The fourth annual Jenkins MAC Celebration was an evening to celebrate with alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the program. During the event, Poole College of Management presented the Distinguished MAC Friend of the Program Award and the Distinguished MAC Alumni of the Year Award.
About the Awards
Distinguished MAC Friend of the Program Award
The Distinguished MAC Friend of the Program Award recognizes professionals that have made significant contributions to our program through their time, talents and resources but did not graduate from NC State or Jenkins MAC. Typically they are executives within their organization where they can help lead and influence the support of our students and program.
Distinguished MAC Alumni of the Year Award
The MAC Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award is selected based on nominations from the MAC community, which includes students, alumni, faculty, staff, employers and other business professionals connected to the program. Once the nominations are received they are reviewed by members of the MAC Advisory Board, who are a part of the awards selection task force.
“The MAC Celebration is an event that we all look forward to each year,” said Kelly Hardy, associate director of student programs and career services. “This event allows us to connect with our students, alumni, faculty and other professionals to celebrate the MAC Program’s successes, and to encourage and inspire the next group of accounting professionals.”
“Additionally, through this celebration we get to thank and honor award recipients who have made a monumental impact, not just on the Jenkins MAC Program, but the lives of current and former students. We always leave this event energized and grateful to be a part of the Jenkins MAC family!”
Distinguished MAC Friend of the Program Award
Poole College presented the Distinguished MAC Friend of the Program Award to Gary Massey, former partner of CliftonLarsonAllen. Massey received his Bachelor of Arts in accounting and business management from Poole College in 1978.
“The MAC Program prepares individuals for fulfilling careers in the accounting profession,” said Scott Showalter, director of the Jenkins MAC Program. “It is gratifying to see how the seeds planted many years ago grow into full and successful careers.”
For over 20 years, Massey has been honored to support the Jenkins MAC Program, even though it did not exist when he first began his career in accounting 40 years ago. He has been an advisory board member since 2018 and has actively recruited Jenkins MAC students and supported the MAC Fellows Program for years.
Massey and his wife, Sandi, established an endowment fund for the Jenkins MAC Program in 2005. Their support came full circle when their son, John David, earned his Master of Accounting from Poole College in 2013.
“It is important to be diligent in making those contributions each month, just like savings, those small will pay off in bigger opportunities.
“It took a while for it to build up but we were blessed to be able to fund it on a monthly basis and continue to do so today. Small amounts build up. It is important to be diligent in making those contributions each month, just like savings, those small will pay off in bigger opportunities,” said Massey.
Distinguished MAC Alumni of the Year Award
Jared Plummer, owner of Two Roosters Ice Cream, received the Distinguished MAC Alumni of the Year Award from Poole College. Plummer earned two Bachelor of Science degrees in accounting and business administration with a concentration in finance in 2005 as well as a Master of Accounting in 2007.
“The ability to provide students an impactful experience in the MAC Program, depends on the support we receive from a variety of individuals and organizations,” said Showalter. “We look forward to acknowledging this support and extending our gratitude on behalf of our students.”
For Plummer, the Jenkins MAC alumni community has felt like an extended family. The program was formative not only for his education, but also for relationship building, time management and perseverance.
“My favorite part though, is to see where life takes all of us,” said Plummer. “I know folks from the alumni community that have gone on to make partner in CPA firms, to become high-level executives in all kinds of industries, to start amazing businesses, and to have beautiful, growing families. Watching the long arch of our professional and personal lives unfold is the absolute best part of knowing so many MAC alumni.”
Watching the long arch of our professional and personal lives unfold is the absolute best part of knowing so many MAC alumni.
Plummer is forever grateful for the unconventional path the Jenkins MAC Program has allowed him to take traveling the world auditing companies big and small, working with students to pursue their own accounting education and ending up making ice cream for a living.
“This award means so much to me,” said Plummer. “I was a first generation college student who really struggled the first year on campus. But I found a great group of friends and somehow ended up in Harriette Griffin’s ACC 210 class. And it clicked.”
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