FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The Sam M. Walton College of Business accounting department at the University of Arkansas will honor its outstanding alumni and students at its 29^th annual Accounting Recognition Banquet tonight at the Clarion Inn.

The event also represents the 51^th anniversary of the founding of the Alpha Iota chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, the accounting honorary society on the University of Arkansas campus.

The accounting department will recognize its 2002 outstanding alumni in the areas of Government - Daniel G. Kyle, legislative auditor for the State of Louisiana; Education - J. Marion Posey, professor of accounting, Pace University, New York City; and Public Accounting - Barbara Yates, partner, BKD, LLP, Little Rock.

Karen V. Pincus, S. Robson Walton Chair in Accounting and chair of the accounting department, said, "The things taught in college are not the end of learning, but the preparation for a lifetime of learning. Since 1977, the department annually recognizes the accomplishments of some of our outstanding alumni who, after completing their UA education, have continued to grow and learn. These alumni provide excellent role models and exemplify the very essence of what we are trying to teach our students."

ACCOUNTING ALUMNI AWARDS

Kyle was selected Louisiana’s third Legislative auditor by a unanimous vote of both houses in 1989, and he was the first to be a certified public accountant. A native of Arkansas, he received his doctorate in accounting from the UA College of Business Administration and then went on to serve on the faculty of Oklahoma State University, Tulane University, and Louisiana State University. His honors and extracurricular activities are numerous, as well as his collection of authored and published works covering a variety of topics.

His professional and public commitment is reflected in his membership in the Society of Louisiana Certified Public Accountants; the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; the American Accounting Association; the Government Finance Officers Association; the Association of Government Accountants; the National Association of State Auditors; the Southwest Intergovernmental Audit Forum; the National Intergovernmental Audit Forum; and the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers, and Treasurers. Kyle is a former president of the Southwest Intergovernmental Audit Forum and a former president of the National State Auditors Association. He is currently serving on the U.S. General Accounting Office’s Domestic Working Group and on the executive committee of the Southwest Intergovernmental Audit Forum.

Posey is a native of Arkansas and received his undergraduate, graduate and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Arkansas. He has been on the faculty at Pace University for nearly 18 years. Prior to that time he served for five years as national director of tax for the national offices of Touche Ross (now Deloitte & Touche). He has served as faculty advisor to the Pace chapter of Beta Alpha Psi from its inception in 1995 until last year when he was elected to the National Board as Atlantic Coast regional director. The National Advisory Forum of Beta Alpha Psi named him Accountant of the Year in Education in 1998.

Prior to his tenure at Touche Ross, he taught at the University of Alabama for 11 years where he was Outstanding Faculty Advisor to the Alpha Beta Chapter of Beta Alpha Psi. In 2001, the Gender Issues Section of the American Accounting Association presented Posey with an honorable mention award for his lifetime record of mentoring women accountants. Posey has received the Pace University teaching excellence award and was the first recipient of its distinguished service award. Posey is a certified public accountant and a member of the Alabama and the Arkansas State Society of CPAs as well as the American Institute of CPAs. He has authored and taught professional development courses for the AICPA.

Yates graduated from the UA College of Business Administration with BSBA in accounting in 1970. She has been in public accounting for almost 32 years and worked for international CPA firms in Tulsa and Los Angeles before returning to Arkansas. She founded an accounting firm in Little Rock in 1975 and merged with Baird Kurtz & Dobson where she became the first female partner in 1983. Her areas of practice include retail business systems, business finance, fringe benefit planning, estate and personal financial planning, and small business start-up as well as regulatory accounting and reporting for federal election campaigns. She was a former weekly tax columnist for Arkansas Democrat and Arkansas Gazette. She has taught taxation at the university level and makes technical presentations to local and national groups. Professional service has included appointments to the board of examiners responsible for producing the uniform CPA examination and to the regulatory Arkansas Board of Accountancy.

She has served on numerous advisory and fund-raising committees for the University of Arkansas, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and Arkansas Tech University. She is currently a member of the Walton College Campaign Committee for the Twenty-First Century. She also serves on the Arkansas Tech University School of Business Advisory Board. Professional leadership activities currently include the Arkansas Executive Forum sponsored by the Walton College and the Arkansas Women’s Leadership Forum. Professional memberships include the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Arkansas Society of Certified Public Accountants. She was listed annually among the Top 100 Business Women in Arkansas by Arkansas Business.

OUTSTANDING ACCOUNTING STUDENT AWARDS

Pincus will recognize Erin Burris and Tiffany Woolley as 2002 Outstanding Accounting Students. Burris is the daughter of Marion and Michael Burris of Malvern. She is a Chancellor’s Scholar. She was an Outstanding Junior in Accounting and received the accounting department’s James P. Modisette Award in 2001. She is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, treasurer for Beta Alpha Psi, and treasurer for Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority. She was a volunteer for the AARP’s Voluntary Income Tax Assistance.

Woolley is the daughter of Judy and Rodney Woolley of Tulsa, Okla. She is also the Walton College’s Outstanding Graduating Senior and a UA First-Ranked Senior Scholar. Woolley recently won the SEC’s H. Boyd McWhorter Postgraduate Fellowship. She is a Chancellor’s Scholar. She is a member of the Lady Razorback Softball Team. In 2001, she was on the First Team Verizon Academic All American and received the Most Valuable Player award. She is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma and was the SEC H. Boyd McWhorter Scholarship finalist.

Upon graduation, she will study for the masters of accountancy program at the University of Arkansas. The Outstanding Master of Accountancy student is David Schmill. He is the son of Glenna and Richard Schmill of Springdale. He graduated from the Walton College Magna Cum Laude, with B.S.B.A. in accounting in May 2001. He was awarded a graduate assistantship in the Master of Accountancy Program. He is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma and served Beta Alpha Psi as reporting secretary. Upon graduation, he will move to Little Rock and work for Erwin and Company and sit for CPA Exam in November.

Pincus said, "This awards ceremony also provides recent graduates and friends of the department an opportunity to visit with our faculty and students and learn of some of our accomplishments for the past year. As well, we have a chance to express our appreciation to the individuals and firms providing financial support to the department and its students."