Accounting
Rebekah Brown, CPA – 2017 20 Under 40 Honoree
Aug. 21, 2017
Rebekah Brown, CPA
Age: 29
Employer: Maryland Association of CPAs & The Business Learning Institute
Title: Manager, Membership Development & Engagement
City/State: Towson, MD
Website: macpa.org // blionline.org
Twitter: @RJBrownCPA
I grew up around the profession, but my career aspirations really started when I took my first accounting class at Ohio State. Accounting was in the Sports Management major I was pursuing and since I enjoyed it, I added it as a double major. During the summers I interned at two different firms, but was drawn to the culture at SC&H in Sparks, MD and started there in 2009. After passing the CPA exam, I was promoted to Senior. It was shortly after that I took both the Gallup and VIA strength assessments and realized that I was working outside of my “sweet spot”. So I left public accounting to work for the profession rather than in it. At MACPA/BLI, I am able to combine my knowledge and passion for the profession with my strengths. My goal now is to help this great profession be future ready.
I believe that the accounting and finance profession is strong and full of talented, honest, hardworking people who are the backbone of the economy. I also believe that the profession will undergo major transformation in the next 5-10 years. That’s why I invest a lot of my time talking about the opportunities and helping to develop future and young CPAs. I am blessed to have found my “sweet spot” and I want to help others find theirs as well. I am also very passionate about my faith and am an active member and volunteer at my church.
Favorite influencer(s) (authors, bloggers, mentors, speakers, etc.)
I am beyond blessed to work with some of the most amazing, generous and visionary people. I am constantly inspired and encouraged by the entire team at MACPA. Tom Hood has been an incredible mentor and source of inspiration for me. Through his “gentle nudging” I have been able to grow and do things (like speak at national conferences) that I would have never dreamed possible. Some of my favorite influencers, in no particular order, are Tom Hood, Bill Sheridan, Daniel Burrus, Kelly McGonigal, Gretchen Pisano, Joey Havens, Simon Sinek, C.S. Lewis and Tim Keller.
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