2020 GSCPA Member Awards
The Georgia Society of CPAs recognizes the hard work and dedication of its members each year through awards. From education to industry, GSCPA members are what make the Society great.
Each year the Chair of The Georgia Society of CPAs (GSCPA) recognizes a distinguished GSCPA member who has demonstrated dedicated service to GSCPA and the accounting profession. This year, James Freeman is pleased to highlight Lori Evers, CPA as the 2020 Distinguished member.
Lori Evers graduated with honors from the University of Tampa, with a double major in accounting and arts management. She has been involved with public accounting since 1980, having spent four years working as the tax manager for a large, local CPA firm before the formation of Evers and Fox, PC in 1986, which merged with Mauldin & Jenkins, LLC in 2011. Lori retired from Mauldin & Jenkins in October 2014. Since then, she worked part time as a CPA with Kingsley + Franek, CPA, and has been a full-time foster parent from 2014 - 2019.
Lori has spent most of the past five years as a volunteer. In addition to her foster parenting, she has been an instructor and tax preparer for AARP Tax-Aide, serving as the local coordinator of the Chamblee location. She was president of the Georgia Federal Tax Conference and chaired the Estate Planning Conference for The Georgia Society of CPAs. She also co-chaired the 2013 and 2014 Balser Symposium.
Lori has spent most of the past five years as a volunteer. In addition to her foster parenting, she has been an instructor and tax preparer for AARP Tax-Aide, serving as the local coordinator of the Chamblee location. She was president of the Georgia Federal Tax Conference and chaired the Estate Planning Conference for The Georgia Society of CPAs. She also co-chaired the 2013 and 2014 Balser Symposium.
Lori was a member of the Philanthropic Services Advisory Committee for The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, The Professional Advisory Council for The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and The Philanthropic Advisor Leadership Institute Advisory Committee. She is currently a member of The Atlanta Estate Planning Council and the Legacy Advisor Leadership Council for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
Additionally, she has also been a Money Wise Advisor with Buckhead Church.
This prior tax season, Lori took a lead volunteer role with “Filing for Freedom,” training and guiding volunteers to prepare tax returns for the military reservists at Dobbins Air Force Base and even jumping in to do the preparation work herself as needed. She gave endlessly of her time and in-depth knowledge of the program structure, and her impact has been greatly felt.
As an outstanding CPA and GSCPA member, we are honored to present the 2020 Distinguished Member Award to Lori Evers.
The Meritorious Service Award recognizes individuals who have shown extraordinary dedication to the public or the profession from an accounting perspective.
Those who know Mike Cauley have experienced his devotion to The Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants (GSCPA), the CPA profession and his community. Through his involvement with GSCPA, he stands out as a member who goes above and beyond the call of duty, and he is known for his warmth, sincerity and kindness towards those who have worked for him and with him.
Mike graduated from the University of Georgia (UGA) in 1972 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting. Shortly after graduating, Mike was commissioned in the United States Air Force. Upon completing his military service, he began his accounting career with Price Waterhouse and Company in Atlanta. After returning to Dublin, Georgia, in 1977, Mike was one of the founding partners in Nichols, Cauley and Associates, LLC, in 1987.
The same year he became a CPA (1979), Mike joined GSCPA. He was a charter member of the Heart of Georgia Chapter, helping to establish the chapter in 1987. Over the years, he has served on various GSCPA committees and task forces, including Budget, Nominating, Bylaws, and the Boards for both GSCPA and The Educational Foundation. Mike’s devoted service with The Educational Foundation led to several leadership positions, including a year as Foundation President from 2003-2004.
While serving in various leadership capacities within The Society, Mike was the architect of Leadership Academy. Leadership Academy became one of GSCPA’s premier programs, and many of GSCPA’s current and past leaders have participated during the program’s tenure. He recognized the importance of investing in the future of the profession, and this program was truly one of Mike’s proudest moments. Mike served on GSCPA’s Board of Directors from 1998-2006 and was elected to be president of the Board of Directors during the membership year of 2004-2005. Today, Mike is still actively involved with the Society.
