Awards recognize outstanding CPAs in government

Robert F. Storch, of Centreville, Va., received the 2020 Outstanding CPA in Government Career Contribution Award for his significant contributions to the CPA profession through government service at the local, state, or federal level. Storch served in the federal government for his entire 46-year career. He joined the FDIC in 1973 and retired in February 2020 as chief accountant in the Division of Risk Management Supervision, the highest-ranking position for a CPA at the FDIC.

The Outstanding CPA in Government Impact Awards recognize significant contributions from CPAs to the efficiency, effectiveness, or innovative service delivery of their local, state, or federal employer organizations.

Lorin Venable, of Arlington, Va., received the Outstanding CPA in Government Impact Award at the federal level. She was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in May 2013 as the assistant inspector general for the Financial Management and Reporting Directorate, which includes supervising all financial statement audits performed by the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General. She has more than 28 years of auditing and accounting experience and has spent her career in various audit directorates within the DOD OIG.

Stephanie Palmertree, of Clinton, Miss., received the state-level award. She oversees financial statements and government compliance work for the state of Mississippi. In 2019, her work uncovered significant waste, fraud, and abuse in one of the largest embezzlement schemes in Mississippi’s history.

Ebonie Jackson, of Holland, Ohio, received the local-level award. As director of administrative services for Lucas County Children Services, she has led a digital transformation initiative that significantly reduced the time spent by caseworkers and staff on manual, paper-based processes.