2019 "Women Who Count" Awards Announced

The Accounting & Financial Women’s Alliance (AFWA) announced the recipients of the 2019 Women Who Count Awards during the annual Women Who Count Awards lunch held October 22, 2019 in Orlando, FL.

This year’s recipients demonstrate a drive to take on challenges and strive for success. They are leaders in their companies and communities. They’ve earned the trust and respect of their clients and peers. And they show enthusiasm toward their career and the accounting and finance industry as a whole.

Emerging Leader: Kelsey Scott Director of Finance, Brief Media, Tulsa, OK

In 2015, after just two and a half years of studies, Kelsey Scott earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Oklahoma State University. She began her professional career as an accounting assistant with Brief Media and has quickly risen through the leadership ranks, now to Director of Finance. She demonstrates an emerging pattern of leadership as a result of a fierce passion for finance done right.

Emerging Leader: Nicole Hopkins Director of Business Retention & Expansion at Tulsa Regional Chamber, Tulsa, OK

Nicole Hopkins is the Founder of multiple Tulsa networking groups, and an active participant on a number of community volunteer Boards. She demonstrates leadership in AFWA within her local Tulsa chapter and within AFWA’s National LEAP Advisory Council. Nicole’s impact on the community is evident, and she’s not stopping yet! Says a former co-worker of Nicole’s, “When I think of the impact that Nicole has had on her community, I’m amazed at the tenacity, creativity, and passion that is inside of her.”

Women Who Count Award: Jaime Oehlwein Vice President of Finance at ACH, Edwards, IL

Jaime rose to leadership positions early in her career. Following the financial crisis, as the only manager left standing in a startup manufacturing company, she was thrust into leadership positions and responsible for running the facility on its own cash flow. When others may have given up her integrity did not allow it. She successfully ran the facility on its own cash flow while entertaining prospective buyers. Jaime is now the Vice President of Finance for Advance Correctional Healthcare. She demonstrates commitment to her team and company by working alongside her employees with a positive attitude and passion for producing quality work. She is a trusted leader who doesn’t shy away from recognizing her team’s successes or providing coaching when necessary.

Women Who Count Award: Jill Mitchell Professor of Accounting at Northern Virginia Community College, Arlington, VA

In her roles as a professor at Northern Virginia Community College, adjunct professor at George Mason University, and Wiley author, she invests her deep knowledge of the accounting profession and collaborates with students to help them achieve their educational and professional goals. She gives her time to the DC Chapter of AFWA and the Virginia Society of CPAs, among other organizations. She is grateful for the opportunities the professionals in these organizations provide for her students. This award and others are a formal recognition of Jill’s superior accomplishments in teaching, research, and service.

“These women are not only successful in their own right, but they are pulling up the women behind them to ensure their success as well. That is what AFWA is about. I am incredibly proud to have these amazing women in our AFWA network, and proud to recognize them with these awards,” said AFWA National President, Laura Mangan.

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The Accounting & Financial Women’s Alliance promotes the professional growth of women in accounting and finance. Members of the nationwide association benefit from opportunities to connect with colleagues, advance their careers, and become industry leaders. For more than 80 years, the organization has proudly upheld its mission to enable women in all accounting and related fields to achieve their full potential and to contribute to their profession. Visit AFWA.org for more information.