Two Marylanders are finalists for CPA.com’s 2025 Innovative Practitioner Award.

The prestigious annual honor "celebrates accounting professionals who are redefining the future of the profession through creativity, technology, and forward-thinking strategies."

Among this year's nominees are:

• Robin Thieme, CPA, CITP, CGMA, founder and CEO of KBS CFO. "With over 30 years of financial and accounting experience, Robin is a seasoned expert with a passion for seeing around corners and leveraging new technologies to drive business growth," CPA.com writes. "As an early adopter of virtual organization practices, Robin built KBS as a pioneering virtual entity long before 'cloud computing' became a mainstream term. This forward-thinking approach continues to shape her client-centric strategies, enabling her to establish tailored efficiencies and solutions that align seamlessly with the ever-evolving business environment."
  
  
• Barrett Young, CPA, marketing and tax partner, GWCPA. Young co-leads GWCPA alongside Partner Samantha Bowling "in transforming an 80-year-old practice for the next generation," CPA.com writes. "Together, they’ve redefined what a modern accounting firm looks like — balancing foresight, empowerment, and empathy. Barrett has led GWCPA’s push toward transparent, subscription-based pricing and tech-driven client engagement, all while re-envisioning the relational foundation our profession was built on. He also hosts 'The Art of Succession' podcast, where he sparks candid conversations about small business transition. A lifelong learner and passionate teacher, Barrett’s mission is to make accounting more human — helping both clients and peers lead with foresight, clarity, and confidence."

Marylanders have twice won the Innovative Practitioner Award in years past.

• Javier Goldin, CPA, managing partner of Goldin Group, LLC, won the 2019 award for the firm's sophisticated approach to providing outsourced CFO / controller services by customizing software components to fit clients' needs.
  
  
• Samantha Bowling, CPA, CGMA, partner at GWCPA, won the 2018 award by helping GWCPA become one of the first small firms to successfully use artificial intelligence in auditing for small businesses, non-profits, and local government.

In addition, Marylanders Rusty Davis, CPA, of Davis & Associates and David Butler, CPA, of Rosenblum and Butler were finalists for the award in 2018.

The 2025 Innovative Practitioner Award will be announced during CPA.com's annual Digital CPA Conference, scheduled for Dec. 7-10 in Washington, D.C. View all of this year's finalists and cast your vote here.

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