I was ecstatic when Barry Melancon, my longtime colleague and friend, called me to share the incredible news: I was going to receive the AICPA® Gold Medal Award of Distinction. It was a moment that made me reflect on my nearly 50 years as a member of our esteemed profession and all the remarkable opportunities and experiences it has granted me.
Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to have had many interesting and rewarding roles — as an auditor, consultant and in various senior positions as a partner at one of the major accounting firms, as a member and chair of professional committees, as a standard setter, as a board member and audit committee chair of companies and foundations. I’ve had the privilege of teaching, crafting many articles, authoring and co-authoring several books, and speaking at major conferences. It’s enabled me to work with many organizations and wonderful people and participate in some of the major developments that have shaped our profession, reporting and the capital markets over the past three decades, both in the U.S. and internationally.
The Gold Medal Award of Distinction also led me to ponder that, in a way, my career has come full circle with two gold medals bookending it. The first, the gold medal I received as part of the Elijah Watt Sells Award (Massachusetts) from the AICPA, for excellence in the Uniform CPA Exam, came early in my journey. Now, after many years, the AICPA Gold Medal crowns my accomplishments.
After delving into the history of the AICPA Gold Medal Award and perusing the list of previous recipients, I felt an overwhelming sense of pride in joining their ranks. These luminaries are outstanding professionals, some of whom I’ve been privileged to know and whose wisdom I’ve deeply benefited from. The names include Philip Defliese, Donald Kirk, Dennis Beresford, James Leisenring, Robert Mednick, Robert Elliott, William Ezzell, David Walker, Gary Previts, Olivia Kirtley and Paul Stahlin. They paved the path for individuals like me to carve out our legacies.
As my thoughts unraveled, I couldn’t help but think of my family — my wife, Louise, our children and our grandkids. Their unwavering support and encouragement have always been my greatest source of strength and satisfaction in life.
It has been an astounding 50 years, and I look forward to future challenges. We are all part of an exceptional profession that serves clients and the public interest with knowledge, skill and unwavering objectivity. Our responsibility is to ensure its legacy by attracting new generations to our field and serving as beacons of truth and integrity in a world that sometimes seems mired in disinformation and polarization. Together, we can uphold the values that make our profession truly great.