COB’s Fennema among Gov. Rick Scott appointees to Florida Board of Accountancy

Tallahassee, Fla. – Gov. Rick Scott has appointed The Florida State University College of Business’ Martin “Bud” Fennema to Florida’s Board of Accountancy. Fennema, chair of the college’s Accounting Department and Ernst & Young Professor, was among three Floridians tapped by the governor to serve in this leadership role. The four-year appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

The nine-member Accountancy Board works with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) to fulfill the department’s mission to “License Efficiently. Regulate Fairly.” The state is home to almost 30,000 Certified Public Accountants and 5,100 accountancy firm licensees, according to DBPR.  

“This is a prestigious and well-deserved appointment,” said Caryn Beck-Dudley, College of Business dean. “Our Accounting Department is a nationally ranked program and produces many well trained accountants for the state of Florida. We are confident that the leadership Dr. Fennema has exhibited in the department also will serve the state well in his capacity as a board member.

The Board meets approximately eight times a year for one and a half days.  Prior to each meeting, an average of six to ten hours of pre-meeting preparation is required, according to DBPR.  Preparation may include such activities as reviewing agenda items, reviewing application information, reviewing disciplinary information, and/or reading Florida Statutes and Florida Administrative Code. 

“I’m looking forward to working with the board, and am hopeful that my contributions will have a positive impact on our state and profession,” said Fennema, whose term on the board runs from August 15, 2011, to October 31, 2014.

Fennema earned his doctorate and master’s degrees in accountancy from the University of Illinois, Champaign; an MBA in Finance from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; and his bachelor’s in finance from Indiana University, Bloomington. He is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Management Accountant. His research interests include behavioral decision theory applications in accounting.

In addition to Fennema, Scott appointed David L. Dennis of Longwood and a partner at KPMG LLP and H. Steven Vogel of Key Biscayne and a partner at Wilson Elser.