In the early 1980’s when Carol Markman was just establishing her CPA firm, the only organization she knew about was The New York State Society of CPAs (NYSSCPA). Although Carol was invested in professional associations as a way of advancing her practice, she didn’t feel that NYSCCPA met her needs very well, as an owner of a small CPA firm. Even so, she was determined to try to make it work and signed up for weekend getaway as a chance to get to know the members better. According to Carol, “I wasn’t shy, so I stood up and voiced my opinion that the meetings didn’t address my needs.” In response, a man approached her afterwards and said, “Have I got an organization for you!” At the time, that man, Peter Ciccone, was President of the Nassau/Suffolk chapter of NCCPAP. He invited Carol to the next NCCPAP meeting and as she states, “It literally changed my life.”
Throughout her involvement in NCCPAP, Carol made great connections, volunteered, and held various leadership positions for the Nassau/Suffolk chapter, where she served as President from 1993-1994 as well as nationally, where she served as President from 2003-2005.
Carol started her firm in 1980. Her undergraduate degree is in mathematics, having previously worked in the computer industry, as a programmer. She went to community college, took her first course in accounting, and fell in love with it. Later she got her master’s degree in accounting from CW Post College of Management of Long Island University.
According to Carol, “While the business environment and economy have cycled up and down over the years, the important aspects of NCCPAP have not. We support one another as colleagues, not competitors.” She continues, “Today, very few young people are starting their own CPA firms. The young CPA entrepreneurs of today are first generation Americans. The issue with organizations everywhere is sustaining and growing chapters. To be successful, you need ‘lightening rods’ to carry the torch—those individuals who feel responsible for the organization’s success and naturally take on leadership roles.”
About twelve years ago, Carol merged her practice with a larger firm, but was not ready to retire. Today, she has a small practice where she still does tax work, but also has become somewhat of an expert in guardianship accounting whereby she works with attorneys to prepare annual reports for the court. Her passion to be engaged in meaningful organizations has spilled over into her personal life with leadership positions at Planned Parenthood and her Temple. Carol explains, “This is who I am. I take the skills I learned through NCCPAP and apply them for the benefit of others. NCCPAP gave me opportunities that a woman growing up in the 1950s would never have had. I testified before the United States Senate Committee on Finance several times, was the first to represent NCCPAP on the Internal Revenue Service Advisory Council and served on the tax executive committee of AICPA – all because of NCCPAP.”