Forensic and Valuation CPAs Honored by AICPA

Each year, the AICPA FVS Section names two volunteers who contributed greatly to the practice and profession. Armstrong is the 2020 Forensic & Litigation Services (FLS) Volunteer of the Year, while York is the Business Valuation Volunteer of the Year.

“Peter and Steve have been valuable members in our efforts to enhance the forensic and valuation services area,” said Eva Simpson, CPA, CGMA, director of valuation services for the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. “They have helped educate regulators on relevant standards, created certification exams, and presented at numerous conferences. Their commitment and value to the profession is extraordinary.”

Armstrong is a partner with KPMG LLP in Toronto, Canada, and has served as a member of the CFF Credential Committee since 2017. He helped create the Canadian CFF body of knowledge and exam, which launched in 2017 and he has been instrumental in the development of a global CFF body of knowledge, which will launch later this year. A member of the Forensic and Valuation Services Executive Committee from 2014 – 2016, Armstrong has been a frequent speaker at the AICPA Forensic & Valuation Services Conference, proudly representing his fellow Canadian CFF Credential holders.

York, an executive vice president with Stern Brothers Valuation Advisors, currently serves on AICPA’s National Accreditation Commission (NAC) after serving three years on the Institute’s Business Valuations (BV) Committee. He provided insight, expertise and opinions to several projects and initiatives and led or significantly contributed in the areas of advocacy, technical guidance, and educational resources, most notably in ongoing efforts to promote and educate regulators on valuation standards and how they can improve valuations, publishing a whitepaper and recent update for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on ‘What Every Valuation Analyst should know about ESOPs’ and participating in numerous webcasts, authoring articles, and serving as a presenter at AICPA’s annual FVS conference.

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. The recipients in 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 their fields, including volunteering at a variety of nonprofit organizations, speaking to local CPA groups, serving as  volunteer experts to legal organizations and guest lecturing in college accounting classes.

“These up and coming leaders in the forensic and valuation services arena are going the extra mile to advance the profession and serve their communities,” said Barbara Andrews, director of forensics, technology and management consulting for the Association. “Their efforts embody the spirit of volunteerism that the accounting profession is known for.”

The 2020 list of FVS Standing Ovation recipients is in alphabetical order below:

• Ashish Bagree, CPA, CFF, Arnie & Company PC, Houston
• Theodore Brown, CPA, CFF, Aprio, LLP, Atlanta
• Emily Chee, CPA, CFF, CITP, KPMG Canada, North Vancouver, British Columbia
• Anne Cooper, CPA, ABV, StoneTurn, Houston
• Mark, DiMichael, CPA, ABV, CFF, Citrin Cooperman, New York
• Eric, Flickinger, CPA, ABV, Apple Growth Partners, Akron, Ohio
• Jesse, Gillett, CPA, ABV, CFE, Edelstein & Company LLP, Boston
• Jordan Graves, CPA, ABV, Cooper Norman, Idaho Fall, Idaho
• Nicholas Landera, CPA, CFF, Appelrouth Farah & Co, Coral Gables, Fla.
• Andrew  Leith, CPA, ABV, CFF, CBIZ MHM, LLC, San Diego
• William Lind, CPA, CFF, Hemming Morse, LLP, Concord, Calif.
• Ewelina Meczkowska, CPA, CFF, ABV, RSM US LLP, New York
• Stuart Neiberg, CPA, ABV, CFA, KapilaMukamal, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
• Monica Ospina, CPA, ABV, CFF, Forensic Accountants & Consultants, P.A., Tampa, Fla.
• Hunter Outcalt, CPA, ABV, HealthCare Appraisers, Inc., Boca Raton, Fla.
• Micah Pycraft, CPA, CFF, Hemming Morse, Los Angeles
• Kriste Rodriguez, CPA, ABV, Eisneramper, Iselin, N.J.
• Arielle Schmeck, CPA, ABV, J. Taylor & Associates, LLC, Fort Worth, Texas
• Anveshica Tayi,  CPA, ABV, AlixPartners, LLP, Dallas
• Robert Taylor, CPA, CFF, JD, CVA, Taylor & Morgan, Flint, Mich.
• Michelle Tran, CPA, CFF, Berkeley Research Group, LLC, Houston
• Tyler Wright, CPA, ABV, CFF, Moore Colson CPAs and Advisors, Atlanta

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.