Jim Metzler will retire from his position as VP of small firm interests for the American Institute of CPAs in January after 10 years in the job. Metzler's intention were announced internally in January. A partner with the former Gaines Metzler Kriner, the Buffalo, N.Y.-based CPA came on board in a period he said that "members weren't crazy about the institute."
Metzler said it was time for him to "spend more time with my main client, my wife of 43 years" and pointed to the heavy travel schedule as contributing to his decision. However, Metzler plans to return to consulting and helping firms improve their businesses.The announcement was made internally to the AICPA in January.
Accomplishments he pointed to included the ability to bring a "a real world , real client, private-company culture to the AICPA." He said during the decade, the Institute had heightened its relationship with the state associations and with industry consultants. "I kind of brought Buffalo to the institute," he says.
During his years at his firm, Metzler was visible in articulating views of how to operate a technology consulting firm within a CPA firm. The company's consulting arm, the Gemko Information Group, was established in 1991 under the concept of sheltering the technology operations "from the CPA mind-set." That term, often used by Metzler, is still on the Gemko website. Gemko is now associated with the successor firm, Gaines Kriner Elliott.
Metzler left the accounting firm and was a partner with Convergence Coaching, which he cofounded, before taking the AICPA job.
Bob Scott has provided information to the tax and accounting community since 1991, first as technology editor of Accounting Today, and from 1997 through 2009 as editor of its sister publication, Accounting Technology. He is known throughout the industry for his depth of knowledge and for his high journalistic standards. Scott has made frequent appearances as a speaker, moderator and panelist and events serving tax and accounting professionals. He has a strong background in computer journalism as an editor with two former trade publications, Computer+Software News and MIS Week and spent several years with weekly and daily newspapers in Morris County New Jersey prior to that. A graduate of Indiana University with a degree in journalism, Bob is a native of Madison, Ind
