"I am thrilled that so many members were able to attend our meeting in Bethesda! Virtual meetings serve their purpose, but I am so grateful that we were able to gather in person again, reconnect with old friends, and welcome new members to the section. The Diversity Section truly is a family, and our annual “family reunion” always reinvigorates me. A huge thank you to KPMG LLP, the KPMG Foundation, and the IMA for sponsoring our meeting and fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in the accounting academy!" – Kirsten Cook, 2021-2022 Diversity Section President

"Returning to an in person Diversity Section meeting was wonderful. We were able to mourn our recent loss of Sandra Shelton together, sharing tears and stories. The old camaraderie of excellent suggestions for our colleagues’ research and appreciation for the organizers snapped right back into place; if it hadn’t been for the masks it could have been 2019 again, which itself felt miraculous. Matt Anderson’s session on the direction the AAA Board is taking on DEI, an amazing presentation by Dorothy Brown on disparate tax effects, and a whole slew of new papers on DEI issues energized me and assuaged the isolation of the past many moons." – Theresa Hammond, San Francisco State University

"The meeting was what I needed to remind me that, even after a long year of being apart, we are still a big family. I finally had the chance to meet Elaine Mauldin in person for the first time after working via email and Zoom sometimes weekly for almost a year. I drove nine hours to attend the Diversity Section Meeting because I didn’t want to miss this opportunity to reconnect with my peers and didn’t feel save flying to DC. The AAA pandemic safety protocols at the conference and the fact that attendees wore face masks made me feel safe. People didn’t miss a chance to connect during the breaks, including myself." – Melvin Lamboy-Ruiz, Georgia Southern University

"I heard a new attendee say that the Diversity Section might be the best kept secret in the AAA. It’s no secret to us that our meetings provide a welcoming and nurturing environment to hone our skills as accounting academics. The secret might be that we talk about far more than diversity at the Diversity Section, so maybe we shouldn’t keep it a secret!" – Craig Sisneros, Oklahoma State University

"Technology has been a great blessing to keep the good work of accounting education and research moving forward, but we are an Association. It was absolutely wonderful to come back to my first AAA in-person event after nearly two years. My reunion with AAA colleagues happened with my first attendance the Midyear Meeting for the Diversity Section. What a great way to be welcomed back to the Association. Hello to all my new friends in the Diversity Section!" – Monte Swain, Brigham Young University