As President of the National Association of Black Accountants, Inc. (NABA) Atlanta Chapter, I would like to welcome you to our website. It is my pleasure to tell you about our great organization and share with you some exciting initiatives we have planned for this fiscal year.

NABA is a professional association rich in history, leadership and academic excellence. NABA represents the interests of African-Americans and other minorities in the fields of accounting, auditing, business consulting, finance, and information technology. Our membership is inclusive to all levels, from entry-level staff to senior executives and entrepreneurs. Our Atlanta chapter’s mission is to address the professional needs of chapter members and to build leaders that shape the future of accounting, finance and business professions with an unfaltering commitment.

This year we are “Getting Back to Basics”. Our organization has a long standing reputation of being a supportive family network. During my term, our chapter will be focused on the following three focus areas:

• RETENTION: The heart of the Atlanta Chapter’s success resides in our professional members, student chapters, corporate sponsors and the dedication of our outstanding chapter board. We plan to host information sessions, membership and corporate partner appreciation events to show our members that membership has it privileges. “Getting Back to Basics” means getting back to what matters most, our members and corporate sponsors. We appreciate you and thank you for your continued commitment to the Atlanta Chapter.
  
  
• RECRUITMENT: This fiscal year, we are working to grow our membership, committee membership and volunteer database by offering a variety of opportunities to serve the chapter and our community. Prospective members and corporate partners will hear more about our professional development, career development and community service programs via our newsletter, updated website and social networking site.
  
  We are continuing our commitment to community service by encouraging our members to participate in our two key volunteer programs, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program which provides free tax preparation assistance to low- to moderate-income families and Operation Hope which provides financial education for youth ages 9-18 at no cost to school districts, with a focus on urban, under-served communities.
  
  
• ENGAGEMENT: We want our members to feel an emotional connection to the NABA family. We start the engagement process at the high school level through the Accounting Career Awareness Program (ACAP), a one-week summer residency program held at Emory University targeted to high school students to promote the accounting profession as a career choice.
  
  We are working closely with our collegiate chapters to provide vital information that equips them to successfully make the transition from student to professional via our Elements of Success Program and Southern Region Student Conference.
  
  Through our monthly membership meetings, which occur on the 3rd Wednesday of the month, professional members have access to important information on impending regulatory changes in finance and accounting, opportunities to meet and hear from other talented professionals in the Atlanta area and access to jobs and career development resources. We are also introducing a new quarterly Executive Education Series to engage our more seasoned members.