Awards
MTCPA Awards
Every year, the MTCPA honors individuals that have demonstrated their commitment to supporting the Society and maintaining the CPA's trusted and respected place in the state's professional community.
Below you will find a list of the awards the MTCPA presents, as well as the names of the past recipients for each. Please take a moment to read through their names and reflect on their contributions.
The Awards are presented at the Annual Conference in June, except for the Outstanding CPA in Industry, which is presented at the Industry Conference in March.
Nomination deadline typically December 15th, each year. Please see each individual award for more information.
The Distinguished Service Award is MTCPA's highest honor, recognizing a member who has served the profession or the public with distinction.
The purpose of the award is to recognize CPAs who have demonstrated a commitment to:
- Enhancing the profession whether locally, nationally, or internationally and/or
- Serving the public
Nominations are accepted from other CPAs or members of the public. The Board will review the nominations and request additional information for those nominees selected for further consideration. The winner will be presented the award at the Annual Conference in June.
In evaluating nominations, the Montana Society Board of Directors will consider the nominee’s accomplishments in the following areas:
- Service to the Montana Society of CPAs as an officer, Board member, committee member, legislative spokesperson, CPE speaker, researcher, and Line Items contributor, as well as other types of activities that enhance the profession’s stature.
- Service to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, as an officer, committee member, researcher, speaker, or exam grader/contributor.
- Service to other national organizations which contribute to the overall strength of the accounting profession, such as the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the Governmental Accounting Standards Board, the Institute of Management Accountants, the American Accounting Association, and other recognized organizations that directly influence the accounting ion.
- Service to international accounting organizations such as the International Financial Accounting Committee.
- Active participant in various community, charitable, and civic activities on a local, state, or national level.
- Assumed responsibility for a significant civic or charitable undertaking on a local, state, or national level.
- Service in the community, state, or nation in an outstanding manner as an appointed or elected official.
- Presented speeches or published significant articles designed to encourage participation in, or support of community, civic, or charitable causes.
Nomination deadline December 15th, each year. Form can be found here.
Click here for previous recipients of this prestigious award
The MTCPA Outstanding CPA in Business and Industry Award recognizes the achievements of individual CPAs employed in business, industry, nonprofit and government (BING).
The nominee must be a member of the MTCPA in good standing, be employed in business or industry and be nominated based on achievements in any one of the following categories:
- Making a significant contribution to the growth and enhancement of the profession.
- Making a significant contribution to the growth and success of his/her employer organization or a notable entrepreneurial achievement.
- Providing leadership-by-example and commitment within their organization, community and profession.
- Inspiring and motivating others for growth and development, while emphasizing the ethical and excellence values of the CPA profession.
Nominations may be made by other MTCPA members, or by non-members that have specific knowledge of the nominee’s achievements. Nominees will be selected based on the criteria listed below and final selection will be made by the MTCPA Board of Directors annually.
Nominations will be kept for a 3 year period, in case there is more than one qualified candidate in any given year. The award will be given at the Industry Conference held in Helena each March.
Nomination deadline December 15th, each year. Form can be found here.
The recipient of this award is one who is distinguished for excellence in classroom teaching and motivating students, educational innovation and contributions to the accounting profession, as demonstrated by their active involvement in professional activities.
Educators noted for their teaching abilities but currently are predominantly involved in administration or research are eligible. The nominee need not be a CPA nor hold a doctoral degree.
Nomination deadline December 15th, each year. Form can be found here.
Up-and-coming CPAs are the heart of the profession, and absolutely imperative in the growth of the profession as a whole. The Outstanding Young CPA Award is to recognize the talent of young Montana CPAs and for their growth potential in the accounting profession.
Criteria for Nomination:
- Be a CPA member of MTCPA
- Be 35 years old or younger at the end of the current fiscal year (January 31)
- Display significant accomplishments within MTCPA or a local MTCPA Chapter
- Shown community and/or professional contributions/significant achievements
- Have at least three years of professional accounting experience
The winning nomination will be selected by MTCPA's Board of Directors and presented at the Awards Luncheon held each June during the Annual Meeting.
Nominations should include the Nomination Form and a letter describing why the nominee should be considered, using the criteria given. A resume of the nominee and letters of support are not required, but strongly recommended.
Nomination deadline December 15th, each year. Form can be found here.
Community Service is a vital part of any thriving community. MTPA is proud to have members who provide their time, expertise, and man power to help people and organizations around our community - and in turn, making Montana a better place to live.
Candidates may be nominated by employers, individuals, members of the public. Documentation of the individual’s contributions to the community is important. The MTCPA Board of Directors will review all nominations and select the winner. The winner will be presented the award at the Annual Conference in June. Nominations will be valid for up to three years.
All nominations must include the information on the forms and also submit the information to the questions above to be considered for the MTCPA Community Service Award. Attachments, such as references and background articles, are welcomed. Please note that only public service activities should be described.
Compensated professional services related to not-for-profit or community organizations are not considered in determining the award winner and, therefore, should not be included.
The nominations packet should include:
- Nomination Form
- An Executive Summary Sheet filled out by nominator. The summary should be a high-level overview of the nominee’s public service activities and be no longer than one page.
Nomination deadline December 15th, each year. Form can be found here.
The Outstanding Volunteer Award(s) represents an important opportunity to focus recognition on volunteers who achieve excellence in leading MTCPA committees, task forces and working groups. The support for these awards comes from the Society’s tradition of serving the profession and is intended to recognize outstanding examples of leadership and achievement.
Outstanding Volunteers are nominated by the MTCPA Board. The nominee must be a current committee chair. MTCPA Board Liaisons are encouraged to be familiar with committee activities and the accomplishments of committee volunteers throughout the year to be in a position to evaluate potential for nomination. An award nomination may be by letter or report to the MTCPA Board of Directors and should include reference to the accomplishments of the committee chair and his/her contribution to the successful performance of the committees/task forces/strike forces/niche groups. Attributes to be considered are:
- Committee leadership recognizes and supports good ideas, inspires a vision, steers projects, enables others to act, encourages others;
- Committee productivity develops and attains committee goals, promotes quality work, meets deadlines, accepts responsibility and performs consistently, makes a major contribution to the committee’s success;
- Advancing morale shows initiative, is enthusiastic and effective, fosters collaboration, strengthens others, leads by example.
The MTCPA Board of Directors will make the selection(s) no later than the May meeting. Award recipients will be announced at MTCPA’s annual meeting. Award winners may be contacted about receiving the award prior to the annual meeting. There is no limit to the number of awards which may be presented each year; the number of individuals deserving this recognition may vary from year to year. Conversely, it is not necessary to present the award in any given year if appropriate nominations have not been received.
The Medallion is awarded to the outstanding upper-level students in a four or five-year program at the University of Montana, Montana State University and Montana State University-Billings. Each year, the faculty select an upper-level student who represents excellence in scholastic achievement.