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The Annual Austin CPA Chapter
Awards Luncheon was held on May 26 at Carmelo’s Italian
Restaurant. Bill Reeb, longtime chapter and TSCPA member, spoke
about Strategic Mismanagement (There is No Silver Bullet). As
most everyone knows, Bill is a dynamic speaker and he kept the
nearly 60 attendees entertained during his presentation. Several
of the college students receiving the TSCPA Accounting Excellence
Awards, along with their professors, also attended and were
presented with plaques in recognition of their scholastic successes.
The luncheon ended with the passing of the gavel
from John Pearce, CPA, 2004-05 Chapter President to Carol Boyd,
CPA, the 2005-06 President. John thanked everyone who worked
so diligently this past year and wished Carol the best of luck
during her upcoming year.
A special note about this year’s recipient
of the President’s Service Award, Manuel Medrano. Manuel
is neither a CPA nor an Austin Chapter member, but his service
to the Chapter this year has been so selfless and appreciated
that we had to recognize him. Manuel is married to the Chapter’s
stellar administrative assistant, Lucy Medrano. Manuel helped
us with the office move in December, he single-handedly assembled
the new tables in the training facility, and he serves as an
invaluable resource around the office. Your Austin Chapter staff
would be lost without Manuel!
Chapter
Team Member of the Year
Committee Chair of the Year
Young CPA of the Year
CPA-IGE of the Year
Distinguished Service Award
CPA of the Year
CPA-IGE Long-Term Achievement
Rookie of the Year
Outstanding Operational Award
President's Service Award
Accounting Excellence Awards
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Outgoing Chapter President John
Pearce |
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It’s Carol Boyd, your new
Austin CPA Chapter President! |
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Out with the old, in with the
new |
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Austin Chapter member Bill Reeb
got the group’s attention in spite of the distractingly
delicious Carmelo’s lunch. |
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Professor Nitham Hindi from Texas
State University accepted the Accounting Excellence Award on
behalf of his student Gretchen Stout. |
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John and Penny present Christi
Mondrik with the richly-deserved Young CPA of the Year award. |
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Guy Draper received the Committee
Chair of the Year award for his outstanding service chairing
the CPE Committee. |
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Nancy Foss received the CPA of
the Year award. She earned it in a number of big ways this year. |
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That’s Jennifer Stefek from
Concordia University, accepting one of the Accounting Excellence
Awards with her professor, Dr. David White. |
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For her many years of dedicated
service to the Chapter, Bette Williams received the Distinguished
Service Award. |
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Bob Farley runs the Chapter’s
Sunrise CPE program – that earned him this year’s
Outstanding Operational Award. |
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Jesse Dominguez is this year’s
CPA-IGE of the Year. |
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She looks completely normal, but
Megan Light, UT-Austin recipient of an Accounting Excellence
Award, has a 4.0 grade-point-average not just in accounting
but in her overall studies. |
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Chapter Team Member of the Year,
Sheri DeSpain |
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Michele Heyman is certainly deserving
of the award she received: Rookie of the Year. |
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| Chapter
Team Member of the Year A
member whose committee work best symbolizes the teamwork that
keeps our Chapter strong and growing. |
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Sheri
DeSpain
graduated from our Leadership Class and then served our Chapter
as Co-Chair, and then for another year as Chair, of the New CPAs
task force. She secured speakers, and promoted several New CPA
networking events. Sheri is most proud of the New CPAs participation
in our annual blood drive. Using Sheri’s office at Maxwell,
Locke and Ritter for blood donations helped the CPAs win the challenge
and beat the lawyers. Sheri’s blood is orange, having earned
her BBA and MPA degrees at UT Austin. Sheri’s greatest contribution
to our CPA profession is that she has replaced herself ! Her daughter
just received her degree in Accounting from Harding University
and will take the CPA exam this fall. |
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| Committee
Chair of the Year Member who has led his or her committee
in the most dynamic and outstanding manner during the year. |
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Guy
Draper has been a CPA since 1993.
His early accounting experience was primarily in SEC reporting
roles. He now enjoys
helping folks plan for the future as a Financial Advisor. Guy
serves our Chapter as Manager of CPE Education and Leadership,
and has worked hard to bring the Chapter Training Facility into
the 21st Century. He lives
in Briarcliff with wife Jennifer, son Jed, Sam the dog, and in
Guy’s own words - a stinkin' cat. |
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| Young
CPA Of the Year A member 39 years of age or younger
who has made significant accomplishments within the profession,
the Chapter, the community, and other professional organizations. |
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Christi
Mondrik is an attorney and a CPA. She handles
tax disputes before the Texas Comptroller’s office, the
Texas state courts, and US Tax Court. Christi is the current chair
of the Tax Controversy Committee for the State Bar of Texas ,
and serves on its governing council. She serves the Texas Society
of CPAs on the Tax Conference Planning Committee, the State Taxation
Committee, and the CPE Advisory Board. Christi has just been elected
vice chair of our Chapter’s Oversight Council, and President
of our CPA Toastmaster’s club. She earned her B.B.A. and
her J.D., with honors, from the University of Texas at Austin.
Her speaking engagements and past committee work are too numerous
to list here, but they represent her continuing dedication to
our CPA profession, the legal profession, and our Austin Chapter.
