Ma, Niello Receive CalCPA Award Recognizing Service to CPA Profession

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Jan. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The California Society of CPAs (CalCPA) today presented Assembly Member Fiona Ma (D-District 12) and former Assembly Member Roger Niello (R-District 5) with its Distinguished Service Award during a meeting of CalCPA leaders. Both are CPAs and members of CalCPA.

CalCPA recognized Ma and Niello for their role in advancing legislation critical to CPAs operating successfully in California. This legislation includes SB 819, which requires candidates for CPA licensing to have at least 150 college semester hours before obtaining their license; AB 138, which requires mandatory peer review of CPA firms providing any audit, review or compilation services; and AB 129, which reinstated taxpayer confidentiality provisions for enrolled agents and CPAs.

"Both Roger Niello and Fiona Ma did tremendous work over the past few years to obtain passage of legislation vital for maintaining the high standards of the CPA profession," said Nancy Wheeler, chair of the committee that selects Distinguished Service Award recipients. "CalCPA and its members sincerely appreciate their efforts."

CalCPA annually presents the Distinguished Service Award to a member who has provided long and distinguished service or who has performed a singular act resulting in extraordinary contributions to the accounting profession, to CalCPA or to the community. Because Ma and Niello worked closely together to obtain passage of the legislation, the award selection committee decided to present the award to both.

Assembly Member Ma, who is the Assembly's speaker pro tempore, has been licensed in California as a CPA since 1992. Her district includes the cities of San Francisco, Daly City, Colma and Broadmoor.

Niello has been a licensed CPA in California since 1975. He served in the State Assembly between 2004 and 2010, representing communities in Sacramento County and Granite Bay in Placer County.

About CalCPA

Headquartered in Redwood City, Calif., the California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA) (www.calcpa.org) is the nation's largest state accounting organization and the largest CPA association in California. It serves 36,000 members in public practice, private industry, education and government. Through CalCPA Institute, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, CalCPA members provide financial literacy programs to high schools and community groups.

SOURCE California Society of CPAs