Troy University alumni make an impact on the world around them, many times shaping the very future of their professions.

The field of accounting is one area where Trojans are leaving their mark, not only in Alabama, but across the nation.

Jeannine Birmingham, CPA and Boyd Busby, CPA sit at the head of their respective organizations, often seen as pitted against one another, but, in reality, working closely behind the scenes to strengthen the field and those CPAs who work in it.

Birmingham is the CEO of the Alabama Society of CPAs, a hat she’s worn for the past quarter century. 

Busby is the Executive Director of the Alabama State Board of Public Accounting.

“Boyd wears the hat as the regulator. The Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy has the laws and rules around being a CPA in the state of Alabama; the Alabama Society of CPAs is the membership association,” Birmingham explained. “My organization is the professional group, and we have three main areas of focus: we are advocates for CPAs in governmental affairs and in student pipeline efforts, we provide professional education programs, we connect members through leadership, young CPAs, and community programs.”

In essence, Birmingham is accounting’s biggest cheerleader. Accounting, however, wasn’t her first pursuit, it was math, which tended to come naturally being the daughter of a TROY math professor. In fact, both her parents – Dr. Curt and Diane Porter – encouraged her to find her calling.

“I had declared math as my major and finished my sophomore year with a 4.0 GPA in this major, but I didn’t think I wanted to be an educator,” she said.

A Kappa Delta sorority sister suggested she try accounting, that it would be “easy”. A new accounting professor was coming to campus. She “never batted an eye” in her two intro classes and then took Intermediate Accounting with that new professor – Dr. Tom Ratcliffe.

“Dr. Ratcliffe had a unique way of connecting with students – it wasn’t just learning and testing the material – he helped you to see the big picture of what accounting is: the language of business,” she said. “Dr. Ratcliffe took a lot of time with students, he really wanted us to understand what we were learning and to be successful in an accounting career.”

Busby was similarly drawn into the field by Ratcliffe. 

“He was the best accounting major salesperson and convinced me not even to entertain any other major,” he said.

Busby’s experience was a little different than Birmingham’s, though. He was a non-traditional student, married to wife Tami with their three-year old daughter Kalen in tow arriving in Troy. While at TROY the Busbys added son Kaleb and, after graduation, daughter Karis came along and was equally impacted by the TROY experience. 

“It was stressful trying to be a good husband and father while working full time and being a full-time student. Although it was stressful, my wife and I would not trade the experience for any other pathway.

“The experiences at TROY grew us as a family and grew me as a future professional. The professors and administrators at TROY assisted us is so many ways and wanted to see us succeed,” he said. 

Among those “great professors” were Dr. Lorraine Magrath, Dr. Kaye Sheridan, Dr. Earl Ingram and the late Dr. Jean Lalilberte.

They instilled in him the mantra to work hard and do the right thing.

“The accounting professors at TROY constantly emphasized the CPA profession as the most trusted profession,” he said. “The emphasis instilled in me the focus to do the right thing to live up to the ethical goals set by my professors and my predecessors.”

That’s where the real goals of the two organizations really mesh.

“What’s nice and unique is that Boyd and I have such a great relationship with TROY and with the faculty. When we have issues, . . . we can talk to TROY faculty and hear not only their perspectives, but we can also learn from students about the resources they need,” Birmingham said.

 “It’s a crazy, unique, and wonderful relationship that no other state, university has. We are a team. We glean ideas from Troy University and take back to our organizations, and then on to the national level,” she said.

Both wear significant national hats. Birmingham is president of the collective group of state society CEOs and sits on the National Pipeline Advisory Group, an independent panel convened by the American Institute of CPAs. Busby sits on the board of directors of the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy.

Birmingham’s 22-member NPAG recently commissioned two studies, one directed at CPAs nationally, the other at students. TROY was heavily represented in the student survey because of the faculty relationships Birmingham and others, such as alumni Josh McGowan and Amanda Paul, have with the William H. Carr School of Accountancy in the Sorrell College of Business.

“My perspective is ‘out of the mouth of babes’ that it is the students, not those teaching nor those in practice or CFOs (professionals cannot predict what we need to do to have a positive impact or grow our pipeline), who are working through the academic and the interview process, they can tell us what deters them from joining accounting and becoming a CPA,” she said. “I know that of the thousands of students who took the survey, Alabama students had 100s and TROY students were a part of the valuable feedback provided.”

Last year, Busby made 22 university visits making presentations on a range of topics from State Board rules, ethics cases and disciplinary cases brought by the State Board.

“My focus is to prepare the next generation of CPAs to continue the work in an ethical manner. TROY is a major ‘CPA school’ in Alabama with its Master of Accountancy program students achieving some the highest scores in the country,” he said.

His advice to students: “Study hard and do not take your studies lightly. You will be competing the rest of your life, so it is important to lay the groundwork for your future success. Develop those relationships that will last a lifetime, and for accounting students, focus on studying for and passing the CPA exam as soon as possible.”

Busby knows firsthand the importance of those relationships.

“TROY has been my complete network. All my business contacts have derived in some way based on my time as a student or continued involvement with the accounting program or business school. School ties continue to run deep,” he said.

“TROY remains a constant. From personal relationships to business events and meetings at the University, I do not go more than a few days without interacting with someone who I met through TROY,” he added. “The great reputation of TROY’s accounting program has given me a step ahead in the esteem of colleagues throughout my professional life.”

For Birmingham, finding mentors for students is a major focus for the student to professional transition.

“When you’re talking about the ‘Big Picture’ of your career, students should find a mentor and connect with professionals. That’s one of my top pieces of advice I give. ASCPA does this a lot with students. Make sure you have a mentor, someone you can talk through some of the major decisions and challenges you encounter,” she said.

“Throughout your life and career, you do hard things. Hard things take more time and investment of energy, more hours studying, and often more dollars to get to the finish line: becoming a CPA and realizing your earning potential. You must realize that you might have to do some hard things to get there, but most employers make sure that the students don’t walk through the process alone. They want you to be a CPA and will equip students and young professionals with tools to be successful,” Birmingham added. 

“The perception that accounting is hard and boring are myths – those are the stories that professionals must debunk. Accounting can be challenging but also rewarding,” she said, “it is a fabulous career and so many doors open with the degree.”