Contact:
Lois Whitehead, Public Relations Manager
212-719-8405
lwhithead@nysscpa.org

NEW YORK, NEW YORK, March 24, 2006 -- The New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants will induct Robert L. Gray, CPA of Garrison into the CPA Hall of Fame for his lifetime achievements, vision, and contributions to the profession and the larger community. The presentation will take place on Thursday, May 18th at the Society’s 109th Annual Election Meeting and Dinner at the Marriott Marquis in New York City.

The Society leadership established the Hall of Fame in 2000, when a special Selection Committee inducted five members posthumously for their demonstrated leadership, impact and distinguished service in and out of the profession.

Gray became a member of the Society in 1961. Chairman of the New York State Board of Public Accountancy from 2004 to 2005, he was Executive Director of the Society from 1970 to 1998, became a member in 1961. During his reign as Executive Director, membership levels swelled from under 19,000 to nearly 33,000. During his tenure in this position, Gray also served in a variety of editorial capacities for The CPA Journal, the Society’s monthly publication, and was appointed publisher and editor-in-chief in the 1980s.

According to Lou Grumet, the Society’s current Executive Director, who nominated him for this award, “During his tenure, continuing education requirements for CPAs became mandatory and Bob even led a charge to heighten those requirements for CPAs who practiced in New York. He oversaw the creation of the Foundation for Accounting Education (FAE), was its Executive Director and a member of the FAE Trustees. During his tenure he beefed up its offerings to more than 1,000 courses, all the while working to make self-regulatory activities of ethics enforcement, peer review and continuing education part of a regulation partnership with the State Education Department. He also rolled out the Career Opportunities in the Accounting Profession Program in 1987 which exposed hundreds of minority high school students to the profession.”

“I had the privilege of working with him for over 20 years,” said Robert Fagliarone, CPA, PFS, in nominating Gray for this award. “He was always very helpful, constantly tutoring future presidents of the Society. His materials were always timely and well organized. He was one of the more respected Society executive directors in the United States because of his professional skills and his ability to handle the most difficult situations with diplomacy while effectively solving the problems and challenges the profession faced.”

Gray also served in a variety of top roles for the Society, including as a member of the AICPA Council, Executive Committee, Finance Committee, Board of Directors, Awards, Professional Liability Insurance, Benevolent Fund, Finance/Policy, Budget Policy committees and on the task forces for Privilege, Competition, Implementation, Firm Involvement, Cooperation with the Bar, Specialization and Organization and Management.

Gray was a college professor for senior and postgraduate students at Syracuse University and the State University of New York at Binghamton before becoming the Society’s Executive Director. He also had extensive practice expertise in both national and local accounting firms.

Criteria for acceptance into the Society’s Hall of Fame requires that an individual:

• Demonstrated leadership within the profession and in the larger community within New York State;
• Demonstrated a record of achievement and provided vision and knowledge of broad business issues;
• Made a demonstrated impact on the profession through outstanding professional accomplishments
• Provided distinguished service to the profession or the larger community;
• Contributed to accounting research, literature, or education
• Demonstrated commitment and leadership in adapting to changes in the profession;
• Made a contribution toward influencing the future of the profession;
• Provided significant service to accounting organizations;
• Been a member of the NYSSCPA for a significant part of his/her career;

Candidates also must have worked for a minimum of 25 years as a CPA, with 10 of those years of experience in New York State, and have either attained the age of 65 or who have died, become disabled or otherwise ceased to be actively engaged in accounting-related employment.

About the NYSSCPA

Representing 30,000 CPAs, the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) is the oldest and largest state accounting organization in the nation.
Incorporated in 1897, the Society is a not-for-profit organization that seeks to establish and maintain high standards of integrity, honor, and character among certified public accountants. Its members are CPAs working in public practice, industry, government and education in a state that serves as the home of Wall Street and major financial institutions.

The New York State Society of CPAs is located at 3 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016. To learn more about the Society call 800-633-6320 or visit the Society’s website at www.nysscpa.org.