The Illinois CPA Society (ICPAS) has named Scott D. Steffens, CPA, as the recipient of its 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award. This award is the highest honor bestowed on an ICPAS member who has demonstrated distinguished service to the Society and the accounting profession.
In being chosen for this award, the selection committee acknowledged Steffens’ extensive volunteer leadership across numerous ICPAS roles and initiatives, the lasting impact he’s had on Illinois through professional and public service, and his broad career dimensions, which saw him rise to partner in two prominent public accounting firms and serve numerous not-for-profit organizations.
Steffens graduated from DePaul University’s Strobel Honors Accountancy Program in 1989 and earned his CPA license shortly after. In 1991, he joined ICPAS and became immersed in volunteer roles with the Society, serving on countless committees, councils, task forces, and boards during the past 35 years. Steffens rose to the role of chairperson of the ICPAS Board of Directors in 2016 and held leadership roles with the CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois.
Having recently retired after more than 34 years in the profession, including 24 years as a partner at Deloitte and Grant Thornton, Steffens can look back on a distinguished career marked by leadership, service, and expertise. He remains a recognized expert in the not-for-profit sector, with a specialty in advising organizations ranging from complex international service entities and large trade associations to faith-based groups, private foundations, and cultural institutions. Today, Steffens continues to serve in board positions with several prominent Chicago-based not-for-profits. He also retains close ties and leadership roles within DePaul University Athletics, Driehaus College of Business, and School of Accountancy and Management Information Systems, and was recently elected to the DePaul University Board of Trustees. He also previously served as president of Ledger & Quill, one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious accounting alumni associations.
“Like those who’ve come before him, it’s an honor for us to recognize Scott with the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award,” says Geoffrey Brown, CAE, ICPAS president and CEO. “It’s remarkable to reflect on all that Scott has accomplished throughout his career and now in retirement. From his decades of volunteer service with our organization, to the vast professional expertise and guidance he’s shared with the not-for-profits serving our communities and the thousands of professionals he’s influenced, Scott has had a remarkable impact on the Society and the profession. He truly personifies the spirit and intent of this award.”
At the ICPAS Leader Recognition and Awards Dinner on June 18, 2026, surrounded by peers, friends, and family, Steffens reflected on those who led him to where he is today: “When I think of all the great professionals who received this recognition before me, it conjures up great memories of friends, clients, contacts, and educators that shaped my career. To be included on such an esteemed list is hard for me to comprehend.”
Now retired from public accounting, Steffens said he now gets to choose what he does and where he spends his time: “If I’m lucky, I’ll have another 34-year career. … I plan to continue to do good things for the profession, develop the next generation of our leaders, and support three of my favorite organizations where I serve on the board, and that would be DePaul University, Big Shoulders Fund, and the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago.”
Scott Steffens (center) with ICPAS Chairperson Mark Wolfgram (left) and ICPAS President and CEO Geoffrey Brown (right).
Scott Steffens speaks after receiving his Lifetime Achievement Award from the Illinois CPA Society.
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