2019 WICPA
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Recognizing accounting professionals for their leadership and dedication to excellence
Distinguished Career Award Timothy L. Christen, CPA, CGMA
Accounting Student Award Brittany R. Greuel
Accounting Educator Award Paul M. Fischer, CPA, PhD
Young Professional Award Kyle R. Stephens, CPA
Woman to Watch Award Jessica M. Horning, CPA
CPA in Public Accounting Award Michael E. Friedman, CPA, JD
Community Service Award – Individual Kenesha A. Coleman, CPA, MPA, EA
Community Service Award – Organization Vrakas CPAs + Advisors Accepted by James A. Holmes, CPA
Business & Management Award John R. Heindel, CPA
Diversity & Inclusion Impact Award Angel M. Johnson, MST
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ongratulations to the 2019 WICPA Excellence Award recipients!
Your achievement is the direct result of your dedication and contributions to the accounting profession and to the WICPA. Thank you for your commitment to excellence. Michael D. Akers 2018–2019 WICPA Board Chair
Excellence Award Descriptions Accounting Student Award This award recognizes a college accounting student for their commitment to success in the accounting field. The recipient has demonstrated leadership skills, involvement in an accounting or business club and contributions to the community.
Community Service Award – Individual This award recognizes an individual for their dedication and commitment to community service activities at the local, regional or state level. The recipient has demonstrated leadership and positively impacted the community.
Accounting Educator Award This award recognizes an accounting or business educator for their contributions in academia and the accounting profession. The recipient has demonstrated innovative techniques in teaching and motivating students.
Community Service Award – Organization This award recognizes an organization for their community service contributions at the local, regional or state level. The recipient has initiated or increased their community service activities and reinforced the profession’s reputation for commitment to the public good.
Young Professional Award This award recognizes an individual age 35 or under who serves as an emerging and dynamic leader in the accounting profession. The recipient has demonstrated involvement within the community, has been engaged in one or more professional organizations and has served as an example for others entering the profession.
Business & Management Award This award recognizes an individual working in an accounting role in business and management. The recipient has demonstrated blending information technology, financial decision making and progressive management techniques that have helped a business move forward.
Woman to Watch Award This award recognizes a female accounting professional. The recipient has demonstrated superior leadership, improvements in the workplace, significant contributions to the profession and mentorship of other professionals. CPA in Public Accounting Award This award recognizes an individual who is a CPA working in public practice. The recipient has demonstrated significant achievements that have contributed to the success and growth of a firm.
Diversity & Inclusion Impact Award This award recognizes an individual who champions diversity and inclusiveness in the accounting profession. The recipient has demonstrated impactful contributions through organization initiatives, engagement in mentoring or coaching programs or promoted diversity initiatives through other organizations. Distinguished Career Award This award recognizes an individual for their outstanding achievements and efforts throughout their career. The recipient has demonstrated exemplary leadership and ongoing commitment of service to advance the accounting profession, the WICPA and the community.
Accounting Student Award Brittany R. Greuel
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am humbled to have been selected from a field of deserving candidates to receive this award, and it is an absolute honor to be recognized by the WICPA. I have always possessed the willingness to learn and determination to succeed. This award is validation that all my hard work and dedication have paid off. I have done my best to take advantage of the many opportunities offered by UW–Whitewater. I sought out opportunities that would challenge me to learn and grow, both in and outside the classroom, such as participating in undergraduate research and travel, taking on leadership roles and partaking in professional and service events. These experiences have challenged me to develop and mature in more ways than I ever thought possible. I believe I have taken advantage of the true essence of receiving a college education, embracing opportunities and going beyond academics. This growth mindset will transfer to my work as I begin my career in the accounting industry. This award serves as motivation to continue finding opportunities to learn and grow as an individual.
