Greg Anton Elected Chairman of AICPA

Accountant overcame early challenges to establish thriving regional practice in Colorado

PHOENIX, Oct. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Gregory J. Anton, CPA, is the new chairman of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the world's largest organization representing the accounting profession.

In his acceptance speech, Anton detailed the many ways technology is changing the profession. Automation has transformed the way financial information is collected, processed and presented, but a CPA's value continues to lie in his or her ability to solve problems and identify opportunities for clients and employers, he said.

"As CPAs, we can decipher, disseminate and manage knowledge," said AICPA Chairman Greg Anton. "This is what a computer or smartphone cannot do."

Anton, 47, was elected to the one-year volunteer post this morning by AICPA's Council, which concludes its annual fall meeting today. The governing body also accepted the findings of Horizons 2025, a research report on the anticipated evolution of the profession over the next decade-and-a-half.

The new chairman outlined a full agenda for the coming year, including a continued push for private company financial reporting standards, the debut of a new management accounting credential, and the celebration of AICPA's 125th anniversary. AICPA is also launching an initiative to mobilize retirement-age CPAs to lend their expertise to government, schools, nonprofit groups and the accounting profession as a way to give back and strengthen these organizations during a time of economic duress.

Anton is a co-founder of Anton Collins Mitchell LLP, an 85-employee accounting firm with offices in Denver and Greeley, Colo. The regional practice has been recognized for both rapid growth over the past decade and the creation of a desirable work environment. A passionate skier, mountain biker and boater, Anton is known to hold an occasional catch-up meeting with clients or staff members on the chair lift--an example of what he calls "work/life integration."

"I'm hoping to bring a new perspective to attracting and keeping young people involved in and committed to our profession," he said.

On a personal note, Anton discussed his battle with dyslexia, which he revealed publicly for the first time in his acceptance speech. Spelling is still a challenge with the learning disorder, but he overcame early struggles in school through strong focus and nimble critical thinking skills. "I learned to manage it," he said.

An advocate of early childhood development initiatives, Anton is a key member of Executives Partnering to Invest in Children (EPIC), a Colorado organization that marshals public and private funding for education and wellness programs aimed at kids from birth to age 8. He is also a member of the Colorado Governor's Early Childhood Leadership Commission.

Anton was recently named one of Accounting Today's Top 100 Most Influential People in 2011. He served as vice chair of the AICPA for the past year, and was a member of the organization's board from 2006 through 2009. Before founding his own firm, Anton was a partner with BDO USA, LLP.

A graduate of the University of Northern Colorado, Anton lives in Littleton, Colo., with his wife, Julie, and their two sons.

About AICPA
The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (www.aicpa.org), founded in 1887, is the world's largest association representing the accounting profession, with nearly 377,000 members in 128 countries.  AICPA members represent many areas of practice, including business and industry, public practice, government, education, and consulting; membership is also available to accounting students and CPA candidates. The AICPA sets ethical standards for the profession and U.S. auditing standards for audits of private companies, non-profit organizations, federal, state and local governments. It develops and grades the Uniform CPA Examination.

The AICPA maintains offices in New York, Washington, DC, Durham, N.C., Ewing, N.J. and Lewisville, Texas.

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SOURCE American Institute of Certified Public Accountants