The employees at Kaufman Rossin, one of Florida’s largest independent accounting firms, donated funds to establish scholarship gifts for graduate students and support other needs in the School of Accounting. Nearly one-third of Kaufman Rossin employees are FIU alumni, but donations to the recent effort came from non-alumni as well as from the firm itself.
The effort was organized by Steven Berwick (BBA ’74), CPA, CVA, CITP, CFF, Principal of Assurance, Advisory Services and Litigation Consulting at Kaufman Rossin.
“FIU’s College of Business and School of Accounting have been great sources of talent for us,” said Berwick, one of the first graduates of FIU who now serves on the FIU Foundation Board of Directors, the FIU President’s Council and the School of Accounting Advisory Board. “We interview candidates from all over the country, but the students coming out of FIU’s School of Accounting are consistently some of the brightest and most industrious professionals that we hire.”
Eight years ago, Berwick spearheaded another internal fundraising campaign at Kaufman Rossin which raised funds for FIU’s College of Business.
“This time, we wanted to do even more and really get our employees engaged in giving back to the university,” said Berwick. Employees were encouraged to commit to a five-year gift via payroll deductions and the firm matched the funds raised.
In appreciation for the gift, Room 221 in MANGO will be named for Kaufman Rossin. The room was dedicated in a ceremony this fall.
Kaufman Rossin was recently named one of the 2016 “Best Accounting Firms to Work For” by Accounting Today in partnership with Best Companies Group.
“We look forward to continuing our relationship with the university and helping develop students who will shape the future of public accounting,” said Berwick.