AICPA Honors Six Professionals with 2022 Outstanding Young CPA Award

The (AICPA) has recognized six practicing CPAs with the 2022 AICPA Outstanding Young CPA Award in Honor of Maximo Mukelabai. The announcement will be made on the Young CPA Network Facebook page.

The annual award, now in its eleventh year, recognizes CPAs under age 40 who personify a commitment to the profession, as demonstrated through successful practices and involvement in and contributions to the interest of the accounting profession. This is the second year in which more than one person was selected for the honor.

“These individuals have done incredible work to help develop and spread the passion for the accounting profession,” said, Crystal Cooke, Director – Diversity & Inclusion for the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (Association), representing AICPA & CIMA. “Their leadership and resiliency through these transitional years have been inspirational to those around them. They have engaged with communities in a multitude of ways, ranging from hosting leadership workshops to advancing diversity and inclusion in the profession to mentoring high school and even elementary school students. These individuals truly embody what the Young CPA Award is meant to recognize.”

Recipients of the 2022 Outstanding Young CPA Awards are:

David Almonte, CPA, CGMA, Financial Reporting & Analysis Senior Manager, Amica Mutual Insurance Company, Lincoln, R.I. David is a 2013 graduate of the AICPA Leadership Academy. He has since served on several national and local committees and boards, in addition to creating a nonprofit in 2017. His passion for creating a more inclusive, dynamic and better prepared professional environment is evident throughout his life.

Favor Lee, CPA, Director of Business Development at EisnerAmper, Dallas, Texas Favor has been an active member of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants TXCPA and TXCPA Dallas for the last several years. As the current business & industry (B&I) committee chair for TXCPA Dallas she has demonstrated resourcefulness and agility during the COVID pandemic, being able to pivot from larger, less frequent CPE events to more frequent Behind the Scenes events. She has a passion for diversity, equity and inclusion and believes that giving back to her community is a way to say thank you for the opportunities she’s been given.

Dr. Adrian L. Mayse, CPA, Department Chair and Associate Professor of Accounting at Howard University, Washington, D.C. Dr. Mayse has shown his dedication and passion for growing the accounting profession throughout his career. He is devoted to bringing the accounting profession to the forefront for children and young adults and has even published his own children’s book “When I Grow Up, I Want To Be… An Accountant”. He is committed to increasing diversity in the accounting profession through awareness, engagement, recruitment, retention, and advancement efforts.

Kenneth Omoruyi, M.Tax, EA, CPA, Managing Partner at CKO CPAs & Advisors, Houston, Texas Kenneth has demonstrated passion and leadership throughout his career. His passion and mission are to help others achieve financial literacy as well as helping marginalized communities achieve financial freedom. He uses education to help empower people by informing them about areas of tax planning that can help them achieve their financial goals. He is passionate about bringing more diversity into the accounting profession.

Alexandria Romero, CPA, MPAcc, Chief Financial Officer Pueblo City-County Library District, Pueblo, Colo. Alexandria is a 2019 graduate of the AICPA Leadership Academy. Throughout her career she has served in many roles in which she has shown leadership, accountability and agility. She has served as Vice Chair of the Young Member Leadership Committee and received numerous awards and recognitions for her work and volunteer efforts. She is committed to connecting and helping young professionals within the accounting profession realize their full potential as well as their ability to give back to the profession.

Dr. Sean Stein Smith, CPA, CMA, Professor at City University of New York – Lehman College, New York, N.Y. Dr. Smith has received many awards and recognitions for his volunteer efforts. He has used his professional abilities to help motivate and educate the future leaders of the profession. He believes that through volunteering and speaking about the profession in an open a collaborative environment we can enrich ourselves and others and this helps the profession to grow and become stronger.

The AICPA created this award to honor the legacy of Maximo Mukelabai, a member of the inaugural class of the AICPA Leadership Academy and the youngest chair of the North Carolina Association of CPAs Board of Directors. Tragically, his life was cut short at age 36.

The eligibility criteria to apply for the Maximo Mukelabai award are:

Holding the CPA license and being between the ages of 22 and 40
Being a regular voting member of the AICPA
Promoting the CPA profession
Volunteering in activities that advance the accounting profession
Participating in community-based organizations that improve people’s lives

To be considered for the award, candidates submitted applications and details on their volunteer history, along with professional reference forms from peers, employers, and state CPA societies. A task force of young CPAs then reviewed all qualified nominations to determine the winners.

Questions on the nomination process may be directed to Diversity@aicpa.org. The application period for the 2023 award will begin this summer.

More information is available at www.aicpa.org/YoungCPAAward.

CPAs and accounting professionals looking to develop their skills and take the next step in their career are encouraged to register for the EDGE Career Development conference June 7 – 9, part of AICPA & CIMA ENGAGE 2022.

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