NASBA Chair Sets Goals

The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy’s new chairman, Telford A. Lodden, described his goals for the organization during his 2016-2017 term, urging members to maintain high standards for accountants during a recent NASBA conference.

“We live in a world that wants us to widen the plate and lower the quality, but we can’t—we are regulators,” Lodden said during NASBA’s 109th Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas. “We are the umpire behind the plate calling the proper balls and strikes and we are protecting the batter, which is our public.”

Lodden, a CPA from West Des Moines, Iowa, summarized his four main goals for NASBA: be trusted, be a community, be relevant and be influential.

“The U.S. CPA is recognized as trusted and world-class by business professionals,” he said. “The U.S. CPA’s training and examination standards are recognized as robust and top notch. We must never deviate from the path that delivers the gold standard of regulation.”

He wants NASBA to act as a community that remains relevant and influential. “We must build a great and all-inclusive community,” said Lodden. “Diversity and leadership development will be kept in the front of our minds and on the top of our list. It is our future and will lead us to a better tomorrow.”

“NASBA will continue to speak as the trusted, collective voice for the state boards on both the national and international levels while promoting ethics and integrity,” he added. “We will work to ensure there is a thorough, effective and transparent peer review process. We will continually monitor state and federal legislation and notify boards of pending legislation.”

NASBA will also seek input from outside the organization. “We will work with other stakeholders realizing, that at times, we can politely agree to disagree while we pursue solutions that will protect the public and serve the needs of the Boards of Accountancy," said Lodden.

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