May Newsletter

Monthly Meeting

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Upcoming Event

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Calendar of Events

May 26th - Monthly Meeting - What Does Bluey Have to Say About M&A? - Kim Pace, Speaker

June 15th - Summer Seminar - Chattanooga Marriott

June 23rd - Monthly Meeting - TBA

October 20th-24th - Women Who Count Conference, AFWA National, Hilton Head SC

Keep an eye out for dates on our Spring Seminar and updates to the calendar!

Open Board Meetings held via Zoom the second Thursday of every month - contact Sandra Hogan for invitation ([email protected]).

We are always looking for topics and speakers of interest to our members. Any topic and/or speaker recommendations can be sent to Program Committee Chair, Michaelia Black ([email protected]).

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Scholarships

A huge congratulations to our Scholarship winners this year!

Pictured above were the winners who were able to attend our event:  Left to right - Baylie Jones, Chloe Castle, Yadira Vazquez, Layla Colwell

We were so happy to award scholarships this year to the following recipients:

SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

UNDERGRADUATE

Layla Colwell - Layla is an upcoming senior at Lee University and plans to graduate in May 2027. She is an honor student and currently has a 4.0 GPA. She is a Presidential Scholar and is Head Accounting Tutor at Lee University’s Accounting Lab. She has received several scholarships and is on the Dean’s List. Layla takes part in several extracurricular activities as well as participating in various community service projects such as Junior Achievement and Breakfast Club, which cooks breakfast for people in an emergency shelter.

Yadira Vazquez - Yadira is an upcoming senior at Lee University and plans to graduate in May 2027. She is on the Dean’s List and a member of the Soccer Club. She participates in Junior Achievement where she teaches business concepts to elementary students and has volunteered at the Caring Place, which provides resources for those in need. Yadira is a first-generation college student focusing on Accounting with a strong commitment to academic excellence and community impact.

GRADUATE

Chloe Castle - Chloe graduated with her accounting degree in May 2025 and is currently working on her Master of Accountancy degree at UTC. She is a student member of several professional accounting organizations including TSCPA and AICPA. She is a Beta Alpha Psi member and served as chapter president in 2024 – 2025. Throughout her senior year at UTC, she worked full-time at HCA Healthcare in the fall and LBMC in the spring. Chloe received several scholarships as an undergraduate and has been on the Dean’s List and was awarded Scholar in Residence.

Madison Goble - Madison will graduate with her accounting degree from UTC in May and will begin the Master of Accountancy program this summer. She is a student member of IMA, serving as student chapter president. She is the Community Service Chair of Beta Alpha Psi, treasurer of the Future Business Leaders of America, and a member of the Dean’s Student Advisory Council. She has worked as an intern at Unum Group and will be working as an intern at LBMC. Madison has received several scholarships as an undergraduate and has been on the Dean’s List and named a Stophel Distinguished Scholar.

Baylie Jones - Baylie will graduate with her accounting degree from UTC in May and will begin the Master of Accountancy program this summer. Through dual-enrollment, Baylie graduated high school with an Associate’s degree and will complete her undergraduate degree at age 20. She is a student member of the Chattanooga Chapter of AFWA and will serve on their Board of Directors for 2026 – 2027. She is a member of Beta Alpha Psi and has been on the Dean’s List every semester at UTC. Baylie tutors beginning accounting students and has participated in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program to help prepare taxes for lower income families.

Thank you to everyone who gives throughout the year through our monthly raffles, fundraisers, CPE events and other opportunities. 

If you are interested in supporting local scholarships, please email us at anytime for more details  [email protected] 

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Hey Members!

