Gregory J. Anton, CPA, has been elected the new chairman of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) for a one-year term ending in October 2012. He is the cofounder of Anton Collins Mitchell LLP, with offices in Denver and Greeley, Colorado, and has been a member of the board of directors and the governing council of the AICPA for seven years. Anton replaces Paul V. Stahlin who has been serving as chairman since October, 2011.

 

In his inaugural speech, Celebrating Change as Individuals and as a Profession, Anton stated that CPAs and the entire business community "are in the midst of some profound changes. As a nation, and around the globe, we are going to have to overcome some major challenges in the years to come to create economic growth and prosperity." But the AICPA and the accounting profession have a history of overcoming challenges, he said.

 

Anton outlined a full agenda for the coming year, including a continued push for private company financial reporting standards, the debut of a new management accounting credential, and the celebration of AICPA's 125th anniversary. The AICPA also is launching an initiative to mobilize retirement-age CPAs to lend their expertise to the government, schools, nonprofit groups, and the accounting profession as a way to give back and strengthen those entities during a time of economic duress.

 

Anton was recently named one of Accounting Today's Top 100 Most Influential People in 2011. He served as the AICPA's vice chair for the past year and was a member of the organization's board from 2006 through 2009. Before founding his own firm, Anton was a partner with BDO USA, LLP.