2020 Award Winners

MEET THE 2020 UACPA AWARD WINNERS

ConGratulationS to thiS year'S award reCipientS

This year's annual awards banquet went virtual for a first-of-its-kind, at-home event. The video is available to watch on the UACPA YouTube page. Award winners were selected by nominations through the UACPA website and by members of the awards committee. The 2020 award recipients honored include the following:

Distinguished Service Weslee Anne Klein, CPA

Weslee served as president of the UACPA in 2001 and continues to volunteer with Leadership Council. Recently retired, Weslee says she greatly enjoyed her time in the accounting profession and has loved working with all clients. She had mentors from staff, managers, reception, administration, partners and all the way to the corner office. She credits them for the success she has achieved.

Jeannie Patton Lifetime Service Award Lynne N. Ward, CPA

Lynne served as the executive cirector of my529 for 15 years. She previously served as Gov. Walker's deputy chief of staff and Gov. Leavitt's director of the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget. She is currently a board director of Merit Medical, Inc., and a member of the Investment Advisory Committee at the University of Utah as well as the Utah Chapter National Association of Corporate Directors, and the Walker Institute of Politics and Public Service.

Outstanding CPA in Business & Management Daniel K. Greer, CPA

Dan received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in accounting at the University of Utah's David Eccles School of Business. After graduating in 1996, he spent the next 11 years with Tanner LLC.

The next seven seven years were spent as the CFO for a Salt Lake-based software development company. For the past six years, Dan has served as a director and controller for the Philanthropies Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Outstanding CPA in Public Practice Boyce W. Coombs, CPA

Boyce was a partner of Caldwell, Coombs & Foley, LLP until the practice was sold in 2014 to Crossroads Accounting Professionals, PLLC. Boyce was part of the Vernal firm since 1980 and has served the UACPA as a Uintah Chapter president. He graduated from Utah State University in 1977 with a bachelor's in accounting. He enjoys giving back to the community by serving on various local governmental agencies, boards of directors, and in many religious callings.

Outstanding CPA in Nonprofit & Government Christine B. Arthur, CPA

Christine has served the nonprofit community for 36 years. She retired from public accounting in April 2020 and is now affiliated with Pathway Associates, a firm offering a variety of consulting services to the nonprofit community. Most recently, Christine was a partner and director of the nonprofit services group of Larson & Company PC. She was previously the founding partner of Arthur & Jensen, LLC and a director at CBIZ. Christine was a founding member of the United Way of Salt Lake Women United and officer of the board of YWCA Utah. She has chaired the Utah Nonprofits Association board and was a co-founder of the Nonprofit Academy of Excellence at the University of Utah. Additionally, she has developed curriculum and has taught classes at the University of Utah and Westminster College. She has served on the UACPA Nonprofit Committee.

Outstanding Leadership Council Member Dustin Wood, CPA

Dustin is an audit shareholder with Cook Martin Poulson, P.C. where he has worked for 15 years. In addition to serving as the Cache Valley Chapter president and on Leadership Council with the UACPA, Dustin serves on three nonprofit boards. He was born and raised in Cache Valley and graduated from Utah State University with a master's in accounting.

Outstanding Educator Michael D. Blackburn, CPA

Mike is a shareholder in the law firm of Blackburn & Stoll, LC where his practice focuses on estate and income tax planning and issues affecting small business. He is a past president of the UACPA and served five years on the Council for the AICPA and eight years as a member of the Utah Board of Accountancy. He is a frequent instructor who has taught more than 1,300 professional development courses in 48 states in the last 30 years. He has won the AICPA's Outstanding Instructor Award. Since 2002, Mike has been an adjunct faculty member of the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah and has been a professor of tax law for Westminster College since 2013.

Rising Star Devron C. Johnson, CPA

Devron is an audit senior associate at Eide Bailly. He graduated from Southern Utah University as the valedictorian for the school of business and was the recipient of the 2019 Eide Bailly Utah Rising Star Award. He has worked with the UACPA's Emerging Professionals Committee for two years.

Lifetime Member Chesley H. Erickson, CPA, CGFM Chesley began his career with Touche Ross & Company as a staff accountant from 1994 to 1997 before joining Huber Erickson & Bowman, LLC as a partner. He retired in 2019 after 23 years with the firm. He has been active with the UACPA and recently served as the chair of the UACPA PAC. Chesley served as president of the United Cerebral Palsey of Utah and Oakridge Country Club and has been a financial consultant to several other nonprofits.

Lifetime Member Lynn A. Gilbert, CPA Lynn began working part-time at his father's CPA firm in 1983 while he was in college. He graduated from BYU with a MAcc in August 1985 and was licensed soon after. He spent 28 years at Gilbert & Stewart, CPAs in Provo before serving as a mission president in Korea. He purchased a business with his wife and son in 2019 and has enjoyed the change to "the other side of the desk."

Women to Watch: Emerging Leader Kandice Lambert, CPA Kandice is a corporate controller, senior director at Lucid Software Inc. Prior to Lucid, Kandice worked in public accounting where she realized her passion for building accounting operations and infrastructure. Kandice graduated from the UACPA's 2015 Leadership Academy and has enjoyed mentoring up-and-coming CPAs at the University of Utah. In 2010, she earned the UACPA Rising Star Award. Women to Watch: Emerging Leader Amanda Barrett-Brough, CPA Amanda joined Squire in 2005 after receiving a Bachelor of Science from Utah Valley University and a Master of Accountancy from the University of Utah. She serves as Squire's audit practice area leader and works primarily in assurance services. She is a 2016 AICPA Leadership Academy graduate and leads Squire's Professional Services Industry group as well as the firm's Women Improving Professionally group. She worked with the AICPA Women's Initiatives Executive Committee (WIEC) to help them create women initiative resources for CPA firms.

Women to Watch: Experienced Leader Mary B. Pearson, CPA Mary is the dean of the school of business at Southern Utah University. She earned her bachelor's in accounting and a master's of accounting from Southern Utah University and her Ph.D. in business administration from Northcentral University. Mary has taught internationally at two of SUU's partner schools in Austria for the past 11 years. Mary also has her own financial firm in Cedar City and has served on boards for Iron County School District, Beaver County School District, and Cedar City Corporation. She is currently the chairwoman for the Cedar City Planning and Zoning Commission and on the board of directors for State Bank of Southern Utah. n

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