ISCPA Leadership Summit 2026
1.00 Credits
Member Price $0.00
Overview
Don’t miss this exciting event packed with networking opportunities and leadership strategies. Enjoy lunch, the annual ISCPA business meeting and election of the board of directors, cheer on the Outstanding Committee Chair and Distinguished Service award winners, and be inspired to help promote and advocate for the profession.
While this event highlights ISCPA leadership and committee volunteers, all ISCPA members are welcome. If you're eager to deepen your involvement with ISCPA, this is the perfect opportunity!
Highlights
See the agenda tab above for the full event agenda.
Designed For
All ISCPA members. There is no charge to attend. Lunch and one hour of nontechnical CPE credit are included.
Complimentary professional headshots are available during the event, courtesy of: 
Thursday, May 7
General Session
- Registration and Networking
Check in, pick up your name badge, reconnect with familiar faces and friends, and get to know other CPAs you’ll be spending the afternoon with. Complimentary professional headshots from Cherry Chiles Photography will also be available during this time.
This session is available to registrants only.
General Session
- Welcome Messages
This session is available to registrants only.
General Session
- Lunch
This session is available to registrants only.
General Session
- Annual Business Meeting and Election of Leaders
Nominated 2026-27 officers and directors:
- Laura L. Meier, Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, Des Moines | Chair (1-year term)
- Todd E. Thorson, Forvis Mazars LLP, West Des Moines | Vice Chair (1-year term)
- Sandra D. Smith, Principal, Des Moines | Secretary (1-year term)
- Matthew D. Kelderman, Kroese & Kroese PC, Sioux Center | Treasurer (1-year term)
- Carrie A. Kruse, City of Des Moines, Des Moines | Director (1-year term)
- Joshua B. Miller, Honkamp PC, Dubuque | Director (3-year term)
- Monica M. Steckel, EY, Des Moines | Director (3-year term)
- Joseph C. Ugrin, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls | Director (3-year term)
This session is available to registrants only.
General Session
- Iowa CPA Awards Presentation
This session is available to registrants only.
General Session
- Committees in Action: Lightning Round Impact Reports
Committees will gather at their tables to discuss their mission, accomplishments, and current priorities and projects. Each group will choose a spokesperson to share a brief update with the room, helping everyone understand the work happening across each committee.
This session is available to registrants only.
General Session
- Refreshment Break
This session is available to registrants only.
General Session
- Leading from the Seat You're In: The Human Side of Leading Change
In a time of rapid evolution, leadership isn’t only about strategy, decisions, and expertise - it’s about people. Change, while uncomfortable, also means opportunity and a shift in how we think not only about our environment but ourselves and those around us. Every day CPAs are called to do more than respond to change but to shepherd people through it. That’s the human side of leading change. During this session ISCPA CEO Carrie Steffen will explore what it means to lead within ISCPA, inside organizations, and across the profession and challenge the myths we’ve come to believe about leaders. Each person will leave with specific leadership actions they can take regardless of title, role or experience.
Speaker: Carrie Steffen | ISCPA CEO
This session qualifies for one (1) hour of nontechnical CPE credit.
This session is available to registrants only.
General Session
- Networking Break
Mingle over refreshments, expand your network, and update your professional headshot with a complimentary photo from Cherry Chiles Photography.
This session is available to registrants only.
General Session
- Committee Leadership Workshop
This hands-on workshop is all about leveling up your leadership skills, making a real impact through your ISCPA committee involvement and discovering how volunteer leadership can boost your professional growth. Through interactive activities and discussions, walk away with practical insights to lead with confidence, inspire others, and take your career, and your contributions to the profession, to the next level.
Facilitator: Jenny McGarry, CPA | University of Dubuque | ISCPA Board of Directors
This session is available to registrants only.
General Session
- Presentation of the Golden Calculator Trophy
Your attendance earns points toward the coveted Golden Calculator Trophy! This traveling award is presented to the committee with the highest percentage of members in attendance at the event. With 16 committees competing, every attendee makes a difference. Rally your fellow members, show up strong and claim the trophy (and the bragging rights that come with it)!
This session is available to registrants only.
General Session
- Group Picture
This session is available to registrants only.
Leader(s):
Leader Bios
Carrie Steffen, CEO, Iowa Society of CPAs
Carrie Steffen brings more than 25 years of experience in the accounting profession to ISCPA, most recently as co-founder and president of The Whetstone Group where she has promoted the discipline of growth among firms of all sizes ranging from sole practitioners to the top national firms. She has not only influenced firm leaders, but also shaped thousands of professional staff, marketing resources and other industry consultants through her speaking and training efforts.
Prior to The Whetstone Group, Steffen was a national marketing director for RSM US LLP. She has been named to the Association for Accounting Marketing Hall of Fame, Accounting Today’s Top 100 Most Influential Consultant to Watch list and the Corridor Business Journal 40 Under 40 List. Steffen is a member and past president of CPA Consultants’ Alliance (CPACA) and has held various roles with the National Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM) including board member, treasurer, finance committee chair, and education committee chair. She’s a frequent guest on industry leading podcasts including the Accounting Today podcast, AICPA’s Small Firm Podcast and has been a featured guest on the AICPA’s Town Hall.
Steffen has been widely published in Accounting Today, INSIDE Public Accounting, The AICPA’s Journal of Accountancy, AAM’s MarkeTrends: The Journal of Accounting Marketing, CPA Practice Management Forum and numerous state society and accounting network publications. She is also co-author of the book “Bridging the Gap: Strengthening the Connection between Current Emerging Leaders.” She has presented for the AICPA, the Association for Accounting Marketing’s (AAM) Annual Summit, and various state society events.
Jennifer McGarry, Assistant Professor of Accounting, University of Dubuque
Jenny McGarry, DBA, CPA has over 20 years of experience in the financial service industry including wealth management, banking, and public accounting and over ten years of experience teaching accounting, most recently as an Adjunct Instructor at University of Northern Iowa. Throughout her career she has developed a strong interest in helping students and young professionals explore the tremendous opportunities available in the accounting industry. In addition to staying active in her community, she is currently a member of the ISCPA’s Career Awareness Committee, the Pathways to CPA Licensure Taskforce, and is a member of the Iowa Society of CPAs Board of Directors. She lives in rural DeWitt with her husband and four children.
Member Price $0.00