Women to Watch Awards - Florida Institute of CPAs

Since 2010, the FICPA has recognized diverse, talented, and outstanding female accountants in Florida with its Women to Watch Awards.

Women to Watch Award recipients contribute to the accounting profession and demonstrate qualities that set them apart from others, including networking, sharing best practices, volunteering, mentoring, authoring and more. They must be a CPA and a member of the FICPA. Recipients fall into one of two categories - Emerging Leaders (those in the early stage of their career) and Experienced Leaders (10+ years int he profession).

In addition to being recognized at the Women's Leadership Summit, the Women to Watch Award recipients are featured on FICPA.org and the winners receive recognition in the summer issue of Florida CPA Today. Nominations for the 2025 Women to Watch Awards are accepted from Dec. 1, 2024, through Feb. 28, 2025. If you or someone you know is worthy of recognition, be on the lookout for the "call for nominations" later this year.

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Meet Previous Women to Watch Award Recipients

Cristina Hale

2024 Experienced Leader

Cristina Hale is the Tax Practice Leader at BDO USA’s Tampa and Orlando offices, where she oversees compliance and quality control.

She developed her knowledge and technical skills over a 20-year career that’s taken her from Miami to Washington D.C., Boston, Abu Dhabi and Tampa.

She is a regular volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and Feeding Tampa Bay and sits on the Board of Big Brothers Big Sisters Tampa Bay.

Carmen Velasquez

2024 Emerging Leader

Carmen Velasquez is a partner and owner at Tapia, Rojas & Associates.

She has distinguished herself early in her career through her experience in the Common Interest Realty Associations industry.

She is a member of the FICPA, AICPA and Community Association Institute and serves on the FICPA’s CIRA Committee, Young CPAs Committee and Women in Leadership Committee.