Arey Jhang from Bauknight Pietras & Stormer, P.A. selected as one of only 38 to AICPA’s 2017 Leadership Academy
July 21, 2017
Ms. Arey Jhang was one of only 38 CPAs in the United States honored by the American Institute of CPAs (“AICPA”) as a member of the Leadership Academy’s ninth graduating class. Based on her exceptional leadership skills and professional experience, Arey was selected for the four-day Leadership Academy program to be held Oct. 1-5 in Durham, N.C.
Arey is an Audit Supervisor at Bauknight Pietras & Stormer, P.A. (“BPS”), and a trilingual accounting professional who speaks English, Mandarin Chinese and Taiwanese. She joined BPS in 2013 after receiving a master’s degree in accountancy, with a concentration in business measurement and assurance, from the University of South Carolina. Originally from Taiwan, Arey earned her Bachelor of Laws degree from National Taiwan University, a top-ranking university worldwide. She serves clients in the telecommunications, insurance and manufacturing industries, and works the U.S.-based subsidiaries of Chinese companies.
“This is a well-deserved honor for Arey. She is a valuable member of our audit team and we are very proud of her,” said Ken Bauknight, managing shareholder of the firm.
The AICPA Leadership Academy was designed to strengthen and expand the leadership skills of promising young professionals while they network with a peer group of talented and motivated CPAs. The Leadership Academy will feature career-development workshops and sessions with some of the accounting profession’s most prominent influencers, including Kimberly Ellison-Taylor, CPA, CGMA, chairman of the American Institute of CPAs and Association of Certified Professional Accountants; Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA, American Institute of CPAs president and CEO, Association of Certified Professional Accountants CEO; and Mark Koziel, CPA, CGMA, Executive Vice President – Firm Services, Association of Certified Professional Accountants.
Participants are selected from public accounting firms of all sizes, business and industry, education and government. The 2017 class contains a diverse range of ethnicities and is split evenly between women and men.
The 2017 Leadership Academy attendees were recommended by their employers, state CPA societies or both. Candidates submitted resumes which included work history, licensure information, awards and honors, professional volunteer activities and community service. Candidates also submitted a statement explaining how participating in the Leadership Academy would impact them personally and professionally, and wrote an essay on the topic: “What leadership competencies and characteristics will be essential to successfully lead and advance the CPA profession in 2025?”
To date, more than 270 CPAs have participated in the AICPA Leadership Academy, many of whom have gone on to take on leadership positions in their firms, businesses and volunteer organizations.
More information about the AICPA Leadership Academy is available online.
Bauknight Pietras & Stormer, P.A.
Bauknight Pietras & Stormer, P.A. (“BPS”) was founded in 1991 when several former “Big Four” CPAs decided to establish their own firm in Columbia. Focused on providing business, financial and tax solutions to businesses and wealthy individuals, BPS offers an experienced, innovative and independent CPA firm immersed in national, state and local business issues. Today, the Firm has over 60 team members located in South Carolina, Illinois, Tennessee and Vermont.
An industry-niche-focused growth strategy has helped to propel BPS to its current position among the Southeast’s premier accounting and consulting firms. From insurance, to trusts and estates, to real estate, to telecommunications and technology, to manufacturing and distribution, the Firm has 10 full-service industry teams focused on meeting the specific needs of clients throughout the United States and international clients doing business in the U.S.
For more information about the firm’s niche industry practices and our team of professionals, visit www.bpscpas.com.
