Illinois CPA Society Honors Ronald S. Sonenthal with 2011 Outstanding Leadership in Advancing Diversity Award

CHICAGO, June 2, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Illinois CPA Society recently honored Ronald S. Sonenthal, CPA, Chief Operating Officer for Deloitte Tax  LLP, with its 2011 Outstanding Leadership in Advancing Diversity Award for his commitment to driving greater diversity within the accounting profession and his role in increased hiring of diverse professionals within Deloitte Tax and throughout the professional services field.

During his more than 27 years in public accounting and nearly 10 years with Deloitte, Sonenthal has made thousands of students aware of the opportunities available in accounting and provided them with the tools needed to succeed in school. He brought Working in the Schools (WITS) "Workplace Mentoring" program to Deloitte and, recognizing the financial barrier students faced, worked for six years on the Board of Directors of College Bound, which eventually merged with other college-access non-profits to form Scholarship Chicago. Sonenthal has also taken part in Deloitte's Junior Achievement efforts to provide information and career and college exposure to CPS high school and elementary students and launched the Career Sponsorship Program (CSP) at Deloitte to drive enhanced career opportunities and retention of minority talent.

Sonenthal serves as the Chairman of Working in the Schools (WITS), the Great Lakes Regional Board of INROADS, which is dedicated to developing and placing minorities within the corporate workplace, and Chairs the Advisory Council of the College of Business for Chicago State University.  He also serves as Treasurer on the Board of the B'Nai Brith Beber Camp, Vice-President of his Temple, and is a Director-for-Life of the Jewish Council for Youth Services.

A resident of Highland Park, Illinois, he received a BS degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and his graduate degree in Taxation from DePaul University in Chicago. Sonenthal believes providing students of all backgrounds and cultures with resources and support is critical to the future of the accounting profession.

About the Illinois CPA Society
The Illinois CPA Society, founded in 1903, is the fourth largest state CPA Society in the nation, with more than 24,000 members. It is the premier professional organization that represents CPAs in Illinois. During its over 100 years of existence, the Society has advanced the highest ethical and financial standards of the profession, and has been a leader in educating the public on financial issues.

SOURCE Illinois CPA Society