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Leading Through Crisis

 

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When the pandemic shut down thousands of small businesses overnight, Jamie Lopiccolo jumped into action. One of his first moves? Calling MICPA leadership to brainstorm ways to help small business (SMB) owners and rally fellow CPAs. “It was clear it was going to take a community to get through this,” says Jamie, who serves as the MICPA’s board treasurer, a member of the finance committee, and two-time past chair of the Small Firm Practitioners Task Force. He quickly tapped into that community and his connections to identify the immediate pain points and start developing educational tools and resources for navigating the COVID crisis.

“Not only was every small business owner struggling to understand the implications of the shutdown and their options for federal and state relief, but CPAs themselves had questions,” says Jamie, who notes that accountants found themselves in the role of “essential workers” as the crisis wreaked havoc on SMBs in Michigan and across the country. “I put together a couple of Zoom calls for clients, and it snowballed from there. Requests started piling in from business owners and fellow CPAs trying to work through the maze of PPP, ERC, EIDL, and tax changes.” Jamie took it upon himself to become well-versed and stay on top of the ever-changing COVID relief programs, and then shared that knowledge with the CPA community so they could step up as trusted advisors for their clients. He hosted roundtables, created fact sheets and templates, and made himself available for questions almost 24/7.

Jamie describes his efforts as “a labor of love” and is quick to shift credit to the accounting profession overall. “The Small Business Association of Michigan and the MICPA were terrific partners throughout 2020. I was so proud to be a Michigan CPA, and for the profession to be at the forefront of helping the business community navigate everything that was going on (and still is). Honestly, I was just thankful for the opportunity to give back and do my part.”

Doing his part is clearly something Jamie takes to heart. In addition to serving on MICPA boards and committees, his community memberships include the Orion DDA’s Economic Vitality Committee and the Lake Orion Chamber of Commerce, where he serves on the board of directors as treasurer and was presented with the 2020 Businessperson of the Year Impact Award. He does all this while also serving as the founder and managing member of Capocore Professional Advisors, a CPA firm where Jamie leads the advisory practice and takes a proactive, consultative approach to helping clients.

It’s a lot to juggle, but it’s clear that Jamie loves every minute. “I’ve never looked back and wondered: what if?” he says of his 31+ year career in public accounting. “My dad was a Controller who regretted never taking the CPA test, and that helped drive me to achieve my license. From there, I’ve been able to  make a living while doing right by my clients and looking myself in the mirror every day with no regrets.” The fact that his dad is proud of Jamie’s career is icing on the cake. “I’m ready for the next 20 years,” he says with a smile. We don’t doubt him for a minute.

We’re recognizing stories like Jamie’s leading up to our very first Michigan CPA Appreciation Day on October 25th. Stay tuned for more examples of how your MICPA colleagues are making a difference and share your story on social media tagging the MICPA and using the hashtags #CPAAppreciationDay and #CPAPride.

Source: MICPA

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