Last week, at Little America Hotel, the Utah Association of Certified Public Accountants (UACPA) recognized nine Utah accounting professionals for outstanding service in the field at the UACPA annual meeting and awards luncheon. 

“Through our annual awards, we recognize accountants who have made an enduring commitment to the UACPA, shown leadership, demonstrated professional excellence and made personal sacrifices to further the field,” said Carey D. Woolsey, CPA, UACPA president. “Today we are proud to honor accountants for showing leadership at an early stage, educating the next generation and serving as role models for other female accountants in a male-dominated field. Most touching of all, we would like to thank two of our retired members for giving a lifetime of service.”  

The UACPA Annual Award winners for 2010:

Distinguished Service Award

Salt Lake City resident, Paul Mendenhall was awarded the UACPA’s “Distinguished Service Award.” Mendenhall currently serves as the chairman of the Utah CPA Foundation, a non-profit corporation begun by the UACPA to provide support for activities that promote accounting education and financial literacy. He also served as president of the UACPA in 1993. He is the team leader for Wells Fargo’s Real Estate Banking group and a 34-year member of the UACPA.

Outstanding CPA in Public Practice

Bryan Bolander is the recipient of the “Outstanding CPA in Public Practice” award. He is a partner in Van Tienderen, Carter and Bolander, and served as the UACPA president in 2006. A 31-year UACPA member, Bolander has been active in the foundation’s Financial Literacy Task Force. He and his family reside in Salt Lake City.

Outstanding CPA in Business and Management

UACPA presented the “Outstanding CPA in Business & Management” award to Kent Thomas. Thomas is the founder and CEO of a company called CFO Solutions and is a five time member of v-Spring Capitol V-100. The Utah Technology Council recognized him as the CFO of the year in 2009. The 29-year UACPA member served as the organization’s secretary from 2007 to 2009. He lives with his family in Salt Lake City.

Outstanding Educator

Sheldon Smith is UACPA’s “Outstanding Educator” for 2010. The prolific researcher and author is a professor of accounting at Utah Valley University. He previously served as the Chair of the Accounting Department and later the Dean of the School of Business at BYU-Hawaii. This 23-year UACPA member has also been honored by the UVU Alumni Association as an Outstanding Educator in 2009 and received the UVSC Faculty Excellence Award in 2008. He is also active in the American Accounting Association, Western Decision Sciences Institute and the Institute of Management Accountants. He resides in Provo.

Rising Star

Kandice Lambert, recent graduate of the University of Utah’s Master of Accountancy program, is UACPA’s “Rising Star.” This award is given to someone on the path to becoming a CPA who demonstrates leadership through work with UACPA’s ProNet Council which links young business professionals with established CPAs. Lambert served as the Student Campus Ambassador during the 2009 school year and has been a member of UACPA for the past year. She works in Orem and resides in Salt Lake City.

Life Member

The UACPA granted “Life Membership” to two retired members, who were selected because of the magnitude of their contributions and their length of service to the association and to the CPA profession.

Sidney Gilbert was recognized for his enduring membership in the UACPA for the past 52 years and his long standing dedication to the CPA profession. He founded Gilbert & Stewart in Utah County in 1974. In 1979, he chaired the association’s State and Local Government Conference Task Force and also served on the Utah State Board of Accountancy. He lives in Provo.

Charles Johnson, a 46-year UACPA member, also received the “Lifetime Membership” award. He served as the President of the Huntsman Cancer Foundation, Acting Secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Assistant Secretary for Resources and Technology for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He also worked as CFO for the Environmental Protection Agency. He held the following positions with the UACPA: Federal Key Person, Strategic Planning Chair and American Institute of CPA’s Council Representative. Johnson lives in Salt Lake City.

Women to Watch - Emerging Leader

Lori Reay is being honored as an “Emerging Leader” among women in the accounting profession. She is a five-year UACPA member who works with the non-profit Kids on the Move and the Utah Chapter of Women in Insurance and Financial Services. Reay was chosen because of her excellent communication skills and special training in retirement planning. She lives in Pleasant Grove.

Women to Watch - Experienced Leader

Susan Speirs was chosen as an “Experienced Leader” for women in the accounting profession. Speirs is a 22-year UACPA member, who has served the organization as president in 2004, and is currently a member of the Leadership Council. She helped develop the Financial Literacy Task Force, and has also served on the council for the American Institute of CPAs. Speirs resides in Kaysville.