AICPA Names Recipient of Gold Medal Award for Distinguished Service

The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) has presented Frank K. Ross, CPA, the Institute’s 2014 Gold Medal Award for Distinguished Service.

The Gold Medal is the highest award granted by the AICPA and is given to CPAs who have made major contributions to the CPA profession. Ross received the award at the fall meeting of the AICPA governing Council. James Curry, CPA, chair of the awards committee presented the award.

“As one of the first African-American partners of an international firm in the United States, Frank was a trailblazer. He was one of the co-founders of the National Association of Black Accountants and became its first national president and was instrumental in building awareness of the unique challenges and limited opportunities African-Americans faced in the accounting profession. Many consider him the father of this awareness effort for black accountants as he hosted NABA’s inaugural meetings in his living room,” Curry said.

Ross wrote a book about his life as an immigrant and a successful Certified Public Accountant entitled, “Quiet Guys Can Do Great Things, Too: A Black Accountant’s Success Story.” The topic of his book is how one man’s awe and inspiration at life’s possibilities was not thwarted or halted by the darker realities of racism, segregation and discrimination. All proceeds from sales are earmarked for scholarships for accounting students. In 1968, he was one of nine co-founders and the first National President of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA). He serves on the AICPA’s National Commission on Diversity and Inclusion and served on the Minority Business Development and Minority Initiatives committees.

Ross currently serves on the board of directors of Cohen & Steers Mutual Funds Group and chairs their audit committee. He was formerly a member of the board of Pepco Holdings, Inc. and chaired its audit committee. In addition, he is treasurer on the boards of The Greater Washington Urban League and the Howard University Chartered Middle School for Mathematics and Science.

In December, 2003, Ross retired from KPMG LLP after providing over 38 years of service. Prior to retiring, he was the Mid-Atlantic Area Managing Partner for Audit and Risk Advisory Services and Managing Partner of the Washington DC offices. He was also a member of KPMG’s Board of Directors and the Chairman of the Board of the KPMG Foundation.

Ross is currently director of the Howard University School of Business Center for Accounting Education and a Visiting Professor of Accounting, teaching auditing and ethics. Ross received a Bachelor’s of Science in accounting and an MBA from Long Island University (LIU), Brooklyn, N.Y. He received an Honorary Doctors of Humane Letters in 2001 from LIU. He received the Distinguished Alumni Award from LIU in 1998. He was the first graduate of their School of Business, Public Administration and Information Services to be so honored by the University. In 2004, the University of the District of Columbia awarded him an Honorary Doctors of Humane letters.

He is married to Cecelia, his wife of over 47 years and is the proud father of two grown children and grandfather of three grandchildren.