknuber.com.

This article appears in the spring 2019 issue of the WashingtonCPA Magazine. Read more here.