Sixteen emerging accounting and finance leaders learned the skills they’ll need to take their teams, their careers, and their profession to the next level during the Maryland Association of CPAs’ 2021 Leadership Academy.

Held Aug. 18-20 in Towson, Md., the annual event is designed to help emerging leaders make the transition from individual contributors to leaders in their organizations.

“Our profession is facing an increasing talent shortage. Investing in and developing our next generation of leaders is critical not just to our organizations’ success, but to the vitality and relevance of our profession going forward,” said Rebekah Brown, CPA, the MACPA’s director of development and one of the event’s three facilitators. “Spending time with these 16 emerging leaders gave me great pride in Maryland CPAs and great hope for our future.”

This year’s class learned leadership skills in three critical areas:

• Leading yourself, including strengths-based leadership, personal and professional branding, and how to give and receive feedback.
• Leading others, including the arts of collaboration, facilitation, and delegation.
• Leading organizations, including anticipation, strategic and critical thinking, and inclusive leadership.

Graduates of the MACPA’s 2021 Leadership Academy are:

• Jason Andrews of French, Shepley & Strong, LLC, in Hunt Valley, Md.
• Addie Blickenstaff of DeLeon & Stang in Gaithersburg, Md.
• Ginny Bolton of Gardiner & Appel Group, Inc., in Severna Park, Md.
• Nicole DeJarnette of Weyrich Cronin and Sorra in Hunt Valley, Md.
• Will Eastham of Bridgeway Community Church in Columbia, Md.
• Jenna Frosio, Askey, Askey & Associates, CPA, LLC, in Leonardtown, Md.
• Timothy Hart of Grandizio, Wilkins, Little & Matthews, LLP, in Sparks, Md.
• Bryan Hughes of Saggar & Rosenberg in Rockville, Md.
• Tricia Katebini of GRF CPAs & Advisors in Washington, D.C.
• Michael Maile of Rosen, Sapperstein & Friedlander, LLC, in Towson, Md.
• Joseph O'Meara of GRF CPAs & Advisors in Washington, D.C.
• Leah Shiffman of Gardiner & Appel Group, Inc., in Severna Park, Md.
• Cortney Stitt of Clark & Anderson, P.A., in Glen Burnie, Md.
• Corey Tappan of Weyrich Cronin and Sorra in Hunt Valley, Md.
• Ryan Welling of Weyrich, Cronin & Sorra in Hunt Valley, Md.
• Rychele Works of Withum in Washington, D.C.

The MACPA’s 2021 Leadership Academy was facilitated by MACPA Director of Development Rebekah Brown, MACPA Chief Communications Officer Bill Sheridan, and Tom Hood, the MACPA’s former CEO and current executive vice president of business growth and engagement for the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants.