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PICPA honors 35 young leaders; TIGTA awarded 2017 Service to America Medal; and more news from institutes and CPA offices across the country.
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CALIFORNIA

Armaninio, San Ramon, introduced a new “Unplugged” initiative, taking effect July 1, 2018, enabling employees to take time off with flexibility by working collaboratively with team members and clients to make arrangements. Employee Jimmy introduced the initiative with a video.

HMWC CPAs & Business Advisors, Tustin, was ranked as one of the Top 150 CPA firms by the California Society of CPAs, in terms of CalCPA membership, landing the No. 49 spot.
BPM, San Francisco, achieved silver-level recognition from the American Heart Association’s 2017 Workplace Health Achievement Index for building a culture of health best practices in the workplace.

Hall & Company CPAs, Irvine, was named one of the fastest-growing CPA firms in Orange County, Calif., by the Orange County Business Journal. The firm was ranked No. 21 on the list designated for small companies, jumping from last year’s No. 40 spot.

Andersen Global, San Francisco, established a senior advisory council of ten partners and managing directors from member and collaborating firms. The council includes: Rubens Branco, managing partner at Branco Consultores in Rio De Janeiro; Stephen Corrick, practice director at Andersen Tax LLC, West Palm Beach; Miguel Gordillo, of counsel at Andersen Tax & Legal, Madrid; Luis Nobre Guedes, managing partner of Andersen Tax & Legal, Lisbon, Portugal; Michael Hirschfeld, managing director in U.S. National Tax, New York; Stefan Kraus, managing partner of Andersen Tax & Legal, Cologne, Germany; José Luis Montes, office managing partner of Andersen Tax & Legal, Guadalajara, Mexico; John Niemann, managing director at Andersen Tax LLC, Houston; Cesar Rivera Botello, partner at Rivera, Bolivar y Castañedas, Panama; and Michelle Ventress, general counsel and corporate secretary to Andersen Tax LLC, Chicago.

KBF CPAs, Irvine, announced its launch after the reorganization of Kieckhafer Schiffer & Co., effective Jan. 1, 2018. KBF’s team of more than 70 accountants, including 12 partners, will serve clients in Irvine, Portland, San Diego and Seattle. The firm also introduced a new company website, www.kbfcpa.com.

Grant Thornton celebrated the grand opening of its new Silicon Valley office, located at 10 Almaden Blvd., Suite 800, in San Jose. Designed to foster collaboration, the new office occupies the entire eighth floor of the office building and can accommodate more than 175 employees in its 18,000 square feet.

GEORGIA

MCAsociados, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, has joined the Latin America and Caribbean region of PrimeGlobal, Duluth, becoming a member firm of the global association.
The New York offices of Top 10 Firm BDO USA
BDO New York offices

ILLINOIS

BDO USA, Chicago, was named one of the 2017 Working Mother 100 Best Companies for its leadership in creating progressive programs for its workforce, in the areas of advancement of women, flexibility, child care and paid parental leave. This is the seventh consecutive year that the magazine has recognized BDO USA with this honor. In other firm news, BDO USA released a new survey, 2017 BDO Survey on Cyber Governance, which found, among other insights, that 79 percent of public company directors report their board is more involved with cybersecurity than it was 12 months ago, and 78 percent responded that they have increased company investments during the past year to defend against cyber-attacks, with an average budget expansion of 19 percent. The full survey report is available here.
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KENTUCKY

The Accounting MOVE Project, sponsored by Accounting & Financial Women’s Alliance, Lexington, and founded by Moss Adams, CohnReznick and other participating firms, has opened its 2018 survey, seeking input from firms of all sizes to gauge female leadership in public accounting. (Read the full story.)

KENYA

Ronalds & Associates, Nairobi, was accepted as a member firm of global association BKR International.

MICHIGAN

UHY announced the opening of its newest office in Ann Arbor, its first move into Washtenaw County, in a newly renovated suite on East Eisenhower Parkway near the University of Michigan's main campus.

NEW JERSEY

Cordell, Neher & Co., Wenatchee, Wash., was selected to join accounting firm network CPAsNET, Princeton, based on a number of criteria, including the expertise and business acumen they provide to their clients in the North Central Washington community.
AICPA building in Durham, N.C.

NEW YORK

Citrin Cooperman, New York, released its inaugural Independent Sponsor Report, offering insight into independent sponsors in the private equity industry. The full report is available here.

EisnerAmper was voted Best North American Accounting Firm at hedge fund industry publication Hedgeweek’s annual U.S. Service Providers Awards gala in New York City, based on an independent survey of the publication’s audience of investors and fund managers.

The American Institute of CPAs announced the recipients of the 2017-18 Accountemps Scholarship Award, providing financial assistance to four undergraduate and graduate-level accounting students who demonstrate potential to become leaders in the CPA profession. The four winners are: Alexander Balkan of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Aileen Duong of Gonzaga University; Adam Kershner of Babson College; and Stormm Phillips of Jacksonville University. (Read the full story.)

PENNSYLVANIA

The Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs recognized 35 members under the age of 40 with 2017 Young Leader Awards for their demonstrated leadership skills in the profession. The winners were honored September 18 at PICPA’s annual leadership conference in Harrisburg. The full list of recipients is available here.

VIRGINIA

The National Society of Accountants, Alexandria, announced award winners at its annual NSA convention in Reno, Nev. The winners were, for Person of the Year: Carol Campbell, director of the Internal Revenue Service; for Accountant of the Year: Sally Levitt of Levitt Financial Services in Shawnee, Kan.; for the Distinguished Service Award: Mary Lemons, governance administrative chair for the NSA; Speaker of the Year: Kathy Hettick of Hettick Accounting in Enumclaw, Wash.; Affiliated State Organization of the Year: the Wisconsin Association of Accountants; Norma Kraus State Director of the Year Award: Andrew Piernock of Piernock Accounting Services in Philadelphia; NSA Young Professional of the Year Award: Kevin Hettick, who served as his affiliated state organization president, co-chairing its legislative committee; Keith Billings Memorial Award: the Public Accountants Association of Kansas for its Kansas Public Accountant publication and the North Carolina Society of Accountants for its The Accountant publication; National Editorial Award: Tammy Pachta of Manhattan, Kan., for her article, “Glossophobia,” in the Kansas Public Accountant; and the Outstanding Tax Talker Award: Howard Bleiwas of Pomona, N.Y.
Treasury Inspector General J. Russell George addressing a House subcommittee
J. Russell George, U.S. Treasury inspector general for tax administration, speaks during a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Monday, June 3, 2013. Acting Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Danny Werfel told lawmakers he is working to restore trust in the beleaguered U.S. tax agency and said he wants to make improvements before pressing for a bigger budget. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg *** Local Caption *** J. Russell George

WASHINGTON, D.C.

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration was awarded a 2017 Service to America Medal by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service at a gala reception in Washington’s Mellon Auditorium on September 27. TIGTA was selected from a field of four finalists for the Service to America Medal in the category of Homeland Security and Law Enforcement. The Samuel J. Heyman Service to America medals program, for which there were 450 nominees, recognizes exceptional federal employees who are “engaged in important work to strengthen the national defense, spur the economy, protect the environment, and advance the health, safety and welfare of Americans and others around the world.” TIGTA was recognized for its investigative and public awareness efforts against the Internal Revenue Service impersonation scam.
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