The board of the California State Society of CPAs has appointed John V. Dunleavy, executive director of the California CPA Education Foundation, to serve as transitional chief executive of the 28,000-member organization, based here.
Dunleavy's interim appointment will fill the void left by the resignation of former CalCPA CEO Susan Waters. He will also retain his post at the foundation. Ironically, Dunleavy served as CalCPA's interim executive director in 2000, prior to Waters being named to the chief executive post.
Waters, who came aboard CalCPA in 2000 after serving as executive director at the Massachusetts Bar Association, abruptly resigned last month. Her departure was effective Nov. 4.
Dunleavy told WebCPA that during his stint as interim CEO, the board would search for a chief operating officer who will eventually be elevated to chief executive over both the society and the foundation. The two groups, however, would remain separate entities.
"[The members] were all wondering what was going to happen after Susan left, and I think this will put some stability in there," he said. "And I can call the fire truck, so to speak, if I have to. But the search committee is going forward and the long-range plan is that I'll probably step away in three to four years."
Dunleavy said that the search committee hopes to have a candidate by early spring 2005.
A former high school educator and principal in the Los Angeles school district, Dunleavy has served more than 25 years at CalCPA and the Education Foundation.
