Helen Knowles, FCGA

Trailblazer and Role Model 

1985 President Extended Reach of CGA to Students in Hong Kong and Macau and Worked as Original Trustee to the CGA-BC Educational Foundation.

There is little doubt that Helen Knowles, FCGA, was a dynamic force of change and progress within the CGA Association: she was the first woman to chair the Maintenance of Standards committee (later known as CPD); she was a principal contributor to the acclaimed 1983 Knowledge Network program, “How to Prepare an Income Tax Return,” the Association’s first foray into television; and in 1985 she became the second woman to be elected president.

She is perhaps best remembered as a groundbreaker and a role model who was an inspiration to many women who were unsure of how to succeed in an environment that could be less than welcoming. She earned her certification in 1973 and established M.H. Knowles & Company. At its height, the one-woman practice had more than 120 clients, mostly small businesses of longstanding.

Being among the first was part and parcel of being an ambitious business woman. “Look at us now,” says Dan Cheetham, FCPA, FCGA, “we’re predominantly female, at least our students and young members are. I believe Helen made a substantial contribution to making that happen.”

Helen’s contributions to CGA went far beyond serving on the Board of Governors from 1976 to 1986. From 1975 through to 1992, she devoted herself to virtually every committee, sub-committee and council known to the Association.

Remarkably, she served on the Ethics Committee for three separate terms. She better than anyone would comprehend the importance of the accomplishments she made on behalf of her designation, not just because she lived them firsthand, but also because she served as the Association historian (1987–1991). Her work there culminated with the publishing of the CGA-BC history, The Certified General Accountants Association of British Columbia 1951–1991, the first draft of which she researched and wrote.

During her presidency, she concluded and signed agreements with CGA-Canada and the University of East Asia, Macau, which allowed business students in Macau and Hong Kong to take CGA courses leading to the professional designation. 
She was a J.M. Macbeth Award winner and a Fellow, and in 1991 she was awarded a Life Membership, the highest award bestowed by the Association, in appreciation of her many years of service and her significant contributions to the profession and the Association in particular. In 2008 she was also named to CGA-Canada’s national celebration of 100 CGAs Who Made a Difference.

Over the years, Helen Knowles received many other awards. One of the biggest came when North Vancouver District celebrated its centennial. Along with Bryan Adams and Chief Dan George, she was named one of 100 Distinguished Citizens by the District of North Vancouver's Centennial Citizen Awards, a special tribute to North Vancouver residents who distinguished themselves in their chosen fields.

This article first appeared on the CGA-BC website on July 11, 2012.