Accounting
AICPA Announces 2014 Leadership Academy Class
The American Institute of CPAs has announced the 2014 Leadership Academy graduating class. These 37 future leaders of the accounting profession participated in an intensive four day program in Durham, N.C., which concluded earlier this month.
Oct. 20, 2014
The American Institute of CPAs has announced the 2014 Leadership Academy graduating class. These 37 future leaders of the accounting profession participated in an intensive four day program in Durham, N.C., which concluded earlier this month.
This year’s class discussed the pressing issues facing the profession and charted the direction CPAs need to take to remain a dynamic and active participant in the global marketplace. Attendees participated in leadership development sessions with some of the profession’s most influential leaders, including AICPA Chairman Bill Balhoff, CPA, CGMA, Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA, the Institute’s president and CEO, and Janice Maiman, AICPA senior vice president of communications, media, news and professional pathways.
“This year’s Leadership Academy class is a talented, energetic and diverse group of individuals who will continue to make a positive impact on the accounting profession for years to come,” said Bill Balhoff, CPA, CGMA AICPA chairman.
The AICPA Leadership Academy was established to inspire, nurture and empower the next generation of CPA leaders by providing them with advanced leadership training, access to well-connected professional networks and opportunities to exercise leadership within the profession. Having just graduated its sixth class, almost 200 CPAs have now participated in the Leadership Academy.
“My experience at Leadership Academy impressed upon me that there is no one ‘correct path’ to becoming a successful leader,” said Jessica Cormier, CPA, supervisor, HORNE LLP and a 2014 Leadership Academy Graduate. “Rather, I learned how to identify the unique qualities I possess and how to channel those strengths to enhance my team, my firm, and my profession.”
The AICPA selected the 2014 Leadership Academy from more than 100 candidates recommended by their employers, state CPA societies or both. This year’s class included representatives from numerous states, as well as the Cayman Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Participants were selected from public accounting firms of all sizes, business and industry, education and government. The class contained a diverse range of ethnicities and was split 19/18 between females and males. The average age of the attendees was 30.
Candidates submitted resumes which included work history, licensure information, professional volunteer activities, community service and awards and honors. Candidates also supplied a statement explaining why participating in the Leadership Academy would be important to them personally.
“Leadership Academy gave me the opportunity to interact with people who have the passion, drive and talent to be tomorrow’s leaders,” said Will Titera, Sr. manager, international accounting at Apollo Global and a 2014 Leadership Academy Graduate. “The Leadership Academy was a professionally and personally rewarding experience that provided me the tools to be a more effective leader and a better person.”
Details for the 2015 Leadership Academy will be available online in early 2015.
2014 Leadership Academy Class
- David Almonte, LGC&D, Providence, RI
- Bryan Carpenter, LevitZacks, San Diego, CA
- Jessica Cormier, Horne LLP, Baton Rouge, LA
- Roseleen Dello Russo, Rucci, Bardaro & Falzone PC, Malden, MA
- Kenneth DeSouza, Ernst & Young, Nashville, TN
- Marisa Doras, Department of Education, St. Thomas, VI
- Julian Dozier, Thomas Howell Ferguson, PA, Tallahassee, FL
- Lacy Ferguson, Sound Transit, Seattle, WA
- Robyn Fuller, General Motors Finance, Detroit, MI
- Melisa Galasso, Cherry Bekaert LLP, Charlotte, NC
- John Gleason, Grant Thornton LLP, Boston, MA
- Hillary Harding, Excelsior College, Albany, NY
- Alexis Hassell, PricewaterhouseCoopers, New York, NY
- Kristin Howard, Palazzo & Company LLC, Biloxi, MS
- Michelle Kaneshiro, MW Group, Ltd., Honolulu, HI
- Douglas Kauffman, Douglas C Kauffman, CPA, Lancaster, PA
- Kevin Koven, L.M. Henderson & Company, LLP, Indianapolis, IN
- Brian Loose, Diel & Forguson, LLC, O’Fallon, IL
- Patrick Lytle, SM Energy Company, Denver, CO
- Robert Maya, Kaufman Rossin, Co., Miami, FL
- Katherine McNair, O’Connor Davies, LLP, Wethersfield, CT
- Eboni Moss, Berkowitz Pollack Brant, Miami, FL
- Jenny Ng, Gray, Blodgett & Company, Norman, OK
- Stephanie Pickering, McGee, Hearne & Paiz, LLP, Cheyenne, WY
- Allen Pierce, Frost, PLLC, Fayetteville, AR
- Aaron Saito, Intel Corporation, Hillsboro, OR
- Katherine Sedgwick, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Dallas, TX
- David Shibli, KPMG, George Town, Grand Cayman
- William Titera, Apollo Global Inc., Phoenix, AZ
- Christopher Tkach, RubinBrown, St. Louis, MO
- Melanie Tuttle, Tuttle & McCullough, PA, Lenexa, KS
- Alison VanOtterloo, Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Company, Algona, IA
- Kelly Ward, Robinson & Associates, PC, Fairbanks, AK
- Ryan Warren, BerryDunn, Manchester, NH
- Andrew Welfle, Payne Nickles & Company, Norwalk, OH
- Christopher Wittich, Boyum & Barenscheer, PLLP, Minneapolis, MN
- Jamie Wohlert, Navigant Consulting, Arlington, VA