Illinois CPA Society Honors Kenton Klaus with its 2012 Outstanding Leadership in Advancing Diversity Award

CHICAGO, June 13, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Illinois CPA Society recently honored Kenton Klaus, Partner – Global Employer Services for Deloitte Tax LLP, with its 2012 Outstanding Leadership in Advancing Diversity Award for his commitment to fostering a more inclusive and diverse accounting community for those with disabilities.

With over 30 years of experience in tax and human resource consulting in the accounting profession, Klaus has worked to bring individuals with disabilities into the profession and help provide them with the knowledge necessary to succeed. He identified a population that had been frequently overlooked and sought to increase outreach between the accounting profession and those with disabilities who had not previously considered accounting as a career option.  In 2007, Klaus became the founding sponsor of Deloitte's "AbilityFirst" Business Resource Group (BRG), which works to increase disability awareness at Deloitte, as well as provide support in the community to increase diversity and inclusion in the workplace.  Under Klaus's leadership, the "AbilityFirst" BRG partnered with DePaul University to create the Deloitte Foundation Scholarship for Students with Disabilities. Klaus has also greatly contributed to the success of many other disability-focused programs, including an annual Career Day at the Anixter Center to provide career advice to those with disabilities and "WorkAbility," an event for Chicago-area employers to highlight their programs and best practices for employees with disabilities.  The "AbilityFirst" BRG has also worked with the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce to sponsor other programs for students and older adults with disabilities. 

In his community, Klaus was the past Chair of the International Interest Group of the Human Resources Management Association of Chicago and past President of the DePaul University Ledger and Quill Society. He was also recently elected to the Board of Trustees of the CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois, as well as to the Prospect High School Endowment for the Performing Arts Board of Trustees.

A resident of Mount Prospect, Illinois, he received a BS degree in Accountancy from DePaul University and an MBA in International Business from the University Of Chicago Graduate School Of Business. Klaus is a certified public accountant and a member of the AICPA and the Illinois CPA Society.

About the Illinois CPA Society
The Illinois CPA Society, founded in 1903, is the fourth largest state CPA Society in the nation, with more than 24,000 members. It is the premier professional organization that represents CPAs in Illinois. During its over 100 years of existence, the Society has advanced the highest ethical and financial standards of the profession, and has been a leader in educating the public on financial issues.

SOURCE Illinois CPA Society