About Us / Our Leadership
The Alliance of Black Women Accountants was birthed out of the vision of our founder and late president Rosemarie Pamela Brown. After working many years in public accounting, doing business with a variety of clients and colleagues, Rosemarie noticed that frequently she was the only person of color in the room. She knew first-hand the challenges that are met in public accounting for women of color having worked in larger national CPA firms. Public accounting is a challenging and demanding field. For Rosemarie and other women of color, having mentors that look like you and can relate to your challenges as well as serve as an advocate for you is rare if at all experienced throughout one’s career. Rosemarie wanted to change that.

At Rosemarie’s core was the desire to see everyone reach their full potential. She did this by making connections wherever she went. She was known for being intentional in the relationships that she developed and the people that she sought to get to know. She was the same way when it came to women of color in the accounting and finance professions. Rosemarie made sure to connect with anyone that she encountered that was in the accounting or finance field or had an interest in becoming a CPA. Her goal was to use her experience, network, and influence to help others.

In June 2015, Rosemarie called together a small group of women that she had encountered and got to know during her career. The group consisted of black, female CPA’s, controllers and finance professionals. Five ladies met in Rosemarie’s living room and formed a close bond as we talked about our challenges of being black women in our very demanding profession. The initial founders wanted to do something to help others that are in or entering the field. From these meetings the vision was formed to create an organization that would provide support, mentorship, and bring awareness to the accounting and finance profession. By the time we incorporated in May 2016 there were eight founding members, who moved forward to launch our organization in September 2016.

The Alliance of Black Women Accountants is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the retention, empowerment, support and mentoring of women of color in the accounting and finance profession. A cornerstone of our mission is partnering with youth, religious, educational, and other organizations to educate females about the accounting profession while providing access to resources such as scholarships and internships.

Since our inception, the ladies of A.B.W.A. have participated in college and high school career fairs and presented at events with the goal of building awareness about the profession. Being on the frontline at these events has allowed us to engage directly with students becoming role models, while showing them that with an accounting education they can succeed.

In 2019 we launched a formal mentoring program focused on college students and young professionals. Leveraging the experience of seasoned professionals, we aim to equip our protégées with the practical insights needed to navigate and succeed in the profession. While still in its infancy, key objectives include assistance with passing the CPA examination, insights on setting goals as well as developing leadership and effective communication skills.

A.B.W.A also provides a forum where our members network and support each other in various other ways. This includes but is not limited to sharing knowledge on technical accounting and tax issues and providing business and career referrals. Indeed, we are dedicated to each other’s success ensuring that we fill the gap in the profession and provide opportunities for each other.

In honor of Rosemarie, The Rosemarie Pamela Brown Scholarship was instituted and will be available for students pursuing a career in the accounting and finance professions. Additional information can be found on our scholarship page.

A.B.W.A. Founding Members / Launch Event

Board of Directors

President
Nefertiti U. Long, MBA
Chief Operating Officer at Alta Loma Enterprises
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Vice President
Kathy A. Johnson, CPA, CFF, CGMA, MBA
Vice President | Forensic Accounting & Economics
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Recording Secretary
Sonia M. Prendergast-Carroll, MBA
Finance and Admin Director
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Treasurer
Abimbola Famuyiwa, CPA
Corporate Controller
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Corresponding Secretary
Marjorie L. McPike, CPA
Sole Practitioner
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Director
Kaiesha R. Davidson
Financial Accountant
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Director
Helen Jones
Para Professional
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Director
Dr. Francisca M. Beer
Professor of Finance at CSU
Director for the OAE, College of Business & Public Administration
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Director
Tamarra Brown, CPA, MBA
Finance Leader / Director at ACPHD
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Director
Rosa Kuybus
Tax Associate at KPMG
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