128: Working In Service to the Profession – Natasha Schamberger, CPA

Natasha Schamberger, CPA and CEO of the Kansas Society of CPAs, joined us for this episode of Life In Accounting, a podcast production of Where Accountants Go!

Midwest Girl Moves To The Big City!

…is pretty much a direct quote from the audio interview in this podcast.  Natasha is from Kansas and attended Kansas State University when pursuing her accounting degree, but upon completion decided she wanted to move the “big city”.  After doing some initial research, she decided that San Diego would fit her best and made the move.  So although she was from the Midwest, the first few years of her career and some of the key relationships actually started out on the West Coast.

3 Month Vacation

After getting married, her and husband thought that it was time to move back closer to home.  However, they realized they had a unique opportunity at this point in their lives given that they had few commitments to tie them down, so they took a 3 month hiatus to Italy!  They even considered a permanent move at some point, but settled on the extended visit / vacation instead and eventually came back to the states.

Serving the Profession

After returning to the US, Natasha accepted a position at AICPA where she served in various capacities for 8 years, and then eventually moved back home to Kansas and joined the state society of CPAs.  We have several interesting conversations during this interview.  One of the more intriguing topics we touch on is the Kansas Society’s efforts to engage with high school students and acquaint them with the accounting profession.  Kansas is committing significant resources to extending their reach into the high schools, which is an effort I believe will benefit both the profession and the students.  With career decisions frequently being made as early as high school, the effort definitely makes sense for our profession.  The earlier we are able to introduce students to the stability, security, and financial benefits that a career in accounting can help them afford, the better it is for all of us.

If you enjoy this episode, please make sure you also check out the following:  John Sharbaugh, and Kimberly Ellison-Taylor

To listen in on this conversation with Natasha Schamberger, please click on the player below: