22 minute read
VSCPA News
2021 Outstanding Member: Alan Witt, CPA
Alan Witt, CPA, has worn many hats in his lengthy accounting career — partner, community champion and now college instructor, to name a few. But he’s proudest of those three letters after his name.
Witt, recently retired as partner at regional firm PBMares — he was the Witt in Witt Mares, one of the predecessor firms that created the firm with the merger with PBGH in 2013 — is the VSCPA’s Outstanding Member of the Year for 2021, in no small part thanks to his indefatigable support for the profession, its future, and his adopted hometown of Newport News.
Witt grew up in New Jersey before his family moved to Newport News during his last year of high school. He never left the city, attending Christopher Newport College (now Christopher Newport University, or CNU), where he now teaches accounting, and spending his entire career there. Bit by the bug of civic service, he spent three years on the Newport News City Council, but his short political career barely scratches the surface of what he did for the city.
“If you’re blessed with success, you have a responsibility to pay back to whatever community you’re in,” he said. “I always looked for avenues of service that would permit me to use my skills, as limited as they may be, to help advance the community.”
Modesty aside, it’s hard to find a better champion for Newport News than Witt has been over the course of his career. He worked his way up to chairman of the Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce in the late 1980s and had similar involvement with the Newport News Industrial Development Authority (NNIDA). Then-Gov. Chuck Robb appointed him to Christopher Newport’s Board of Visitors, where he eventually served as rector.
Witt led the charge for several major changes that helped transform CNU from a small commuter school
to a full-fledged residential university — building the college’s first dorm, expanding the campus through the purchase of Ferguson High School and ultimately changing the name to Christopher Newport University. Now he’s in a completely new role at the university — executive in residence, teaching an accounting course, and working on projects within the master’s program at CNU’s business school.
“It’s rewarding to come back here again at a completely different station in life,” Witt said. “What I’ve enjoyed the most was working with these bright young students.”
Witt followed a well-trodden path when he was one of those bright young students (with an emphasis on “young,” as he graduated from college at the age of 20). He entered school as a non-accounting major (political science, in his case) before coming to terms with the reality of his employment prospects through that major and determining that accounting was the best path to a reliable, lucrative job. That job came with Newport News firm Eggleston Smith, a move that put Witt in contact with managing partner Bernard Smith, soon to become chair of the VSCPA Board of Directors.
That contact led Witt to his lengthy volunteer path with the VSCPA, with stints on the Accounting & Auditing Advisory Task Force and the Ethics Committee, along with a year as president of the Society’s Peninsula Chapter. He was making moves in his own career as well, founding Rauch Witt, the firm that would become Witt Mares and eventually PBMares. There was never any doubt that his research led him to the correct profession.
“Not only do you have the ability to exercise your expertise and really focus on what can be some complicated transactions and financial scenarios, the flip side is that you get to work with clients. You get to work with people,” he said. “The number of different relationships one builds throughout one’s career is never less than rewarding. I found public accounting to be the perfect combination of practicing in an area of technical expertise and building relationships.”
Those relationships helped him build the reputation he needed for one of his other proudest accomplishments — the development of City Center at Oyster Point in Newport News. During his chairmanship of NNIDA, the group engaged a consultant to help them determine how best to develop what was then an area full of warehouses and mixed-use buildings.
“The consultant said we had to create a sense of place,” Witt said. “The city built a 5.5-acre fountain that was the focal point. I take a great deal of pride in being there and being part of the group that brought it to fruition and created the buildings around that fountain.”
His dedication to service also led to his election as 2021 chair of the Virginia Chamber Board of Directors, after having served in the Chamber’s leadership for several years.
Witt cites education and health care as the two most important pillars to a community, and he’s been heavily involved in both. He spent 21 years on the board of directors of Riverside Health System, which operates medical facilities on the Peninsula and the Eastern Shore. He also got involved with transportation and ended up as an appointee to the Commonwealth Transportation Board.
Add it all up, and you get a remarkable life of service to a community and a university where Witt had barely lived before he decided to set down roots. That service extended to making the accounting profession, and the VSCPA, better equipped to serve their missions.
“In my career, I have touched many organizations and endeavors, but my proudest career accomplishment is being a CPA,” he said. n
2021 Ruth Coles Harris Award winner: Tyrone Dickerson, CPA
Tyrone Dickerson, CPA, references the décor at the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) offices when discussing diversity in the accounting profession. Now NASBA has made progress on improving the profession’s diversity, led by Dickerson and inspired in part by those pictures on the wall.
Dickerson, a 77-year-old sole proprietor from Richmond and the winner of the VSCPA’s 2021 Ruth Coles Harris Advancing Diversity & Inclusion Award, was the first chair of a working group that became NASBA’s Diversity Committee, charged with increasing diversity on state boards of accountancy and in NASBA itself. He was tapped for the role by NASBA President and CEO Ken Bishop, who was becoming more and more bothered by the preponderance of white men on the wall at the NASBA offices devoted to pictures of past association chairs.
“Every time he walked out of his office, he would look at pictures on his wall, and he would see that everybody was pretty much old, white men,” Dickerson said. “He started talking about it more openly and wrote an article in our quarterly newsletter. When I saw the article, I called him, and we talked about it, and he said, ‘Tyrone, I don’t know what I want to do with this, but it’s been bothering me ever since I became president of the organization. I’d like to start a diversity group and see where we can take it,’ and he invited me to work on the committee.”
While increasing diversity within NASBA leadership was a personal priority for Bishop, the effort still could have died on the vine without adequate support from the association’s board of directors, which changes over its membership each year. Fortunately, the board agreed that the project was an important one and promised to keep it as an organizational priority.
“I had a good relationship with the chairs and the past chairs and the people who were coming in,” Dickerson said. “The new vice-chairs who were coming in bought into our strategic plan to introduce more minorities to the organization and pledged to continue those diversity efforts.”
That group started its work in 2014 and became a full-on committee a year later after working to define scope and goals. Since the launch of the Diversity Committee, the NASBA chairs have included two Black men and one Latino (current chair Carlos Barrera, CPA), as well as two women. It’s been an impressive shift for a group that has to pull its members and leadership from the relatively small pool of members of state boards of accountancy approved by the governors of their respective states.
“Over the last couple of years, there really has been an increase in the number of minorities that have been appointed to the boards,” Dickerson said. “That has been very, very encouraging. It seems that the efforts of the committees to reach out to the different societies are really working.”
Each year, the Diversity Committee sends a survey to the 55 NASBA jurisdictions, both to measure its progress in increasing diversity within state boards of accountancy and to identify potential leadership candidates. NASBA started holding informal cocktail receptions at its regional meetings to help educate members on potential leadership opportunities, leading to increased applications overall, but particularly among members of color. When Dickerson served as NASBA’s mid-Atlantic regional director, he oversaw a region of seven states, and he spread the gospel of NASBA’s efforts to protect the profession (and need for volunteers) at VSCPA events and other CPE.
There were no such efforts in place — nor, really, much in the way of a Black presence in the profession — when Dickerson started his career coming out of Central State University, a historically Black university in Ohio. He began his career as one of only a few Black CPAs in Philadelphia and eventually moved to Lucas, Tucker & Co., at the time the largest Black CPA firm in the country. His mentors at that firm included several of the first 100 Black CPAs in the country.
“These guys were so inspirational,” Dickerson said “At that time, being a young, Black CPA, we were striving to become what they were. In terms of how they functioned, how they operated, how they met with clients, it was a lot of experience and a lot of exposure. They were the ones who really set me on my journey in terms of becoming a partner in the CPA firm.”
Now Dickerson is working to create pathways for future Black partners. In addition to his work at NASBA, where he was reelected to a three-year term in 2018, he returns to Central State each year to discuss and promote the accounting profession with current students. He’s also been a member of the Virginia Union University Board of Trustees since 2005.
“I came from an HBCU, and this is my way of giving back to those who helped me in my career path to become a CPA,” he said. n
Congratulations, Top 5 Under 35
The VSCPA Top 5 Under 35 Award recognizes emerging CPA leaders under the age of 35 who have notable professional achievements, VSCPA accomplishments on the state or chapter level, community contributions and/or dedication to the CPA profession.
Amanda DiStasio, CPA Owner, Optimal Accounting, LLC, Suffolk Hometown: Suffolk, Virginia Colleges: Virginia Tech and Old Dominion University VSCPA volunteer experience: VSCPA Young Professionals Advisory Committee, Educational Foundation Scholarship Committee, Disclosures magazine writer. I’m passionate about… “Educating others on the CPA profession and sharing study tricks and tips. I enjoy helping students navigate the different career paths of what being a CPA can offer. There are so many benefits to becoming a CPA and I love sharing different ideas on what you can do with the license.”
