AICPA Awards 17 CPAs for Forensic and Valuation Services

Each year, the AICPA FVS Section names two volunteers who contributed greatly to the practice and profession. Woodward is the 2019 Forensic & Litigation Services (FLS) Volunteer of the Year, while Fellows is the Business Valuation Volunteer of the Year.

“Elizabeth and Bill have been instrumental in advancing the interests of the forensic and valuation services area,” said Eva Simpson, CPA, CGMA, director of valuation services for the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. “From providing thought leadership and professional understanding to helping create new standards and credentials, their commitment cannot be understated.”

Woodward, director of Forensic Accounting and Litigation Support with Dean Dorton Allen Ford, PLLC, serves as a member of the FLS Committee and chair of the FLS Fraud Task Force, which she’s been involved with since 2016. She was instrumental in several FVS Section initiatives, including development of the FVS Eye on Fraud, a quarterly report on fraud trends and topics. She also serves as president of the Kentucky Society of CPAs and is actively involved within her community, serving several volunteer roles.

Fellows is a partner in Deloitte Risk and Financial Advisory, and he serves as a member of the FVS Executive Committee and sits on the AICPA’s Certified in the Valuation of Financial Instruments (CVFI) Task Force, a group that helped develop the AICPA’s CVFI credential, which launched earlier this year. A previous FVS Standing Ovation recipient, he’s represented the FVS Executive Committee as a Financial Reporting Executive Committee (FinREC) observer since 2017, the committee that determines AICPA policies regarding financial reporting standards.

Standing Ovation Program

The Standing Ovation Program recognizes young CPAs holding the Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF) or Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV) specialty credentials who have exhibited exemplary personal achievement. This year’s class, who were honored today during the AICPA Forensic and Valuation Services Conference in Las Vegas, were recognized for their efforts to advance the FVS profession.

“It’s an honor to recognize this outstanding class of ‘Standing Ovation’ recipients who are becoming leaders in the forensic and valuation services arena and contributing time and energy to their communities,” said Barbara Andrews, director of forensics, technology and management consulting for the Association. “They have offered their time to benefit their communities and the profession in a variety of ways, including volunteering at a variety of nonprofit organizations, speaking to local CPA groups, serving as a volunteer expert to legal organizations and guest lecturing in college accounting classes.”

The 2019 list of FVS Standing Ovation recipients is in alphabetical order below:

• Jennifer Allen, CPA, ABV, CFF, Anthem Forensics, Henderson, NV
• Brian Barnthouse, CPA, ABV, RSM US, LLP, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Andrew  Baum, CPA, ABV, CFF, Harper Hofer and Associates, LLC, Denver, CO
• Asif Charania, CPA, ABV, CFF, Keiter Stephens Hurst Gary & Shreaves, P.C., Glen Allen, VA
• Kathryn Culver, CPA, ABV, PYA, P.C., Knoxville, TN
• Nene Gianfala, CPA, ABV, CEIV, Chaffe & Associates, Inc., New Orleans, LA
• Natalie Lewis, CPA, CFF, Windham Brannon, LLC, Atlanta, GA
• Tiffany Lewis, CPA, CFF, StoneTurn Group, LLP, Houston, Texas
• John Luna, CPA, ABV, CFF, White, Zuckerman, Warsavsky, Luna & Hunt, LLP, Sherman Oaks, CA
• Nick Lynch, CPA, CFF, Dean Dorton Allen Ford, PLLC, Lexington, KY
• Greggory Peat, CPA, CFF, FTI Consulting, Lake Oswego, OR
• Joshua Sechter, CPA, ABV, MPI, Syosset, NY
• Zachary Snickles, CPA, CFF, Grant Thornton,LLP, Phoenix, AZ
• Quynh Tran, CPA, CFF, Berkeley Research Group LLC, Houston, TX
• Thomas Wagner, Jr., CPA, ABV, Blue & Co., LLC, Carmel, Indiana

A list of prior FVS members and CFF and ABV credential holders who have received awards and recognitions over the years is available on the AICPA’s FVS Awards and Recognition page.

In addition to forensic accounting and business valuation represented by the FVS Section, the Standing Ovation Recognition Program also recognizes young CPAs who exhibit exemplary professional achievement in the areas of Personal Financial Planning (PFP) and Information Management and Technology Assurance (IMTA). The Standing Ovation nomination periods for holders of the AICPA’s PFP and IMTA specialty credentials are currently open.

Business partners or managers are encouraged to submit applications on behalf of nominees, and applicants may self-nominate with an accompanying letter of recommendation from a partner or manager. Standing Ovation nominees must be age 40 or younger, and nominations may be submitted on AICPA’s website.