At the spring council meeting, the AICPA named Tommie A. Vassel, CPA, president of the Vassel Group in New Orleans, the 2001 Public Service Award recipient for serving his community for more than 20 years as a mentor, tutor, counselor and role model for inner-city youth.

A proponent of self-help and volunteerism, Vassel founded organizations such as 100 Black Men of Metro New Orleans, which has the motto “What They See Is What They Will Be”; For the Children Reading Program, a project to combat illiteracy; and Junior Achievement of Greater New Orleans, which mentors children.

Vassel is active in the Greater New Orleans chapter of United Way and the National Association of Black Accountants. He also serves as chairman of the board of the Louisiana Economic Development Corporation.

The annual award honors AICPA members who have made significant contributions to their communities.

The Institute honored W. Steve Albrecht, associate dean of the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University, at its spring council meeting, with the 2001 Distinguished Achievement in Accounting Education Award for excellence in teaching and national prominence in the accounting profession.

A frequent speaker on forensic accounting and accounting education, Albrecht has published more than 80 articles on white-collar crime and business fraud in professional journals. He wrote or cowrote 18 books and monographs—one of which, Accounting Education: Charting the Course through a Perilous Future, addressed the need for restructuring accounting curricula.

Albrecht served on the AICPA task force that developed Statement on Auditing Standards no. 82, Consideration of Fraud in a Financial Statement Audit. He is a former member of the board of regents of the Institute of Internal Auditors and the board of directors of the Utah state society.

He received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Brigham Young University and an MBA and PhD from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.