40 Under 40 Honoree: Brent Baccus, CPA – 32

Education – BS Accountancy, Univ. Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Hobbies & Interests – Reading, music, sports.
Professional Affiliations: AICPA; ICPAS Strategic Issues Task
Force, Student Outreach Task Force (and former Accounting Careers Day Task Force);
Chicago NABA Chapter 1st VP and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Site Leader
Austin YMCA (and former 2nd VP, Co-Director of Membership & Secretary).

What peers, clients and friends say about Brent:
Brent is an endless source of giving. From his work with the Illinois CPA Society’s
Student Outreach Task Force to his dedication to the National Association of
Black Accountants, Brent gives of himself as a role model generously. His firm,
Washington, Pittman and McKeever, recently launched the Mary T. Washington program
to assist African American students in their goal to become a CPA. He is very
dedicated and a team player who is willing to make the sacrifices necessary
to ensure the achievement of project objectives.

What technology or business process does Brent see affecting the tax
and accounting profession in the next five years?
“The technology I see affecting the tax and accounting profession in the
next five years is wireless instant networking. This technology will provide
accountants with the ability to share data instantly via laptops, PDAs, or other
wireless devices, without the need for access to central servers. As an auditor,
I welcome the enormous scales of efficiency such technology will bring with
respect to synchronizing data between myself and the staff during engagements.”