Each year, the Accounting Department celebrates the accomplishments of its faculty, staff and students at its awards and recognition event. The department worked tirelessly to transition this year’s event to a virtual space while continuing to facilitate connection and foster engagement among peers. And though the 2021 event wasn’t quite “normal,” it still felt like a celebration.
Attendees enjoyed the main event, then delighted in the opportunity to join virtual rooms for graduate and undergraduate alumni, as well as sponsoring companies, to which many of them belong. You can view the recording of the main event here.
The highlight of this event was the announcement of the Accounting Hall of Fame inductees. Honorees are nominated by their peers and reviewed by an Accounting Advisory Board committee. The department has inducted eight members since the Hall of Fame was created in 2018. This year, three alumni were added: Jackie Steinle, ’15; Sean Daly, ’76; and Paul Gillis, ’76.
The Accounting Hall of Fame, 2021
Early Career Professional Alumni Award
Jackie Steinle, CPA, MAcc Tax
Tax Manager, Eide Bailly
Jackie Steinle earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees in accounting through the College of Business. After completing her MAcc in 2015, she joined Eide Bailly in Denver as a tax associate.
Her nomination for the early career award highlighted her service and involvement as her key achievements. Steinle volunteers far and wide, but she gives the majority of her time to the American Lung Association and serving as a Big Sister through iMentor.
“I mentor a high school student and we work on post high school skills and potential college and career placements,” Steinle explained. “I started working with her when she was a freshman, and she graduates this May. She just decided on a college and I could not be more proud!”
Steinle has also been a member of Junior League for the last five years, volunteers with Stronghold Cambodia and serves as a youth group mentor. On top of all that, she is the Chair of Eide Bailly’s Colorado philanthropy committee.
Given her involvement, it is no surprise that she earned Eide Bailly’s Rising Star award in 2018, which recognizes exemplary employees who live the Eide Bailly culture through their everyday actions and rise above in their work and leadership roles.
“I am most proud of the fact that I was able to bring my passion of philanthropy into my career and get others excited about causes in our community,” Steinle said.
Her advice for new graduates? “It’s important to find a job that respects your values and encourages you to succeed. Find mentors and coworkers that recognize how wonderful you are and can foster your skills.”
Distinguished Alumni
Sean Daly
Retired Partner, Ernst & Young LLP
Sean Daly received his BSBA in accounting in 1975 and his MS in Accounting in 1976. He completed the CPA exam at age 20 and tied for the second highest score in the nation that year.
“Sean was probably the smartest guy of my era at CSU,” David Blair, who nominated Daly for this award, said.
Daly was only getting started.
He began his career with Arthur Andersen in Denver after completing his master’s and transferred to the New Orleans office about a decade later. Shortly thereafter, he became Audit Partner, advancing to Managing Partner of the New Orleans office in January 2001.
When Andersen closed its doors in 2002, Daly joined the Ernst & Young LLP (EY) New Orleans office as a Direct Admit Partner. Through that transition, he explained, “I am most proud of my work to arrange for everyone at the Andersen office to have a job at EY, regardless of position and experience, when Andersen collapsed.”
He transferred back to Denver with EY in 2003 and retired in 2016. Daly spent his career focused on and specializing in extractive industries such as oil, gas and mining.
His advice for accounting students? “Maintain the relationships you have in the College of Business after graduation, as well as the relationships you develop in the early years of joining a firm. These people will eventually end up across the business world and grow in their careers as you do. They are a built-in network from day one that you should nurture. They will be valuable in your career, whatever you end up doing.”
Paul Gillis
Professor, Peking University – Guanghua School of Management
Retired Asia Pacific Managing Tax Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)
Paul Gillis completed his MS in Accounting in 1976 and built his career specializing in Chinese accounting issues. He joined PwC directly from the College of Business and worked there for 28 years, starting in the Denver office then working in Singapore, San Francisco and Beijing.
“I am proudest of the fine people I recruited and developed there,” Gillis shared. “Significantly one of my best hires was a young woman from CSU, Diane Baylor, who has become one of PwC’s most senior partners.”
Gillis advanced to partner in 1988 and retired in 2004 as the Asia Pacific managing tax partner. After retirement, he went back to school to earn his doctorate. His thesis focused on the transnational regulation of accounting and led him to a seat on the Standing Advisory Group of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) alongside fellow CSU grad Lynn Turner.
In addition to continuing his education, Gillis began teaching at Peking University in Beijing in 2007. He publishes news and opinions on his China Accounting Blog and has been quoted an innumerable amount in publications including the Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The New York Times and Bloomberg. You can view the full list of articles here.
He has also made extensive TV and radio appearances, mostly for Chinese state media, and he testified before Congress. Maybe his most exciting appearance was a cameo in the Netflix documentary ”The China Hustle”.
His best advice for young accountants: “Focus on your writing skills and maintain your network of contacts.”
Other awards and recognition
Outstanding Graduating Senior, Fall 2020: Charlie Czerniakowski
Outstanding Graduating Senior, Spring 2021: Nate Akers
Master of Accountancy Outstanding Graduating Student (LEAD Award): Tram Dang
Deloitte Audit Innovation Campus Challenge third place team: Preston Scheidt, Megan Johnson, Alex Kim, Emma Brendle, Noah Kim and Samantha Cen
Most Impactful Master of Accountancy Professor: Dr. Jim Stekelberg
Beta Alpha Psi Professor of the Year: Dr. Eric Rapley
The first ever recipient of the Accounting Faculty Fellowship for Excellence: Dr. Eric Rapley
Newly endowed Plante Moran Faculty Fellowship: Dr. Jim Stekelberg
