CHICAGO, Aug. 4, 2021 – The Illinois CPA Society (ICPAS), one of the largest state CPA societies in the nation, is proud to announce the recipients of its 2021 Lester H. McKeever Jr. Advancing Diversity Awards.

Each year, these awards—which are named in honor of McKeever, the 61st Black CPA to be licensed in the United States and a passionate civic leader, advocate for greater diversity in the accounting profession, and a founding member of the CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois—are presented to an Outstanding Leader and an Emerging Leader in recognition of their commitment to advancing diversity in the accounting profession.

“It’s an honor to publicly recognize the inspiring actions and often selfless contributions of these individuals as they strive to bring greater diversity, equity, and inclusion into the CPA profession and the broader business world,” says Todd Shapiro, ICPAS president and CEO.

The following honorees will be formally recognized at ICPAS’ Leadership Recognition and Awards Dinner on Aug. 5, 2021 in Chicago.

Outstanding Leader Award (Ten-plus years of work experience)

• Michael J. Santay, CPA, MBA – While most diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives focus on bridging racial, ethnic, and other cultural differences, Santay is regarded for his efforts to address yet another often overlooked and underrepresented group not only in the CPA profession but in the broader business world—the disabled. Santay is passionately involved in diversity activities in the Chicago community that focus on disabled individuals’ rights and employment, particularly in the accounting profession. His efforts so far include the founding of Grant Thornton’s Diversabilities Business Resource Group and leading the firm’s monthly culture conversations. He also served as the treasurer for Access Living of Chicago, which aims to advance independent living and disability-related improvements in Chicago, and as an advisory board member to Disability:IN Chicagoland, a business-to-business organization that provides programming, networking, and resources to employers to increase the attraction, hiring, and retention of people with disabilities in the workforce. Santay also supported local efforts to form ADA 25 in Chicago, which is an initiative to raise awareness of and develop disabled future business leaders. Santay is a national partner in the Auditing Standards Group at Grant Thornton LLP in Chicago and is a member of the AICPA and ICPAS. He received his master’s degree from Northwestern University and his bachelor’s degree from DePaul University. 

Emerging Leader Award (Four-plus years of work experience)

• Charlene Rhinehart, CPA – During her service as Ms. Corporate America in 2015 and after, Rhinehart made more than 300 appearances at elementary schools, community centers, universities, conferences, and empowerment events in the U.S. and abroad where she shared her success story as a young, rising CPA and woman in business. Since then, she has continued to be an ambassador of her “Diversity in Business” platform, striving to inspire women and underrepresented individuals to pursue opportunities in the business world through her involvement with the Ms./Mrs. Corporate America organization in addition to the AICPA, ICPAS, National Society of Black CPAs, and elsewhere. Today, Rhinehart is the managing director of CEO Unlimited, where she offers virtual strategy consulting services. However, it is her volunteer service with professional associations and efforts as a financial journalist, author, and speaker that have provided her with different platforms for reaching new audiences and serving as an inspiration to other women, people of color, and young professionals. As the founder of Wealthy Women Daily, a freelance writer for Black Enterprise and The Motley Fool, and the author of books like “Dividends Are a Queen’s Best Friend” and “Debt-Free Before Graduation,” Rhinehart is working to empower young people and underrepresented individuals with the financial literacy and career guidance they need to realize their value and achieve their personal, professional, and financial goals. Rhinehart previously held positions with JPMorgan Chase and PricewaterhouseCoopers. She is an active ICPAS member. She earned her bachelor’s degree from DePaul University.