“I became a CPA to be able to speak the language of business. I wanted to be able to make informed decisions about investing. Being able to dissect a company’s balance sheet and profit and loss statements gives me insight into the company’s financial health.” Victor Geagla, CPA Senior manager, Baker Tilly, Tysons Hometown: Fairfax (via Romania) College: James Madison University Notable experience: Baker Tilly’s Diversity & Inclusion Steering Committee and National NextGen Committee, Greater Washington Board of Trade’s Emerging Leaders Network, Economic Club Emerging Leaders Network and Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce. I’m passionate about… “Professionally, I have always been passionate about connecting with new clients and guiding our internal team members as they grow throughout their careers. Personally, I’m a big fan of fitness, traveling and anything outdoors.”
“One of the reasons I have remained in the profession is the rewarding nature of continuously advising and providing value to clients on a variety of cutting-edge topics, as well as the ability to work with a diverse group of individuals.”
Iris Laws, CPA Senior tax associate, DHG, Winston-Salem, N.C. Hometown: San Antonio College: Wake Forest University — Go Deacs! Notable experience: Several DHG leadership positions, including founding and chairing the Richmond Emerging Leaders Network. Currently serves as vice chair of the Political Action Committee Board of Trustees and received the inaugural VSCPA 2020 Women to Watch — Emerging Leader Award. Why I became a CPA… “I wanted to find a challenging career that would allow for continual learning, while simultaneously helping those in my community. With the ever-changing landscape of this profession — I’ve found the right fit!” “I’m a firm believer in the power of friendship. Ultimately it’s the relationships with my coworkers, clients, family and friends that keep me going!”
Brad Lester, CPA Senior accountant, Brown Edwards, Roanoke Hometown: Conyers, Ga. College: Emory & Henry College VSCPA volunteer experience: Served as president and vice president of the VSCPA Roanoke Chapter, where he has worked to improve the chapter’s infrastructure, and passionate about promoting the accounting profession in Roanoke as well as educating students about the profession. Why I became a CPA… “I was inspired by one of my business/accounting professors while in college, who helped me to realize that I excelled in accounting. I have always been interested in finances so the opportunity to combine this passion in my career led me to become a CPA.” “Since moving to Roanoke, our family has been welcomed to the area by everyone and I hope to continue to build relationships throughout the community and make our city an even better place to live.”
Evan Wrinkle, CPA Senior staff accountant, WellsColeman, Richmond Hometown: West Point College: Virginia Commonwealth University VSCPA volunteer experience: Started on the board of the VSCPA Richmond Chapter in May 2017 and now serving as president; also a member of the Young Professionals Advisory Council. I’m passionate about… “Improving the lives of people living with spinal cord injuries. One of the benefits of being a CPA is the ability to use my expertise to benefit organizations like the United Spinal Association of Virginia. For the past several years, I’ve had the opportunity to serve on their board as treasurer.” “Since my early teens I found the idea of quantifying the activities of an organization and telling its story through numbers very interesting. After obtaining a degree in accounting, getting my license was a natural next step to prove that I was serious about the profession.”
New VSCPA Chair Anne Hagen, CPA, CGMA, on her priorities for the year.
VSCPA members: I am honored to serve as this year’s chair of the VSCPA Board of Directors to give back to a profession that has given so much to me during my career.
Albert Einstein once said, “Try not to become a person of success, but rather try to become a person of value.” Our profession is often filled with demands and deadlines that we believe define success. I have found that those same challenges have paled in comparison to the diverse set of opportunities that have not only brought me joy but also made me a person of value.Many characterize accountants as being dull, due to the type of work they do; however, I have found this to be quite the myth. I began using accounting skills throughout my childhood as I grew up in our family’s grocery store. I then held a summer internship as a bookkeeper and went on to become an internal auditor, then external auditor, then a director of finance and CFO, and finally CEO.
My accounting skills have also provided a variety of volunteer opportunities allowing me to serve others through my church and in my community. From for profit to nonprofit, all roles have brought their own challenges, but each have been rewarding both personally and professionally. My career has also supported me financially
and helped fulfill me as a loving wife, mother and most recently a grandmother. All of my unique roles have provided me with an ability to understand the full breadth and depth of our profession that have left an indelible mark on my life. Did it require work? Absolutely, but it was always meaningful work that has allowed me to build strong connections with co-workers while also strengthening organizations and businesses across our state. During this next year, I plan to promote the accounting and CPA profession to as many students as possible while also emphasizing the importance of continuous learning that doesn’t end after a CPA is attained.
