SEC's "FORCE OF NATURE" LYNN TURNER RESIGNS.

After a three-year stint as chief accountant with the SEC, Lynn Turner stepped down in August to join the faculty at Colorado State University as director of the Center for Quality Financial Reporting.

Acting SEC Chairwoman, Laura Unger called Turner "a force of nature," and says that "anyone who has dealt with him on a regular basis shares that view." Unger adds "The commission is losing one of the most active and creative members of the staff."

Turner's tenure led him into several battles with the Big Five accounting firms concerning auditor independence rules.

He also was instrumental in the issuance of the SEC Concept Release on International Accounting, which emphasized the need for high-quality financial reporting on a global basis, as well as a restructured International Accounting Standards Board. Turner played a key role in the Public Oversight Board's adoption of a charter that gives it greater oversight over the accounting profession.