2026 CPA Assembly Day Virtual

Emily Walker, Vice President, Advocacy & Pipeline, Virginia Society of CPAs

Emily P. Walker, CAE, is the vice president of advocacy & pipeline for the Virginia Society of CPAs (VSCPA). She oversees and provides strategic direction for VSCPA government relations programs, including VSCPA legislative and regulatory activities, grassroots initiatives and the VSCPA Political Action Committee (VSCPA PAC). In addition, she provides oversight to the VSCPA’s CPA pipeline and academic relations activities. 

Kristin Collins, Assistant Commissioner of Tax Policy, Virginia Department of Taxation

Kristin Collins is the Deputy Commissioner for Tax Policy and Legislative Affairs at the Department of Taxation. She joined the agency in 2010 as a Tax Policy Analyst, and worked her way to Senior Policy Analyst and then Lead Tax Policy Analyst before becoming Policy Director in 2017. Kristin was promoted to Assistant Commissioner of Tax Policy in 2022 and Deputy Commissioner in 2024.

Kristin earned a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Economics from Longwood University, a J.D. and M.B.A. from the University of Richmond, and an LL.M. in Taxation from Georgetown University.

Stephanie R. Peters, CAE, is president & chief executive officer of the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants (VSCPA), a statewide professional association for CPAs. She has been with the VSCPA since 1997 and leads the organization on strategy; diversity, equity, and inclusion; national and external relations; and member engagement. As president & CEO, Peters is a member of the VSCPA Board of Directors and its Executive Committee. 

Nationally, Peters has served on the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) Peer Review Board and the AICPA/NASBA Uniform Accountancy Act Committee; as Chair of the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) State Society Relations Committee; and she is a past president of the CPA Society Executives' Association. Peters currently serves on the AICPA LGBTQ+ Committee.

A Certified Association Executive (CAE), Peters served as president of the Virginia Society of Association Executives and has received its CEO Award of Excellence. Peters currently serves as Immediate Past Chair of the Virginia Council on Economic Education. 

Peters received her Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of Virginia and her Master of Public Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is also a graduate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organization Management and Lead Virginia.

Vivian J. Paige, CPA, CGMA, MBA, MS, has extensive experience in taxation and accounting. She was a successful sole practitioner until selling most of her firm 11 years ago and joining the faculty of her alma mater, Old Dominion University (ODU). During her nine years at ODU, she received numerous awards, including being bestowed the permanent title of ""University Distinguished Teacher"" and being named the ""Most Inspiring Faculty Member"" by the winner of the ODU Kaufman Scholar Award, given annually to the top student among ODU's 25,000+ students. She then spent two years as a member of the faculty at Christopher Newport University, where, in addition to teaching, she served as a mentor to the next generation of CPAs. She is currently taking a break from teaching.  

Vivian is a member of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the Virginia Society of CPAs (VSCPA). She is actively involved in the VSCPA, currently serving as a member and immediate past chair of the Tax Advisory Committee and as a member of the VSCPA Political Action Committee Board, the ad hoc Educators' Symposium Task Force, and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Council. She authored the VSCPA Legislators' Tax Guide and presented briefings to the legislature on taxation. She is the co-author of two current VSCPA ethics courses and has been a presenter at several VSCPA conferences. Her longtime service to the VSCPA was recognized in 2019 when she was named the Outstanding Member.  

Vivian is also involved in her community. She serves as a member of the Audit and Finance Committee of the FoodBank of Southeastern Virginia, on the audit and finance committees of the ACLU of Virginia, and as a board member of the Hampton Roads Tax Forum. She was a member of the Mayor's Commission on Equity and Economic Opportunity and the Mayor's Committee on Gaming. For a number of years, she was a weekly guest opinion columnist for The Virginian-Pilot, covering state and local politics. She co-founded Norfolk United Facing Race and was a founding board member of the Hampton Roads Center for Civic Engagement. Her varied interests have led her to be a public speaker and a frequent guest on radio and television, both locally and nationally. For her work in the community, she has received numerous awards, including being a YWCA Women of Distinction honoree.