When I began my career, the profession was male-dominated and now there are more females than males. I plan to encourage a more inclusive culture to ensure individuals from all walks of life, especially those of color, are successful within the profession.In recent years, the profession has offered even more for those students with a wide variety of talents — not only those in accounting, but data analytics, technology, and the like. The CPA Exam leading to a professional designation has ranked closely behind doctors and lawyers in terms of reputation and is still considered among the top as a trusted advisor. The CPA Exam is also evolving to better value the skills and talents beyond the two traditional core areas of audit and tax, to become more accepting of a broader range of professionals, and to respond the broader needs of today’s businesses. If you are a student or employee interested in business, I would encourage you to explore the broadening field of accounting. Stay with it and give it your all, as it will be one of the best careers you could have. If you are a student or an employee considering a change, I would strongly encourage you to consider this field. There is a lot of opportunity for diverse experiences and I will guarantee you that if you give it everything, it will come back to you in many more opportunities and rewards — not only in your profession but in your personal life as well. And if you are a seasoned professional or even relatively new to the profession, I ask you to join me in support of our profession, one that can offer so much to benefit the personal and professional lives of so many. n
Meet Anne
Anne Hagen, CPA, CGMA, is the chief executive officer for the Masonic Home of Virginia, a continuing care retirement community located in Henrico, where she has served for 12 years. She served as CFO before stepping into the CEO position.
In her current capacity, she is responsible for the overall operation of the statewide facility of approximately 200 residents including 160 FTE staff, $13 million annual budget, and investments in excess of $50 million. She serves as the primary liaison between the Home’s staff and the board of governors, assisting in developing long-range plans and coordinating efforts of the Home’s staff to achieve the strategic and long-term goals established by the Board. Anne manages all fundraising, marketing, communications and outreach efforts and she directly supervises the senior administrator, director of human resources, director of facilities, director of development and chief financial officer.
Anne’s career has spanned over 30 years and has included internal audit, external audit, financial services, and various nonprofit sectors including human services and heath care.
Anne has shared her experiences with the community as an adjunct professor with VCU in the Especially for Nonprofits Program as well as various seminars for other interested organizations at the local, state and national levels. She currently serves on a variety of nonprofit and church finance committees, including the Virginia Credit Union Supervisory Committee. Before becoming VSCPA chair, she served in at-large director and vice chair positions on the Board of Directors.
She currently resides in Moseley with her husband after raising four boys and is a graduate of Virginia Tech. She recently completed her master’s degree in business administration from Longwood University and spends her free time at Lake Gaston and elsewhere with her expanding family, including her two new grandchildren.
Contact her at ahagen@mahova.com.
New VSCPA boards installed
The VSCPA’s new leadership was installed at the VSCPA annual business meeting held virtually during the Leaders’ Summit on May 13. We’re excited to welcome the following leaders:
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chair: Anne Hagen, CPA, CGMA, MBA (see more from Anne on page 32) Chair-Elect: George Forsythe, CPA, CGMA See the full board roster at vscpa.com/2021-2022-vscpaboard-directors.
EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chair: Nicholas Harrison, CPA See the full board roster vscpa.com/2021-2022-educationalfoundation-board-directors.
POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Chair: T. Brett Sinsabaugh, CPA, CCA See the full trustee roster at vscpa.com/pac-board-trustees.
Aubrey Layne, CPA, moves on from finance post
After serving as Virginia secretary of finance since 2018, VSCPA member Aubrey Layne, CPA, began a new position on July 1 as senior vice president and chief of staff of Norfolk-based Sentara Healthcare. Over the past few years, the VSCPA worked with Layne and his staff on a variety of issues, including tax conformity, and Layne has made himself available to speak to VSCPA members regarding Virginia’s economy. Prior to his finance secretary appointment, he was secretary of transportation under Gov. Terry McAuliffe. Northam has appointed Joe Flores as the new finance secretary. He was previously a deputy secretary of finance.