Apart from GSCPA, Mike has also been active among community organizations, including the Dublin-Laurens County Development Authority, where he served as a member from 1995 to 2006 and chairman from 1996 to 1998. Mike has also served his community as the president of the Dublin-Laurens County Chamber of Commerce from 1990-1991 and the Dublin Rotary Club from 1987 to 1988. He was a 1994 participant in Leadership Georgia and served as the program chair from the 1996 Leadership Georgia class. Mike has also served on the boards of United Way, Easter Seals and the Heart of Georgia Technical College Foundation.
Mike’s huge heart is devoted to his family. He and his wife, Debbie, remain members of the First United Methodist Church of Dublin. He is an honorable, sensitive, and forthright person dedicated to the highest standards of integrity and ethical behavior.
For his outstanding contributions to the accounting profession, his many years of dedicated service to his professional Society, and his significant efforts in his community, The Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants, Inc. proudly presents its highest honor, the Meritorious Service Award, to C. Michael Cauley, CPA.
The Public Service Award recognizes a GSCPA member who has made significant contributions in public service activities at local, state, regional or national levels. GSCPA is proud to distinguish Sean Taylor as the 2020 Public Service Award winner.
Sean Taylor became managing partner of Smith & Howard in January 2019 after 25 years of leadership progression in the assurance services group. He joined Smith & Howard as an intern and was named partner in charge of the assurance services group in 2010, a role he held until becoming a managing partner.
He is a member of both AICPA and GSCPA. Sean is proud to have participated in the inaugural GSCPA Leadership Academy. He is actively involved as a multi-year member of various committees at Dunwoody United Methodist Church, including Finance, Staff Parish Relations, Leadership Roundtable, Organ and Evangelism, currently serving as chair of Staff Parish Relations. Sean was elected to chair the Strategic Planning Task Force for Dunwoody United Methodist Church in 2015 to develop the church’s current five-year strategic plan. He recently completed service as co-chairman of the church’s $5,600,000 Moving Forward Together Capital Campaign. He also recently completed six years of service on the Council on Finance and Administration at the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church, serving as chair for four years. Sean serves on the Finance and Investment Committees for Wesleyan School, a private K-12 college preparatory school, and began a five year term on the School’s Board of Trustees in September 2019.
Sean is also a co-founder and volunteer with FoodStock, an annual food packaging event in Dunwoody, Georgia, where over 1,000 community members come together to package over 300,000 meals in one day for children in school feeding programs around the globe. This is the largest single-day food packaging event of its kind in Georgia. To date, this event and other food packaging events in the Dunwoody community associated with FoodStock have packaged over 2.7 million meals.
As an outstanding CPA and GSCPA member, The Georgia Society of CPAs is honored to present the 2020 Public Service award to Sean Taylor.
The Georgia Society of CPAs is honored to announce the 2020 Outstanding Member in Industry Award recipient as Amy King, CPA. The award recognizes members in industry who have made significant contributions, both professional and civic, that reflect the values and ideals to which CPAs in industry should aspire.
Amy is the conference benefits officer of the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church. She administers the pension, health and welfare plans for the clergy and Conference lay employees. She serves as an educator for the clergy and staff and an advocate for the North Georgia Conference to Wespath, the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits.
Amy earned a Master of Accountancy from Auburn University. She has fifteen years of experience in the accounting industry, including time in public accounting at both Mauldin & Jenkins and Metcalf Davis (now merged with Warren Averett) and time in the private sector as controller of Oglethorpe University and finance manager at the City of Dunwoody.
Amy proudly serves the CPA community as a member of the GSCPA Business and Industry Advisory Committee, a coach with the Atlanta Track Club and an event volunteer and fundraiser with The Giving Kitchen. She is an active member of the United Methodist Church as a member of Sandy Springs United Methodist Church. She was elected as a delegate to the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference. In her spare time, Amy is an avid runner, an organic gardener and a wrangler of chickens.