Sustainable business practices, once largely an afterthought in the corporate world, are growing in significance, as more companies become aware of how environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors affect their bottom line. This development has sparked a rising demand for clarity on where companies stand on these issues and what they’re doing to improve these wide-ranging practices. Seeking to meet this demand are dozens of organizations that arose to provide various frameworks for measuring sustainable corporate behavior.

On May 29, the NYSSCPA hosted “An Evening of Celebration with the 100th President,” to honor Ita M. Rahilly, who became the 100th president of the Society, succeeding Jan C. Herringer. The dinner took place at The University Club in Manhattan.

At the NYSSCPA’s Excellence in Financial Journalism (EFJ) Awards luncheon on June 7, the Society honored some of 2018’s best financial journalism, as well as the reporters and other professionals who produced it. Cezary Podkul, a Wall Street Journal senior reporter and two-time EFJ Award winner, served as the luncheon’s keynote speaker. He spoke before an audience of approximately 35 journalists, editors and awards judges at the Tribeca Grill in New York City.

William H. Dresnack, the 2019 winner of the Dr. Emanuel Saxe Outstanding CPA in Education award, is chair of the Finance & Accounting Department at Rochester Institute of Technology’s Saunders College of Business, where he helps prepare the next generation of CPAs. His teaching philosophy has a thoroughly practical bent.

NYSSCPA member Steven M. Morse, the recipient of this year’s Arthur J. Dixon Public Service Award, is passionate about volunteering. While this could describe many people, the sheer scope and scale of his volunteer activities over the years would be difficult to match, especially considering his having to balance them with his career and family life.

Joel Quall, this year’s winner of the Outstanding CPA in Industry Award, is a strong advocate of relationship building within the accounting profession. During the course of his career, Quall has mentored several young CPAs who later rose to high ranks within the profession. In particular, he has championed the advancement of CPAs into the C-Suite, primarily as CFOs. As the CFO of tZERO, a company that uses blockchain technology to help investors trade in digital securities, he also has a strong interest in technology as a means to making processes more efficient.