Sells Winners: 39 Candidates Score 95.50 or Higher on CPA Exam

Posted: 12 Apr 2013 04:00 AM PDT The 2012 Elijah Watt Sells Award winners were announced on March 26. Just a total of 39 individuals performed so well on the CPA Exam in 2012 to have earned this prestigious title. Considering there were more than 92,000 candidates who sat for the CPA exam in 2012, the 39 recipients have made an immense achievement indeed! Perhaps congratulations are in order? What does it take to be a Sells winner? The award is presented to candidates who have obtained a cumulative average score above 95.50 across all four sections of the CPA Exam, completed testing during the 2012 calendar year and passed all four sections of the CPA Exam on their first attempt. The talented individuals listed below are the 2012 Sells Award winners in alphabetical order, followed by their state board affiliation, education and present employer. Jill Aoki (Utah), a Utah State University graduate with a triple BA in Accounting, Finance and Economics, and a Master of Accountancy, is employed with Ernst & Young LLP in Salt Lake City. Blake Applegate (Illinois), an Indiana University graduate with a BA in Accounting and a Master of Accountancy, is employed with KPMG in Chicago. Bradley Bowen (Texas), a Texas A&M University graduate with a BA in Accounting and a Master of Accountancy, is employed with Ernst & Young LLP in Dallas. James Braun (Texas), a University of Texas at Austin graduate with a BA in Business Administration and a Master of Professional Accountancy, is employed with Ernst & Young LLP in Houston. Alan Burton (Kansas), a Fort Hays State University graduate with a BA in Accounting, is employed with Adams, Brown, Beran & Ball, Chtd. in Great Bend, Kansas. Andrew Buss (Minnesota), a University of Wisconsin – Madison graduate with a BBA in Accounting and a Master of Accountancy, is employed with Ernst & Young LLP in Minneapolis. David Canedo (Wisconsin), a University of Wisconsin – Madison graduate with a BA in Accounting and a Master of Professional Accountancy. David Carlson (Massachusetts), a Bentley University graduate with a BA in Accounting and an anticipated Master of Financial Planning in August 2013, is employed with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in Boston. Devin Davidson (Washington), a Brigham Young University graduate with a BA in Accounting and a Master of Accountancy, is employed with Davidson Farms LLC in Basin City, Washington. Angel Davis (Oregon), a University of Oregon graduate with a BA in Accounting and a Master of Accountancy, is employed with Precision Castparts Corp. in Portland. Dodge Docheff (Missouri), a University of Central Missouri graduate with a BA in Business Administration and a Master of Accountancy, is employed with BKD, LLP in Kansas City. Codie Dull (Wisconsin), a University of Wisconsin – Madison graduate with a BA in Business Administration and a Master of Professional Accountancy, is employed with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in Milwaukee. Martha Everett (Michigan), a University of Michigan graduate with a BA in Business Administration and a Master of Accountancy, is employed with Plante Moran in Clinton Township, Michigan. Alan Gnegy (Virginia), a West Virginia University graduate with a BA in Accounting, is employed with Pillar Innovations LLC in Grantsville, MD. Michael Gorter (Minnesota), a Dordt College graduate with a BA in Accounting and Finance, is employed with Deloitte and Touche LLP in Minneapolis. Yun Guo (North Carolina), a Minzu University of China graduate with a BA in Economics and Finance and a Master of Accountancy from Wake Forest University, is employed with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in New York. Laura Hilby (Iowa), a Buena Vista University graduate with a BS in Accounting and Corporate Mathematics is employed with McGladrey LLP in Des Moines, IA. Stephen Hruby (Ohio), a John Carroll University graduate with a BS in Business Administration and Accounting is employed with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in Cleveland. Kevin King (Indiana), an Indiana University graduate with a BS in Accounting and a Master of Accountancy, is employed with Ernst & Young LLP in Indianapolis. Tyler Kleppe (Wisconsin), a University of Wisconsin – Whitewater graduate with a BA in Accounting and a Master of Professional Accountancy, is employed with Smith & Gesteland, LLP in Madison, WI. Veronika Krasteva (Florida), a University of Miami graduate with a BA in Business Administration and a Master of Accounting, is employed with Deloitte & Touche, LLP in Miami. Brian Krogol (Florida), a University of Florida graduate with a BS in Accounting and a Master of Professional Accountancy, is employed with Grant Thornton in Miami. Anthony Lemon (Utah), a Utah State University graduate with a BS in Accounting and a Master of Accounting, is employed with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in Salt Lake City. William McGauran (Virginia), an American University, Washington D.C. graduate with a BS in Accounting, is employed with Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP in Arlington, VA. Andrew Napolitano (California), a University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) graduate with a BA in Business Economics, is employed with PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP in Los Angeles. Eliza Nesvog (Washington), a University of Washington graduate with a BA in Business Administration and a Master of Professional Accountancy, is employed with Ernst & Young LLP in Seattle. Bradley Ostendorf (Minnesota), a Minnesota State University – Moorhead graduate with a BS in Accounting, is employed with McGladrey LLP in Minneapolis. Brighton Ranney (Missouri), a University of Wisconsin – Madison graduate with a BS in Computer Science who holds a Master of Accounting from the University of Missouri - St. Louis, is employed with Moneta Group in Clayton, MO. Glenn Rice (New York), a Hofstra University graduate with a BA in Accounting, is employed with PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP in New York. Anthony Salomone (New York), a Boston College graduate with a BS in Accounting and Finance, is employed with PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP in New York. Brent Schmidt (Ohio), a Miami University – (Oxford Ohio) graduate with a BS in Business Accounting, is employed with BKD, LLP in Cincinnati. Kimberly Shriver (Georgia), a University of Georgia graduate with a BA in Accounting and a Master of Accountancy, is employed with Ernst & Young LLP in Atlanta. Mark Stankevitz (Massachusetts), a University of Chicago graduate with a BA in Economics and a Master of Accounting from Boston College, is employed with Grant Thornton, LLP. Jennifer Tindle (Texas), a Southwestern University graduate with a BA in Accounting and a Master of Accountancy from Vanderbilt University, is employed with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in Houston. Mingyuan Wang (Illinois), a Beijing Language and Culture University graduate with a BA in Accounting and a Master of Accountancy from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, is employed with Constantin Associates LLP in New York. Kevin Warbis (Ohio), a Miami University graduate with a BS in Accounting, is employed with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in Columbus, OH. Adam Wright (Texas), a University of Texas – Austin graduate with a BBA in  Accounting, is employed with the Texas State Auditor’s Office in Austin. Po-Feng Yu (Colorado), a National Taiwan University graduate with a BA in Accounting and a Master of Accountancy from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, is employed with Deloitte & Touche LLP in Taiwan. Ning Zhu (Texas), a Georgetown University graduate with a BS in Business Administration, is employed with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC in Houston. Elijah Watt Sells, who passed away in 1924, was one of the country’s first CPAs and was active in the establishment of the AICPA. He was also a founder of New York University’s School of Commerce, Accounts and Finance. The Sells award was created by the AICPA in 1923 in his honor.