Accounting Educator Award Paul M. Fischer, CPA, PhD
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he credit for choosing to become an accounting educator goes to Professor Emeritus Jerry Leer (UW–Milwaukee), who motivated me by example, and Associate Dean Blakely (UW–Madison), who insisted I remain in Madison to complete a PhD. I am blessed to have taught more than 15,000 students over 50 years in Milwaukee. In partnership with Professor William Taylor, we offered a CPA Review to 4,000 students over 25 years, and I was honored to work with Professors Leer and Taylor to co-author the textbook, “Advanced Accounting,” which extended the “UW–Milwaukee approach” nationwide for the past 40 years. As Director of Accounting Programs at UW–Milwaukee, I have been able to assemble an incredible teaching staff. Most of the faculty are research-active PhDs, and all are CPAs with practical experience. As a team, we are a major supplier of CPAs to Wisconsin. We have integrated the CPA Exam into the fifth-year master’s program and are committed to our graduates going to work having completed the exam.
Young Professional Award Kyle R. Stephens, CPA
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hroughout my career, I’ve been lucky enough to have colleagues who not only work hard in their profession, but who also believe in giving back and bettering the communities in which they live and work. Because of this early training, I’ve always pushed myself hard in my “day job,” while also finding time to volunteer, whether it’s educating students about the accounting profession, serving on the board of a community health organization, or being involved with a university alumni chapter or Good City’s monthly Seek the Good volunteer campaign. Recognition as a recipient of the WICPA Excellence Award drives me not only to continue my service, but also to mentor those new to the profession in hopes they will one day be in the same position as I.
Woman to Watch Award Jessica M. Horning, CPA
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eceiving this award is very exciting for me. I’ve worked very hard over the past 18 years to grow my career in the accounting field. I’m thankful I’ve been able to do what I love and had many opportunities to give back to my profession—whether participating with Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, Young Entrepreneurial Scholars Program (YES) or volunteering on the WICPA Educational Foundation Board. Receiving the Woman to Watch Award means my hard work has been noticed by others. I’m grateful for all the opportunities I’ve had in my career so far. Thank you, WICPA!
in Public Accounting Award Michael E. Friedman, CPA, JD
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am greatly honored to be receiving the CPA in Public Accounting Award. I have had the privilege of being in public accounting for more than 40 years and am fortunate to have experienced the benefits of being with both a large international CPA firm and a local CPA firm. As a senior tax partner with Ernst & Young and tax director at Scribner, Cohen and Company, S.C., I can testify there are tremendous opportunities within all sizes of CPA firms. I take pride in knowing that several people I hired and worked with are now partners in various CPA firms and hold significant positions within corporate tax departments. I would like to thank Joe Sperstad, LeRoy Schmidt, Dennis Tomorsky and Tammy Hofstede, past and current WICPA president and CEOs, for working with me on promoting the CPA profession. As President of the WICPA Educational Foundation Board, I am proud to say we are currently working to modify the scholarship program to have more students pursue an accounting degree. I would like to think I have made a small contribution in trying to make the profession better today than when I entered. Thank you for the award.
Community Service Award – Individual Kenesha A. Coleman, CPA, MPA, EA
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am honored to receive the Community Service Excellence Award from the WICPA. Receiving this award is great recognition of my service and will serve as even greater motivation to continue working hard toward bigger goals in the future. I truly believe that “to whom much is given, much is expected.” The WICPA has uplifted and elevated me to be the accounting professional I am today, and I will work hard to do the same for accounting students and young professionals who come after me.
