Key O'Keefe, CPA Elected Chair of FICPA

Key O’Keefe, CPA, began her tenure as the 96^th Chair of the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants on July 1, 2023.

“I am honored to serve as Chair of this great organization, and I am proud to give back to the profession that has given me so much,” O’Keefe, Managing Partner at O’Keefe, Somerville and Associates, PLLC, said. “I sincerely believe in the mission and vision of the FICPA, and I am passionate about sharing the story of our profession. Together, we can promote the profession, protect the license, and support the next generation of CPAs.”

An FICPA member since 1984, O’Keefe began her volunteer leadership in 2009, when her husband, Brian, retired after 30 years of service to the United States Coast Guard. Now settled in Melbourne, O’Keefe first joined the FICPA’s Brevard Chapter, rising from Treasurer to President. She would go on to participate on numerous FICPA Committees and Task Forces before being named to the FICPA Council in 2017 and its Board of Directors in 2019.

“From the very start, Key has been a staunch advocate for our local Chapters,” said FICPA Past Chair Gary Fracassi (2018-19). “She’s never been afraid to speak her mind and has always acted in the best interests of the Institute throughout every level of volunteer service. I am pleased to welcome her as our 2023-24 Chair and know the FICPA will benefit from her leadership and guidance.”

In addition to her service to the FICPA, O’Keefe has also spent the last 20 years working with Junior Achievement, a nonprofit focused on providing financial literacy, career education and entrepreneurship education to students. Each year, she leads multi-session courses with as many as 20 classes of elementary and high school students, introducing them to accounting and championing the CPA profession. She has been named JA’s Volunteer of the Year in three different locations: the San Francisco Bay Area, Greater Hampton Roads/Tidewater, and Melbourne.

In the next year, O’Keefe will work alongside FICPA President & CEO Shelly Weir to engage FICPA members and help recruit and retain the next generation of CPAs in Florida.

“Key truly cares about the FICPA and the CPA profession,” Weir said. “She has an intuitive understanding of the value of advocacy and member engagement at the grassroots level. Her dedication to our members and chapters exemplifies leadership through volunteer service. Simply put: She has one of the biggest hearts in accounting. I am eager to work alongside her and for the Institute to benefit from her expertise and example.”

O’Keefe will be joined in 2023-24 by five new prestigious additions to the 12-member FICPA Board of Directors:

Amy Kitska, Audit Managing Director, Deloitte
Karen Lake, Director of Tax Services, Berkowitz Pollack Brant
Chris Oatis, Partner-State & Local Tax, Grant Thornton
Jesus Socorro, Managing Partner-Advisory, South Florida, BDO
Elizabeth Jackson, Manager, RSM (Young CPA Committee Chair; non-voting)

“Service is at the heart of our organization, and I am grateful to my fellow volunteer leaders for their dedication and commitment,” O’Keefe said. “I welcome our new members to the Board and encourage all CPAs to consider how they can share their time and talents with their colleagues, fellow FICPA members, and the profession at large.”