My year on Council

What's it like to be a new AAT Council member? Velta Kimber MAAT was elected to Council in 2007. One year on she talks to Fritha Sutherland about how she is influencing the future of the Association and playing an active part in its growth

Velta Kimber MAAT, a Finance Director at Powell Dobson Architects, is actively involved in her local AAT Branch in South Wales and was elated to take a more active role in our Association.

What is your role on the AAT Council and what does it involve?
I am a general Council Member and I also sit on the Licensing Panel and the Membership Services Board. These roles have been challenging – especially learning the requirements of Members in Practice, as this is an area of which I had no previous knowledge.

Why did you decide to get involved in the AAT Council?
In 2000, while acting as Treasurer for the South Wales Branch, I was asked by ex-President Jess Bond to consider standing for Council. At that time I was unable to do so due to family commitments. However, I always thought that I would like to become more involved with the AAT at a future date. When the opportunity arose again I decided to make the necessary commitment, although I am probably busier than ever now.

How did you feel when you learned that you’d won a seat on the AAT Council?
I felt elated and apprehensive; the fact that so many people took the time to vote for me is daunting, in so much that it means that members are depending upon you to serve their best interests.

What was the most difficult challenge you have faced since joining the AAT Council?
Understanding how the AAT functions at a higher level and trying to make sure that I understand how my decisions will affect the membership at large. All the AAT staff have been helpful in answering questions whenever I’ve needed further information.

What do you most enjoy about the Council meetings and the work that it allows you to do?
I enjoy the opportunity to gain knowledge of how a different organisation works, to influence how the Association will look in the future, and to play a part in taking it forward. It also helps me to understand the problems and wider implications of decisions made in Council.

What are your aims for the future of the particular Council/ Board/ Committee that you are affiliated to?
For the Licensing Panel, my aim is to ensure that our members in practice are properly qualified to deal with their clients and that they enhance the reputation of the AAT. For the Member Services Board, it’s to help ensure that members get the service they need and deserve from their Association.

How do you prepare for AAT Council meetings?
Council papers are distributed in advance of the meetings, so I read all the papers first. Then, if I need further clarification, I speak to an appropriate person. Also, I discuss matters with other Council members, to ensure that I understand all the issues that are being raised.

Why should members get involved in their AAT Council?
It is easy to criticise organisations, but the AAT exists for its members. It is up to us to make sure that it meets our needs and expectations. You can do that best by playing an active role in your organisation.

What are your hobbies/ interests outside of accounting?
Now that my children are adults and have left home, I sing for pleasure with a Ladies Close Harmony Chorus (Ladies Barbershop) and in a group called City Voices Cardiff. It’s all great fun and great for releasing any tension. For someone like me – who for more years than I care to remember was told that I was tone deaf and couldn’t hold a note, never mind a tune – singing at the Royal Centre in Nottingham in front of a 900+ audience was a great experience.

Finally, tell us an interesting or funny fact, anecdote or story about yourself since you’ve been on the AAT Council?
Shortly after the Association had moved offices last year, I gave the taxi driver the wrong address. As a novice commuter in London, I asked to be dropped off at Aldgate, rather than Aldersgate and nearly ended up in the wrong place completely. Luckily, the taxi driver knew that Aldgate didn’t have a number 140.

Accounting Technician - April 2008 - Page 22-23