FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The Sam M. Walton College of Business accounting department at the University of Arkansas will honor its outstanding alumni and students at the 32nd annual Accounting Recognition Banquet tonight, April 19, at the Radisson Hotel.

The event also represents the 54th 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 2005 outstanding alumni in the areas of:

. Industry and Government — Sheila Pruitt, executive director for tax, Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group Inc., Tulsa, Okla.
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. Public Accounting — Paul Parette, partner, Audit and Enterprise Risk Services Practice, Deloitte & Touche LLP, Dallas, Texas
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Karen V. Pincus, holder of the 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 has annually recognized 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

With more than 15 years of experience, Parette has served clients in a variety of industries including petroleum refining and marketing, oil and gas exploration and production, oil and gas transportation, energy service, power generation, hospitality, publishing, Internet service providers, telematics, professional services, transportation, and manufacturing. He is a certified public accountant and is licensed to practice in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Texas. He has significant experience in Sarbanes-Oxley 404 readiness. Deloitte & Touche is one of the largest professional services firms in the United States, with offices in more than 100 cities. Parette graduated from the Walton College in1989 with a B.S.B.A. in accounting. He is an active member of the Arkansas Alumni Association and serves on the Walton College Business Alumni Advisory Board. He also serves as the recruiting coordinator for the Deloitte & Touche Dallas office for Texas A&M University and the U of A. He is active in the United Way and is a board member of Junior Achievement of North Texas.

Pruitt began her accounting career with Coopers and Lybrand as a tax associate. In 1990, Sheila joined the tax department for Mapco Inc. as a tax analyst and became a manager of federal income tax audit and tax compliance director. In 1996, she joined Dollar Rent A Car to build an internal tax department to handle all federal and state income tax, franchise tax, property tax, sales and use, and business tax compliance. Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group Inc. is a Fortune 1000 company and the parent company of Dollar Rent A Car and Thrifty Car Rental. Pruitt graduated summa cum laude from Walton College of Business in 1985 with a B.S.B.A. in accounting. She served as vice president in Beta Alpha Psi. She took masters-level taxation and accounting classes at the University of Tulsa and Oklahoma State University. She is a C.P.A. and a member of the member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She is past president of the Oklahoma/Arkansas Chapter of Tax Executives Institute and currently serves on the board of the National Corporate Tax Management Committee. She is active in the Tulsa-area Red Cross.

OUTSTANDING ACCOUNTING STUDENT AWARDS

Adi Masli is one of the two outstanding graduating seniors in the accounting department. He is from Yogyauarta, Indonesia and is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma and the departmental honors program. He has been on the chancellor’s list since 2000 and was the recipient of the Alumni Legacy Scholarship. After graduation, he will enter the Walton College master of accountancy program. Sarah Garton is the other outstanding accounting student and was previously the outstanding accounting junior. She received the James P. Modisette Endowed Scholarship and the Beta Gamma Sigma Scholarship. She is incoming president of Beta Alpha Psi, a member of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority and was in the football homecoming court in 2003. She has a summer internship with Ernst & Young and will start the Masters of Accountancy in the fall.

Kyle Stacey is the top master of accountancy graduate. He held a Chancellor’s Scholarship for four years. He is the winner of the Glezen Award and FSA MACC student of the year for this year. He is a member of Beta Alpha Psi and the Study Abroad Student Association and is involved in Big Brother and Big Sisters Organization as a big brother. After graduation, he will work for Grant Thornton in Madison, Wis.

In addition, the department will honor scholarship donors and recipients for the coming year. Student leaders from Beta Alpha Psi and National Association of Black Accountants will be recognized as well.

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. We appreciate the chance to express our appreciation to the individuals and firms providing financial support to the department and its students.”