The AICPA Fall Council Meeting was one for the books! This was Barry Melancon’s last council meeting as the AICPA’s CEO and included a celebratory lunch in his honor. The Council was also introduced to Mark Koziel who will be leading the AICPA as of January 1, 2025. Updates came from different AICPA committees and departments about the pipeline, the NASBA exposure drafts, and more! Listen in to hear the latest information coming out of the AICPA.
On September 12, the AICPA & NASBA issued an exposure draft on the CPA Competency-Based Experience Pathway, offering an additional pathway for CPA candidates to meet initial licensure requirements in response to pipeline issues instead of earning a master’s degree or a bachelor’s degree and up to 30 additional credit hours at an institute of higher learning. Under this alternative pathway, CPA candidates would need a bachelor’s degree, complete one year of professional general experience, pass the CPA Exam, and exhibit competency in specific professional & technical areas. In addition, on September 30, the AICPA & NASBA issued an exposure draft on proposed Uniform Accountancy Act changes. The proposed changes to the UAA would facilitate the adoption of the Competency-Based Experienced Pathway. Comments are due on the CPA Competency-Based Experience Pathway by December 6, and comments on the UAA are due by December 30.
The AICPA’s Government Performance and Accountability Committee issued the Detecting Government Fraud report in June 2024. The report highlights 4 cases of government fraud with what controls could have detected or prevented the fraud. The report also explores who is responsible for finding fraud, plus strategies to help you mitigate and address fraud in the public sector.
Melisa F. Galasso is the founder and CEO of Galasso Learning Solutions LLC. A CPA with nearly 20 years of experience in the accounting profession, Melisa designs and facilitates courses in advanced technical accounting and auditing topics, including not-for-profit and governmental accounting.
Her passion is providing high-quality CPE that is meaningful, creates efficiencies and improves quality, and positively impacts ROI. She also supports essential professional development, audit level training, and train the trainer efforts.
Melisa is a Certified Speaking Professional, a Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD), and has earned the Association for Talent Development Master Trainer™ designation. Her passion for instructional design and adult learning techniques is one of the differentiators that set her apart from other CPE providers.
She also serves on the FASB’s Not-for-Profit Advisory Committee (NAC), AICPA Council, and the AICPA’s Women’s Initiative Executive Committee (WIEC). She also serves as a Subject Matter Expert for the Center for Plain English Accounting. She previously served on the AICPA’s Technical Issues Committee (TIC), the VSCPA’s Board of Directors, and is a past Chair of the NCACPA’s A&A committee. In addition, Melisa is the author of Money Matters for Nonprofits: How Board Members Can Harness the Power of Financial Statements by Understanding Basic Accounting which is available on Amazon or anywhere you purchase books online.
Melisa received a Top 50 Women in Accounting Award in 2021 by Ignition, is a 2020 Enterprising Women of the Year Award recipient, and was honored as a “40 under 40” by CPA Practice Advisor in 2017, 2018, and 2019. She was also named the 2019 Rising Star by her regional NAWBO chapter, received the Don Farmer award for achievement in technical content instruction, and earned several other awards for public speaking and technical training.
