<Tr> <Th> Chairman </Th> <Td> Kimberly Ellison - Taylor, CPA, CGMA </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Website </Th> <Td> www.aicpa.org </Td> </Tr> <P> Founded in 1887, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) is the national professional organization of Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) in the United States, with more than 418,000 members in 143 countries in business and industry, public practice, government, education, student affiliates and international associates . It sets ethical standards for the profession and U.S. auditing standards for audits of private companies, non-profit organizations, federal, state and local governments . It also develops and grades the Uniform CPA Examination . The AICPA maintains offices in New York City; Washington, DC; Durham, NC; and Ewing, NJ . The AICPA celebrated the 125th anniversary of its founding in 2012 . </P> <P> The AICPA's founding defined accountancy as a profession characterized by educational requirements, professional standards, a code of professional ethics, and alignment with the public interest . </P>

What is the primary role of the american institute of certified public accountants aicpa