Ohio's most influential CPAs: a commitment to the profession, a commitment to excellence.

• Position: Membership

The Ohio Society continues its Centennial anniversary celebration by paying tribute to members whose contributions have shaped the profession in Ohio and around the nation. The following members have been named "Ohio's Most Influential CPAs" by a member-led selection committee in recognition of their significant, positive influence on the growth, development and evolution of The Ohio Society of CPAs and the CPA profession.

CPAs recognized in the Most Influential CPAs program are nominated by OSCPA members and selected by a member committee. The Society will continue to accept nominations through Dec. 31, 2008. To nominate a candidate, please visit the Society's Web site to complete the online form or mail a copy of the form to Erin Lasch, Ohio's Most Influential CPAs, The Ohio Society of CPAs, 535 Metro Place South, P.O. Box 1810, Dublin, Ohio 43017-7810.

Groups of honorees will be recognized in each issue of Catalyst magazine through June 2009. To view a complete list of Ohio's Most Influential CPAs to date, visit the Society's Web site at www.ohioscpa.com.

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SHEILA M. BIRCH, CPA

CIUNI & PANICHI, INC.

Sheila has spent her entire career with Ciuni & Panichi, Inc., and is a partner in the Audit and Accounting Services Department. She is currently a member of the AICPA Auditing Standards Board. She is a former chair of the Accountancy Board of Ohio and the CPA Examination Review Board. A former director-at-large of the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA), Sheila chaired NASBA's Ethics Committee and the Strategic Initiatives Committee. Her dedication to promoting quality in the profession is apparent in her service to the Society's peer review program. A frequent in-house reviewer for OSCPA, Sheila has performed numerous peer reviews of other CPA firms over the past 20 years. She is also a former director of the Cleveland Chapter of the Society, and she served as a member of the Society's Council of Leaders. In 2006, she received the Society's highest honor, the Gold Medal for Meritorious Service to the Accounting Profession.

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PETER J. HACKETT, CPA

CLARK SCHAEFER HACKETT & CO.

Former managing partner and chair of Clark Schaefer Hackett, Pete retired as an active shareholder in 2003 and continues to work as a consultant for the firm. Pete has represented Society members through his service as a member of the Executive Committee, Nominating Committee, Committee of Fifty, Governmental Affairs Advisory Council and as an OSCPA representative on the AICPA Council. Pete was honored for his dedication to the Society and the profession in 1992 when he received the Society's Public Service Award. He has served in leadership roles for numerous organizations including as a board member of Huntington National Bank...