CONNECT
Meet the New Chair of the Board
Kelly at a Glance
Hometown: Boydton, Virginia
Alma Mater: University of Virginia
Family: Married to Gina, with two children and three grandchildren
Pets: Two English Setters Frank (young) and Beau (old soul) that Kelly is “attempting” to train
Fun Fact: Played in a basketball league until age 64
First Jobs: Grass cutting, mobile home factory worker, janitor
Words to Live By: “Try it—what’s the worst that can happen?”
Meet the Chair: Kelly Puryear, CPA
Bringing Vision, Experience, and Purpose to a Transformative Time for NCACPA
When Kelly Puryear assumed the role of NCACPA Board Chair on May 1, he did so with an unwavering focus on transformation—both for the Association and the accounting profession at large. “The way firms operate is changing rapidly, and NCACPA must change with them,” Kelly said. “Just like CPA firms are evolving to stay competitive, our Association has to evolve to remain relevant, valuable, and ahead of the curve.”
Kelly brings decades of experience as a practitioner, leader, and advocate, paired with an enthusiasm for helping others grow. He is passionate about developing meaningful support systems for professionals across all practice areas—public, industry, government, and education—especially during a time of accelerated change. His leadership is guided by a simple question: What do members need right now to succeed—and what will they need next?
From Small-Town Roots to Professional Impact
Kelly was born in Warrenton, North Carolina, and grew up in Boydton, Virginia—a town with a population of about 500. “My college dorm had more people than my hometown,” he joked. But it was a place filled with positive influences, including his parents. His mother was a bookkeeper and his father—a Navy veteran who served on an aircraft carrier in WWII—worked for Burlington Industries.
Kelly didn’t set out to become an accountant. He initially considered both forestry and law, but a friend convinced him to take an accounting class and Kelly needed the credit hours. “I loved it immediately. It made perfect sense to me,” he said. “Accounting has always felt logical to me—I’ve never been great at memorizing, but I can reason through things.”
After earning his degree from the University of Virginia, Kelly began his career with Price Waterhouse in Winston-Salem. Soon he realized that he wanted to work more closely with small businesses, and in 1982, he joined a small but progressive firm in Fayetteville. There, he met partners Joe Todd and Burney Rivenbark—both deeply involved in NCACPA. That firm, now known as TRP Sumner, has grown significantly over the years and today employs more than 85 professionals. Kelly served as managing partner for 18 years and says, “One of the things in my life I am most proud of is the growth and success of our firm. When I started, we were about 7 people, and currently we are over 85. We provide valuable client service while maintaining a rewarding work environment.”
The parallels between Kelly’s service to the Association and Burney’s are striking. In NCACPA’s 106-year history, there have only been a handful of CEOs and office locations—yet, remarkably, two partners from the same firm found themselves serving on the Board during two of the most pivotal transitions. Burney Rivenbark served as NCACPA Board Chair in the 1980s, when the Association was hiring a new executive director named Jim Ahler and relocating its offices from Raleigh’s Oberlin Road to Gateway Centre Boulevard in Morrisville. “I’ve been on the board during another moment just like that,” Kelly said, referencing the hiring of CEO Mark Soticheck and NCACPA’s recent move to a new headquarters in Raleigh. “It’s funny how things come full circle.”
A Champion for Advocacy and Transformation
Kelly has been actively engaged in NCACPA for decades, particularly in advocacy. Early in his career, he joined the Governmental Affairs Committee, even before fully understanding its purpose. That experience lit a fire that’s never gone out. “Advocacy is essential to the survival of the CPA profession,” he said. “Our profession is regulated by the legislature. NCACPA helps shape laws that affect our firms, clients, and educational institutions.”
He’s also candid about the benefits his firm has received from staying plugged into NCACPA’s advocacy work. “It sometimes feels like insider information,” he admitted. “We’ve had advance notice of pending legislation that’s allowed us to pivot quickly—especially during tax season. That’s an advantage our firm has because of our engagement with NCACPA.”
Kelly believes advocacy should extend beyond legislation to include championing the value and relevance of the accounting profession itself. “We’re telling the story about how rewarding this career is—especially to students and early-career professionals,” he said. “I believe we’re entering the Golden Age of Accounting. Technology is freeing us up to spend less time getting the numbers right and more time interpreting what they mean. That makes us more valuable as trusted advisors.”
While Kelly is proud of NCACPA’s legacy of individual member service, he believes it’s time for the Association to shift toward offering organizational solutions. “We need a fundamental mind shift,” he explained. “Firms and companies are growing. We need to understand what they need to stay competitive and relevant.”
He also sees opportunities for NCACPA to play a bigger role in peer learning, innovation, and connection. “NCACPA can be a catalyst for firm leaders to network and share what’s working. That applies to public practice, industry, and beyond.” When asked how NCACPA can help professionals in industry, government, and education navigate their own transformation journeys, he’s honest: “We have to ask. We need to better understand their challenges and work with them to develop solutions.”
Leadership with Heart—and Humor
While his professional insights are sharp, Kelly is also grounded in humility, humor, and heart. “I never really grew up,” he quipped, reflecting on his early jobs mowing lawns, working in a mobile home factory, and collecting garbage—and unsure of his path in college. “It’s worked out fine.”
He and his wife, Gina, enjoy spending time with their two children, three grandchildren, and two English Setters—Frank and Beau. A former basketball league regular, who had the joy of playing alongside his son for many years, Kelly played competitively until he was 64. “I was a short, slow center who couldn’t jump—but I was good at defense and rebounding,” he laughed.
He also finds joy in service. Through his church, Kelly and Gina participate in disaster relief missions across the state, most recently supporting communities in western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene. Kelly has also served on the Board—and as Board Chair—of the Cumberland Community Foundation, deepening his impact within the broader Fayetteville community.
Building a Lasting Impact
Looking ahead, Kelly hopes to inspire future leaders by showing them the meaningful return that comes from serving the profession. “You get more out of it than you put in,” he said. “It’s fulfilling work, and it connects you with smart, caring people who want to make a difference.”
Whether he’s helping create new firm support systems or guiding NCACPA’s next chapter of advocacy and engagement, Kelly Puryear is focused on building a stronger profession—and a stronger Association—for the future.
“We are in a profession, not just a job,” he said. “A profession needs advocates. It needs leaders. It needs people willing to shape what comes next. That’s what NCACPA is here to do—and I’m honored to help lead the way.”