The Institute of Internal Auditors

Charlotte Chapter History

The Beginning

To fill a void in their professional environment, a group of internal auditors held an IIA Chapter information meeting on November 29, 1966, in Charlotte. At this meeting, the Piedmont-Carolinas Chapter was formed with 19 members and received their Charter on January 20, 1967. The Chapter joined the International organization, which had a membership of 6,563. The organizations represented by these charter members were located from Greensboro, NC to Greenville, SC and Columbia, SC, but most of the membership lived in the Charlotte area. During the early years, one meeting per year was held in Columbia, SC and one in Greenville, SC (in addition to the meetings held in Charlotte, NC).

The Charlotte Area Chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors carries a proud tradition. As the Piedmont-Carolinas Chapter, it became the parent to other chapters throughout the Carolinas. We can take pride in our tradition of providing outstanding services to our members, our profession, and our communities.

1970s

The Chapter had steady growth under the direction of outstanding leaders and, by the end of 1972, the Chapter had grown to 85 members. Under the leadership of a charter member of the Piedmont-Carolinas Chapter, the Palmetto Chapter was formed in 1972 and received their Charter on August 15, 1972. A group of 22 members from the Charlotte Chapter were charter members of this Chapter, which met in Columbia, SC.

After the Certified Internal Auditor designation was instituted in 1973, 20 local Chapter members and 44 non-members received their certificates on October 15, 1973.

Chapter membership steadily increased as interest in the profession continued to grow. The Raleigh-Durham and Triad chapters were formed in 1973 and received their charters February 27, 1974 and April 23, 1974, respectively. These were the third and fourth chapters in the Carolinas.

The Member of the Year Award was instituted in the 1974-75 Chapter year and continues to be our annual award for outstanding service to the Chapter.

By the end of fiscal year 1976, membership had again reached 85 members even though three new chapters had been formed as an outgrowth of the Piedmont-Carolinas Chapter.

On June 6, 1976, the Chapter name was changed to the Charlotte Area Chapter. In November 1978, the Charlotte Area Chapter hosted the first five-Chapter joint meeting in the history of the Institute. This joint meeting was called the All-Carolina Meeting that was later changed to the District Six Conference. North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia chapters were later included in District Four.

1980s

In 1979-80, emphasis was placed on the education community. The Chapter experienced a significant increase in student membership and faculty participation.

On April 30, 1983, the Charlotte Area Chapter incorporated as a non-profit organization. During the 1984-85 Chapter year, a Student Affiliate Chapter was formed at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

In February 1986, Larry Sawyer, the "Grandfather" of internal auditing, conducted our two-day seminar. We won first place in Chapter competition in the Southern Region for our chapter size and was awarded a banner at the Southern Region Conference.

During the 1986-87 Chapter year, we hosted the District Four Conference and the keynote speaker was General Alexander Haig.

In the 1987-88 Chapter year, we joined seven other accounting affiliated professional organizations to host the first Charlotte Accounting Caucus dinner and half-day seminar program.

In 1988-89 Chapter year we stressed the Chapter Achievement Program through service to members, profession, and leadership. With the help of all participants, the Charlotte Area Chapter achieved a special "Silver" designation from the Institute.

1990s

In 1989-90, the Chapter attained the highest level (GOLD AWARD) in the Institute's Chapter Achievement Program. The Chapter presented the Clemson University-Internal Audit Program with a $1,000 check to aid in the further development of their very successful program.

1990-91 was another successful year for the Chapter. We attained the GOLD level in the Chapter Achievement for the second consecutive year. Also, the Chapter contributed $550 in internal auditing publications to the UNCC library. This is the first step in establishing an IIA-sponsored Target School at UNCC.

During 1991-92, new average attendance records were established for both the pre-meeting seminars (40) and dinner meetings (81). A single-meeting record was set in March with 121 attendees, who came to hear Mr. Tom Smith, CEO of Food Lion, Inc. At year-end, Chapter membership was 207, an increase of 7% from the previous year. The Chapter also approved the founding of its second Student Affiliate Chapter, at Wingate College. The Chapter celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1991 with Chairman Orville Mills joining the festivities.

