by Margaret Herriges, MSCPA Communications Director

I love talking to our members. You have this wonderful ability to acknowledge the people who have influenced you and played a part in your success story. I often think back to the wonderful speeches we hear each year at awards time. The Rick Reisigs (DSA ’14) of the world thanking the Tony DiLellos (DSA ’03)and Bob Bronsons (DSA ’09) for the impact they made on their careers; the Dwaine Iversons (DSA ’13) who credit the old guard for making this profession what it is today; the Lowell Duffners (DSA ’11) who encourage their peers to be involved in their communities and their profession; and the Reidun Johnstons (Outstanding CPA in Industry ’14) and Julie Kostelckys (Young CPA ’12) who are forging new ground in the accounting profession.

These speeches are really special memories for me, but they lead me to a question for you: Who has influenced your career? Is there someone who has made a big impact on you, on your community, on the accounting profession? If the answer is yes, it’s time to thank this person and acknowledge their contributions by nominating them for a special recognition award.

MSCPA is proud to recognize the influencers of Montana’s accounting profession. Each year we open nominations for:

• The George D. Anderson Distinguished Service Award (DSA)
• The Jack Kempner Outstanding Educator Award
• The Outstanding CPA in Industry Award; and
• The Young CPA of the Year Award.

Each of these honors are designed to recognize the contributions of CPAs who make a difference in the lives of the people around them. Each award has different criteria to distinguish the impact these professionals make.

Nominations are open for these awards and we hope you’ll take the opportunity to thank the people who have positively influenced your career by submitting their name. Nominations are easy and MSCPA staff is always happy to help you with dates and service records, just be sure to complete nominations by December 19, 2014.

You are all an inspiration to us here at MSCPA. We look forward to receiving your nominations and if you need more information about an award, please don’t hesitate to contact me because truly, I love talking to our members.