Kenneth Huffman, CPA, of Harrisonburg, a lifelong proponent of the CPA profession in Virginia. His 40-year career began at Mitchell Wiggins in Richmond. He spent 33 years at Keeler & Phibbs in Harrisonburg and became a managing partner at PBGH. He served the VSCPA in many capacities, including as 1990–1991 president, VSCPA Blue Ridge Chapter president, and most recently on the Educational Foundation Board of Directors. He was also a member of the Virginia Board of Accountancy, serving as chair.
Richard Troup, CPA, a Life member from Winchester. He spent 30 years as a tax specialist at Yount, Hyde & Barbour, PC, and also worked at Bruce, Renner & Co., PLC.
Mervyn Wingfield, CPA, CGFM, a Life member from Richmond. A long-time educator, he retired from James Madison University, where he served four years as department head, and was also an adjunct accounting professor at the University of Richmond. He served on several VSCPA committees from the 1960s through the 1990s.
IN MEMORIAM
Congratulations to the following members!
NEW HIRES
Mike Bell, CPA, has joined John Marshall Bank in Reston as chief accounting officer.
Rod Ferguson, CPA, is the new executive vice president of gaming and resort operations for the Pamunkey Indian Tribal Gaming Authority in King William. He will also serve in a senior leadership role at the tribe’s Norfolk casino resort.
Lori Jones, CPA, is the new Patrick County finance officer.
PROMOTIONS
Tracey Powell, CPA, was named a tax partner at PBMares in Baltimore.
Lisa Rayne, CPA, CGMA, has been promoted to finance director for Montgomery County.
Krista Smith, CPA, has been named emerging growth company practice leader for greater Washington at Deloitte in McLean. APPOINTMENTS & AWARDS
Manisha Elhance, CPA, president & CEO of Vienna Tax & Accounting, was named to Practice Ignition’s Top 50 Women in Accounting 2020.
Craig Giese, CPA, of Dehnert, Clarke & Co., PC, in Irvington, is the District 1 Board of Supervisors nominee.
Juanita Parks, CPA, CFO at Williamsburg Landing, Inc., was named a trustee of the Williamsburg Health Foundation.
Billy Robinson Jr., CPA, partner at Brown Edwards in Harrisonburg, was named to the Construction Financial Management Association’s 40 under 40 program.
FIRM NEWS
RCG CPAs Advisors in Richmond has acquired Weir Consulting to build the firm’s advisory, fractional CFO, and forward-looking financial services.
Staff news
ANNIVERSARIES
July 7: Amanda Arnold, marketing specialist, six years
July 14: Beth Bickford, CPA, CGMA, vice president, finance & administration, 12 years July 26: Molly Wash, CAE, member & academic engagement director, 17 years
Aug. 6: Laura Cobb, CAE, innovation & leadership director, nine years
Aug. 12: Zané Mullins, PMP, senior manager, technology, eight years Aug. 13: Rocio Gibbs, member services coordinator, 23 years
Sept. 9: Jill Edmonds, communications director, two years
Sept. 22: Jane Hayes, peer review coordinator, 18 years
CONGRATS TO THE VSCPA’S NEWEST VIRGINIA CPA LICENSEES
JoAnne Alston, CPA, Manassas Taylor Anderson, CPA, Hampton Jayson Bales, CPA, Marion Tamara Barua, CPA, Woodbridge Isabella Bouffard, CPA, Winchester Kevin Caceres, CPA, Bethesda, Md. Jung Choi, CPA, Henrico Jeffrey Erbes, CPA, Arlington Jesse Gardner, CPA, Towson, Md. Zachary Hazelwood, CPA, Norfolk Tiffany House, CPA, Sandston Gary Huff, CPA, Richmond Shanice James, CPA, Tysons Victoria Maston, CPA, Norfolk Dustin Mays, CPA, Mt. Carmel, Tenn. John Murphy, CPA, Washington, D.C. Elizabeth Owusuwaa, CPA, Ashburn John Paterno, CPA, Reston Michael Pettingill, CPA, Warrenton Louis Piscottano, CPA, Washington, D.C. Ellen Reilly, CPA, Arlington Katelyn Scott, CPA, Abingdon Kevin Serrano, CPA, Fairfax Brian Sheehan, CPA, Fairfax Station Bradlee Simoneaux, Falls Church Hayley Smith, CPA, McLean William Smith, CPA, Tysons Ziyan Song, CPA, Fairfax Diming Sun, CPA, Richmond Alexander Taylor, CPA, Annandale
List from Feb. 1, 2021, through April 30, 2021.
Brag, please!
Send your member news to
disclosures@vscpa.com.
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