The AICPA and Ajilon Finance, which provides accounting and financial staffing services, inducted three CPAs into the Institute’s Business & Industry Hall of Fame in October. John Morrow, AICPA vice-president for new finance; award winners Glen M. Elias and Hubert C. Maddy III; and Neil Lebovits, Ajilon president and chief operating officer. (An additional honoree was Keith L. Jones.) The awards recognized the inductees’ insight and vision, understanding of their companies, demonstrated leadership, commitment and strategic ability. Elias led CH2M HILL’s conversion to an innovative global financial system, Maddy directed Summit Financial Group’s growth and financial success and Jones established and developed St. Joe Timberland’s accounting capabilities.

Thomas J. Purcell III, CPA, became the first educator selected as the tax executive committee’s vice-chairman. He is an associate professor of accounting and a professor of law at Creighton University, where he has been a faculty member since 1979. Those holding this post generally become chairman the following October.

The AICPA management of an accounting practice (MAP) committee released in October the results of its nationwide poll of CPA firms of all sizes ( www.aicpa.org/download/news/map_top_five_2003_release.pdf ). More than 1,000 practitioners participated. For the sixth consecutive year, finding and retaining qualified staff was respondents’ top concern. Other issues they identified as crucial were succession planning and developing future firm owners, marketing and practice growth, seasonality and workload compression, fee pressure and pricing services and the new regulatory standards’ effects on smaller firms.

In November the AICPA launched its Educational Competency Assessment Web site ( www.aicpa-eca.org ), a resource accounting educators will find useful for designing courses that help students develop the skills-based competencies entry-level accountants need.

The Institute is accepting applications for the October 2004–2005 committee year. Members interested in contributing to the profession and networking with peers have until May 1 to file an application at http://volunteers.aicpa.org/apply . Additional information is available from David Ray by phone at 212-596-6030 or e-mail at committee@aicpa.org .

The Institute invites state CPA societies and individuals to nominate accounting educators for the 2004 AICPA Distinguished Achievement in Accounting Education Award, which recognizes full-time college accounting educators who excel in teaching and are nationally prominent in the profession. Nominations are due February 1. More information on eligibility requirements and the nominating process, as well as application forms, are available at www.aicpa.org/members/div/career/edu/laaea.htm .

For the first time, the AICPA tax section’s annual Tax Practice Guides & Checklists CD will contain a full year’s worth of The Tax Adviser (TTA) . The CD, which is sent automatically to tax section members each year, will include the January–December 2003 issues of TTA in Adobe Acrobat format. Information on joining the tax section is available at www.cpa2biz.com/CS2000/Products/CPA2BIZ/ .

At the fall council meeting, CPA2Biz reported that for the year ended July 31, 2003, its operating loss narrowed 90.5% to $3.2 million from $33.8 million ( www.cpa2biz.com/Corp/Press+Releases/ ). In addition, based on revenues of more than $14 million, CPA2Biz projects a break-even cash flow for the year ending July 31, 2004.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Import Administration seeks CPAs with two or more years’ public accounting experience to perform cost-of-production investigations of foreign manufacturers. The starting salary ranges from $58,070 to $75,492. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and proficient in GAAP, GAAS and manufacturers’ cost-accounting systems. Resumes should be faxed to 202-482-4795 or e-mailed to Accounting_Office@ita.doc.gov .

Stuart Kessler, CPA, a partner of Goldstein Golub Kessler LLP and former AICPA chairman, receives the 2003 Gold Medal for Distinguished Service—the Institute’s highest award—from AICPA President and CEO Barry C. Melancon (right) and past chairman William F. Ezzell during the fall council meeting. Kessler also performed many other activities for the AICPA, including serving as chairman of its personal financial planning executive committee. Currently he is chairman of ISO technical committee 222, which is developing international standards for personal financial planners.