2014 Leadership Academy class learns skills to tackle management challenges

Thirty-eight young CPAs were selected to participate in the sixth annual Leadership Academy, a four-day AICPA program in which the participants learn strategic planning techniques and develop personal success skills for handling personal and professional management challenges.

Leadership Academy participants, all between the ages of 25 and 35, were to discuss pressing issues facing CPAs and the accounting profession with some of the profession’s most influential leaders, including AICPA Chairman Bill Balhoff and President and CEO Barry Melancon.

The Institute selected attendees from more than 100 candidates, who were recommended by their employers, state CPA societies, or both. Participants were chosen based on professional volunteer activities, community service, awards and honors, and a statement explaining why participation in the Leadership Academy would be personally important. The candidates also submitted a 500-word essay on what leadership competencies and characteristics they thought would be essential to lead and advance the CPA profession in 2025.

The 2014 participants are:

David Almonte, LGC+D, Providence, R.I.
Bryan Carpenter, LevitZacks, San Diego
Jessica Cormier, Horne LLP, Baton Rouge, La.
Roseleen Dello Russo, Rucci, Bardaro & Falzone PC, Malden, Mass.
Kenneth DeSouza, EY, Nashville, Tenn.
Marisa Doras, Department of Education, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands
Julian Dozier, Thomas Howell Ferguson PA, Tallahassee, Fla.
Lacy Ferguson, Sound Transit, Seattle
Robyn Fuller, GM Financial, Detroit
Melisa Galasso, Cherry Bekaert LLP, Charlotte, N.C.
John Gleason, Grant Thornton LLP, Boston
Hillary Harding, Excelsior College, Albany, N.Y.
Alexis Hassell, PwC, New York City
Kristin Howard, Palazzo & Co. LLC, Biloxi, Miss.
Michelle Kaneshiro, MW Group Ltd., Honolulu
Douglas Kauffman, Douglas C. Kauffman CPA, Lancaster, Pa.
Stephen Kimberlin, Meadows Urquhart Acree & Cook LLP, Richmond, Va.
Kevin Koven, L.M. Henderson & Co. LLP, Indianapolis
Brian Loose, Diel & Forguson LLC, O’Fallon, Ill.
Patrick Lytle, SM Energy Co., Denver
Robert Maya, Kaufman Rossin & Co., Miami
Katherine McNair, O’Connor Davies LLP, Wethersfield, Conn.
Eboni Moss, Berkowitz Pollack Brant, Miami
Jenny Ng, Gray, Blodgett & Co., Norman, Okla.
Stephanie Pickering, McGee, Hearne & Paiz LLP, Cheyenne, Wyo.
Allen Pierce, Frost PLLC, Fayetteville, Ark.
Aaron Saito, Intel Corp., Hillsboro, Ore.
Katherine Sedgwick, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Dallas
David Shibli, KPMG, George Town, Grand Cayman
William Titera, Apollo Global Inc., Phoenix
Christopher Tkach, RubinBrown LLP, St. Louis
Melanie Tuttle, Tuttle & McCullough PA, Lenexa, Kan.
Alison VanOtterloo, Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Co., Algona, Iowa
Kelly Ward, Robinson & Associates PC, Fairbanks, Alaska
Ryan Warren, BerryDunn, Manchester, N.H.
Andrew Welfle, Payne, Nickles & Co., Norwalk, Ohio
Christopher Wittich, Boyum & Barenscheer PLLP, Minneapolis
Jamie Wohlert, Navigant Consulting, Arlington, Va.