Mukelabai Award recognizes young CPA’s contributions to the CPA profession

Mark K. Rich, director of investments at the Kimbell Art Foundation in Fort Worth, Texas, received the AICPA’s Maximo Mukelabai Award.

The award recognizes a young CPA who personifies an unwavering commitment through his or her successful practices, involvement, and contributions for the interest of the accounting profession. Nominees must demonstrate passion and eagerness to encourage and pique students’ interest in accounting as a career; contribute to improving processes or activities; perform in committees or other volunteer activities related to engagement and advancement of the profession; and be involved in community-based organizations to improve the lives of citizens.

A member of the AICPA and the Texas Society of CPAs (TSCPA), Rich has been an active volunteer in the profession. Using AICPA data on the number of students who began their accounting careers at community colleges, Rich designed Pathway to CPA, a program at a local community college, to raise awareness of the benefits of an accounting career. Since its inception, the program has reached nearly 500 students.

He also began a new program to educate undergraduate business students, who were attending their required accounting course, about the different career possibilities of earning a CPA.

Rich also worked with the Accounting Career Education committee of the Fort Worth Chapter of the TSCPA to train volunteers and expand the network of volunteers in the Fort Worth area. He has also served as chair of the ACE committee and was named by the society’s Fort Worth Chapter as Young CPA of the Year 2012–2013.

The AICPA established the award in 2011 as a tribute to Mukelabai, a member of the inaugural class of the AICPA Leadership Academy and the youngest chair of the North Carolina Association of CPAs board of directors, who died at age 36.