In 1992-93, the Chapter attained the GOLD level in the Chapter Achievement for the fourth consecutive year. UNCC was selected as an IIA sponsored Target School and the Chapter contributed $1,000 to aid this program.

The Charlotte Area Chapter received GOLD designation in the Chapter Achievement Program for 1993-94. This was the fifth consecutive year the Charlotte Chapter attained the highest level of achievement in providing service to our members. In addition, the Charlotte Area Chapter was awarded first place in the annual Academic Relations competition for the 1993-94 chapter year.

The Chapter experienced another outstanding year in 1994-95 with the sixth consecutive year that was capped off by achieving GOLD in the Chapter Achievement Program. The Chapter continued to support the Student Chapters at UNCC and Wingate College while also providing some exceptional educational offerings to the membership.

The 1995-96 year began with the Chapter hosting a free seminar for the Charlotte membership and ended with an evening of baseball at Knight’s Castle. Along the way the Charlotte Chapter had the second highest growth in membership of any IIA Chapter its size at a 29% increase, and was again awarded the GOLD in the Chapter Achievement Program.

The 1996-1997 year, our 30th anniversary as an IIA chapter, marked the eighth consecutive year the Charlotte Area Chapter received the GOLD award in the Chapter Achievement Program. The year was highlighted by many informative and educational seminars. With all the participation and feedback from the annual survey, we used this information to enhance future programs.

In 1997-98 we achieved the GOLD award in the Chapter Achievement Program for the ninth consecutive year. In March, we sponsored the Mid Atlantic District No. 2 Conference which was a huge success. Also, attendance at our monthly meetings increased over recent years.

In 1998-99 the Chapter President and First Vice President accepted new jobs out-of-state leaving these two key positions open. The other officers, committees and membership worked together and achieved the GOLD Award in the Chapter Achievement Program for the tenth consecutive year.

2000s – Current

The 1999/2000 leadership gave our chapter another GOLD level performance as measured by the IIA’s Chapter Achievement Program. Several proactive measures were taken during the chapter year to keep members informed of chapter activities by using the latest technology. All of the chapter newsletters, meeting notices, and the membership directory were either posted at the website or distributed in electronic form for the first time. In addition, members were given opportunities to attend lunch meetings and free continuing education sessions.

Several innovative measures were used to encourage participation and attract new members during 2000/2001. First, the monthly meetings were replaced with four full day seminars. Next, the Corporate Education Slot Program was introduced to provide high quality continuing education hours at very low costs. Additionally seminars were held at company facilities to further control increasing costs of having meetings at hotel facilities. In April, we sponsored the Mid-Atlantic District No. 2 Conference that was a huge success. Our chapter continued to achieve the GOLD award in the Chapter Achievement Program.

During the 2001/2002 membership year, our chapter achieved much success despite the September 11th attack on our country and tough economic conditions. The Charlotte Chapter sponsored an Educators’ Roundtable luncheon that focused on exchanging ideas of how the chapter could better serve the academic community, discussing the scholarship program, and sharing other incentive programs to encourage student involvement in the IIA. Much progress was made during the year regarding our academic relations with area colleges and universities. In addition, our membership continued to grow and program attendance continued to improve. Our chapter ultimately achieved GOLD Status as recognized by the IIA’s Chapter Achievement Program.

Over the next several years, the Chapter continued to grow and meet the changing needs of its members by offering high-quality, relevant programs as well as opportunities for networking. The Charlotte Chapter hosted the Mid Atlantic District No. 2 Conference in the spring of 2004, 2007, and 2010.

