The Illinois CPA Society announced the recipients of its 2021 Outstanding Leadership Awards, highlighting local professionals' contributions to the profession across a wide range of categories.
All winners will be formally recognized at the Leadership Recognition and Awards Dinner, to be held in Chicago later this summer.
“It’s always an honor and privilege to recognize the remarkable achievements of these diverse and dynamic individuals and the invaluable contributions they make to the CPA profession,” said ICPAS president and CEO Todd Shapiro, in a statement. “We’re truly fortunate to have such inspiring members supporting our mission of enhancing the value of the CPA profession and paving the way for future generations of CPAs to find success and make positive change throughout the profession and their communities.”
This year's ICPAS 2021 Outstanding Leadership Award recipients include:
Lifetime Achievement Award
- Sara Mikuta (Wipfli)
Women to Watch Awards
Experienced Leaders:
- Rebecca Shortridge (Northern Illinois University)
- JoAnna Simek (BKD CPAs & Advisors)
Emerging Leaders:
- Danielle Martin (Porte Brown)
- Amanda Rzepka (Berlin Packaging)
Lester H. McKeever Jr. Advancing Diversity Awards
Outstanding Leader:
- Michael Santay (Grant Thornton)
Emerging Leader:
- Charlene Rhinehart (CEO Unlimited)
Outstanding Educator Awards
- Justyna Koc (Triton College)
- Lisa Sedor (DePaul University)
- Gerald Thalmann (North Central College)
Young Professionals Leadership Award
- Lauren Smaga (Shepard, Schwartz & Harris)
Time and Talent Public Service Volunteerism Award
- Mowery & Schoenfeld
Distinguished Service Awards
- Megan Angle (Porte Brown) — Not-for-Profit Content Advisory Group
- Tony Boras (Crowe) —Governmental Report Review Committee
- Anthony Cervini (Sikich) — Governmental Report Review Committee
- Timothy Custis (Gorenz & Associates Ltd.) — Governmental Report Review Committee
- Samuel Delgado (Abbott Laboratories) — MTWW Scholars Selection Committee
- Brent DeMay (Sikich) — Employee Benefits Committee
- Matthew Geerdes (Crowe) — Governmental Report Review Committee
- Stan Green (Larry Wolfe Ltd.) — Taxation Practice and Procedures Committee
- Kathy Horton (Loyola University Chicago) — Awards Committee
- Mark Klesman (Klesman & Co.) — Peer Review Report Acceptance Committee
- Luis Plascencia (Luis V. Plascencia CPA) — Taxation Practice and Procedures Committee and Cannabis Content Advisory Group
- Deborah Rood (CNA Insurance) — Taxation Practice and Procedures Committee
- Taylor Schuck (Mueller CPA) — Cannabis Content Advisory Group
- Michael Singer (Michael J. Singer and Co.) — Taxation Practice and Procedures Committee
- Nathan Summers (Miller, Cooper & Co., Ltd.) — Cannabis Content Advisory Group
- Randall Sylvan (ret., CliftonLarsonAllen) — Ethics Committee
- Andrew VanSingel (Internal Revenue Service) — Taxation Practice and Procedures Committee
- Larry Wolfe (Larry Wolfe Ltd.) — Taxation Practice and Procedures Committee
The full list of award recipients can be found on ICPAS's