Community Service Award –Organization Vrakas CPAs + Advisors Accepted by James A. Holmes, CPA
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rakas CPAs + Advisors is honored to receive the Community Service Excellence Award. Receiving this prestigious award reinforces our community service efforts and the importance of lending a hand. For nearly 50 years, Vrakas has emphasized the need to give back. The firm has done this not only through monetary gifts, but also by participating in community events, volunteering with area nonprofits and through memberships in various community organizations. Vrakas actively participates in organizations that give back to the communities in which our 70 employees live and work. While we are proud to call our Brookfield and Kenosha offices home, employees support various community organizations throughout Southeastern Wisconsin, giving of their time, talent and treasures. At Vrakas, we view ourselves as a family, and being able to work together and support our community family gives us great joy. One example is that our firm sets time aside each year for its annual volunteer day. Our employees spend an afternoon supporting a local organization in need of assistance. For 2018, the 11th annual event, Vrakas supported the Waukesha County chapter of Blessings in a Backpack, which ensures impoverished elementary school children are fed on the weekends throughout the school year. Vrakas assisted Blessings by packing 4,800 bags of food for the 2018–2019 school year. It’s truly been our pleasure to help serve, and we look forward to continuing that tradition. On behalf of the entire Vrakas family, thank you for this recognition.
Business & Management Award John R. Heindel, CPA
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y career has been very rewarding, working for some of the most interesting organizations in Southeastern Wisconsin. Supporting not-for-profits is one way of giving back to the community where I live. I have always enjoyed the challenge of helping organizations grow while making them stronger financially and more efficient. Shortly after passing the CPA Exam, I became a WICPA member because I believed in financially supporting the profession. After attending a WICPA conference a number of years ago, I decided to get more involved and joined the Not-for-Profit Accounting Conference Planning Committee to help plan the annual conference. I also chaired the committee for five years. From there, the number of opportunities grew, and I am currently a member of the WICPA Educational Foundation Board. Receiving this award humbles me. It is so rewarding to be recognized by my peers for more than 40 years of service to the not-for-profit community. This award was completely unexpected and is one of the highlights of my career. Thank you, WICPA!
Diversity &Inclusion Impact Award Angel M. Johnson, MST
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am extremely grateful to receive the Diversity & Inclusion Impact award from the WICPA. Diversity and inclusion means different things to different people. When I think about diversity and inclusion and the impact I have had on it, I think of a workplace full of people with diverse backgrounds, working in an environment that embraces people from those diverse backgrounds. Throughout my accounting career, I have worked for inclusive companies that lacked diversity, which opened my eyes to the opportunity gap many minorities face when entering the accounting profession. My goal is to close that gap by providing minority youth early exposure to the accounting profession and mentoring to those currently in the profession. By receiving this award, I hope to inspire others to do the same.
Distinguished Career Award Timothy L. Christen, CPA, CGMA
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ublic accounting at the most successful organizations is a team game. Awards such as this signify the excellence of the organization. I am proud to receive this award in recognition of the outstanding team which makes Baker Tilly a truly great firm. It has also been my great honor to serve the accounting profession as a volunteer at the highest level. I hope my chairmanships of Baker Tilly and the American Institute of CPAs have played a small role in increasing the relevancy and value of the firm and the profession. The formula for success has not changed: Place the needs of clients ahead of our own, listen carefully and deliver what we promise. And, with our people, dedicate our strongest and most passionate effort toward those below us on the organization chart. They are the ones who will push us up. The Golden Age of the accounting profession is upon us. Technological innovations will enable us to create previously undeliverable value for our clients and organizations. The profession’s foundation of trust—the combination of integrity and competence—built over many decades creates a right of way for the future we choose. This preservation of choice enables young CPAs to pursue success as they define it. There has never been a better time to be a CPA. I’m proud to have been part of the team!
CONGRATULATIONS! from your students, alumni, and colleagues
Dr. Paul M. Fischer
Jerry Leer Professor Accounting UWM Lubar School of Business
Congratulations to our employees for serving the community and making this award possible.
We are honored to receive the WICPA Excellence Award for Community Service.
What sets us apart? Our AMAZING people!
2019 WICPA Accounting Educator Award
Congratulations
John Heindel
2019 WICPA
VP Finance & Administration
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View each recipient’s
Excellence Awards video
Recipient of the WICPA Business & Management Award
at wicpa.org/youtube and
watch wicpa.org/facebook
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2019 WICPA
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Wisconsin Institute of CertiďŹ ed Public Accountants
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