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LaVonne Montague

Peer Review Technical Mangaer
AICPA (that's us)
Durham, NC

 

Long before she took her first job as a restaurant cashier, high schooler LaVonne Montague recognized her skills with money and numbers.

So when she received an assignment to explore career choices, it was no surprise that LaVonne decided to interview a CPA. “I found that we possessed a lot of the same qualities—detail oriented, fascinated with figures, ability to understand business concepts,” she says. “She possessed a passion for accounting and was able to show me how accounting would be a great stepping stone for any profession. She confirmed my belief that this was the way to go.”

Taking advice from that CPA, LaVonne got an accounting internship for four consecutive summers at a multi-national corporation. “During college, I worked part-time performing various administrative, bookkeeping and tax preparation jobs,” she says. “Upon college graduation, I accepted a full time position for a local CPA firm.” She then went on to pass the CPA exam and obtained her CPA license only two years after graduating.

LaVonne spent several years in public accounting, where her “opportunities grew as the firm grew exponentially.” She played a key role in recruiting and developing staff, as well as serving as an instructor for new employees.

Then, an opportunity for LaVonne to have a different impact on the accounting and auditing profession came up with the American Institute of CPAs. “My days are very different since my transition from public accounting to working for the AICPA,” she says. “Honestly, it has been quite some time since I have seen an actual debit or a credit. Currently, most of my days consist of creating guidance and providing assistance to firms (auditors), peer reviewers (the auditors’ auditors) and those who administer the AICPA Peer Review Program.”

Although LaVonne may have a knack for numbers, she definitely doesn’t fit the CPA stereotype. “I like to act silly from time to time,” she says. “The biggest contradiction to the stereotype is that I like to listen to old school rap music.”

So despite the fact that she was called a nerd in high school for being such a dedicated student, LaVonne says that later in life, dedication is an asset that she’s proud of.

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