We are looking towards our 2026-2027 year already! Below are the ladies we plan to nominate for the 2026-2027 Board:

President - Jennifer Sabados

President Elect - Suzanne Beaty, Scholarship Committee

Vice President - Christie Jordan, Education/Legislation Committee

Treasurer - Kim Pace, Finance Committee

Secretary - Jennifer Lamb, Program Committee

Director Ex-Officio - Sandra Hogan, Public Relations Committee

Director - Morgen Rose, Publicity/Newsletter Committee

Director - Claire Ornsbee, Membership/Member Relations Committee

Director - Baylie Jones, Student Activities Committee

Director - Taylor Weaver, Bylaws Committee

Director - Taylor Chattin, Yearbook Committee

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Student Information

AFWA Meet and Mentor Program 2026 

Chattanooga AFWA's mission is to enable women in all accounting and related fields to achieve their full personal, professional and economic potential and to contribute to the future development of their profession. 

Chattanooga AFWA is made up of all different types of professionals (you do not have to be a woman to be a member!) in the Chattanooga area involved in Accounting and Finance fields.

If you are a student that would be interested in meeting with a local AFWA Member over coffee (or a snack!) to discuss their experiences in the workforce and build a relationship in a relaxed atmosphere, check out some of the available members here!

We hope this is a valuable experience for both the students and mentors who participate. Feedback is welcome throughout this process!

If you are a member that would be interested in participating in this program, please email us at [email protected] with a brief bio to add to our list. 

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Committee News

Feel free to email us at [email protected] if you'd like to be involved!

Chapter Development Committee - Mary Johnston

Education/Legislation - Jennifer Lamb

Finance Committee - Kim Pace

Membership/Member Relations Committee - Christie Jordan

Program - Michaelia Black 

Public Relations Committee - Jennifer Sabados

Publicity/Newsletter/Website - Morgen Rose

Scholarship - Susan LeVan

Student Activities - Catherine Middleton

Yearbook - Taylor Chattin

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AFWA National News

The AFWA National Board will be visiting Chattanooga for their board meeting and Officer Installation from June 24th - 26th.  They would love to meet our Chattanooga Chapter members and have invited us to attend their installation.  More information will be forthcoming in a separate email when their plans are finalized.

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Did You Know?

What does Professional Freedom Mean to You? Not just freedom in general—professional freedom. Is it the ability to work at 10am after coffee with your spouse instead of hitting appointments at 8. Or having enough financial resources that you're not forced to take on clients who drain you. Maybe it’s working with people who energize you instead of deplete you, or doing work that has actual meaning and impact.  Darren Root spent 35 years running his own firm, and he's talked to hundreds of accountants who built something that doesn't support the life they actually want to live. His new book The Simple Firm is a roadmap for changing that.  I talked with Darren on Breaking Beliefs about the four components of professional freedom, why most people confuse good income with personal wealth, and how to stop being reactive to whatever clients ask for and start moving them forward with actual roadmaps.  The difference between income and wealth You can earn well and still feel trapped because there's a difference between good income and personal wealth. Darren spent most of his career thinking income was enough, then realized having significant resources beyond just paying bills changes everything about your choices.  What level do you need to earn so your decisions aren't driven by needing money? That number is different for everyone, but without that cushion, you can't choose which clients to take or which work to say no to. You're stuck taking whatever comes through the door.  When maintenance work drains your soul Darren was very capable of preparing and reviewing tax returns, but it was sucking the life out of him.  During busy season when he wanted to write The Intentional Accountant, he went to his partner and said he needed to stop doing tax work and write instead. That was the first time he stopped doing something that drained him to focus on what actually drove him: creativity.  Some people thrive on routine and maintenance. If you're not one of those people and you're stuck in work that depletes you, you'll feel off and not know why. You might blame everything around you when really you just need to align what you do with what fuels you.  In our conversation, Darren breaks down how to build a business model that supports your actual rhythm, how to create client roadmaps so you're proactive instead of reactive, and why focusing on service-based businesses instead of being a generalist changes everything.  Listen to the full conversation here. Try this week Define what professional freedom means for you. What time rhythm do you need? What financial resources let you choose? Who energizes versus drains you? What brings meaning to your work?  Stop doing one thing that's sucking the life out of you. You're probably capable of doing it, but that doesn't mean it's the best use of your time or energy. What's one task you can delegate, eliminate, or say no to this week?  You have a choice. Even if you don't feel like you do, you have more choices than you think. The first step is realizing that.

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