Emerging Leader Awards
This INCPAS award category recognizes up-and-coming leaders of the profession. Nominees must be 34 years of age or younger at the time of nomination, demonstrate leadership or initiative, and have made significant contributions to the overall success of his/her employer.
Meet the five INCPAS members who are excelling in their organizations and the CPA profession, plus find out their pro tips on how to advance as a leader yourself.
Emerging Leader Award
Chaleise Fleming, CPA, CFE
Tax & Outsource Accounting Manager – Greenwalt CPAs, Inc.
Chaleise is actively involved with selecting and training staff on new technologies at her firm. She was instrumental on its “Work Anywhere, Any Time” committee that researched and established this policy several months before the pandemic sent everyone home. She is an INCPAS Innovation Advisory Council member and was selected for the inaugural class of the INCPAS Young Pros Leadership Academy, for which she assisted in determining future interview questions and helped conduct applicant interviews.
Her advice to encourage and communicate with your team in a remote environment:
“Schedule calendar reminders to touch base regularly, especially when it’s busy season and you’re probably thinking ‘I haven’t heard from them, so I’m sure they’re fine.’ We all get so busy it’s easy to forget about giving feedback, even if it’s just ‘you did a good job on this project.’”
Emerging Leader Award
Michael Jamison, CPA
President & CEO – OnTarget CPA
At age 30, Michael founded OnTarget CPA with the mission to incorporate enhanced professional development and new technologies, as well as specialize in IRS Resolution services. In its first four years, he grew the firm to nine full-time staff members, underwent three office expansions and developed a client base of nearly 500. He supports internal growth by identifying and hiring interns and recent graduates, then investing in their targeted education and work experiences. He also is president of Indy Referral Source, an Indianapolis-based B2B professional networking group. In 2019, he was selected to serve on the AICPA Leadership Academy and the Columbian Community Impact program.
His advice on why employers should invest in staff growth and development:
“When you educate your staff, it translates to higher client service. With all the new laws and regulations and everything else changing in the world, clients expect us to advise them on a host of issues—not just taxes or accounting. Having more holistic education gives us the ability to be better advisors.”
Emerging Leader Award
Arniel Sia, CPA
Director of Finance – Encamp, Inc.
Arniel has only been a CPA for five years and already found a niche in helping start-ups. In his role at Encamp, Inc., an environmental compliance software company, Arniel works to make compliance and reporting on environmental, health and safety issues easier for companies. Prior, he was promoted from staff accountant to controller to director of finance at DoubleMap, Inc., which he helped scale from $3 million to $17 million in revenue over 3 years—then assisted in negotiating its sale to Ford Smart Mobility in 2019. He recently finished his term on the INCPAS Young Pros Leadership Academy.
His advice for stepping up as a leader even if you aren’t sure you’re ready:
“If you don’t step up and your teammates don’t step up—what’s going to get done? There are times we have to recognize that ‘hey, that person is me,’ whether we feel like we’re ready or not. I think growth starts at the edge of our comfort zone.”
Emerging Leader Award
Katie Stephens, CPA
President – Wheeler & Associates, P.C.
Katie took over her family’s firm in January 2020, while simultaneously working towards earning her Masters in Taxation and raising her then-two year-old son, George. During this time and transition, she took on additional responsibilities, implemented new technologies for workflow efficiencies, and advocated to normalize motherhood in the workplace—both in office and remote when needed. She is vice chair of junior sales for the Indiana Daughters of the American Revolution. At INCPAS, she serves as a CPA Advocate, on the Leadership Council and Small Firm Summit project team.
Her advice for aspiring young leaders:
“Set your goals and your boundaries and try to stick to them, but also know you’ll have to be flexible because
life happens. You’ll have career goals, life goals and maybe family goals, and things change, so sometimes you just have to readjust—especially those long-term goals.”
Emerging Leader Award
Nicole York, CPA
Accounting Specialist – Lucas Oil Products
Since winning this award, Nicole moved from her position at DMLO CPAs to work at Lucas Oil Products in Indianapolis. After she joined the Rodefer Moss firm (now “DMLO CPAs”) as an intern in 2006, Nicole was hired full-time and quickly progressed in skills and leadership abilities. She was promoted to manager, senior manager and ultimately principal of the firm in 2019. Internally, she handled administrative operations, managing employees and mentoring interns. Externally, she took a 360-approach with clients by
spending extra time researching financial information up front so she could ask them the right questions later—and only then help determine the best course of action. Nicole was recognized by
Louisville Business First as one of 2017’s “20 People to Know in Accounting.”
Her advice for aspiring young leaders:
“Never stop learning, never stop growing, never stop trying to better yourself. And always be willing to share your knowledge with your team members—because the better the team does, the better you do and the better the firm does in the long run.”
2022 INCPAS Awards Nominations are Due December 8
- Building Bridges to the Profession
- Community Service
- Emerging Leaders
- Innovation
Nominate your outstanding colleagues today.