AAM Announces 2023 Individual Marketing Achievement Award Recipients
May 9, 2023 (Lexington, Ky) – The Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM), the leading resource for growth professionals in the accounting and advisory profession, announced the recipients of its individual Marketing Achievement Awards (MAA) last night during its Annual Summit. Individual awards are presented annually in recognition of outstanding achievements in the accounting marketing profession, as well as contributions to AAM.
Carrie Steffen Inducted into the Association for Accounting Marketing Hall of Fame
AAM is proud to induct an exceptional professional into the Hall of Fame. Being inducted into the AAM Hall of Fame is the highest honor in the field of accounting marketing. Inductees must have ten years or more of service and be known for their outstanding accomplishments as leaders of the association and in the profession.
Carrie Steffen, President and Co-Founder of The Whetstone Group, is a highly respected and well-known thought leader, speaker and writer in the accounting and advisory profession. Described as a strategist and mentor to the profession, she started her career as a Marketing Director with RSM McGladrey and served in that role for five years before becoming a founding shareholder in her own practice. Carrie has more than 25 years of professional services marketing experience and has been named a consultant to watch on Accounting Today’s 100 Most Influential People in Accounting. She is also a member and past-President of the CPA Consultants’ Alliance (CPACA), a working group of leaders united in their efforts to further leadership within the CPA profession.
An AAM member since 1996, Carrie has always been visible and impactful within the association. She has been a board member serving two terms as the AAM treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee. She currently serves on AAM’s Technology Advisory Committee where she continues to demonstrate her big-picture, strategic thinking and her commitment to furthering AAM.
Joe Kovacs Named Volunteer of the Year
AAM’s Volunteer of the Year award recognizes dedication to the association, involvement on committees and/or special projects, as well as professional accomplishments.
As a member of AAM since 2010, Joe Kovacs, Director of Marketing and Business Development with Councilor, Buchanan and Mitchell (CBM) has been a fixture in the AAM community. From serving on the Board of Directors for two terms to leading the Strategic Communications Committee, where he focuses his time on positioning AAM as the preeminent resource for growth in the accounting and advisory profession. He, along with his committee, has worked to develop a PR plan to accelerate AAM’s brand awareness and value proposition . Joe is described as supportive and enthusiastic, always sharing his knowledge with his 10+ years of AAM experience.
Lily Morris Honored as Rookie of the Year
A marketer on the rise demonstrating distinction in the field, the Rookie of the Year shows creativity, initiative and ambition at their firm.
Lily Morris, new to marketing and public accounting, originally joined Johnson Lambert as the Communications Coordinator, a role designed to sit between Marketing and HR, but in a short time, was promoted to Communications Specialist to acknowledge her above-and-beyond contributions.
In her role, Lily produces monthly newsletters, oversees the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee and runs the internal intranet-like Google site, which is used to share information on pipeline, firm happenings and updates from business units, an idea she conceived and developed. She also develops social media content specifically around recruiting, including co-developing a brand-new social media strategy on TikTok and targeted LinkedIn advertising to reach potential new hires. Lily is described as a pioneer and team player, who learns quickly and can tackle anything thrown her way with limited oversight.
Lily became a member of AAM in 2021 and joined the Strategic Communications Committee in 2022. She has worked on a couple of sub-projects within the committee including a PR plan for Emerge, AAM’s one-day virtual conference. She is currently working on an overall PR strategy for the association with a few other committee members.
The Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM) is an international association and one-of-a-kind network of marketing, business development and growth strategists. The association was formed in 1989 to advance the careers of growth professionals in the accounting profession through professional development, community and leading-edge resources. Learn more about AAM at www.accountingmarketing.org.