LCPA Announces 2024 Service Award Recipients

The Society of Louisiana Certified Public Accountants (LCPA) Annual Awards honor members for their remarkable contributions to the CPA profession and the communities they serve. J. Bryan Ehricht, CPA, 2023-24 Chair, recognized the following individuals at our Annual Meeting on August 14.

Robert "Bobby" Barousse, CPA, received the Outstanding CPA in Business and Industry Award for utilizing his comprehensive skills and competencies as a CPA for the effective performance of his employer. Bobby serves as the CFO for Elmer Candy Corporation, the oldest family-owned chocolate company in the United States and North America's second-largest Valentine heart box chocolate manufacturer, producing over 30 million Valentine hearts each year. The company is also well-known for its Heavenly Hash, Gold Brick Eggs, and Pecan Eggs. For the past 32 years, Bobby has led his company through considerable stages of growth, including most recently expanding its facility footprint by adding 70,000 sq. ft. to its already 330,000 sq. ft. factory in Ponchatoula, LA. While many competitors opted to manufacture or package their products in Asia and Mexico, Elmers collaborated with some of the top equipment manufacturers to build the most automated model in the world for boxed chocolates.

John Theriot, CPA, received the Distinguished Public Service Award, which is the LCPA's highest honor for public service leadership, impact, involvement, and innovation of a Louisiana CPA. Whether through volunteering, financial support, or offering his knowledge as a CPA, John consistently goes above and beyond to support the growth and success of organizations within his community. As Managing Partner of Malcolm M. Dienes, John shares his financial insight and strategic thinking with St. Michael Special School, a viable school community for parents of children and adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. John also serves as board chairman of the advisory board for Archbishop Rummel High School; he's a board member of the advisory board for Archbishop Chapelle High School and has served several years on the finance committees for Mount Carmel Academy. His service has impacted additional organizations, including the Catholic Foundation, Boy Scouts of America, and the Governing Board of Ochsner Baptist Medical Center.

Dr. Lou Le Guyader, CPA, received the Distinguished Achievement in Accounting Education Award. The award recognizes an outstanding full-time accounting educator for classroom teaching, scholarly research and publication, and participation in professional organizations. Lou, an associate professor in the Department of Accounting and Finance at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, has a unique background that sets the stage for his success as an educator. Having earned an undergraduate degree at Princeton, an MBA from the University of Virginia's Darden School, and a Ph.D. from Columbia University, Lou worked at PwC in roles that allowed him to influence the promulgation of GAAP. He held several teaching appointments at Princeton and Columbia. Lou also served on the faculty of the Mountbatten Institute in New York. He is a CPA, Active, and registered in New York.

Students know that Lou will bend over backward to provide opportunities for them to succeed academically and in their careers. Lou has assisted faculty in developing research projects and has created new elective courses in Southeastern's curriculum. He is always willing to share his knowledge on the topic of sustainability by speaking at Society and chapter events. He is also very involved in three LCPA committees, including those that directly work to improve the CPA Pipeline.

LCPA's Life Member Award acknowledges a distinguished career in accounting and recognizes an extensive record of achievement that benefits CPAs throughout Louisiana.

Vance Bailes was the managing partner and audit partner in the Shreveport firm of RBM LLP until his retirement in December 2020. An LCPA member for 45 years, Vance has served on the LCPA's Ethics Committee for the past 15 years; he served 12 years on the Accounting and Auditing Standards Committee, some as Chair, and three years on our Peer Review Committee. He was also "Mr. December," the Harley-Davidson-riding CPA in LCPA's 2004 All on Account of Fun Calendar.

Lisa Traina served as LCPA president in 2013, with the theme, "Why Not?" embracing early adoption of remote work. She was a nationally recognized speaker and author on cybersecurity and received LCPA's Outstanding Discussion Leader Award twice. Lisa has also been honored with numerous other awards, including LCPA's Women to Watch Experienced Leader Award and being named one of CPA Practice Advisor magazine's "Most Powerful Women in Accounting." She merged her firm Traina & Associates with CapinCrouse in 2017 and later retired from practice.

Our Women to Watch Awards honor female CPA leaders in the profession and their work as mentors in encouraging other female leaders to excel. The awards recognize women who demonstrate characteristics that have enabled them to become inspirational leaders in the profession and their communities. These awards will be presented at the Women's Conferenceon September 27 in Baton Rouge.

Cloreece Knight, CPA, will be honored with the Women to Watch Experienced Leader Award. Cloreece is the owner of Knight CPA Services, where she provides accounting services for many small businesses. Cloreece also has worked for the United States Department of Agriculture for the past 16 years. During her tenure at USDA, she has volunteered to mentor young professionals, participated in USDA's panel presentation celebrating women in the accounting field, and most recently conducted financial training for the Association of Government Accountants. Cloreece serves as Treasurer of the New Orleans Chapter and is an active LCPA Financial Literacy Committee member.

Allison Duke, CPA, will be honored with the LCPA's Women to Watch Emerging Leader Award. As Director of Audit and Assurance Services for LaPorte CPAs and Business Advisors in Houma, Allison is an active participant on LaPorte's recruiting team and invests considerable time and energy into guiding her less experienced team members, fostering an environment where learning and professional growth are not just encouraged but celebrated. She promotes the CPA profession as a frequent presenter at Nicholls State, Beta Alpha Psi, and high schools throughout her community. Allison currently serves as the immediate past president of the South Central Chapter.

LCPA is a non-profit professional association serving more than 5,800 current and future CPAs statewide. It is the premier organization of accountants in the state.