Just three years after graduating, Michael Barton, CPA ’14 has been appointed to the Indiana Board of Accountancy by the governor of Indiana. He is one of only six members on the board.
Barton, who is an audit senior at Petrow Leemhuis Vincent & Kane PC, was offered the appointment after attending a networking event last year.
“I went to do some networking,” Barton said. “I wanted to see who I could meet and try to grow our business.”
That evening, Barton struck up a conversation with a person who represented the professional licensing agency under the former administration of governor and current vice president of the United States, Mike Pence. They exchanged business cards and Barton was asked if he had any interest in joining the board a few weeks later. While Barton was honored by the invitation, he had concerns about his age—he’s 25—and experience level. He met with the governor’s office and was told that the board was looking to bring a fresh set of eyes to the process.
“It’s a great honor for me, but more importantly for my firm,” Barton said. “I also knew it would be good for Marian University and the Clark H. Byrum School of Business. We have so many good certified public accountants (CPAS) and other accountants in the great state of Indiana, so to have this opportunity to represent them is truly a humbling honor.”
Barton was appointed in December and attended his first meeting in January. He’s excited to have the opportunity to serve on the board and be a resource for fellow CPAs.
“I’m proud of Michael’s volunteer spirit. He’s still in the process of establishing himself at his firm; he’s a new dad. It would have been easy to say, not at this time, but he said I’m willing to give this a go,” Kevin Huston, associate professor of accounting and finance, said.
Barton had this advice for current students.
“You cannot undervalue networking, especially as a young person,” Barton said. “You’re always marketing yourself.”
