Jan Lewis, ASAC Advisory Council Chair

The Adkerson School of Accountancy is privileged to be guided by a group of knowledgeable accounting alumni from around the country. This group of 42 individuals composes our Advisory Council.

“We’re here to serve the School, to help recruit the best professors, to support the director and to help grow funding and scholarships,” says Advisory Council President Jan Lewis, a Tax Partner at Haddox Reid in Ridgeland, MS.

Last year, the Advisory Council helped develop the School’s Strategic Plan as well as oversee the re-accreditation process. With both those milestones achieved, this year has been a time to settle into implementation. Focal points for the year include fundraising, participating as speakers in classes and advising on curriculum selection.

“The pandemic really changed the accounting profession,” shares Lewis. “We’re also looking at how to best position students for their future jobs in light of that.”

The ASAC Student Advisory Council members are (first row, from left) Anna Lang, Callie Taylor, Lane Hutcheson, (second row, from left) Sara Evelyn Hesse, John Fox and Megan Holloway. Not pictured: Julie King

To that end, the Advisory Council looks to the Young Professionals in Accounting Council (YPAC) and the Student Advisory Council for their input.

“Our mission is to ensure the goals set forth by the Advisory Council are further enhanced and implemented with the young professional perspective in mind,” says YPAC member Katie Hutson, who finished her master’s program in 2016 and is now employed as a Recruiting Coordinator and Tax Supervisor at Harper, Rains, Knight & Company.

Among YPAC’s goals are to cultivate the accounting field by increasing enrollment, enhancing existing degree programs and developing new academic initiatives within the School and to enrich and strengthen student success, engagement, development and outreach.

The ASAC Young Professionals in Accounting Council members are (from left) Geoffrey Taylor, Michael Groves, Katie Hutson, Kellin Traxler and Ladarrion Grant.

“We have some fabulous young folks giving us good information about students and new graduates,” says Lewis. “They’re the ones students really relate to.”

The student perspective is also offered by members of the ASAC Student Advisory Council.

The Adkerson School of Accountancy is stronger than it ever has been, with added funding and programs. The sound counsel of professionals in the field and accounting students has played a major role in making that happen. We are grateful for the time these folks have committed to strengthening the education of our upcoming graduates, and we are excited about what the future holds.

Adkerson Advisory Council members who attended last spring’s meeting