Accounting
Ed Slott and Zach Thies Honored at AICPA ENGAGE
Two individual honors were handed out this week by the American Institute of CPAs’ (AICPA). Ed Slott, CPA was presented the Sidney Kess Award for Excellence in Continuing Education.
Jul. 23, 2020
Two individual honors were handed out this week by the American Institute of CPAs’ (AICPA). Ed Slott, CPA was presented the Sidney Kess Award for Excellence in Continuing Education. Zach Thies, CPA/PFS was awarded the P. Thomas Austin Personal Financial Planning (PFP) Scholarship.
Sidney Kess Award for Excellence in Continuing Education
Ed Slott, CPA is the recipient of the AICPA’s 2020 Sidney Kess Award for Excellence in Continuing Education. The award was presented at AICPA ENGAGE. Slott is a past Chairman of the New York State Society of CPAs Estate Planning Committee and editor of the IRA planning section of the CPA Journal. He is a regular presenter on IRA and estate planning strategies. As president and founder of Ed Slott and Company, LLC, he is well-known for providing advanced IRA training to financial professionals. He regularly works with the media to answer retirement savers’ questions with practical, easy-to-understand information on IRA, retirement, tax and financial planning topics.
“Ed has an impressive list of clients coast to coast. Beyond answering tough questions and training top financial professionals, Ed’s greatest source of happiness if providing accurate and timely information that will allow others to retire safe and secure,” said Sidney Kess, CPA.
Slott was named “The Best” source for IRA advice by The Wall Street Journal. He is an accomplished author of many retirement focused books and has starred in nationally aired Public Television specials including his latest, Retire Safe & Secure! with Ed Slott – 2020. Slott created the IRA Leadership Program and Ed Slott’s Elite IRA Advisor Group, which were developed specifically to help financial professionals earn recognition as leaders in the IRA marketplace. As a thought leader in the retirement industry, he is often quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Money, Kiplinger’s, USA Today, and Investment News.
The award, created in honor of Kess, recognizes CPAs who have made significant and outstanding contributions in tax and financial planning and whose public service exemplifies the CPA profession’s values and ethics. Nominations for the Kess Award are solicited by the Tax Strategies for the High-Income Individual Conference Steering Committee and are accepted from May 31 – January 31. The Committee determines Award recipients.
P. Thomas Austin Personal Financial Planning Scholarship
The American Institute of CPAs announced today that Zach Thies, CPA/PFS, has been awarded the 2020 P. Thomas Austin Personal Financial Planning (PFP) Scholarship at the AICPA’s Advanced Estate Planning Conference, part of AICPA ENGAGE.
Thies is a Financial Planner with Creative Planning, Inc. in Iowa City, IA. As a CPA/PFS, he uses his tax expertise to design and implement sophisticated planning strategies that reduce overall client income tax liabilities. He was recognized in 2019 with the AICPA’s Personal Financial Planning Standing Ovation Award.
“It is an honor to recognize Zach for his outstanding work in estate planning,” said P. Thomas Austin, CPA. “His dedication to both his clients and the profession perfectly exemplify the role of the CPA as a trusted advisor.”
CPAs who have fewer than 10 years of experience are eligible to be considered for the scholarship which covers the cost of attending the AICPA’s Advanced Estate Planning Conference, as well as the related travel expenses. The AICPA established the scholarship in 2010 to honor P. Thomas Austin, a CPA who chaired the Advanced Estate Planning Conference for three decades and is currently chair emeritus. Austin specializes in estate and financial planning. Formerly with Ernst & Young (now EY), he serves as a consultant to CPA firms, law firms, and professional organizations.