Axe ’Em, Jacks!
Stephen F. Austin State University's Schlief School of Accountancy, housed within the Nelson Rusche College of Business, has announced the formation of its inaugural advisory council — an initiative aimed at strengthening the bridge between academia and the rapidly evolving accounting profession.
With programs serving 270 students across its Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting and Master of Professional Accountancy degrees, the school is committed to staying ahead of industry trends, and this new council marks a strategic step forward.
"The primary goal is to harness the knowledge, experience and connections of our advisory council members to guide the school in aligning our academic offerings with the dynamic demands of the accounting profession," said Dr. Jose Vega, director of the Schlief School of Accountancy. "With ongoing changes in legislation and rapid advancements in accounting technology, this is more important than ever."
According to Vega, the advisory council will play a key role in expanding career networks for students, increasing graduate job placements and enhancing the school's reputation both regionally and nationally.
The seven inaugural council members were carefully selected for their extensive industry experience and commitment to the continued success of the Schlief School of Accountancy:
Mitchell McCoy '11 — A certified public accountant and partner at Heard, McElroy & Vestal in Shreveport, McCoy serves clients from his Longview office, specializing in audit, consulting and tax services. His areas of focus include telecommunications, water utilities, not-for-profit organizations and employee benefit plan audits. He holds both a BBA in accounting and an MPA from SFA, and he is serving as chair of the Schlief School of Accountancy Advisory Council.
LeeAnne (Amanda) Camp '21 — Currently the chief financial officer at Burke Center in Lufkin, Camp previously held roles as an accountant, accounting manager and director of accounting. Her responsibilities span audit compliance, grant reporting, policy development and fleet management. She holds a BBA in accounting and an MPA from SFA.
Robert Flores '85 — A former SFA board of regents member, Flores is the CFO and chairman of the board of directors at Elliott Electric Supply in Nacogdoches. He began his career with Elliott Electric while still a student at SFA, helping to shape company-wide accounting policy and reporting processes. He earned his BBA in accounting from SFA.
Dr. Calee Jo Holcombe '08 — Holcombe is a CPA and staff accountant at Redfield, Miller & White in Nacogdoches. Before joining the firm, she served as an SFA faculty member for nine years. Holcombe holds a BBA in accounting and an MPA from SFA and a Doctor of Business Administration from Louisiana Tech University.
Brett Morton '10 — A CPA and partner at Henry & Peters in Tyler, Morton joined the firm full time in 2010 after interning there as a student. He provides assurance, advisory and tax services across a variety of sectors including financial institutions, oil and gas, manufacturing and employee benefit plans. He earned a BBA in accounting and an MPA from SFA.
David Rook '97 — Rook is a CPA, partner and chief operating officer at Weaver, a national accounting and consulting firm headquartered in Houston. He collaborates with executive leadership across all operational areas of the firm and plays a key role in executing Weaver's strategic vision. Rook also serves on the Technical Standards Review and Peer Review committees of the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy. He earned his BBA in accounting from SFA.
Dr. Jennifer Weske '90 — Weske is senior manager at The Marston Group and serves as chair and director of the Master of Accountancy program at Christian Brothers University. She is a CPA, certified fraud examiner, certified forensic accountant, chartered global management accountant and registered forensic investigator. In addition to teaching accounting and ethics at Christian Brothers, she is an adjunct professor at Rhodes College. Weske holds a BBA in accounting from SFA, an MBA in finance from the University of Memphis and a Doctor of Philosophy in advanced forensic accounting from Northcentral University.
"The launch of the Schlief School of Accountancy Advisory Council is a significant milestone," Vega said. "By connecting our academic programs with real-world expertise and leadership, we are laying the groundwork for a nationally competitive accounting program — one that delivers exceptional outcomes for students, faculty and the broader business community."
For more information about the Schlief School of Accountancy, visit sfasu.edu/acct.