Accounting Alumnus of the Year Award
The Accounting Alumnus of the Year award was created in 1990 to honor the achievements of distinguished Fisher accounting alumni.
The recipient must not only exemplify Fisher's core values, but must meet three basic criteria of noteworthy career achievement, significant humanitarian effort, and outstanding contribution to the Fisher community.
2024 Honoree
John Barden ’83
Associate Dean and Clinical Professor of Executive Education at the Naveen Jindal School of Management
Upon completing his accounting degree at Fisher in 1983, Barden embarked on his professional journey in entry-level roles in public accounting. He served as a senior financial analyst and business assurance auditor at Coopers & Lybrand and an independent contractor for PricewaterhouseCoopers at the start of his career while also earning an MBA in accounting and finance from Manhattan College in 1988. In 1996, he shifted his focus toward academia, transitioning into higher education. Barden joined Binghamton University, initially as an adjunct professor, and later assumed a full-time faculty position and leadership of the MBA program.
Driven by a passion for advancing accounting education, Barden moved on to the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), drawn to its diverse student body and the University’s Naveen Jindal School of Management. He helped the school’s executive education program become a financially self-sufficient entity while also earning accolades in the classroom including the Jindal Faculty Idol of the Year award on two occasions and the Global Leadership Executive MBA Faculty of the Year Award.
Past Recipients
Recipients 2020 -
2023
James Bowers ’70
Founder, Bowers & Company, CPA, PLLC
2022
Carol Anthony (John) Davidson ’76
Chief Accounting Officer of Tyco International
2020/2021
Herb Engert ’89
Managing Partner, Ernst & Young LLP New York Office
Recipients 2010 - 2019
2019
Lauren Gleba Burns ’82
Vice President, Business Development, for TalentBridge LLC
2018
David Pitcher ’78
Partner and Shareholder, Davie Kaplan, CPA
2017
James P. Brennan '92
Partner, Deloitte & Touche, LLP
2016
Keith Senglaub '81
Senior Vice President of Finance and CFO, Feld Entertainment
2015
Jill Knittel '94, '03 (MBA)
Financial Advisor, Sage Rutty & Co., Inc.
2014
Steven Terrigino '89
Partner, The Bonadio Group's Small Business Advisory Group
2013
Cheryl Yawman '86
Practice Director of Accounting and Finance, Cochran, Cochran and Yale
2012
Thomas Walpole '74
Owner, Thomas P. Walpole, CPA
2011
Richard Brienzi '81
Executive Vice President and CFO, Ovation Payroll, Inc.
2010
Robert E. Tokarz '71
Retired Partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP
Recipients 2000 - 2009
2009
John F. Magee, CPA '81
CFO, The Bonadio Group
2008
Raymond J. D'Agostino '74
Partner, Deloitte
2007
Michael C. Goonan '75
CFO & VP, University of Rochester Medical Center
2006
James J. Leo '71
CFO, Wegmans Food Markets, Inc.
2005
Victor E. Salerno, Jr. '66
CEO, O'Connell Electric Company
2004
Kristin M. Clark '86
Partner, The Bonadio Group
2003
John F. Heveron '69
President, Heveron & Heveron, CPAs
2002
Martin Mucci '81
Senior VP of Operations Paychex
2001
P. Gerald Sokolski '63
Tax Partner Mengel, Metzger, Barr & Co.
2000
Nancy E. Catarisano '83
Partner, Insero & Co.,
Recipients 1990 - 1999
1999
Stanley D. Konopko '76
Partner, The Bonadio Group
1998
Gary J. Scott '69
Administrative Director, Westfall Surgery Center
1997
Gerald J. Archibald '74
Partner, The Bonadio Group
1996
Edward J. Lynd '56
Financial Consultant, Retired
1995
James T. Sorenson '70
International Managing Partner, KPMG
1994
Gerald E. VanStrydonk '66
Managing Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers
1993
David A. Niermeyer '63
President, Stakmore Company, Inc.
1992
Paul E. Haney '63
Monroe County Legislature
1991
Thomas B. Hogan '67
Managing Partner, Deloitte
1990
Thomas F. Bonadio '71
Managing Partner, The Bonadio Group