WVSCPA announces 2022 award winners

LIFE MEMBERSHIP AWARD
The recipient of the 2022 Life Membership Award is Gayle E. Mason. Gayle is the sole owner of Gayle E. Mason, CPA accounting firm in Lewisburg, W.Va. She began her practice in April 1979.

Gayle received her Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a concentration in accounting from Eastern Kentucky University in 1975 and received her Master of Accountancy degree from Virginia Tech in 1977.  She has been a CPA since 1979. She is Past President of the WVSCPA (2014-2015) and a Board of Directors member (2009-2016).  Gayle was also a member of the WV Board of Accountancy 2000-2006 and President 2005-2006.

Gayle was the driving force in forming the Greenbrier Valley Chapter of WVSCPA in 2005 while Lou Costanza was Society President.  This chapter has merged with Southern Chapter and is now known as Greenbrier/Southern.  Since then, she has held all chapter offices, and is currently Secretary/Treasurer (for life it seems!) In her community, Gayle is on the Board of Directors (Emeritus in 2020) of the State Fair of West Virginia and has just retired from the Board of Trustees of Greenbrier Valley Theatre.  She heads up the Stewardship Committee and the Scholarship Committee at First Baptist Church in Fairlea. To say that she was surprised and overwhelmed by receiving this award is an understatement! 

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
Edward P. McDonough has been awarded the 2022 Distinguished Service Award. Ed is Managing Shareholder of McDonough Eddy Poling & Baylous. He earned a B.S.B.A. in Accounting from West Virginia University in 1973. He is a CPA, CGMA, and a Certified Valuation Analyst. He has led MEPB to become Parkersburg’s largest locally-owned accounting firm. Ed is a member of the AICPA, life member, past director and past president of the WVSCPA, and member and past president of the WVSCPA Parkersburg Chapter. His other affiliations and achievements include: past president of the West Virginia Board of Accountancy; lead director for Community Bankshares, Inc. and Community Bank of Parkersburg, immediate past chairman of the Board of Directors of Wood County, WV Economic Development; and past president of the Board of Governors of the Parkersburg Country Club.

PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD
The recipient of the 2022 Public Service Award is Tomi J. Weber, CPA. Weber is currently a member of Hess, Stewart & Campbell, PLLC in Huntington, W.Va. Weber is a native of Milton, W.Va. and has been a certified public accountant since 1986. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from Marshall University in 1979 and has been working in public accounting ever since. Weber began her career with the former Callaway, Trainer & Wright and has been with Hess, Stewart & Campbell since its inception in 1985 and later joined as a member. She oversees small business services for the firm and specializes in trust and estate taxation.

Tomi has served as president for the Huntington chapters of WV Society of CPAs, the Greater Huntington Estate Planning Council and American Society of Women Accountants in the past. She also served several years as an active board member including board chair for Dress for Success River Cities. She also previously served as treasurer of the Huntington Scottish Rite Foundation and a board member of Hospice of Huntington Endowment and currently serves on the board of the Brown Dog Yoga Foundation. In her spare time, she enjoys teaching yoga and indoor cycling as well as playing tennis & pickleball and spending time with her husband of 41 years, adult children, and dog at the beach.

KATHY EDDY YOUNG CPA OF THE YEAR AWARD
Charles A. (Alex) Peach, CPA, has been awarded the 2022 Kathy Eddy WV Young CPA of the Year Award. Peach is the Controller for Service Wire Company in Culloden, W.Va. Peach graduated from Marshall University in 2010 and started his career in public accounting with Hayflich CPAs in 2011. He joined Service Wire Company in 2016 and is responsible for overseeing the Accounting and Credit departments for the Company. He is an active member of the AICPA, WVSCPA, and the Huntington Chapter of the WVSCPA. Peach served on the Huntington Chapter Board from 2015-2019, serving as President for the 2018-2019 year. He has also been a guest speaker for Marshall University’s Beta Alpha Psi chapter.

OUTSTANDING CPA IN BUSINESS & INDUSTRY
The recipient of the 2022 Outstanding CPA in Business & Industry Award is Anna K. Neil, CPA. Neil is an Assistant Vice President in the accounting department at Huntington Federal Savings Bank in Huntington, W.Va. She is a lifelong West Virginia resident, and a 2011 graduate of Marshall University with degrees in Accounting and Finance. She began her career as an auditor in public accounting and became a licensed CPA in 2012. After leaving public accounting, she worked for the City of Huntington, and took her current position with the bank in 2016. 

Anna is a past President of the Huntington Chapter of the WVSCPA, co-chair of the Young CPA committee, and board member for the Accounting Education Foundation. She stays actively involved with Marshall University through Beta Alpha Psi, as well as serving on the Advisory Board for the Division of Accountancy and Legal Environment. Working with the WVSCPA and MU to do high school outreach has been one of her focuses in the past few years, as she is always trying to promote her alma mater and the accounting profession. Anna is also Treasurer for the local Big Brothers Big Sisters organization and helps manage a local small business, EveryBODY Fitness.

OUTSTANDING CPA IN GOVERNMENT
Erica L. Boggess, CPA, has been awarded the 2022 Outstanding CPA in Government. Boggess is currently the Executive Director of the West Virginia Housing Development Fund. Boggess joined the West Virginia Housing Development Fund in 1986 serving in various accounting and finance positions and was appointed Deputy Director in January 2005 and served as the Assistant Treasurer to the Board of Directors. On January 1, 2012 she was first appointed as Acting Executive Director by then Governor Tomblin and was appointed Executive Director by Governor Justice in April 2017. During her tenure in accounting and finance, Ms. Boggess was responsible for various aspects of tax-exempt mortgage revenue bonds of over $4 billion.  In her role as Executive Director, she has served as a member of the West Virginia Infrastructure Council, the West Virginia Jobs Investment Trust, the West Virginia Affordable Housing Trust Fund, and the West Virginia Interagency Council on Homelessness.  Prior to joining the Housing Development Fund, she worked in public accounting. Boggess graduated Suma Cum Laude from Marshall University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

OUTSTANDING ACCOUNTING EDUCATOR AWARD
The 2022 recipient of the Outstanding Accounting Educator Award is Dr. Amanda K. Thompson-Abbott. Amanda is an entrepreneur and assistant professor. She received her doctorate degree in business administration from the University of South Florida in December of 2020.  Additionally, she is also a partner in her family's accounting business, which focuses on tax and consulting. A proud daughter of Marshall, she was thrilled to join the faculty in 2008.  At Marshall, her teaching focus is on taxation and cost accounting.  Amanda also supervises the university's Beta Alpha Psi chapter and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program. She enjoys teaching at the college level, where she can mold and shape the next generation of accountants.