Long-time Kirkland resident Kimberly D. Scott, CAE, has been named Association Executive of the Year by the Washington Society of Association Executives (WSAE).

This is WSAE’s highest honor and recognizes a WSAE member executive who has demonstrated leadership through service to WSAE, their own association, the association community and association management.

With more than 17 years of association management experience, Scott has recently taken over as president and CEO of the Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants (WSCPA).

“I have been deeply committed to the WSCPA and its members for many years and it is a privilege to have this opportunity to continue serving them as CEO,” said Scott.

Scott succeeds Richard E. Jones, who served as president and CEO for nearly 12 years and retired May 31.

“Kimberly Scott has the unanimous support of the WSCPA board of directors and I am confident that she is prepared to successfully lead this organization into the future,” said Jones.

Scott joined the WSCPA in 2000 and has served in various senior leadership roles throughout the organization. As WSCPA’s vice president of government and member relations since 2013, she oversaw advocacy, membership, college and student relationships, chapters, networking functions, financial education and communications. She has led the organization’s advocacy efforts with the successful drafting and passage of three bills through the State Legislature, including a bill that brought $3.3 million to the Washington CPA Foundation (WCPAF).

Since 2009, Scott has also served as executive director of the WCPAF. As director of member services from 2002-13, she led the organization’s membership department, having spearheaded the growth of the young professional members from seven percent in 2006 to 26 percent in 2010.

“Kimberly Scott has the perfect blend of experience, having played an instrumental role in developing our newest generation of members, while at the same time earning the respect of our leaders in Olympia and at the AICPA,” said Dave Miniken, chair of the WSCPA board. “This is an exciting time for the WSCPA, and our board of directors has no doubt she is the right person to lead us going forward.”

Scott currently serves as the chair for the Human Services Advisory Committee for the City of Kirkland and is on the board of Leadership Eastside.