The AICPA Governmental Audit Quality Center (GAQC) recently celebrated its one-year anniversary. Its more than 450 members—from every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands—audited approximately 77% of the federal expenditures covered in single audits CPA firms performed in 2003, the most recent year for which complete data exist. Membership information is available at www.aicpa.org/GAQC for firms that perform audits of governmental, not-for-profit or certain for-profit organizations under Government Auditing Standards or single audits.

The 2005 Arthur J. Dixon Memorial Award, the profession’s highest recognition for achievement in the area of taxation, was presented to Paul Farber, CPA) by Jeffrey R. Hoops, CPA, vice-chair of the tax executive committee, at the AICPA National Conference on Federal Taxes held in Washington, D.C. Farber, an attorney and principal of Eisner LLP, has practiced in international taxation for more than four decades and served as an AICPA volunteer and leader for 32 years on the Tax Executive, Tax Policy and Tax Simplification committees, the Taxation of Foreign Source Income, Financial Services Industry Taxation, Taxation of Partnerships, Tax Accounting, Taxation of Special Entities & Industries subcommittees and the Consolidated Returns and Earnings and Profits task forces.

In recognition of their professional achievements, 11 CPAs won the first Women to Watch Award, cosponsored by the AICPA’s Work/Life and Women’s Initiatives Executive Committee, the Illinois CPA Society and the New Mexico Society of CPAs. Illinois winners in the Experienced Leader category were Terri Bobek, partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Chicago; Debra Hopkins, professor of accounting, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb; Karen Kurek, managing director, RSM McGladrey, Schaumberg; and Judith Meguire, Chicago director of tax practice, American Express Tax & Business Services. The Emerging Leader was Laura Thonn, manager, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Chicago.

All New Mexico winners were from Albuquerque. The Experienced Leaders honored were Rosane “Bobbye” Hayes, partner, Accounting & Consulting Group; Barbara Lewis, shareholder and audit department head, Atkinson & Co. Ltd.; Kimberly Nunley, managing partner, Grant Thornton LLP; Cynthia Reinhart, managing partner, KPMG LLP; and Judith A. Wagner, director, litigation and valuation services, Meyners + Company. The Emerging Leader was Suzette Longfellow, senior manager, KPMG LLP.

Robert Half International Inc. will award a sponsorship in each winner’s name to the school of her choice. For information on the program and winners, visit www.aicpa.org/worklife , www.icpas.org and www.nmscpa.org .

More than half of all accounting graduates in the United States are women,” said AICPA Chair Leslie Murphy, speaking in Chicago at the first Women’s Summit, held on October 11 by the AICPA Work/Life & Women’s Initiatives Executive Committee and sponsored by Robert Half International. “So this summit gathered firm managing partners, human resources professionals and female CPAs to share ideas and devise strategies for retaining and advancing women in the profession.”

Conference sessions focused on overcoming barriers to women’s advancement, variations in leadership style, staff recruitment and retention techniques and effective mentoring. For more information, go to www.aicpa.org/worklife .

Three CPAs—Clark Blackman II, Ralph Kauten and Jean Trainor—were inducted by the Institute and Ajilon Finance into the AICPA Business & Industry Hall of Fame in recognition of their strategic insight, business expertise and leadership skills.

Blackman, managing director and chief investment officer of Investec Advisory Group LP, is a widely recognized financial adviser, author, educator and volunteer. Trainor, CEO and president of John Deere Community Credit Union since 1990, quintupled its assets to more than $1 billion. Kauten, board chairman, president and CEO of Quintessence Biosciences Inc., has founded several successful biotechnology companies and is a proponent of ethical and employee-friendly business practices. Presenting the awards were John Morrow, AICPA vice-president for new finance, and Neil S. Lebovits, CPA, president and COO of Ajilon Finance, which provides accounting and financial staffing services.