AICPA Announces Annual Leadership Academy Graduates

Three dozen promising young CPAs from around the country have graduated from the 2019 AICPA Leadership Academy, a rigorous program to inspire, nurture and empower the next generation of CPA leaders.

The AICPA Leadership Academy uses interactive workshops to give participants access to advanced leadership training, networking activities and presentations from some of the profession’s top thought leaders. The four-day event was held in Durham, North Carolina.

The 2019 class discussed key issues and interacted with influential leaders in the profession including Bill Reeb, CPA, CITP, CGMA, AICPA Chair, Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA, President and CEO of the AICPA and CEO of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants and Mark Koziel, CPA, CGMA, Executive Vice president of Firm Services for the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants.

“It’s an exciting time to be a young leader in the accounting profession. This year’s Leadership Academy class is an impressive group of diverse professionals who are well-positioned to take the next step in their careers,” said Reeb. “New technology is disrupting the profession and creating new opportunities and challenges for CPAs. These talented CPAs are a great example of the forward-thinking leaders who will not only help steer us through this transition but lead us beyond it.”

The AICPA Leadership Academy is meant to serve as a succession plan for the CPA profession, ensuring a strong base of competent and committed leaders who understand the legacy of the profession and have the passion and skills necessary to address the challenges of an ever-changing global business environment. The event also encourages self-reflection and a thoughtful exploration of how leadership impacts their personal and professional lives.

“This was a fantastic opportunity to meet and build understanding with a diverse group of young leaders from throughout the profession,” said Shakor Jukes, CPA, 2019 AICPA Leadership Academy graduate and 2014 Accounting Scholars Leadership Workshop participant. “The profession is undergoing major change, from increased diversity to technology transforming the way services are delivered. The Academy has better prepared me to manage and lead through that change.”

The program was designed to strengthen and expand the leadership skills of promising young professionals while they network with a peer group of talented and motivated CPAs. The 2019 participants comprised the eleventh graduating class, and nearly 400 CPAs have now graduated from the program.

The 2019 Leadership Academy attendees were recommended by their employers, state CPA societies or both. Candidates submitted resumes and a statement explaining how participating in the Leadership Academy would impact them personally and professionally. They also wrote an essay on the topic, “The future will bring significant changes to the accounting profession. What do leaders have to get right, in order to successfully lead?”

“The Leadership Academy really helped me identify what skills I need as I establish myself as a leader in the profession,” said Brittany Cummings, CPA, 2019 Leadership Academy graduate. “The program has given me the tools and confidence to navigate our changing profession successfully and confirmed that I am steering my career in the direction I want it to go.”

This year’s class included representatives from 31 states. Participants were selected from public accounting firms of all sizes, business and industry, academia and consulting firms. The class contained a diverse range of ethnicities and was split nearly evenly between males and females. The average age of the attendees was 32.

Details for the 2020 Leadership Academy are available online. The application period is now open.

The full 2019 Leadership Academy class is listed below in alphabetical order:

Lauren Aldrich, Heard, McElroy, & Vestal, LLC, Shreveport, La.
Robert Allen, The Allen CPA Firm, PLLC, Houston, Texas
Karen Bartlett, O’Brien Shortle Reynolds & Sabotka, Rutland, Vt.
Jose Borbon, Kearny Bank, Fairfield, N.J.
Chris Brown, Beall Barlcay & Company, PLC, Fort Smith, Ark.
Clara Cohen, Bedrock Wealth Strategies, Elmsford, N.Y.
Kelly Crow, Reynolds, Bone & Griesbeck PLC, Memphis, Tenn.
Brittany Cummings, BKD, Springfield, Mo.
Sarah Flischel, Kundinger, Corder, & Engle, P.C., Denver
Jessica Foster, Cohen & Company, Youngstown, Ohio
Austin Foust, HoganTaylor, LLP, Tulsa, Okla.
Amanda Gessner, Schmitz-Holmstrom, LLP, Bismarck, N.D.
Matt Heo, Aronson LLC, Rockville, Md.
Michael Jamison, OnTarget CPA, Indianapolis
Andrew Jordan, Jordan CPA Services, Carthage, Mo.
Shakor Jukes, Target, Minneapolis
Brian Klintworth, HBE LLP, Lincoln, Neb.
Jennifer Koffman, Bellows Associates, PA, Plantation, Fla.
Ryan LaRue, StoneTurn, Boston
James McGettigan, Stoker Ostler, a part of BMO Financial Group, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Lacy McMoarn, Marcum LLP, Portland, Maine
Jessica Mytrohovich, Georgia Society of CPAs, Atlanta
Eugene Park, HeinfeldMeech Co. P.C., Phoenix
Becky Peterson, Woltman Group, Sioux Falls, S.D.
Colin Proctor, Marshall Retail Group, Las Vegas
Charlene Rhinehart, CEO Unlimited LLC, Chicago
Alexandria Romero, McPherson, Goodrich, Paolucci & Mihelich, PC, Pueblo, Colo.
Adam Schrom, Bloomberg BNA, Arlington, Va.
Navneet Sharma, KNAV P.A., Atlanta
Jordyn Sherman, Advantis Credit Union, Clackamas, Ore.
Ashley Sullivan, Haddox Reid Eubank Betts PLLC, Jackson,Miss.
Dalton Sweaney, Gray, Salt & Associates, LLP, Claremont, Calif.
Jana Walker, Northwestern Oklahoma State University, Alva, Okla.
Brittany Wilson, MHP, LLP, Cheyenne, Wyo.
Kendall Wilson, Dixon Hughes Goodman, Raleigh, N.C.
Samantha Young, Cohos Advisors, Lancaster, N.H.