2026 Award Recipients

The Illinois CPA Society is pleased to announce the recipients of its annual awards program, recognizing distinguished leaders whose contributions have made a meaningful impact on the accounting and finance profession. Please join us in celebrating this year's honorees!

For more information, view the official announcement.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Scott Steffens
Scott D. Steffens, CPA
Partner, Grant Thornton LLP (Retired)

WOMEN TO WATCH AWARDS

EXPERIENCED LEADERS
EMERGING LEADERS

Jennifer CulottaJennifer M. Culotta, CPA
Partner, Plante Moran PLLC

Randi MillerRandi Miller, CPA
Tax Principal, BDO USA PC

Nicole MaimonNicole J. Maimon
CPA | Senior Tax Consultant, Deloitte Tax LLP

Ashley TrabarisAshley Trabaris, CPA
State and Local Tax Senior Manager,  Porte Brown LLC

LESTER H. MCKEEVER JR., ADVANCING DIVERSITY AWARDS

EXPERIENCED LEADER
EMERGING LEADER

Monica HarrisonMonica N. Harrison, CPA
Vice President, Controller, Tinuiti Inc.

Ivory PinedaIvory Pineda, CPA
Assurance Manager, Baker Tilly US LLP

OUTSTANDING EDUCATOR AWARDS

Meghann CefarattiMeghann A. Cefaratti, Ph.D., CIA, CRMA
Deloitte Foundation Professor of Accountancy; Director of Certifications and Licensure; Director of Internal Audit Education Partnership, Northern Illinois University

David W. Horton, CPA
Associate Professor, McGraw School of Business, Olivet Nazarene University

Maureen McBeth, Ed.D., CPA
Professor, College of DuPage

JOSHUA D. LANCE YOUNG PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP AWARD

Michael E. Currie, CPA
Audit Senior Manager, Miller Cooper & Co. Ltd.

BEACON AWARDS

Mowery & Schoenfeld
Tri Merit
Ulta

EXCEL AWARDS

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARDS

Gold Medal

  • Eleanor T. DeNunzio, CPA – University of Kansas | Ernst & Young LLP

Silver Medal

  • Matthew J. Berg, CPA – University of Wisconsin-Madison | Legacy Professionals LLP

Bronze Medal

  • Drew T. Staniak, CPA – University of Notre Dame | Deloitte LLP
  • Elizabeth K. Herbst, CPA – Citrin Cooperman Advisors LLC | Taxation Flow Through Entities Committee
  • Brian J. Kearns, CPA, CFP – Haddam Road Advisors | Insight Columnist and Media Expert
  • Riley Martin, CPA – Lauterbach & Amen LLP | High School Outreach Program
  • Daniel J. Nugent, JD, CPA – University of Wisconsin-Platteville | Government Executive Committee
  • Danielle Roberts, CPA – Eccezion | High School Outreach Program
  • Richard C. Tarapchak, CPA – Verano Holdings Corp. | Accounting Principles Committee and Content Advisory Groups
  • Charles W. Teel Jr., CPA – Teel & Company | Insight Contributor
  • Andrea Wright, CPA – Johnson Lambert LLP | Ethics Committee and Public Accountants’ Registration and Licensure Committee