AICPA DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD.

CaICPA Past President Tom Rimerman has been awarded the AICPA's top honor: the Gold Medal for Distinguished Service.

"To receive this honor you must be fully recognized as a 'leader among leaders,' and Tom fully meets that test," says Robert Mednick, former AICPA chair.

Rimerman, AICPA chair from 1990-91, was instrumental in changing the Model Bill to the Uniform Accounting Act and gaining its adoption by NASBA, He established the AIOPA Special Committee on Financial Reporting and opened membership sections to non-CPAs. He served as chair of the AICPA's Future Issues Committee, and chair of the AICPA Special Committee on International Strategy.

"A very difficult word to define is 'leadership'," says Ken Lever, a CaICPA past president. "But there is one definition that will cause no argument: leadership is Tom Rimerman. I first met Tom at a CaICPA Board meeting, and it was obvious to me that some day Tom would take on a leadership position in the CPA profession. What an understatement! In short order Tom became president of CaICPA, chairman of the AICPA and finally the U.S. representative to the governing council of IFAC. And, while he was doing all this he was also leading his accounting firm to a position of national prominence. There is no one who deserves this honor more than Tom. He has left his mark on the CPA profession and it is far better off because of him."

"Leadership in both CaICPA and the AICPA really plays into a firm's growth and development," says Rimerman. "The recognition that comes from the leadership roles has helped us to get clients and recruit truly competent people into the firm--ranking us as the number one firm in California for the past few years."

Rimerman has been active with CaICPA, serving as president from 1982-83, teaching courses for the Education Foundation and serving on the board of trustees. He was also the founding chair of the Litigation Consulting Services Committee--the first of its kind in the United States.

"Some people think you have to spend years and years working your way up," Rimerman says. "I went to my first CaICPA Annual Meeting in 1979, two years later I was nominated to be first vice present which then led to being president. My experience is living proof of how open and supportive CaICPA is for members, right from the beginning."

Rimerman retired as managing partner with Menlo Park-based Frank, Rimerman & Co. LLP. in May 2000. He received a solid gold medal and plaque in October from the AICPA in honor of his achievement.