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Our office will be closed Thursday, Sept. 18 to "Shellebrate" CPAs.

UACPA Announces 2025 Award Winners

September 10, 2025

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – The UACPA will host its 2025 awards event, "Shellebrate CPAs!," on Thursday, September 18, at the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium. The event will welcome a new “school of CPAs" to the profession, honor professionals who have made a splash, and recognize organizations that have achieved 100% membership.

The award recipients for 2025 are:

  • Distinguished Service Award: William E. "Bill" Walpole, CPA. Walpole is a founding member and Director of Small Business Services at Teuscher Walpole.
  • Outstanding CPA in Public Practice: Aaron B. Rentschler, CPA. Rentschler is a tax partner at Davis and Bott in Brigham City with over 15 years of experience.
  • Outstanding CPA in Nonprofit & Government: Ariane M. Gibson, CPA. Gibson is the Deputy Director and Chief Financial Officer at the Utah Inland Port Authority.
  • Outstanding Educator: Scott W. Pickett, CPA. After a 28-year career at PwC, Pickett began a second career teaching at the University of Utah.
  • Outstanding Leadership Council Member: Michael F. Michelsen, CPA. Michelsen is an Audit Partner at Eide Bailly LLP and an Adjunct Instructor of Accounting at Utah Valley University. He is the chair of the Utah CPA Foundation and serves on several other UACPA committees.
  • Rising Star: Mike Acord, CPA. Acord is a Director in KPMG’s Deal Advisory - Accounting Advisory Services practice and serves on several UACPA committees including his role as Co-chair of the Emerging Professionals.
  • Women to Watch: Emerging Leaders:
    • McKenna Sanders, CPA started in tax services, but discovered her passion for mentoring and is the recruitment manager at Tanner. 
    • Madison Hirase, CPA is a Tax Director at Incite Tax where she has helped grow the tax division and share her passion for the profession.
  • Women to Watch: Experienced Leaders: 
    • Megan Bronson, CPA is an Advisory Partner at Squire and has been named a Top 100 QuickBooks® ProAdvisor for 10 consecutive years.
    • Erika Whitmore, CPA is the Office Managing Partner of KPMG’s Salt Lake City office with over 24 years of experience.
  • Lifetime Members:
    • Kevin L. Johansen, CPA spent 36 years with KPMG, with 26 years as an audit partner.
    • Paul K. Mendenhall, CPA is the president of the Heber Valley Heritage Foundation and a past president of the UACPA.
    • Bryan C. Bolander, CPA is a former president of the UACPA.
    • Kent Wayne Goates, CPA retired as the CFO for BambooHR in 2022 and has been a UACPA member since 1983.
    • Mark E. Low, CPA is a retired managing partner from Jones Simkins LLC.

For more information about the UACPA and the awards banquet, visit uacpa.org.