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Accounting

AICPA Honors Rich Caturano and Paul Stahlin with Gold Medals of Distinction

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The American Institute of CPAs has announced Richard (Rich) Caturano, CPA, CGMA, and Paul Stahlin, CPA, CGMA, as recipients of the 2020 AICPA Gold Medal Award of Distinction.

The Gold Medal is the highest honor granted by the AICPA. Since 1944, it has been bestowed upon CPAs whose influence on the accounting profession has been especially notable. Jack Finning, CPA, CGMA, and chair of the AICPA awards committee, presented Caturano and Stahlin with their award during the virtual fall meeting of AICPA’s governing Council.

“Rich and Paul have had incredible careers and a tremendous impact on the profession and AICPA,” said Finning. “Rich has worked tirelessly to enhance diversity and inclusion within the profession, while Paul played an integral role in establishing the joint venture between the AICPA and Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), building a more global profession.”

Caturano served a variety of volunteer positions within the profession and AICPA before stepping up as board chair in 2012 and helping to establish the National Commission on Diversity and Inclusion. The commission works to influence the accounting profession to make diversity and inclusion a priority area in recruitment, certification, and advancement.

He also founded Vitale, Caturano and Company, and grew the firm to be one of the 40 largest in the U.S. before merging with RSM US LLP in 2010. During his career, he has been a board member of Baker Tilly International and Boston Fed Bancorp, Inc. Caturano is a former CEO of Baker Tilly North America and is currently a partner at RSM, serving as the firm’s national leader of culture, diversity and inclusion.

In 2018, the National Association of Black Accountants recognized Caturano with the National Achievement in Public Accounting Award.

Stahlin has spent more than two decades volunteering within the profession and AICPA, serving on a variety of task forces and committees before taking over as chair in 2010. Throughout his time, he has proven himself to be a far-seeing leader of the profession, helping launch the CPA Vision Project in the 1990s and updating the CPA Horizons 2025 project. Moreover, he was integral in establishing ties between the AICPA and CIMA, which ultimately led to the creation of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, the world’s leading body of professional accountants.

Stahlin started his career with PWC, then known as Price Waterhouse & Co., and then advanced to executive leadership positions including corporate controller at Summit Bancorp, chief financial officer and executive vice president at Fleet Credit Card Services, president and CEO at Somerset Valley Bank, a subsidiary of Fulton Financial Corporation, and president of Skyland Community Bank. He retired in 2014.

The Michigan Society of CPAs presented Stahlin with the Distinguished Citizen of the Year Award for Somerset County, and Montclair State University recognized him with the Carpe Diem and Distinguished Alumni awards.

A list of previous recipients is available on AICPA’s website.