After 36 remarkable years of service, leadership, and heart, we celebrate the retirement of Mary Kay, an announcement met with both deep gratitude and undeniable emotion. Mary Kay’s impact on Origin CPA Group is impossible to summarize in just a few words, but her legacy is woven into the very fabric of who we are as a firm.
A Leader Who Built the Firm We Know Today
It is impossible to overstate this truth: If there were no Mary Kay, there would be no Origin CPA Group. From the moment she joined the firm in 1990, Mary Kay became a driving force behind our culture, structure, innovation, and stability. She has long been the firm’s heart and soul, the steady presence, the voice of reason, and the relentless advocate for growth, excellence, and people.
A Natural Integrator, Visionary, and Advocate
Mary Kay officially became a shareholder in 2006, our first non-CPA shareholder, after years of proving her leadership, earning respect, and fighting for what she believed was right for the firm. She later stepped into the CEO/Integrator role as the firm evolved, guiding us through the most pivotal eras of change in our history.
She never shied away from difficult conversations or bold ideas. She took risks, encouraged others to do the same, and embraced the philosophy that “nothing ventured, nothing gained.” She loves the “Man in the Arena” speech by Theodore Roosevelt, she always was our person in the arena, living boldly, only afraid of inaction, never of failure in the pursuit of success.
Her Impact on People, The Heart of Her Leadership
Perhaps even more powerful than Mary Kay’s operational achievements is her unparalleled emotional intelligence. She knows the team deeply, our families, our joys, our worries, our milestones. She celebrated our highs with genuine excitement and stood with us through our lows with unmatched compassion.
Her instincts in moments of crisis demonstrate her character. Mary Kay always acts quickly, compassionately, and with the natural care of someone who leads with her heart when times are tough or even devastating.
She shaped the leadership team itself, advocating, recruiting, and sometimes even strongly persuading people to join the firm because she saw their potential long before they did. Every shareholder is at the firm today because of Mary Kay’s actions and leadership. We all owe her a debt of gratitude.
A Legacy That Lives On
Mary Kay has influenced every employee, whether they’ve been here 1 year or nearly 30. Her expectations were simple but powerful:
- Embrace Curiosity — Don’t live life on the surface, dig deeper.
- Embody Humanity — Show up for people. Support one another.
- Live “Yes I Can” — Believe in yourself as much as she believes in you.
- Take Ownership — Make the job yours, get in the arena.
These values, her values, are now part of Origin’s DNA as our Core Values.
Thank You, Mary Kay
While we cannot replace Mary Kay, we can honor her by stepping up, supporting one another, and continuing to build the firm she envisioned.
In every hug, laugh, and tear shared, we are reminded of what she has given us, stability, vision, compassion, and a firm that stands strong today because of her unwavering leadership.
Mary Kay’s legacy is permanent, her impact is immeasurable and her fingerprints are everywhere and always will be.