Page 12 - CCCA 270450 Magazine_Fall 2017_for web

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Finding her plACe to

Thrive

PatRiCia tOwlER is haPPy. shE is PREsiDEnt & CEO OF CPa
nOva sCOtia, a POsitiOn shE tOOk On in sEPtEmBER 2015, at
thE timE whEn thE thREE aCCOUnting DEsignatiOns wERE

mERging intO OnE: CERtiFiED PROFEssiOnal aCCOUntant.
“it is still thE EaRly Days,” shE says, CREating stRUCtUREs,

hiRing EmPlOyEEs (thEy aRE nOw at 14) anD RECRUiting
OvER 100 vOlUntEERs. anD it is a lOt OF FUn. “EvERy Day is
DiFFEREnt, nOt yEt ROUtinE. i likE ChangE anD ChallEngEs!”

By Lynne Yryku

ecause it is a merger, Patti is plac- professional accountants from other
ing special emphasis on building backgrounds than they may have thought.
Ba new CPA culture. For instance, We’re trying to create a ‘tribe’ mentality in
she held 32 town halls throughout the a good way—a sense of shared knowledge
province this past spring. “The events let and competencies, and a shared place in
people get to know each other,” she says. the community.”
“I could convey information just as eas- “Success relies on the people on the
ily in a newsletter but there is something ground,” she explains, the first to rec-
special about getting people in the same ognize the hard work of the dedicated
room. And with a merger that was at staff, Board and members. “It is amaz-
times challenging, it’s important for CPAs ing to me how quickly people are look-
to realize they are part of something big- ing beyond the historical and building
ger now and have more in common with this new organization.”

12 CCCA MAgAzINE | FALL 2017 AutOMNE