The Florida Institute of CPAs held an annual in-person event Wednesday to meet one-on-one with lawmakers in the state capitol in Tallahassee.
The event, dubbed “Hike the Hill,” follows on the heels of a virtual meeting last week (
“During Hike the Hill, our members met with numerous policymakers who impact our profession every day,” FICPA chair Kristin Bivona said in a statement Thursday. “The FICPA is the voice of Florida CPAs in our state’s Capitol, and we were honored to have the opportunity to talk with legislators about issues relevant to the CPA profession in Florida.”
This week’s meeting included a keynote address from Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation Secretary Melanie Griffin, who discussed a partnership with FICPA in to support and strengthen the CPA profession.
In addition to meetings with legislators at the Capitol, Hike the Hill included a legislative briefing luncheon, during which FICPA celebrated the members of its inaugural Leadership Academy graduating class.
“Effectively communicating with lawmakers, and the strength of our legislative relationships, are paramount to our success in Florida’s governmental process,” FICPA director of governmental affairs Justin Thames said in a statement.
Hike the Hill was the second of the FICPA’s two CPA Advocacy Days this month, after last week’s Virtual Advocacy Day, which included an interactive CPA lawmaker panel featuring Rep. Mike Caruso, Sen. Joe Gruters and Rep. Cyndi Stevenson; a discussion of the CPA profession from House Majority Leader Mike Grant, Sen. Travis Hutson, Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis, House Ways and Means Committee chair Bobby Payne, and Senate Finance and Tax Committee chair Ana Maria Rodriguez; and a Florida economic update from Dr. Jerry Parrish.
