MEET KEVIN YEANOPLOS

Kevin is originally from Houson, TX. His high school and MBA graduations were both held at the University of Denver. He earned his college undergrad at the University of Utah and moved to Tucson in 1997. Kevin worked in public accounting/internal auditing for 10 years and temporarily got out of accounting. He stumbled onto business valuation 30 years ago and “it saved my career.” He has been married to his wife, Julie, for 40 years and they have 5 children and 6.5 grandchildren.

On becoming a CPA // “I loved songwriting…still do. I was terrified of doing something I loved so much for a living. So in respect, I chose a profession that I was lukewarm about. That caused problems. As I said, the battle between lyrics and numbers is real. A good friend once said that I was ‘really smart but he scares me.’ I’ve taken great pride in that, haha! I’ve heard a thousand times that people don’t think I fit the CPA mold.

On life outside of work // “Music, music and music. I went to 40 concerts last year. Songwriting — now that I have some idea as to what I’m doing. Running — I’ve run 21 Ragnar Relays. I ran my first one a month after having a stent placed in a 98% blocked coronary artery that I was unaware of (long story related to my stroke almost 20 years ago). There is a Pat’s Run honoring Pat Tillman in Tempe every year and this year will be 19 years — I’ve done 16 of them. Bird photography — I am on the board for Audubon Rockies (Wyoming, Utah and Colorado).”

On music journalism // “I was a music journalist for about 7 years. Among people I interviewed, there’s Roger Daltrey (Who), Ginger Baker (Cream), Cyndi Lauper, Brian Wilson (Beach Boys), Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Ted Nugent. And my favorite, David Gray.”

On live music // “Most of the top 10 shows would be at Red Rocks. It’s my place and has been for over 50 years. I go there for centering, reflection, healing. I was finishing up a song the morning before a Peter Frampton show. I randomly run into Peter’s guitar tech, and after connecting, he asked me to come early for a tour of the stage and all of Peter’s guitars. I’m going to write a book, seriously. For David Gray’s last tour in 2022, he was ‘sponsoring’ Curlew Action, a non-profit that works in bird conservation. I had someone carve a couple of curlews and give him one before his show. And if you aren’t familiar with David Gray, you should be.” are my motivations for being a mentee when I have such a busy schedule? What are my needs, expectations, and limits for a mentor/mentee relationship? What professional fears do I have that are holding me back from pursuing and achieving the level of success I desire? Am I ready to consider a different way of viewing my situation?

Typical mentor responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Acts as a resource for information about the profession

• Helps the protégé develop new/improved capabilities in terms of skills and knowledge to reach important goals

• Establishes trust with the protégé and maintains confidentiality

• Listens actively

• Challenges the protégé to think and analyze options

• Shares unique professional experiences

• Helps the protégé identify specific goals

• Serves as a sounding board for ideas

• Provides career guidance

• Serves as a solid role model

• Offers constructive and meaningful feedback and critical analysis

Typical protégé responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Schedules and initiates meetings

• Establishes the meeting agenda and send it to the mentor prior to regular meetings

• Always maintains confidentiality

• Respects the mentor’s time

• Is receptive to feedback and coaching

• Follows through on commitments and goals set during the mentoring sessions

• Has a personal vision, specific goals, and a good grasp of his/her own reality

• Actively participate in the mentoring relationship

• Develop and utilize the skills of the profession

Mentors will benefit from the personal satisfaction of giving back to the CPA community; a legacy of personal knowledge, insight and experience and professional enhancement, higher visibility, and prestige. Mentees will benefit from assistance in defining career goals, strategies, and options; help in building confidence to grow beyond the usual expectations; and a sounding board for ideas.

Mentors and their protégés will be carefully matched by the UACPA Mentor Program Committee. The committee will contact each program participant and provide them with the profile of their prospective mentor/protégé. Mentors will make the initial contact with the protégé. Mentors and protégés will plan to meet once a quarter for a conference call or face-to-face meeting. More or less frequent brief meetings may take place depending upon individual preference.

Participants will be asked for feedback about the program via an email with an online survey. These emails will be sent out to each individual separately, and responses will not be shared with program participants. Everyone’s willingness to complete the survey is greatly appreciated and will benefit the program’s strength and integrity in future years!

If you have any questions or need advice during the program, contact Susan Speirs, CPA, 801.834.6635, ss@uacpa.org.

Please join and make the UACPA mentorship a success! n

Kevin Yeaonoplos, CPA/ABV/CFF, ASA, is a shareholder and the director of valuation services for Brueggeman and Johnson Yeanoplos, P.C., with offices in Seattle and Tucson. Over the last three decades, the AICPA Business Valuation Hall of Fame inductee has assisted clients around the country with the valuation of a diverse array of intangibles and businesses. Kevin has served in a diverse variety of volunteer positions, including commissioner on the AICPA’s National Accreditation Commission, founding chair of the UACPA’s Business Valuation Committee, and chair of the Arizona Board of Appraisal.

By The Numbers

STUDENTS’ SALARY EXPECTATIONS

The following numbers come from Real Estate Witch data, where 1,000 undergraduates pursuing a bachelor’s degree discussed their salary expectations.

$103,880

EXPECTED STARTING SALARY FOR COLLEGE GRADUATES AT THEIR FIRST JOB

31

51

PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WHO HAD JOBS LINED UP AND ARE SATISFIED WITH THEIR STARTING SALARY

88

PERCENTAGE OF SALARY OVERESTIMATION FROM UNDERGRAD STUDENTS ACROSS ALL MAJORS AND INSTITUTIONS

PERCENTAGE OF UNDERGRADS WHO THINK THEY WON’T MAKE ENOUGH MONEY TO LIVE COMFORTABLY AFTER GRADUATION

48

PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WHO BELIEVE COLLEGE IS WORTH THE DEBT