Hinton and Hughes Receive Outstanding CPA in Government Awards
Russell W. Hinton, state auditor of Georgia, and Peter Hughes, director of internal audit for Orange County, Calif., received the AICPA’s Outstanding CPA in Government Awards.
Hinton, who received the state award, instituted separation of accounting and auditing duties by creating the State Accounting Office, which is independent of the state’s Department of Audits and Accounts. He also formed the Office of Quality Assurance, which resulted in the creation of one of the first independent offices in the United States dedicated to ensuring compliance with government auditing standards.
Hughes, who received the local award, helped save county taxpayers $250 million when his review of a contract prompted the county’s Board of Supervisors to block the deal. The review revealed that the county failed to record millions of dollars of loans on its books and failed to establish the necessary reserve funds to meet its contractual obligations. The Board of Supervisors gave him a public commendation for his work. He has also led more than 100 reviews of business processes in most county departments, resulting in more than 2,000 improvements.
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