Illinois CPA Society Names 11 Young Professionals Mary T. Washington Wylie Fellows

Fellows program aims to increase opportunities for African Americans and other underrepresented minorities in the profession

CHICAGO, Sept. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Illinois CPA Society, the CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois and its Mary T. Washington Wylie Opportunity Fund have announced the first group of Mary T. Washington Wylie Fellows.

The Mary T. Washington Wylie Program was developed to increase the number of African Americans and other underrepresented minorities in the accounting profession by providing educational, professional and leadership opportunities. The Fellows program is a prestigious one-year renewable appointment for select professionals with an active interest in diversity and mentoring.

These individuals with exceptional credentials have been chosen as the first fellows of this program:  

• Martrice Caldwell, CPA is a Senior Accountant in the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago's Government, Contracts and Grants Groups. She is a member of National Association of Black Accountants and the Metropolitan Board of the Chicago Urban League.
• Pedro Diaz de Leon, CPA is a Senior Internal Auditor for PR Donnelly & Sons. He has been a tax site facilitator for Ladder Up and volunteers at The Center for Economic Progress.
• Melissa A. Hamilton, CPA is a manager in the State and Local Tax Practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. She is a licensed CPA in both Illinois and Missouri who is active with the United Way's Young Leaders Society, as well as the Chicago Chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants.
• Juanita Herring, CPA is a Multistate Income/Franchise Senior Tax Consultant at Deloitte Tax LLP. She obtained her Juris Doctor from Northern Illinois University College of Law and was sworn into the Illinois State Bar in 2007.
• Ajahnae Hinley, CPA is a Senior Associate in audit at Grant Thornton LLP. She holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Accounting from Northern Illinois University.
• Andrell Holloway, CPA is a Manager with KPMG's Advisory Practice. Currently focused on public accounting, he also has extensive cross industry experience, and holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Roosevelt University in business administration.
• Ashlee Kuhl, CPA is a Senior Associate, Assurance Services with BDO USA, LLP. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and holds Bachelor's degrees in Business and French from Illinois Wesleyan University and a Master's in Accounting from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
• LaToya Locke, is a senior auditor with Ernst & Young. She recently served as a mentor for Perspectives Calumet Charter School in direct partnership with Ernst & Young and holds a dual Bachelor's Degree in Accountancy and Finance from Southern Illinois University.
• Victoria Long, is an Assurance Manager at Ernst & Young. Highly involved with inclusiveness programs at Ernst & Young, she holds a Bachelor's degree in Organizational Studies from the University of Michigan and a Master of Science degree in Accountancy from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
• Porschia Thomas-Quinn, CPA is a Field Auditor for Cook County, Illinois. She is a recipient of the Illinois CPA Society's Herman J. Neal Scholarship and aspires to be an Accounting Professor.
• Tara Wells, CPA is a Senior Tax Accountant in the Family Offices Group at Blackman Kallick, LLP. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School where she specialized in Business and Tax Law; while attending law school, she served as a student attorney for the University's Family Law Project and the Neighborhood Law Clinic.

The Mary T. Washington Wylie Fellows Program honors the legacy of Mary T. Washington Wylie, the country's 13th African-American CPA and the first African-American female to obtain a CPA license. In 1939 she founded her own firm, known today as Washington, Pittman & McKeever in Chicago.

The Fellows will be partnered with senior volunteer leaders to foster lasting professional relationships. In turn, they will serve as mentors to the Mary T. Washington Wylie Scholars. The Mary T. Washington Wylie Program is organized in conjunction with Harold Washington College and made possible through the efforts of the CPA Endowment Fund and its Mary T. Washington Wylie Opportunity Fund, as well as the generous contributions of members and donors.  Firm and corporate sponsors include Deloitte LLP; Ernst & Young LLP; KPMG LLP; Washington, Pittman & McKeever LLC; Crowe Horwath, Draper and Kramer, Inc./Frederick Ford; and Grant Thornton.

More information about the Mary T. Washington Wylie Fellows Program can be found on the Illinois CPA Society's site – www.icpas.org.

About the Illinois CPA Society

The Illinois CPA Society, founded in 1903, is the fifth 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