North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has appointed Kecia Williams Smith, a 1995 graduate and current associate professor at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, to the North Carolina State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners. This appointment allows Smith to play a vital role in overseeing the practices of licensed certified public accountants and firms within the state.
As a board member, Smith will help ensure adherence to state regulations and guidelines governing the accounting profession. The board is responsible for approving CPA exam applicants and providing essential guidance on examination and licensure processes.
“My purpose in being on the board is to make sure that quality remains job one because when there are quality audits and when CPAs are operating in high quality, that benefits the citizens that we serve,” said Smith.
Smith’s Research and Contributions
Since joining NC A&T‘s faculty in 2019, Smith has established herself as a knowledgeable educator and researcher in the field of accounting. She serves as a tenured professor in the Department of Accounting and Finance and directs the department’s Master of Accountancy program.
Only 2% of all CPAs nationwide are Black, according to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. This is a concern that Smith actively works to address. As the director of A&T’s Center for Accounting Diversity, she has dedicated much of her work and research to addressing disparities and promoting equity within the field.
“Coming back to my alma mater and serving at the board level will hopefully get others to be excited about the profession and to see somebody that looks like them,” she said. “I’ve had three careers in the accounting profession. It has served me very well and I just want others to have the same type of opportunity that I’ve had.”
Smith is the second faculty member from NC A&T to be appointed to a state board by Governor Cooper. Dr. Andrea R. Gentry-Apple is a 2011 alumna and coordinator of the undergraduate Laboratory Animal Science program. She was named to the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Board.