The Chapter continued to place a high emphasis on academic relations, each year offering three scholarships for a total award of $3,000. In the 2008/2009 membership year, the Chapter expanded its efforts by increasing student panel discussions and networking opportunities. The Chapter also provides schools with the opportunity to have local Internal Auditors give presentations to their classes. The 2008/2009 year marked the first annual student event to formally announce the scholarship winner to the Chapter. The event provides all of the scholarship applicants and other students interested in internal auditing the opportunity to meet with local professionals. The Chapter’s outreach initiatives grew to the point that over 120 students from local universities were exposed to the Chapter during the 2009/2010 year. The Chapter increased its funding to $5,000 total for scholarship awards during the 2010/2011 year.

The Charlotte Chapter launched the CAE Roundtable series in the 2009/2010 year. Two such events were held during the year to provide a forum for Chief Audit Executives from the Charlotte-area to exchange ideas and experiences relating to timely issues and obstacles facing the audit profession.

Electronic registrations were introduced in 2009/2010 Chapter year, providing an easy way for members and non-members to sign up for events and an effective solution for the Chapter’s volunteers to manage registration activities.

During the 2009/2010 Chapter year, the leadership team (especially the President, President-Elect, and VP over programs) worked hard and implemented new strategies to maintain and grow membership in the aftermath of the global economic crisis and in the midst of the country’s worst recession in decades. The final Chapter Achievement Program Report for that year shows that 749 members belonged to the Charlotte Chapter. At the IIA International Conference in Atlanta, GA in June 2010, the Charlotte Chapter was recognized as the 2010 Global Membership Award First Place Winner!

During the 2010/2011 Chapter year, we were able to focus on our academic relations, and we invited students from area universities to attend the Chapter seminars as our guests as well as increasing our scholarship award. We sponsored six full-day seminars, providing our membership with up to 48 CPE hours. The Chapter also offered a Student Night and a kick-off meeting, both of which provided one CPE hour of training along with a networking opportunity for students and IIA members to meet other local audit professionals.

Throughout all the economic ups and downs, and the changes in the internal auditing world, the Charlotte Chapter continued to maintain Gold status. The chapter thrives because of member involvement and service to the profession, and the 2010/2011 year marks the Chapter’s 22^nd consecutive year at the prestigious GOLD level!


