AAA Presents Distinguished Service Awards at NPMC

The Association for Accounting Administration presented three Distinguished Service Awards during its National Practice Management Conference in San Diego in late June 2014.  This is the highest honor the Association bestows for those leading the efforts to elevate firm management throughout the profession.  These individuals have made an outstanding contribution to AAA and the profession and have served as a resource and example to our current and future members. The award is awarded at the discretion of the board of directors and only seven individuals have received the award prior to 2014 in the Association's 30 years.

Cecelia Chaney was a member from 1990 until she retired from Squire Lemkin & Company in Rockville, Maryland in 2013 and is a recipient of a Distinguished Service Award from the Association.  Cecelia was instrumental in the growth and success of the Washington DC Chapter as well as supporting the Baltimore and Central Virginia Chapters.  Her passion for the role of Firm Administrator has never waivered and she has been one of the Association's most influential recruiters. Cecelia couldn’t be with the group in San Diego as she was entertaining her family in the DC area but said, "I am so surprised and grateful for the Distinguished Service Award.  As many before me have said and many after me will say, I received more from AAA than I gave.  I felt I had my fingers on the heartbeat of the CPA profession, I found lessons in leadership and most of all I have life-long friends who will be with me far beyond retirement.  By the way, my advice is to retire sooner than later because retirement is more than it's cracked up to be!  Thank you so much!"  Accepting on Cecelia's behalf was former co-worker and one of those life-long friends, Kim Fitzgerald of Squire Lemkin & Company.

Jim Metzler, CPA, CGMA, CITP, retired from the AICPA in early 2014 was the Vice President of Small Firm Interests for the Institute and received an AAA Distinguished Service Award. In this role, he led AICPA initiatives aimed at serving the needs of practitioners, including the activities of the Private Companies Practice Section (PCPS) as well as the Institute’s specialized communities and accreditations. One of those initiatives was the establishment of AAA’s partnership with the PCPS which has continued to grow with several key programs and collaborations.  He also served as an advocate for small firms on standard setting, legislative matters and practice issues and as liaison between the AICPA and its member firms, many of which are also AAA member firms. Jim was frequently named as one of the The Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting and spent more than 37 years working with small firms. Prior to joining the AICPA, he was a co-founder of Convergence Coaching, LLC, a national consulting firm dedicated to helping CPA prosper by assisting them to develop and implement success plans.  While retired from the AICPA, Jim continues his efforts in promoting the success of firms through consulting efforts as Founder of Metzler Advisory Group LLC.  Jim noted that the first time he spoke publicly was at the AICPA's Firm Administrator's Conference before the Association for Accounting Administration and the friendships and experiences that grew from there propelled him on a journey in the profession that he couldn't have imagined. 

Jennifer Wilson, a co-founder and partner of ConvergenceCoaching, LLC, a national leadership and marketing consulting firm dedicated to helping leaders achieve success received a Distinguished Service Award. Named as one of Accounting Today’s 100 Most Influential People in Accounting, INSIDE Public Accounting’s Top 10 Most Recommended Consultants, and CPA Practice  Advisor’s Top 25 Thought Leaders and Most Powerful Women in Accounting, Jennifer has worked in both the public accounting and IT development sectors before co-founding ConvergenceCoaching, LLC.  She has lent her experience and expertise to the Association more than a dozen times over recent years as a speaker, author and facilitator and most recently she led the organization through its strategic planning process, developing a plan to lead the organization for the next five years.  She has taken AAA's Human Resources Fly-In, an annual eight-hour course to new levels and has continually supported the Association's mission and delivered AAA's message to firms throughout the country. Jennifer is a member of the New Horizon Group, CPA Consultants’ Alliance, and Accountants’ Global Advisory Panel, all forums for leading consultants to the accounting profession. She is a regular guest columnist and blogger for Accounting Today, Accounting Tomorrow, and AICPA CPA Insider with many recently published articles on leadership, partner programs, people management, and business development.

The Association for Accounting Administration (AAA) is a recognized leader in CPA firm practice management delivering valuable education and collaboration opportunities for those interested in elevating their practice and strategically growing their firms.