OK, this is just getting ridiculous. It used to be the 10 best CPA exam performers in the entire country and this year's list features FIFTY-FIVE individuals. Is this like in elementary school when everyone on the Little Kickers soccer team got a trophy even if they warmed the bench the entire season or, worse, were great at making goals but only for the other team?
Last year there were 39, 37 in 2011, and 19 in 2010. I shot an email to my pal over at the AICPA to ask WTF but in the meantime as I await a reply, here are your 55 winners for 2013:
The individuals listed below are the 2013 Sells Award winners in alphabetical order, followed by their state board of accountancy affiliation, education and present employer:
- Ryan Curt Ballestero (Idaho), a graduate of Brigham Young University with a BS in Accounting and a Master of Accountancy, is employed with Deloitte in Boise.
- Bill Bartholomew (Texas), a graduate of Texas Christian University with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master in Accounting, is employed with KPMG in Fort Worth.
- Olivia Lauran Bischoff (Massachusetts), a graduate of Westfield State University with a BS in Business Management and an MS in Accountancy, is employed with Westfield State University in Westfield.
- Adam David Brawley (North Carolina), a graduate of UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School with a BS in Business Administration and a Master of Accounting, is employed with KPMG in Charlotte.
- Bradley P. Canino (New York), a graduate of Le Moyne College with a BS in Accounting and an MBA, is employed with PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York City.
- Nathan Chivers (Minnesota), a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Accountancy, is employed with Ernst & Young in Minneapolis.
- Jonathan Cohen (New York), a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Master of Accounting, is employed with Deloitte in New York City.
- Charles Salvatore Costanzo II (Connecticut), a graduate of California State University, Fullerton with an MS in Accounting, is employed with Ernst & Young in Stamford.
- Grant M. Daffin (Minnesota), a graduate of the University of Minnesota with a Masters in Accountancy, is employed with Ernst & Young in Tulsa.
- Patrick Ditter (New York), a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Accountancy, is employed with KPMG in New York City.
- Cody S. Domasky (Pennsylvania), a graduate of Pennsylvania State University with a BS in Accounting and a Masters in Accounting, is employed with the Governmental Accounting Standards Board in Norwalk, Connecticut.
- Ryan K. Eidson (California), with a Certificate in Accounting from UC Berkeley, University Extension, is employed with Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Napa.
- Michael J. Finkel (New York), a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Accountancy, is employed with Goldman Sachs in New York City.
- Ashley Dawn Frambach (California), a graduate of the University of British Columbia with a Diploma in Accounting, is employed with Deloitte in San Francisco.
- Adam Fraser (California), with a Certificate in Accounting from UCLA Extension, is employed with Transom Capital Group in Los Angeles.
- Patrick K. Griffin (North Carolina), a graduate of Appalachian State University with an MS in Accounting, is employed with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Charlotte.
- Joseph Guthrie (Georgia), a graduate of Auburn University with a BSBA in Accounting and a Master of Accountancy, is employed with Cherry Bekaert in Atlanta.
- Justin Gwizdala (Michigan), a graduate of Michigan State University with a BA in Accounting, is starting a position in August 2014 with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Chicago, Illinois.
- Bridget Shiyu Han (Missouri), a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis with a Master of Accounting, is employed with Ernst & Young in Clayton.
- Jiayi Han (Texas), a graduate of Texas A&M University with an MS in Accounting, is employed with MaloneBailey in Houston.
- Caleb Benjamin Harris (Missouri), a graduate of Southwest Baptist University with a BS in Accounting and Economics/Finance, is employed with BKD in Springfield.
- Nicholas P. Hertel (Pennsylvania), a graduate of Pennsylvania State University with a BS in Accounting and a Master of Accounting, is employed with Grant Thornton in Philadelphia.
- Ruoqing Huang (California), a graduate of the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Business Administration, is employed with Ernst & Young in San Francisco.
- Nathan R. Hutson (Missouri), a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia with a BS in Accounting and a Master of Accountancy, is employed with RubinBrown in St. Louis.
- Tyson P. Irwin (Utah), a graduate of Utah State University with a BS in Accounting and a Master of Accounting, is employed with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Salt Lake City.