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| CPA-IGE
of the Year A member in industry, government, or
education who has made a significant contribution to the profession. |
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Jesse
Dominguez
graduated from St Edwards University and has been a CPA for 9
years. He is the Controller for the Texas Motor Transportation
Association. He graduated from our first Leadership Class, and
was elected President of our CPA Toastmaster’s Club. He
also serves as Member at Large, representing our Chapter on the
TSCPA Board, and is next year’s Coordinator of Member Services.
Jesse’s most rewarding
role is husband to Laura for 13 years, and father to their 7 year
old daughter, Corina. Corina’s
second grade class made a wish list of books for the upcoming
school book fair. The teacher told the class to include the cost
of each book on their list. Corina stood up and announced loudly
to the entire class, “Don’t forget the tax!”
Yes, she is definitely a CPA’s daughter! |
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| Distinguished
Service Award A member who has served the profession
in an outstanding manner at the local, state, and/or national
levels. |
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Bette
Williams
is a Life Member of TSCPA, a former President of the Austin Chapter,
a TSCPA Director and former TSCPA Executive Board Member. She
serves on the CPE Board of Governors and represents the Austin
Chapter on the TSCPA CPA-PAC Committee, which determines which
worthy political candidates will receive support from the Austin
Chapter. And undoubtedly Bette should also be receiving the award
for being the best-dressed member of our Austin Chapter! |
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| CPA
of the Year A member who has made a significant contribution
or has attained recognition for the Chapter. |
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Nancy
Foss
was born and raised in Lafayette, Louisiana but she got to Texas
as fast as she could in 1983. She received a BS degree in Biology
from the University of Miami. Nancy gets a degree every decade
- earning a BBA in Accounting from Texas State University and
an MPA from the University of Texas at Austin. Nancy has worked
as an accountant in government as well as industry, has been a
Controller for small businesses in Austin, and currently works
for Resources Global Professionals. Nancy graduated from our Chapter’s
Leadership Development program in 2002 and has been an active
Chapter volunteer ever since. She has helped proctor for the CPA
exam and served as an usher for the CPA Swearing-In Ceremony.
Nancy was a charter member of our CPA Toastmasters club and was
an officer in the club’s first year. She served on this
year’s Executive Board as Manager of Community Involvement.
Nancy will become President-elect of our Austin CPA Chapter on
June 1st. |
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| CPA-IGE
Long-Term Achievement A member who has made a significant
contribution or has attained recognition for the Chapter or the
profession in the area of industry, government, or education. |
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Tim
LaFrey
is the partner in charge of the Austin office of Akin Gump &
Strauss. Tim became a CPA in 1978 and practiced with KPMG Peat
Marwick until he entered law school in 1983. Tim serves on the
Executive Board of the TSCPA providing legal counsel. For our
Chapter, Tim volunteered long, long hours to prepare the new Bylaws
and continues to provide legal advice when needed. He has served
in leadership positions with the Austin Chamber of Commerce, the
Capital Area United Way and the Austin Theatre Alliance. Tim is
an avid snow boarder - how in Texas ?? Tim and wife Jane have
2 grown daughters. As empty-nesters they split their time between
Austin and their hill country home along the Pedernales River
near Dripping Springs, where Tim has been seen driving a farm
tractor a la Eddie Albert in "Green Acres". |
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| Rookie
of the Year A new member who has made a significant
contribution to the Chapter. |
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Michele
Heyman
graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology. She works
in public accounting, specializing in taxation. She moved to Texas
9 years ago and is currently a Tax Manager at Brown, Graham &
Company. For the Austin Chapter, Michele has participated in planning
the Annual Tax Conference, the Strategic Planning Retreat, and
ushered at the Swearing-In Ceremony. Additionally, she supports
Odyssey School and Holy Family Catholic School. |
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| Outstanding
Operational Award A member who has assisted with
everyday chapter operations in an outstanding manner. |
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26
years ago when CPE became mandatory, Bob
Farley founded the Austin Chapter’s Breakfast
CPE program. Bob finds speakers for 45 sessions per year! He
says he has finally found something he can do well and it doesn’t
make him any money at all.
Bob has been married to Frances for
55 years. His work experience includes Bell Aircraft, Texas A&M
System, UT Austin Auditor’s Office, Texas Water Development
Agency, State of Texas Purchasing Department, and a public accounting
practice. |
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| President's
Service Award Awarded to the members instrumental
in making the President's year a success. |
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Manual
Medrano
is the husband of our own Chapter’s administrative assistant,
Lucy Medrano. Manual has volunteered many long hours for our Austin
Chapter: he lifts the heavy things, he hangs the wall displays,
he moves the furniture. Manuel is an enormous asset to the Chapter,
volunteering not only his time, but also his expertise and his
elbow grease. When Manuel is not volunteering for us he works
at the Texas Workforce Commission, volunteers at the Austin Capital
Area Community Leadership Council, takes long motorcycle rides,
and goes sky gliding. |
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Accounting
Excellence Awards
Awarded since 1969, the Accounting Excellence Awards bestows honor
on an outstanding senior accounting student at each of the Texas
colleges and universities participating in the program of the
Accounting Education Foundation.
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Jennifer
Stefek, Concordia University
Elizabeth Gerow, St. Edward’s University
Matthew Carl Boeer,
Southwestern University
Gretchen Stout, Texas
State University
Megan Light, University
of Texas at Austin |
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