AICPA Honors 26 Young CPAs with Forensic and Valuation Services ‘Standing Ovation’

The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) is pleased to announce the 26 young CPAs who received the Forensic and Valuation Services (FVS) Standing Ovation for significant contributions in their accounting specialty areas and in their communities. Recipients were honored today at the 2018 AICPA FVS Conference in Atlanta, Ga.

“The CPAs receiving ‘standing ovation’ honors at this year’s FVS Conference are helping to move the profession in a positive direction,” said Jeannette Koger, CPA, CGMA, vice president of advisory services and credentialing for the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. “From serving as mentors and leading recruiting efforts within firms to guest speaking at universities and participating in mock trials at law schools, this year’s Standing Ovation honorees have helped the profession and their communities in a number of different ways.”

Additionally, this year’s AICPA FVS Standing Ovation recipients were recognized for assisting government agencies in a child trafficking and money laundering investigation, establishing a firm’s new office to expand its geographic footprint, starting a scholarship program to help students in need and speaking at AICPA conferences, among other accomplishments.

All of this year’s FVS Standing Ovation honorees hold the Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF) or Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV) specialty credential, with more than a quarter holding both.

The 2018 list of FVS Standing Ovation recipients is in alphabetical order below:

Kyle Andersen, CFF, ABV, Kotzin Valuation Partners, Phoenix, Ariz.
Chris Anderson, ABV, Adams Capital, Inc., Denver, Colo.
Mark Anderson, CFF, ABV, Norman, Townsend & Johnson, LLC, Salt Lake City, Utah
Joshua Azran, CFF, ABV, Azran Financial, APC, Encino, Calif.
Andrew Bailey, ABV, Crow Shields Bailey, PC, Mobile, Ala.
Bassem Banafa, CFF, ABV, Bassem Banafa, LLC, San Francisco, Calif.
James Beindorf, CFF, Offutt Barton Schlitt, LLC, Vero Beach, Fla.
Andrew Blank, ABV, Wipfli, LLP, Chicago, Ill.
Alexander Calderone, ABV, Calderone Advisory Group, LLC, Birmingham, Mich.
Karolina Calhoun, CFF, ABV, Mercer Capital, Memphis, Tenn.
Robert Carter, CFF, Hertzbach & Company, P.A., Owings Mills, Md.
David Golbahar, CFF, Brandlin & Associates, A.C., Los Angeles, Calif.
Andrew Gust, CFF, AlixPartners, LLP, Chicago, Ill.
Jessica Huebner, CFF, Berkeley Research Group, LLC, Tampa, Fla.
Jessica Iennarella, CFF, HSNO Accountants, P.C., Scottsdale, Ariz.
Sean Kennedy, ABV, RSM US, LLP, Kansas City, Mo.
Evan Kilbourne, CFF, ABV, Rugeti & Associates, P.C., San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
Michael Kritsmar, ABV, Wipfli, LLP, Chicago, Ill.
Bradley Mihm, ABV, CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP, West Des Moines, Iowa
Eli Neal, CFF, ABV, Cogence Group, PC, Portland, Ore.
Tyler Pennington, ABV, Kotzin Valuation Partners, Phoenix, Ariz.
Jillian Rose, CFF, FTI Consulting, Washington, D.C.
Theodore Stafford, CFF, AlixPartners, LLP, Dallas, Texas
Christopher Wailand, ABV, Piper Hawkins & Company, Sarasota, Fla.
Brad Wilson, ABV, StoneTurn Group, LLP, Boston, Mass.
Ruben Yeriazarian, CFF, Briggs & Veselka Co., Houston, Texas

A list of prior FVS members and CFF and ABV credential holders who have received awards and recognitions over the years is available on the AICPA’s FVS Awards and Recognition page.

In addition to business valuation and forensic accounting represented by the FVS Section, the Standing Ovation Recognition Program also recognizes young CPAs who exhibit exemplary professional achievement in the areas of Personal Financial Planning (PFP) and Information Management and Technology Assurance (IMTA). The Standing Ovation nomination periods for holders of the AICPA’s PFP and IMTA specialty credentials are currently open.

Business partners or managers are encouraged to submit applications on behalf of nominees, and applicants also are permitted to self-nominate with an accompanying letter of recommendation from a partner or manager. Standing Ovation nominees must be age 40 or younger, and nominations may be submitted on AICPA’s website.