Left to right: Megan Staley (Kaiser Consulting), Mike Hemsath (P&G), Maureen Westrick (Nationwide), Erik Rosenfeld (P&G), Jenny Harves (Western & Southern), Beth Carlton (Progressive Insurance), Ying Lee (Grant Thornton), [back] Chris Linck (Forvis Mazurs), Paul Gohr (Mobile Infrastructure), Paige Haviland (NABA Miami Chapter), Bob Guido (PwC), Annie Farrell (Miami University), [front] Chrissy Walters (American Greetings), [back] Bob Woolman (Scotts Miracle-Gro), Jay Moeller (RSM), Lauren Roberts (Cincinnati Public Schools), Matt Bratton (Victoria’s Secret), Jen Burgas (Fifth Third Bank), VaLanDria Smith-Lash (Coarse Culture)
The Accountancy Advisory Group (AAG) met on September 26–27 to continue working on ways to strengthen the Department of Accountancy in several areas, including building alumni connections, opportunities for student organizations to work with the business sector, and attracting more students to the accountancy major in light of the industry’s larger efforts to remove barriers towards CPA qualification. Members of the Department of Economics Advisory Board also joined in Friday to network with the AAG members.
The group welcomed new members Matt Bratton, VP of internal audit at Victoria’s Secret, and Megan Staley, director of client service at Kaiser Consulting. Farmer School of Business Director of Development Mike Siman led a brainstorming session on ways to engage with and gain support from accountancy alumni. Accountancy student organization leaders Madi Anderson (Women in Accounting), Joe Folzenlogen (Beta Alpha Psi), and Paige Haviland (National Association of Black Accountants) led small-group discussions to exchange ideas with the AAG members on how the student organizations and businesses can work together in career development.
The group also met the Accountancy Executive-in-Residence, VaLanDria Smith-Lash, Founder of Coarse Culture, a skin care company that is headquartered at Miami University’s Lee and Rosemary Fisher Innovation College@Elm. Smith-Lash will be working with accountancy classes to give students the opportunity to apply their financial accounting skills in a real-world setting.
The meeting concluded with discussions on strengthening the AAG charter and membership, curriculum and department updates, and upcoming events the AAG members are invited to join. The next AAG meeting is scheduled for April 10–11, 2025.