PROFESSIONAL NEWS

RISCPA Member to Attend Prestigious Leadership Academy

A senior accountant at DiSanto, Priest & Co. and member of RISCPA has been accepted into this year’s prestigious Leadership Academy for young professionals, sponsored by the AICPA.

Michelle Cullion was chosen from an impressive roster of applicants for the program, now in its second year.

“The AICPA Leadership Academy is a tremendous opportunity for me,” Cullion said. “I am looking forwarding to collaborating with colleagues from around the country and also learning from the past and present leaders of the accounting industry.”

The Leadership Academy is an annual event featuring advanced leadership training, networking activities and presentations for a hand-selected group of young professionals.

Cullion is a member of RISCPA’s inaugural 2010 NYPN-12 committee. She has been at DiSanto, Priest & Co. for almost six years, having joined immediately after graduating from Bryant College in 2004. She also received her Master’s of Science in Taxation from Bryant in 2007.

“I’m hoping that I will be able to take something away from this academy that will allow me to give back to both my profession and my community here in Rhode Island,” said Cullion, who became a CPA in 2009.

Her superiors say she will represent the Rhode Island CPA community well in a national setting, and has already brought a lot to her young career.

“When Michelle first joined us in 2004, she immediately began to get involved with firm-wide initiatives to help move our firm forward,” said DiSanto, Priest & Co.’s managing partner, David DiSanto.

“Her work was instrumental in our successful transition to a paperless environment, and she became a great resource to many who weren’t as comfortable with that change.  She is a wonderful coach and mentor to junior staff members, developing them as she herself continues to grow professionally.  In addition to demonstrating her leadership abilities internally, the clients she serves have a great deal of confidence and respect for her abilities.  She is an inspiration to all of us,” DiSanto said.

The Leadership Academy this year will take place in Durham, N.C., Oct. 5-7. The 25 participants will all be between 25-35, with at least three years of experience.

The first Leadership Academy event took place in Chicago last year, in July.