Ohio Society of CPAs Debuts Power of Change Awards Honoring Women’s Empowerment

The Ohio Society of CPAs (OSCPA) has introduced a new recognition program for empowering women known as Power of Change. In their inaugural awards ceremony, the OSCPA celebrated 12 honorees who are accelerating women’s initiatives.

The honorees were nominated by their colleagues for the OSCPA award, which recognizes those who serve as role models and mentors to women, advocate for women’s initiatives at work and in the community, and help women break down barriers to success.

The nominations were then vetted by OSCPA members and staff, who selected the 12 final honorees:

• Kelli Bernstein, CPA – Vice President, Meaden & Moore
• Betty Collins, CPA – Director, Brady Ware & Company
• Mary Kim Elkins, CPA, J.D. – Senior Vice President, Eaton Corporation
• Dani Gisondo, CPA – Partner, Marcum, LLP
• Ebonie Jackson, CPA – CFO & Director of Administrative Services at Lucas County Children Services
• Lori Kaiser, CPA, CGMA – Founder & CEO, Kaiser Consulting
• Michal Marcus – Executive Director, HFLA of Northeast Ohio
• Donna Sciarappa, CPA – Great Lakes Market Leader, RSM US LLP
• Rachel Wojtkun, CPA – Audit Senior Manager, Grant Thornton LLP
• Jennifer Yaross, CPA – CFO, Nationwide
• Annie Yoder, CPA, CFF, CFE – President of Advisory Services, Rea & Associates
• Kim Zavislak, CPA – Office Managing Partner, KPMG LLP

The honorees were announced at OSCPA’s recent Women, Wealth, and Wellness Conference, one of their ongoing CPE learning opportunities to help women find their voices and lead out professionally. Workshop topics included:

• Unconscious bias and its effect on women’s careers
• The toll of the pandemic on women’s careers
• Strategies for dealing with workplace conversations that hurt/demean women
• Men’s roles in mentoring women leaders
• The value of nurturing physical and mental health
• Developing solutions for the U.S. childcare crisis in corporate America

Scott Willey, CAE, who serves as OSCPA President and CEO, pointed to research showing that although female leaders are at the vanguard of compassion, equity, and inclusion within their organizations, they are not often in positions where they can fully flex their considerable leadership skills.

“Too often they are leading from the middle or back of their organizations and not from their rightful places at the front,” said Willey. “At OSCPA, we are invested in seeing women succeed, and we know the future of business depends on prioritizing the issues and topics that help women advance their careers. The Power of Change honor offers well-deserved recognition to these exceptional leaders who make significant contributions every day to their organizations and communities.”

The Ohio Society of CPAs represents a community of 85,000 accounting, finance and related business professionals. As a hub for accounting continuing education, advocacy efforts, and networking opportunities, OSCPA helps members advance in their careers and works with Ohio’s leading businesses to create a thriving, sustainable, solutions-oriented business climate.

To learn more about The Ohio Society of CPAs or their ongoing efforts to enhance the role of women in business, accounting and finance, visit www.OhioCPA.com or call 614-764-2727.

About The Ohio Society of CPAs

The Ohio Society of CPAs partners with the accounting profession to advance the state of business, so Ohio can enjoy a healthy and sustainable economic environment. They serve as a hub of knowledge, education, and advocacy for their members and their teams, providing a vibrant, solutions-oriented community that helps CPAs and businesses thrive.