BALANCING LIFE AND WORK, WOMEN ACCOUNTING PROFESSIONALS AND CORPORATIONS ARE RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE
The ASWA Educational Foundation Recognizes Leading Corporations and Women
Financial Professionals for Commitment to Work/Life Balance
(McLean, Va.)—The American Society of Women Accountants Educational Foundation
(The Foundation) honors companies on the national, regional and local levels and
individuals across the country for their commitment to work/life balance. The prestigious
Balance Awards presented today, at the American Society of Women
Accountants(ASWA)/American Woman’s Society of CPAs (AWSCPA) Joint National
Conference at The Dallas Fairmont in Dallas, Tex. highlight the accomplishments of
companies and individuals who successfully balance work and life.
This national recognition sponsored by Accountemps & Robert Half Finance and
Accounting, is conferred by a blue ribbon panel of ASWA judges and reflects a clear
prioritization of both the value and the values that winning companies place on their
chief asset...their people.
"The Balance Award recognizes excellence beyond the accounting spreadsheets,” said
The ASWA Educational Foundation Chair, Denisa Jones, CPA, Affinnion Group in
Nashville, Tenn. "These companies and individual winners are a testament to balancing
workload and family lives. Each is vital to live a well-rounded life.”
"Accountemps and Robert Half Finance & Accounting are proud sponsors of the
Balance Awards. We are honored to recognize the commitment to values demonstrated
by these outstanding women and businesses,” said DeLynn Senna, CPA, executive
director of North American permanent placement services for Robert Half International.
The Balance Award winners are as follows:
National Balance Award Recipient – Intuit, Mountain View, California
Intuit established the Intuit Women’s Network in 2005, providing access to relevant
workshops and speakers, networking and mentoring opportunities and leadership roles.
Intuit gives back to its community through its "We Care & Give Back” program, allowing
every employee 32 hours of time off for volunteer activities a year. The Intuit Financial
Freedom Foundation strives to share the company’s financial and tax expertise and
products with the economically disadvantaged.
Regional Balance Award Recipient – Lefkowitz, Garfinkel, Champi & DeRienzo PC
(LGC&D), Providence, RI.
LGC&D has provided flexible work schedules to its employees for more than 20 years
and launched its "Women Count” initiative in 2006, with a goal to grow and strengthen
business relationships with other women professionals in the community and to mentor
the firm’s female colleagues. Two senior managers recently participated in a youth
program to educate kids about financial literacy, targeting at risk kids and those with
emotional disabilities.
Local Balance Award Recipient – Raffa PC, Washington, DC
Raffa is a woman-owned regional consulting, accounting and technology firm with more
than 190 professionals committed to strengthening the nonprofit sector. Partners invest
heavily with financial support and pro-bono services to many clients, and each month,
the firm matches employee charitable fundraising activities. Raffa employees serve on
not-for-profit boards, and nearly all employees volunteer in the community. Raffa
created the "Buddy Program” which matches veteran and new employees to foster
mentoring and career counseling.
Individual Balance Award Recipients
President’s Award
This year, 2007-2008 ASWA National President Karen J. Gunther, from Tambone
Investment Group, in Burlington, Mass. honored 2000-2001 ASWA National President
Cynthia Coleman Kessler, Chief Executive Officer, at Clinical Trials Management, LLC,
in LA., with the annual President’s Award. "I am honored to bestow this award upon
Cynthia Coleman Kessler for her courage, tenacity, grace and constant commitment to
ASWA” said Karen J. Gunther.
Woman of the Year and Region 5 (Southwest)
Jacqueline F. Akerblom, Managing Partner of Women’s Initiatives and Programs,
Grant Thornton LLP, San Jose, CA. Jacqueline is the national managing partner of
women’s initiatives and programs for Grant Thornton, and a number of the programs
introduced to the firm through the Women at Grant Thornton initiative are the result of
her national leadership in this area. Jacqueline takes full advantage of Grant Thornton’s
informal job flexibility, which allows her to carry out her work responsibilities and serve
her clients as well as make time to be a room mother to her son’s classroom and help
chaperone field trips. Jacqueline also serves on the board of directors of the Forum for
Women Entrepreneurs and Executives, an organization whose primary mission is to
provide access to capital for women entrepreneurs in the Silicon Valley.
