Canisius College

Accounting Grads Rank Among the Best in NYS

BUFFALO, NY – Canisius College alumni, who graduated with bachelor’s degrees in accounting and sat for the 2010 CPA exam cycle, tied for the highest pass rate percentage (70 percent) in New York State on the auditing portion of the exam, according to the National Association of the State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA). This same group also had the second highest pass rate percentage (69.6 percent) in New York State on the financial accounting and reporting section of the CPA exam. Overall, Canisius alumni, who graduated with bachelor’s degrees in accounting and sat for the 2010 CPA exam cycle, ranked third in New York State, with a 70 percent pass rate.

Those Canisius alumni who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the college and sat for the 2010 CPA exam also scored well, according to the NASBA rankings. Graduate and undergraduate alumni had the second highest pass rate percentage on the financial accounting and reporting (72.4 percent) portion of the exam; and the third highest pass rate percentage on the auditing portion of the exam. This same group also ranked third, overall, in New York State, with a 69.5 percent pass rate. All results are based on schools that had 20 or more candidates sit for the first time for the sections of the exam.

“Graduates of the Canisius College Accounting Program consistently rank among the best in the state, based on CPA exam pass rates,” says Joseph B. O’Donnell, PhD, CPA, CISA, chair of the Department of Accounting. “The exceptional knowledge and dedication of our accounting faculty, the high quality of our curriculum and the rigorous program standards equates to successful graduates who are heavily recruited by employers.”

The Department of Accounting is part of the Richard J. Wehle School of Business, which is accredited by the prestigious Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

Canisius College is one of 28 Catholic, Jesuit colleges in the nation and the premier private college in Western New York. Canisius prepares leaders – intelligent, caring, faithful individuals – able to pursue and promote excellence in their professions, their communities and their service to humanity.

Date released: 12/7/2011

Two Grads are Among Most Influential Accountants in US

Jim Metzler '72	Mark J. Koziel ’91

BUFFALO, NY – Canisius College accounting alumni James C. Metzler ’72, CPA and Mark J. Koziel ’91, CPA, are among the top 10 most influential accountants in the U.S., according to Accounting Today. Metzler and Koziel were nominated for the recognition by their industry peers.

Jim Metzler, of Amherst, NY, is a 1972 alumnus of the Canisius College accounting program and vice president of small firm interests for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). In this role, he leads AICPA initiatives aimed at serving the needs of practitioners, including the activities of the Private Companies Practice Section, as well as the Institute’s specialized communities and accreditations. He also serves as an advocate for small firms on standard setting, legislative matters and practice issues, and as liaison between the AICPA and its member firms.

Metzler’s efforts on behalf of small firms and his activities with the AICPA have gained him recognition throughout the profession. He is frequently named among The Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting, a national listing compiled annually by the editors of Accounting Today.

Metzler received the U.S. Small Business Administration’s New York District Office 2007 Financial Services Champion of the Year Award. He was cited for his significant contributions in helping small businesses obtain the accounting services they need to succeed.

Prior to joining the AICPA, Metzler was a co-founder of Convergence Coaching LLC, a national consulting firm dedicated to helping CPAs prosper by assisting them in the development and implementation of success plans. Metzler is the author of “How to Build a Million Dollar Technology Consulting Practice” and numerous articles on practice management issues. He is also a frequent lecturer for the AICPA, State Societies and global CPA professional associations.

Mark Koziel, of Wake Forest, NC, is a 1991 alumnus of the Canisius College accounting program and vice president of firm services and global alliances at the AICPA. He oversees the development, ongoing improvement and delivery of services to members in Private Companies Practice Section/Firm Practice Management, as well as international relations with various CPA-related groups. He speaks on CPA issues around the country and is frequently named among the Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting by Accounting Today. Koziel is the younger person on this year’s Top 10 list.

Prior to joining the AICPA, Koziel served as director of media planning for a political consulting firm in East Aurora, NY serving presidential, senate, congressional and governor races around the country. He also served as client director for all national public affairs clients.

Koziel finished his public accounting career as director of Placement and Human Resource Consulting Divisions at a large local accounting firm in Buffalo, NY. His experiences with recruiting for firm employees and assisting clients in filling key accounting positions served as the springboard to the development of the Placement Services Division. Koziel’s recruiting techniques used for the firm served as the system to be used for placement services.

An active member of the Buffalo Chapter of the New York State Society of CPAs, Koziel was one of the founding members of the Young CPAs Committee and served as chair for two years before he was appointed to the Buffalo Chapter Board. He served as president for the 2003-2004 fiscal year, one of the youngest president’s in the history of the Buffalo Chapter.

Accounting Today is a leading provider of business news for the tax and accounting communities, offering breaking news, in-depth features, editorial analysis, and several other resources and services.

Alumna Gets National Recognition on CPA Exam Score

Award is presented annually to candidates who obtained the 10 highest cumulative scores on all four sections of the computerized Uniform CPA Examination.

BUFFALO, NY – Canisius College alumna Kay J. Hashimoto is a recipient of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ (AICPA) Elijah Watt Sells Award. The award is presented annually to candidates who obtained the 10 highest cumulative scores on all four sections of the computerized Uniform CPA Examination. The 2009 award is unique because multiple candidates received identical cumulative scores. This resulted in a tie and increased the total number of winners to 15. More than 93,000 individuals sat for the 2009 CPA exam, which is the most recent exam cycle published by the National Association of the State Boards of Accountancy.

Hashimoto is a 2009 graduate of the Canisius College Master of Business in Professional Accounting Program. She earned a bachelor of arts degree in economics from Harvard University. Hashimoto is employed at PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York City.

“The accounting education I received at Canisius gave me an excellent foundation upon which to study for the CPA exam,” says Hashimoto. “The clear presentation of relevant, up-to-date topics by my professors at Canisius, along with my diligent and methodical preparation for the CPA exam shortly after, enabled me to master accounting concepts and go into each exam very well prepared.”

The AICPA created the Elijah Watt Sells Award in 1923. Sells was one of the country’s first CPAs under the provision of a New York State law enacted in 1896, and a leader in advancing professional education. He was active in the establishment of the AICPA and was a founder of New York University’s School of Commerce, Accounts and Finance.

Canisius College is one of 28 Jesuit colleges in the nation and the premier private college in Western New York. Canisius prepares leaders – intelligent, caring, faithful individuals – able to pursue and promote excellence in their professions, their communities and their service to humanity.