- Darcia Jinkerson (Texas), a graduate of Loyola University Chicago with a BBA in Accounting, is employed with Deloitte Tax in Houston.
- Virginia R.B. Jones (Washington), a graduate of Texas Christian University with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Accountancy, is employed with KPMG in Seattle.
- Benjamin Gene Jumper (South Carolina), a graduate of Brigham Young University with a BS in Accounting and a Master of Accountancy, is employed with Ernst & Young in Minneapolis.
- Brandon Knott (Texas), a graduate of the University of Alabama with a BS in Accounting and Finance, is employed with Deloitte in Dallas.
- Brittany Kruse (Minnesota), a graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato with a BS in Accounting and Finance, is employed with Deloitte in Minneapolis.
- Edison Yiuyau Lau (Hawaii), a graduate of the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Accounting, is employed with Deloitte in Honolulu.
- David Lehane (Wisconsin), with accounting education from Lakeland College, is employed with David Lehane, Inc. in Madison.
- Kyle Linnemeyer (New York), a graduate of Wake Forest University with a Masters in Accounting, is employed with Grant Thornton in New York City.
- Wesley E. Long, III (Georgia), a graduate of LaGrange College with a BS in Accountancy and Mathematics, is employed with Gay & Joseph in LaGrange.
- Jack Moore (Georgia), a graduate of UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School with a Master of Accounting, is employed with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Atlanta.
- Jessica Ann O’Keefe (Virginia), a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park with a BS in Accounting and a BS in Information Systems, is employed with KPMG in McLean.
- Sunil H. Patel (New Jersey), a graduate of Rider University with a Master of Accountancy, is employed with Ernst & Young in Iselin.
- Tiffany Phillips (Oregon), a graduate of the University of Oregon with a BS in Accounting and a BS in Economics, is employed with Moss Adams in Eugene.
- Ekaterina Pronina (Indiana), a graduate of the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis with a BS in Business, is employed with Dauby O’Connor & Zaleski in Carmel.
- Stefan Josef Richter (New York), a graduate of Pennsylvania State University with a BS and MS in Accounting, is employed with Ernst & Young in McLean, Virginia.
- Daniel Eric Rubin (New York), a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Accountancy, is employed with PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York City.
- Margaret Sharp (Tennessee), a graduate of the University of Tennessee with a BS in Business Administration and a Masters in Accountancy, is employed with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Franklin.
- Valerie Sheehan (Maryland), a graduate of Salisbury University with a BS in Accounting, is employed with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Baltimore.
- Lauren Silberman (New York), a graduate of Lehigh University with a BS in Business and Economics, is employed with PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York City.
- Gregory Simbro (California), a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Masters in Accountancy, is employed with BDO USA in San Francisco.
- Ilan Slovin (California), a graduate of The University of Arizona with a BS in Business Administration, is employed with Deloitte in Los Angeles.
- Carianne Taggart (Minnesota), a graduate of Northwest Missouri State University with a BS in Accounting and Finance, is employed with CliftonLarsonAllen in Minneapolis.
- Justin Michael Teplitz (New York), a graduate of the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Accountancy, is employed with KPMG in Melville.
- Adena C. Thomson (New York), a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology with a BS in Accounting and an MBA, is employed with the Bonadio Group in Pittsford.
- Timothy Williams (Iowa), a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa with a BA in Accounting and Master of Accounting, is employed with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Minneapolis.
- Douglas R. Woodbury (Utah), a graduate of Brigham Young University with a BS in Accounting and a Master of Accountancy, is employed with Ernst & Young in Salt Lake City.
- Katelyn Elizabeth Woods (Texas), a graduate of the University of North Texas with a BS and an MS in Accounting, is employed with Whitley Penn in Fort Worth.
- Fraser O’Brien Wright (Massachusetts), a graduate of Northeastern University with an MS and an MBA, is employed with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Boston.
- Hannah Binti Mohd Zaman (Texas), a graduate of Southern Methodist University with an MS in Accounting, is employed with Ernst & Young in Dallas.
- Matthew R. Zimdars (Wisconsin), a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Bachelor of Business Administration, is employed with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Milwaukee.