Region 1 (Northeast)
Kristina Drzal Houghton, CPA, MSO, Principal & Head of Tax Department,
Meyers Brothers Kalicka, PC, Holyoke, Mass. As Meyers Brothers Kalicka, PC’s first
female partner, Kristina is also a frequent author for regional journals on business and
tax-related matters and does a wealth of volunteer work for the Kiwanis Club of
Springfield, the CPAmerica Executive Tax Advisory Board and with her daughters’ Girl
Scout troops, serving as a leader for two different troops and mentoring two girls on
earning their Girl Scout Gold Award. Her work mentoring women is also evident at the
office, where she supervises four female professionals and was instrumental in
developing a partner-in-training program, which allows for talented CPAs who may work
part-time to be admitted as partners to the firm.
Region 2 (Southeast)
Kathryn Habluetzel, Partner, Private Wealth Services, Grant Thornton, LLP,
Charlotte, N.C. Kathryn is a partner in a significant accounting firm, a wife, a mother of
two children, a breast cancer survivor and a volunteer in her community. She has paved
the way for other working mothers in her industry through her demonstration of how to
balance professional advancement with personal family time. Kathryn succeeded in
leading the growth of her practice by 21 percent while on a flexible work arrangement
last year.
Region 3 (North Central)
Erica O’Malley
Partner and Chicago Employee Benefits Practice Leader, Grant Thornton, LLP
Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. Erica has been instrumental in organizing networking and
leadership events for Grant Thornton as well as women in business in the local
community. Her networking event last year, brought together more than 200 women
from law firms, banks, CPA firms and other professional organizations. She’s
participated in the Tax Assistance Program, offering free, confidential tax and student
aid form preparation and financial consulting services to low-income clients.
Additionally, she’s served as treasurer for Naperville Pom & Cheer for five years and
serves on the Project Gabriel team at her church, assisting mothers with unexpected
pregnancies and helping them learn to manage their financial affairs.
Region 4 (South Central)
Lori A. Davis, Tax Partner & Practice Leader, Grant Thornton, LLP, Wichita, Kan.
Lori has received the Grant Thornton STAR award for outstanding leadership and
helped the Wichita office increase the tax practice’s net revenue by more than 70
percent in her first two years there. She’s also active with the local Junior Achievement
program, currently serving on the Executive Committee and as treasurer of the Wichita
affiliate. She was actively involved with the Stock Market Challenge, a Junior
Achievement education and fundraising event that teaches high school students about
the stock market and builds financial awareness.
Region 6 (Northwest)
Sharron O’Donnell, CPA, Bader Martin, PS, Seattle, Wash. Sharron is a tireless
advocate for her community’s not-for-profit sector, both as a board member and a
teacher. She currently chairs United Way’s Audit Review Committee and is a board
member for the King County Sexual Assault Resources Center. She has taught a
course at Seattle University and, for more than 10 years, has taught a United Way-
sponsored workshop on fiduciary responsibilities for not-for-profit board members.
Sharron is also a member of Executive Alliance, an organization offering classes and
networking to people working in not-for-profit organizations.
About The ASWA Educational Foundation
The mission of The American Society of Women Accountants Educational Foundation
(The Foundation) is to promote and advance financial literacy, scholarship and life skills
through programs of recognition, mentoring, research and outreach. The ASWA
Foundation sponsors the Balance Awards each year to recognize companies and
individuals who succeed in balancing work and life. Additional Foundation programs
include scholarships to encourage women professionals in the accounting fields to
reach new levels of professional achievement and certification. For more information,
please go to The Foundation's website.
About Accountemps and Robert Half Finance & Accounting
Accountemps and Robert Half Finance & Accounting place accounting and finance
professionals on a temporary and full-time basis, respectively, and are the only
specialized staffing services nationally endorsed by ASWA. Their parent company,
Robert Half International, is the world’s first and largest specialized staffing service. For
more information about Robert Half, which has more than 360 locations worldwide,
please visit http://www.rhi.com/.