	*Charlotte Chapter History* The Beginning To fill a void in their professional environment, a group of internal auditors held an IIA Chapter information meeting on November 29, 1966, in Charlotte. At this meeting, the Piedmont-Carolinas Chapter was formed with 19 members and received their Charter on January 20, 1967. The Chapter joined the International organization, which had a membership of 6,563. The organizations represented by these charter members were located from Greensboro, NC to Greenville, SC and Columbia, SC, but most of the membership lived in the Charlotte area. During the early years, one meeting per year was held in Columbia, SC and one in Greenville, SC (in addition to the meetings held in Charlotte, NC). The Charlotte Area Chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors carries a proud tradition. As the Piedmont-Carolinas Chapter, it became the parent to other chapters throughout the Carolinas. We can take pride in our tradition of providing outstanding services to our members, our profession, and our communities. 1970s The Chapter had steady growth under the direction of outstanding leaders and, by the end of 1972, the Chapter had grown to 85 members. Under the leadership of a charter member of the Piedmont-Carolinas Chapter, the Palmetto Chapter was formed in 1972 and received their Charter on August 15, 1972. A group of 22 members from the Charlotte Chapter were charter members of this Chapter, which met in Columbia, SC. After the Certified Internal Auditor designation was instituted in 1973, 20 local Chapter members and 44 non-members received their certificates on October 15, 1973. Chapter membership steadily increased as interest in the profession continued to grow. The Raleigh-Durham and Triad chapters were formed in 1973 and received their charters February 27, 1974 and April 23, 1974, respectively. These were the third and fourth chapters in the Carolinas. The Member of the Year Award was instituted in the 1974-75 Chapter year and continues to be our annual award for outstanding service to the Chapter. By the end of fiscal year 1976, membership had again reached 85 members even though three new chapters had been formed as an outgrowth of the Piedmont-Carolinas Chapter. On June 6, 1976, the Chapter name was changed to the Charlotte Area Chapter. In November 1978, the Charlotte Area Chapter hosted the first five-Chapter joint meeting in the history of the Institute. This joint meeting was called the All-Carolina Meeting that was later changed to the District Six Conference. North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia chapters were later included in District Four. 1980s In 1979-80, emphasis was placed on the education community. The Chapter experienced a significant increase in student membership and faculty participation. On April 30, 1983, the Charlotte Area Chapter incorporated as a non-profit organization. During the 1984-85 Chapter year, a Student Affiliate Chapter was formed at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In February 1986, Larry Sawyer, the "Grandfather" of internal auditing, conducted our two-day seminar. We won first place in Chapter competition in the Southern Region for our chapter size and was awarded a banner at the Southern Region Conference. During the 1986-87 Chapter year, we hosted the District Four Conference and the keynote speaker was General Alexander Haig. In the 1987-88 Chapter year, we joined seven other accounting affiliated professional organizations to host the first Charlotte Accounting Caucus dinner and half-day seminar program. In 1988-89 Chapter year we stressed the Chapter Achievement Program through service to members, profession, and leadership. With the help of all participants, the Charlotte Area Chapter achieved a special "Silver" designation from the Institute. 1990s In 1989-90, the Chapter attained the highest level (GOLD AWARD) in the Institute's Chapter Achievement Program. The Chapter presented the Clemson University-Internal Audit Program with a $1,000 check to aid in the further development of their very successful program. 1990-91 was another successful year for the Chapter. We attained the GOLD level in the Chapter Achievement for the second consecutive year. Also, the Chapter contributed $550 in internal auditing publications to the UNCC library. This is the first step in establishing an IIA-sponsored Target School at UNCC. During 1991-92, new average attendance records were established for both the pre-meeting seminars (40) and dinner meetings (81). A single-meeting record was set in March with 121 attendees, who came to hear Mr. Tom Smith, CEO of Food Lion, Inc. At year-end, Chapter membership was 207, an increase of 7% from the previous year. The Chapter also approved the founding of its second Student Affiliate Chapter, at Wingate College. The Chapter celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1991 with Chairman Orville Mills joining the festivities. In 1992-93, the Chapter attained the GOLD level in the Chapter Achievement for the fourth consecutive year. UNCC was selected as an IIA sponsored Target School and the Chapter contributed $1,000 to aid this program. The Charlotte Area Chapter received GOLD designation in the Chapter Achievement Program for 1993-94. This was the fifth consecutive year the Charlotte Chapter attained the highest level of achievement in providing service to our members. In addition, the Charlotte Area Chapter was awarded first place in the annual Academic Relations competition for the 1993-94 chapter year. The Chapter experienced another outstanding year in 1994-95 with the sixth consecutive year that was capped off by achieving GOLD in the Chapter Achievement Program. The Chapter continued to support the Student Chapters at UNCC and Wingate College while also providing some exceptional educational offerings to the membership. The 1995-96 year began with the Chapter hosting a free seminar for the Charlotte membership and ended with an evening of baseball at Knight’s Castle. Along the way the Charlotte Chapter had the second highest growth in membership of any IIA Chapter