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 Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Fla. 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, Kathleen M. Strum, CPA, Hertz Farm 
Management Inc. in Nevada, Iowa. "These companies and individual winners are a 
testament to balancing workload and family lives. Each is vital to live a well-rounded 
life.”  
 
 
The Balance Award winners are as follows: 
 
National Balance Award Recipient – KPMG, Montvale, New Jersey 
Constituting nearly half of KPMG’s new hires, women represent an enormous part of 
KPMG’s talent pool. To continue efforts to reach balance in work and life, KPMG 
developed the KPMG Network of Women (KNOW), which fosters women’s networking, 
mentoring and leadership opportunities for their employees. 
 
Regional Balance Award Recipient – Plante & Moran, PLLC, Southfield, Mich. 
Plante & Moran’s philosophy is that "the whole person comes to work” helps its staff 
walks on the work/life tightrope. Plante & Moran understands that work may 
occasionally take a backseat to employees’ family lives.  
 
Local Balance Award Recipient – Keiter Stephens Hurst Gary & Shreaves, Glen 
Allen, Va. 
Keiter Stephens approaches offering work/life balance options to its employees by using 
a variety of scheduling options to enable employees to achieve true balance. The firm 
has a reduced 34-hour work week, which includes half-day Fridays, from Memorial Day 
to Labor Day to compensate employees for the longer hours required during tax 
season.  
 
Individual Balance Award Recipients 
 
President’s Award 
This year, ASWA National President Joy N. Barron, from BE&K, in Birmingham, Ala. will 
honor 2001-2002 ASWA National President Denisa Jones, Finance Manager, at Affinion 
Group, in Tenn., with the first-ever President’s Award. "I am honored to bestow this 
award to Denisa Jones for her work for ASWA and women in accounting and financial 
services,” said Joy N. Barron, 2006-2007 ASWA National President. "Denisa epitomizes 
the working women in today’s society. She consistently balances work and life 
challenges and succeeds at every turn.”  
 
Region 1 (Northeast) 
Terri E. Albertson, CPA, Partner, Grant Thornton, LLP, Philadelphia, Penn. Terri’s 
hard work, perseverance and commitment has led to Grant Thornton’s success in 
recruiting and retaining women in their Philadelphia office. She serves as Philadelphia’s 
office leader of the firm’s Women’s Initiative to ensure the firm is the premier firm for 
women in accounting and professional services. 
 
Region 2 (Southeast) 
Tami Wood, Finance Director, Global Franchise, Johnson & Johnson, 
Jacksonville, Fla. Tami or TJ as she is called is a single mother who is equally 
involved in her children’s lives and is the highest-level woman in a finance organization 
of more than 60 people. She is a charter member of the Women’s Leadership Initiatives 
at Johnson & Johnson and has been a core team member during its five-year history. 
 
Region 3 and Woman of the Year (North Central) 
Karen E. Jacobson, Accountant, Leopold Center, Iowa State University, Ames, 
Iowa. Karen brings a volunteer aspect to balancing her work and life. She assists others 
in financial literacy and volunteers for many community services organizations in her 
hometown. Besides being an accountant, Karen is also a successful small business 
owner. Because of her involvement at Iowa State University, her commitment to her son 
and family, and her involvement in the community, Karen was recognized as this year’s 
Woman of the Year. 
 
Region 4 (South Central) 
Elizabeth Copeland, Shareholder, Oppenheimer, Blend, Harrison & Tate Inc., San 
Antonio, Texas. Elizabeth’s passion is teaching girls math and science and the 
important of financial literacy. In addition to her interest in educating the next 
generation, she speaks to women about the importance of financial matters in a divorce 
or following a spouse’s death. 
 
Region 5 (Southwest) 
Kay C. Pitt, CPA, Senior Lecturer in Accounting, Northern Arizona University, 
Flagstaff, Ariz. Besides her recruiting abilities to get young women involved in ASWA, 
Kay, when her children were young, took off each summer to reconnect with them and 
enjoy her family. She is helping young college students choose a career in accounting. 
 
Region 6 (Northwest) 
Debbie Michael, CPA, Billings, Montana. Besides her expertise in accounting, Debbie 
has taken a small accounting firm and grown it significantly over the years due to her 
experience and professional competency. In addition to growing her business, she 
participates in her daughter’s many activities, volunteers in her church and works to 
improve her golf score. 
  
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 .