SOA Alum a Leader in the Northwest

As a child, Rhonda Powell loved to play "writing checks." One day, when she was about eight years old, her mother told her that someday she would make a good accountant. From that point on, Rhonda knew she was going to be an accountant.

Powell graduated from BYU with her MAcc (tax stem) in 1988. Upon graduation, Powell began her career with Ernst & Young's tax practice in Seattle. She also completed a two-year rotation with E&Y's National Tax office in Washington, D.C.

After returning to Seattle, Powell served in various leadership positions with Ernst & Young, including the tax products pursuit leader and Pacific Northwest area director of accounting methods and inventories. She also supported E&Y offices as an E&Y National Tax income tax accounting, manufacturing industry and accounting methods expert.

Powell began working for Moss Adams LLP in 2005. She is now a tax partner with Moss Adams' administrative office. In this capacity she focuses on firm-wide tax practice matters, including but not limited to, Tax Executive Committee strategies, quality control policies, training and development, internal and external tax communications, and growth of the firm?s tax practice. Powell is also the Firm Director of FAS 109 Services.

Currently, Powell serves as a member of the SOA board of advisors, having been appointed in 2007. She also serves as a board member of Treehouse, a charity organization supporting foster children. She has served in many church positions, including callings in Young Women, Relief Society and music, but she says the best calling was teaching the Sunbeams.

In her free time, Powell enjoys traveling, photography, music, and many outdoor activities. She also enjoys spending time with her nineteen nieces and nephews and four great nieces and nephews.

With her busy schedule, Powell says, "You rarely find me at home. Whether it is work, church, family, friends, or other interests, my calendar is crazy. However, when I get snowed in and can sit by the fire watching the snow fall outside, I'm truly in heaven."

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SOA Students and Alumni to Enter PhD Programs

The SOA's PhD Prep program continues to have success. The program recently received recognition at the BYU President's Leadership Council (PLC) spring meeting as a unique and innovative program. The PLC enjoyed watching a new video created by the Marriott School which highlights the PhD Prep program. Before the video, Kristen Valentine, a recent graduate of the PhD Prep program, spoke with the PLC about her experiences.

Professor Douglas Prawitt, coordinator of the PhD Prep program says, "We are deeply grateful to our alumni, who are representing BYU and the SOA so well, both as students in PhD programs and as professors at dozens of schools across the country."

The following SOA students are graduating this year and have been accepted into PhD programs that begin fall 2009:

Diego Drougett--The Ohio State University

Valerie Funk--Bentley University

Kip Holderness--Bentley University

Taylor Joo--University of Arkansas

Josh Lee--Washington University-St. Louis

Aaron Zimbelman--University of Illinois

The following SOA alumni have been accepted into PhD programs that begin fall 2009:

Dirk Black--Duke University

Nate Cannon*--Bentley University

Phil Lamoreaux*--University of Arizona

Eldar Maksymov*--Cornell University

Nate Newton--Texas A&M University

Mike Stuart--University of Arkansas

Kyle Welch--Harvard University

Jaron Wilde--Texas A&M University

The following SOA alumni have accepted full-time faculty positions that begin fall 2009:

Daniel Ames--Illinois State University

Ryan Blunck--Georgia State University

Michael Drake--The Ohio State University

David Wagner--Singapore Management University (Organizational Behavior)

Chris Williams--University of Michigan

David Wood--Brigham Young University

*These students are recipients of scholarships through the AICPA Foundation's Accounting Doctoral Scholars (ADS) Program. The ADS Program was launched in 2008 with the mission to help those with recent experience in auditing and tax obtain their doctorates and address the growing shortage of accounting faculty across the nation. More than 65 of the largest firms and 35 state CPA societies have provided over $17 million in funding so far. This is the first year that scholarship recipients will be starting PhD programs.

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