I passed my CMA

In May 2020 I got my first stimulus check. Like many, I used it to further my life in a way I hadn't been able to previously. I finally paid for the study course for my CMA (Certified Management Accountant). I'd been talking about it for almost a decade, and finally wanted to have that additional edge in the job market. I took and passed the first of two grueling exams in August 2020 and due to life happening several times over, I only got to taking the second exam in January 2022. Last week I found out I passed the second exam. After the paperwork finally finished processing, I am officially a CMA.

I know, I know. "That's cool Judi, but you're not posting this on a personal blog, this is on the website for your campaign. How does this help me? Why should this be a reason to vote for you instead of someone else?"

Let's start with talking about how much this certification is hard to achieve. You've heard of the lawyers sitting for the bar, and doctors taking their boards. They have to have certain degrees before they can do either of those. Accountants don't have to have more than a bachelor's degree, so they made the tests harder for us. The two exams that I passed on the first try both have a 45% pass rate, which means only 45% of the exams taken are passed. And I passed both on the first try.

Most people have heard of a CPA (Certified Public Accountant). Those are the people who do taxes and audits for the most part. Many people have never heard of a CMA, or think I'm talking about the medical version. I had several friends on Facebook ask me if I was changing careers after posting about the CMA. The easiest way to think about the difference between a CPA and a CMA is to think about how CPAs are always looking at the past, and CMAs are looking forward. Right now CPAs are likely working on 2021's tax returns and yearend. CMAs are looking at the cash flow projections, and budgets for the rest of 2022 and forward. CMAs are working with business owners and managers to identify places they can save on expenses, earn more revenue, and improve processes.

I'm sure you're asking again, how does this help voters? How many times have you ever wondered if the government was spending too much money on something? Or what the fees citizens pay to government agencies are actually paying for? I sure have wondered those things. I want to dig into the budgets and see if there is anywhere we can better use the resources that we have to be more efficient, to stretch our tax dollars further, or to help more citizens.

I've said for years that we have too many lawyers in political positions. We need more teachers, we need more engineers, we need more scientists, and of course we need more accountants. A vote for me, is a vote for a balanced budget. It's a vote for a fiscal conservative. It's a vote for an efficient city government.

I passed my CMA.