its size at a 29% increase, and was again awarded the GOLD in the Chapter Achievement Program. The 1996-1997 year, our 30th anniversary as an IIA chapter, marked the eighth consecutive year the Charlotte Area Chapter received the GOLD award in the Chapter Achievement Program. The year was highlighted by many informative and educational seminars. With all the participation and feedback from the annual survey, we used this information to enhance future programs. In 1997-98 we achieved the GOLD award in the Chapter Achievement Program for the ninth consecutive year. In March, we sponsored the Mid Atlantic District No. 2 Conference which was a huge success. Also, attendance at our monthly meetings increased over recent years. In 1998-99 the Chapter President and First Vice President accepted new jobs out-of-state leaving these two key positions open. The other officers, committees and membership worked together and achieved the GOLD Award in the Chapter Achievement Program for the tenth consecutive year. 2000s – Current The 1999/2000 leadership gave our chapter another GOLD level performance as measured by the IIA’s Chapter Achievement Program. Several proactive measures were taken during the chapter year to keep members informed of chapter activities by using the latest technology. All of the chapter newsletters, meeting notices, and the membership directory were either posted at the website or distributed in electronic form for the first time. In addition, members were given opportunities to attend lunch meetings and free continuing education sessions. Several innovative measures were used to encourage participation and attract new members during 2000/2001. First, the monthly meetings were replaced with four full day seminars. Next, the Corporate Education Slot Program was introduced to provide high quality continuing education hours at very low costs. Additionally seminars were held at company facilities to further control increasing costs of having meetings at hotel facilities. In April, we sponsored the Mid-Atlantic District No. 2 Conference that was a huge success. Our chapter continued to achieve the GOLD award in the Chapter Achievement Program. During the 2001/2002 membership year, our chapter achieved much success despite the September 11th attack on our country and tough economic conditions. The Charlotte Chapter sponsored an Educators’ Roundtable luncheon that focused on exchanging ideas of how the chapter could better serve the academic community, discussing the scholarship program, and sharing other incentive programs to encourage student involvement in the IIA. Much progress was made during the year regarding our academic relations with area colleges and universities. In addition, our membership continued to grow and program attendance continued to improve. Our chapter ultimately achieved GOLD Status as recognized by the IIA’s Chapter Achievement Program. Over the next several years, the Chapter continued to grow and meet the changing needs of its members by offering high-quality, relevant programs as well as opportunities for networking. The Charlotte Chapter hosted the Mid Atlantic District No. 2 Conference in the spring of 2004, 2007, and 2010. The Chapter continued to place a high emphasis on academic relations, each year offering three scholarships for a total award of $3,000. In the 2008/2009 membership year, the Chapter expanded its efforts by increasing student panel discussions and networking opportunities. The Chapter also provides schools with the opportunity to have local Internal Auditors give presentations to their classes. The 2008/2009 year marked the first annual student event to formally announce the scholarship winner to the Chapter. The event provides all of the scholarship applicants and other students interested in internal auditing the opportunity to meet with local professionals. The Chapter’s outreach initiatives grew to the point that over 120 students from local universities were exposed to the Chapter during the 2009/2010 year. The Chapter increased its funding to $5,000 total for scholarship awards during the 2010/2011 year. The Charlotte Chapter launched the CAE Roundtable series in the 2009/2010 year. Two such events were held during the year to provide a forum for Chief Audit Executives from the Charlotte-area to exchange ideas and experiences relating to timely issues and obstacles facing the audit profession. Electronic registrations were introduced in 2009/2010 Chapter year, providing an easy way for members and non-members to sign up for events and an effective solution for the Chapter’s volunteers to manage registration activities. During the 2009/2010 Chapter year, the leadership team (especially the President, President-Elect, and VP over programs) worked hard and implemented new strategies to maintain and grow membership in the aftermath of the global economic crisis and in the midst of the country’s worst recession in decades. The final Chapter Achievement Program Report for that year shows that 749 members belonged to the Charlotte Chapter. At the IIA International Conference in Atlanta, GA in June 2010, the Charlotte Chapter was recognized as the 2010 Global Membership Award First Place Winner! During the 2010/2011 Chapter year, we were able to focus on our academic relations, and we invited students from area universities to attend the Chapter seminars as our guests as well as increasing our scholarship award. We sponsored six full-day seminars, providing our membership with up to 48 CPE hours. The Chapter also offered a Student Night and a kick-off meeting, both of which provided one CPE hour of training along with a networking opportunity for students and IIA members to meet other local audit professionals. Throughout all the economic ups and downs, and the changes in the internal auditing world, the Charlotte Chapter continued to maintain Gold status. The chapter thrives because of member involvement and service to the profession, and the 2010/2011 year marks the Chapter’s 22^nd consecutive year at the prestigious GOLD level!


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