Greetings Bluegrass Area IMA,
Spring appears to be quickly arriving. I’ve started to see buds on trees and even some flower blooms in my neighborhood. With all the growth in nature I am reminded of the importance of professional growth as well. We must all consistently grow and adapt if we are going to stay current and valuable as accounting and finance professionals. A recent IMA Webinar I attended highlighted how accountants now and in the future will be expected to do much more than just compile and report historical firm data, as those tasks which used to take up so much time become increasingly automated. We will be asked to incorporate external data, interpret and analyze output, collaborate with other stakeholders, and more. All of this is exciting and increases the value we can provide our organizations, but it often requires new skills, both hard and soft.
That reality is why I value the IMA’s myriad professional development offerings so highly. Between webinars, CPE courses, local chapter meetings, and conferences there is a wealth of opportunity to expand and deepen your professional skills. It’s why I am also excited about out March and April Bluegrass Area IMA Chapter meetings. In March we welcome local consultant Jaclyn Badeau to present on “Put Away the Magic 8-Ball and Start Making Intelligent Decisions”. In April, we build on the theme of collaboration with a joint meeting between us and the Association for Supply Chain Management where we will discuss collaboration between accounting/finance and supply chain management.
Sincerely,
JP Stearns
President Bluegrass Area IMA