Join three of the day's speakers plus the TSCPA CEO, Kara Fitzgerald, for a panel discussion on confidence and resilience. Hear their personal stories of how they developed confidence and displayed resilience throughout their careers. This is a truly personal and vulnerable session with many great takeaways.
This course is part of the 2025 Women's Leadership Conference Bundle. Purchase the conference bundle here.
1.00 credits
Jina Etienne, CPA, CGMA, CDE
Kara Fitzgerald, CPA, CGMA, CAE
Kara Fitzgerald is President and CEO of the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants (TSCPA), the premier professional association for Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) in Tennessee. She is responsible for carrying out the mission of TSCPA and the Educational and Memorial Foundation of TSCPA. Kara works in partnership with the TSCPA Board of Directors and Council to develop and execute the Society's strategic vision, always working to promote, protect and support the CPA profession in Tennessee. Additionally, she works with various committees and represents the membership with various governmental entities, including the Tennessee State Board of Accountancy, the Tennessee Department of Revenue and the Tennessee General Assembly.
An association executive with nearly 25 years of experience, Kara's career in association management began at the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants, where she learned the value of a professional membership association. Kara then spent 10 years in various roles at the Tennessee Society of CPAs, most recently as Vice President – Operations, until she was named President and CEO in April 2021. Having spent her early career in public and private accounting, she understands the importance of protecting the CPA profession and maintaining its role as a trusted advisor.
Kara is a licensed CPA in the state of Tennessee and earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential, which is the marker of a committed association professional who has demonstrated the wide range of knowledge essential to manage an association in today's challenging environment. She also holds the credential of Chartered Global Management Accountant® (CGMA). Kara is a member of TSCPA, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Tennessee Society of Association Executives and the American Society of Association Executives.
Kara earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Tennessee Technological University. She lives in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee with her husband and two children. She enjoys travel and spending time with family.
Jane Mims
Jane Mims, PhD, has more than 20 years of experience improving communication and effectiveness in upper and middle management and building quality teams. Her varied professional background includes sales, marketing, fundraising, journalism, and advertising. Jane is an Emmy award-winning journalist who lives in Memphis, TN with her husband Bob, daughters Holland & Claire, two spirited Goldendoodles, and two cats.
Charlotte Stallings
Charlotte Stallings, known as The Action Accelerator, runs an executive development consulting firm that specializes in leadership and success. She also talks about the importance of getting a handle on the money side of your personal or business life, and how to make better money decisions.
During her tenure as Vice President of Investment Strategies at Ameriprise Financial, Charlotte coached, presented to, and trained their financial advisors on strategies to drive results and achieve greater success. She also led the development of a national initiative to provide investment and financial planning advice geared specifically to women while also serving as the firm’s National
Spokesperson on Women and Investing Issues.
For over a dozen years, she has been a featured speaker for the Correctional Management Institute of Texas (CMIT) at Sam Houston State University, most notably with the Senior and Mid-Management Leadership Development Programs. Her firm was selected to develop and implement a Leadership Excellence Academy for over 4,000 members of the Operation Services Division of the Dallas Independent School District.
Charlotte gained expertise in the nuts and bolts of business and leadership from her years at US Banks, Xerox and over 20 years at American Express. By taking risks, making mistakes, and gathering information, she grew into the kind of expert that you can trust.
Charlotte has made appearances on CNN and other national, regional, and local media outlets. She is a regular guest on Houston’s FOX26 morning news segment and is also a member of the National Speakers Association. She was selected by The Steed Society and Comerica Bank as one of the Top 25 Women of Houston. She has been a featured contributor in The Wall Street Journal, Essence Magazine and many other publications.
Charlotte is the author of I Wish Someone Had Told Me: Financial Lessons Learned the Hard Way. While she is a native Minnesotan, she has made Houston, TX her home for over 30 years.