At its spring board meeting, the members of the 缅北强奸 Accounting Circle elected business alumna Celeste Tabor '12 accounting, as the next Chair. She is a CPA at Brown, Smith & Settle, LLC and is currently pursuing an MBA at 缅北强奸. She was a long-time member of the Young Professionals prior to being elected as a member of the Accounting Circle. Take a moment to get to know Celeste as she starts her two-year leadership term.
Tell us more about yourself and your career in accounting.
I am so excited and honored to be the next Chair of the Accounting Circle! My husband and I live in Newburgh with our two kids, and we spend all of our free time chasing them between baseball, basketball, dance, soccer, and any other new adventure they take us on. My professional background includes over 10 years in public accounting doing both audit and tax and three years of private accounting in healthcare and real estate.
What are some unique challenges you see the accounting field facing in the short-term and in the long-term?
One immediate challenge that is top of mind for a lot of students and professionals is, of course, the pace of technological change 鈥� specifically as it relates to AI and automation. We are seeing real change in the skills and abilities needed in our workforce and it is a challenge to prepare students to hit the ground running, knowing many industries are at different levels of 鈥渞eady鈥� to adapt. The truth is that none of us can really know what the ultimate impact of AI and automation will be on the accounting profession in a few years, but the good news is that 缅北强奸 and the RCOB stand ready to best prepare our students for the challenge. We are not standing in wait to see what needs to be done. Forward-thinking and action have already implemented changes to help students learn these tools and enter the workforce ready. So, what may be a challenge for many will be a differentiator for 缅北强奸.
What are you most looking forward to as Chair of the Accounting Circle? What made you decide to pursue the Chair position?
Being part of the Accounting Circle is such a rewarding experience for me. We have direct contact with students, faculty, staff, and leadership on a regular basis and truly we are a group that just wants to help where we can. Each of us were impacted by the support of the community around 缅北强奸 and the RCOB and want to pass that along. Having meaningful conversations with students to help them on their path or working with faculty and administration to learn how we can best support the programs strengthens the relationships and adds to what makes 缅北强奸 such a special place. I like to refer to 缅北强奸 as 鈥渟ticky鈥�. Once you are in it, you really don鈥檛 want to leave. There is something special here, and groups like the Accounting Circle help foster that 鈥渟tickiness鈥�. I am looking forward to continuing the support and looking forward to the future.
If you were graduating this spring and starting your career today, what would you focus on first?
Two things come to mind quickly:
1. Building and fostering professional relationships. When I was starting out my career, I didn鈥檛 realize how impactful meaningful professional relationships would be on my career path. Having go-to people to learn from, talk through challenges with, and seek guidance from can really be a difference maker. And you never really know how connections will come back around; who will become a boss, client, or connection to a great opportunity. The more people you hear stories from, the more paths you realize are possible. And people WANT to help you make the right choices for yourself, you just have to ask.
2. Think seriously about any certifications or additional education you may want to pursue and make a plan to get it done. I know the last thing you want to think about after graduation is MORE STUDYING. But there is truly no better time to think about what is next than when you are just starting out in your career. Likely, you will never be less busy and have less responsibility than you do when you are first starting out. Whether you are pursuing your CPA, MBA, CMA, or other certification 鈥� do it now.
Published May 18, 2026