Awards to Hansen, Parsons and Somers

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Gaylen R. Hansen, Harry O. Parsons and Susan L. Somers were the recipients of NASBA’s 2018 awards, presented at the Annual Business Meeting on October 30.

Mr. Hansen, NASBA Chair 2012-2013, the recipient of the 2018 William H. Van Rensselaer Public Service Award, has been a prominent voice in the accounting profession. He has represented NASBA on the Consultative Advisory Groups of the International Accounting and Auditing Standards Board and the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants. He also served multiple terms on the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s Standing Advisory Group and was a member of the U.S. Treasury Department’s Advisory Committee on the Auditing Profession. Mr. Hansen has also represented NASBA on the AICPA’s Professional Ethics Executive Committee and Auditing Standards Board. He served as NASBA’s Mountain Regional Director and is a past chair of the Colorado State Board of Accountancy. Under his guidance, NASBA established its Standard-Setting Advisory Committee and he remains an active participant in NASBA’s Regulatory Response Committee.

“No one stands up for the public interest more than this group,” Mr. Hansen said in accepting the award. “Your appointments are from the governor and your responsibility is to the public. The profession takes care of itself quite well. It is the miner who is dependent on the pension or the widow with savings in the bank who rely on you.” Mr. Hansen explained that when a State Board member balances taking someone’s license away, depriving them of their living, the Board member needs to put on the scales the miner and the widow.

In accepting the NASBA Distinguished Service Award, Mr. Parsons thanked the Nevada State Board of Accountancy, on which he served in numerous capacities for 12 years, NASBA, his colleagues and family for their support and encouragement. Mr. Parsons continues to serve as one of the Nevada Board’s investigators. Under his leadership of the NASBA Enforcement Committee, the enforcement manual for State Boards was developed. Mr. Parsons credited former NASBA Chair Thomas Sadler for having created the Enforcement Committee and he said the Distinguished Service Award belongs to the members and staff of that committee who helped and supported him in achieving their goal.

Susan L. Somers was awarded the Lorraine P. Sachs Standard of Excellence Award based on her work as executive director of the Kansas Board of Accountancy since 1996. She has participated in many NASBA meetings and committees and currently is serving on the CPA Evolution Working Group and the CBT Administration Committee. Kansas Board Chair John R. Helms and Vice Chair Kathryn J. Mitchell accepted the award on Ms. Somers’ behalf and will present it to her at the next meeting of the Kansas Board of Accountancy.