Trust and integrity are CPA’s top priorities

As a partner with Lumsden & McCormick, one of the region’s largest firms, and in leadership positions with the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA), DelleBovi promotes the profession she has found “extremely rewarding.”

DelleBovi received her bachelor’s degree in accounting from the School of Management in 1983. Her first job, in corporate accounting, evolved from an internship she held during her senior year at UB. But while she appreciated that position, she decided she wanted to work in public accounting as a CPA.

“Public accounting provides a daily mix of challenges and opportunities,” DelleBovi says. “I’ve worked very closely with a variety of clients over the years through the ups and downs of their business cycles, and I’m proud to be a trusted voice for their business and financial consulting.”

She joined Salomon & Schlein as a staff accountant and was later promoted to manager before the firm merged with Lumsden & McCormick in 1993. She was named a partner at Lumsden in 2000.

Throughout her career, DelleBovi has recognized the benefits of being involved with the NYSSCPA, an organization representing approximately 30,000 CPAs across the State of New York. After serving a number of years in various leadership roles, she was elected president of the Buffalo chapter in 2006.

“NYSSCPA is the voice of the CPA community on issues that impact our profession,” DelleBovi says. “Because I am passionate about quality and ethics, this organization attracted my attention and support.”

In 2009, she was elected to the statewide board of directors of the NYSSCPA for a three-year term, and she currently serves on the executive committee of the board and chairs the statewide membership committee.

“Quality, trust and integrity are key elements in maintaining public faith in every licensed CPA,” DelleBovi says. “The NYSSCPA strives to ensure these traits by providing members timely accounting news and technical resources through the society’s website, continuing education seminars, conferences and publications.”

DelleBovi is very proud of Lumsden & McCormick’s support of the NYSSCPA and that 100% of the firm’s professional accounting staff are members.

Another way DelleBovi has sought to improve her knowledge is through continuing education. In 2001, she graduated from the Core program in the School of Management’s Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL).

With the CEL’s focus on business owners, DelleBovi says participating helped her understand her clients better.

“My career has always been focused on helping my clients succeed, and the CEL program helped me identify the key issues with which many business owners struggle,” DelleBovi says. “I want to know what keeps my clients up at night.

“The CEL is an excellent opportunity for entrepreneurs to focus and learn about aspects of their business they may have ignored,” she says. “I use the same strategy when working with my clients as their business partner, handling a variety of issues from starting a business to succession planning.”

Outside of work and NYSSCPA, DelleBovi enjoys traveling, golf and tennis. Her favorite trip was to New Zealand, which she calls “absolutely beautiful,” although she also treasures the memory of seeing her favorite tennis player, Roger Federer, play at last summer’s U.S. Open.

Written by Cathy Wilde