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Volunteer for AICPA & CIMA D&I Committees
Crystal Cooke Director of Diversity and InclusionAug 01, 2025 · 3 min read
Applications for our applicable D&I committees for the 2026-2027 volunteer year are open from August 1, 2025 through October 1, 2025. Please learn more about them below.
Objective: The mission of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) Initiatives Committee is to facilitate an environment for discussions and actions that will encourage representation and incorporate and maintain an inclusive atmosphere for a wide range of individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ and allies.
Qualifications/requirements: Be a member of AICPA. Members should have both an interest and organizational experience in addressing LGBTQ+ issues. Relevant experience may have been gained in the workplace or in a professional association.
Number of meetings per year: 3-4, depending on availability
Meeting Format: Committee meetings will be held virtually three to four times per year. Virtual touch base calls are held at the discretion of the Chair and scheduling availability. Task force meetings may be held more frequently and based on the availability of the designated committee members.
Annual time commitment: Approx. 30 hours, additional time may be needed for special projects, events, or speaking engagements.
Staff Liaison: Brittany Brashear
National Commission on Diversity and Inclusion
(NO APPLICATION PROCESS – MEMBERS ARE ONLY APPOINTED)
Objective: As a profession that relies on intellectual capital, workforces comprised of different experiences, cultures and perspectives are critical to long term sustainability. The mission of the NCDI is to be champions that guide and support the accounting and finance profession in creating sustainable workplaces through expanded pathways that attract and retain qualified high performing talent with a commitment to inclusive leadership. The vision of the NCDI is to ensure that the accounting and finance profession is a place where individuals from varying backgrounds are encouraged and supported, including highlighting access to opportunities for thriving careers and achievement of personal aspirations.
Qualifications/requirements: Members of this Commission should be senior level executives from various disciplines within the accounting profession who are thought leaders and influencers in the diversity and inclusion space. Rotational members can serve a term of one year up to three consecutive years.
Number of meetings per year: 2 full Commission meetings, in May and October. Taskforce subcommittee meetings (which may or may not include commission members) are held more frequently (as often as needed for a specific initiative/focus area) in-between the full commission meetings.
Meeting format: Full Commission meetings will be held either virtually or in-person, depending on member availability, and are expected to last no longer than 2 business days. Typically, full commission meetings are two ½ half days (starting at noon EST on the first day, ending at noon EST on the 2nd day). Taskforce subcommittee meetings are only held virtually and are typically 1-hour in length. Virtual ad hoc touch base calls can also be held at the discretion of the Chair and scheduling availability.
Annual time commitment: Approximately 20 hours of full commission meeting time. Additional time may be needed for subcommittee meetings (including assistance with populating them), special projects, events, or speaking engagements.
Staff Liaison: Crystal Cooke
Women’s Initiatives Executive Committee
Objective: The mission of the Women’s Initiatives Executive Committee (WIEC) is to celebrate and elevate the achievements of women in the accounting and finance profession and to champion their continued growth. WIEC is committed to supporting and amplifying women to advance the profession. #AICPAWomenLead
WIEC carries out its mission by:
Encouraging women to build lifelong careers in the profession through engagement and outreach.
Helping women achieve their desired level of career success by providing tailored resources and programming.
Convening and educating organizations and their teams to foster a robust and inclusive profession.
Exploring, understanding, and addressing the hurdles that impede the long-term growth of women in the profession.
Championing and advancing gender equality within the profession.
Qualifications/requirements: Members should have both an interest and organizational experience in addressing women's upward mobility and/or work/life balance issues for both men and women. Relevant experience may have been gained in the workplace or in a professional association.
Number of meetings per year: 4-5
Meeting format: Virtual with one potential in-person meeting.
Annual time commitment: 55-60 hours
Staff Liaison: Mandy Gallagher
Follow the link below to apply
Crystal Cooke
Crystal joined the AICPA & CIMA in early 2020 and oversees its member facing Diversity and Inclusion team where they encourage workplaces within the accounting and finance profession to cultivate environments where workforces are inclusive of people with different experiences and perspectives and where diversity of thought is valued and supported.
She believes that a workplace that is reflective and inclusive of the global communities in which they operate is positioned to innovatively solve the challenging and complex issues facing clients and the evolving public interest. This is critical to the success and sustainability of our profession.
The resources developed under her team are designed to support a culture where those with diverse lived experiences can grow and thrive. This includes underrepresented individuals such has those who identify as LGBTQ+, as well as gender fairness and equality for women. She also collaborates on initiatives aimed at supporting the profession’s emerging professionals.
She serves as the Vice-Chair of the AICPA & CIMA’s National Commission on Diversity & Inclusion, whose mission is to be champions that guide and support the accounting and finance profession in creating sustainable workplaces through expanded pathways that attract and retain qualified high performing talent with a commitment to inclusive leadership. Her work requires collaboration with senior executives of partner organizations and accounting firms who also seek to increase and advance culture and inclusion in their workforces.
In 2022, 2023 and 2024, Crystal was named as one of Accounting Today’s Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting. This listing identifies the thought leaders, change-makers, regulators and other leaders who are shaping the profession.
Prior to the Association, Crystal spent 12 years at the Center for Audit Quality where she managed Governing Board operations, financial reporting and budgeting processes, and talent, which included leading efforts around Diversity and Inclusion. She was also employed at KPMG LLP for 7 years as an auditor in their assurance practice in Washington D.C.
Crystal holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting from the University of Cincinnati. She and her family reside in Bowie, MD
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