The Department of Accounting at Canisius University is proud to announce the 68th Annual Accounting Banquet on Thursday, April 24, 2025. The banquet will be held at Salvatore's Italian Gardens, 6461 Transit Road, Depew, NY, with cocktails starting at 5:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are limited, so please RSVP by Friday, April 11, 2025. If you have any questions, contact Kimberly Walkow at 716-888-2160 or email walkowk@canisius.edu.
Awards
The New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants Awards
NYSSCPA Award of Honor
Katherine Sentz
John T. Kennedy Memorial Award
Justin Morabito
Talal Abu-Ghazaleh International Award for Excellence in Graduate Accounting Programs
Accounting Society Award for Excellence in Scholarship in the Undergraduate Accounting Program
Katherine Sentz
Accounting Society Award for Excellence in Scholarship in the Undergraduate Accounting Information Systems Program
Ian Gotthelf
Matthew Robertson
Katherine Sentz
Dr. Joseph R. Coppola '40 Award
Henry McWilliams '94, MBA '03, CPA
The Accountant of the Year Award
Mark J. Koziel '91, CPA, CGMA
The Dr. Joseph R. Coppola '40 Award
Henry “Hank” McWilliams is the CFO at UBMD Primary Care, where he is a member of the leadership team. He oversees the Accounting, Finance, IT, and HR departments and is responsible for the oversight of all financial, business and clinical operations. Prior to joining UBMD in 2009, Hank worked in the public accounting, banking and real estate industries.
Hank graduated from Canisius University with a BS in Accounting in 1994. He graduated with his PMBA from the University at Buffalo in 2003. While at Canisius, Hank was president of the Accounting Society during his senior year and a member of the Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity. He has served on the Council of Accountancy since 2014 and currently chairs the Curriculum Committee.
Hank currently serves on the Finance Committee at Saint Joseph’s Collegiate Institute and was a Trustee from 2009 – 2015. He also served in leadership roles with Hasek’s Heroes, The Niagara Group and Mount Saint Joseph Academy. He was recognized in the Buffalo Business First 40 Under 40 list in 2011.
Hank is married to Christine (DiLaura) McWilliams, who is a 1997 Canisus graduate. They reside in Grand Island with their children, Emma, Patrick and Ryan. Hank enjoys running, golfing, and travelling with his family.
The Accountant of the Year Award
Mark Koziel, CPA, CGMA, is the President and CEO of the American Institute of CPAs, and CEO of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, the most influential body of professional accountants in the world with 600,000 members, candidates, and registrants. Formed in 2017, the Association combines the strengths of The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and the AICPA.
Koziel was named to this role by the Association’s Board of Directors in October 2024 and began his tenure on January 1, 2025. He brings a wealth of leadership experience, having served the profession for decades. Most recently, he was President and CEO of Allinial Global, an association of independent accounting and advisory firms worldwide. He began that role in 2020 after 14 years with the Association (previously AICPA), where he served in a number of roles, including executive vice president, Firm Services.
Koziel began working in the profession at a large accounting firm in Buffalo, New York. Throughout his career he has been a consistent advocate for accountants, developing a strong global understanding of the accounting and finance profession.
He regularly appears on Accounting Today’s Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting where he was named in the top 10 most influential by his peers in 2024. Among his many accolades, Koziel was also named to CPA Practice Advisor’s Top Thought Leaders in Public Accounting.
Originally from Buffalo, NY, Koziel graduated from Canisius University in 1991 with a BS, accounting degree. He now resides in North Carolina with his wife, Maryann. They have one son, Ben who is finishing up a Master’s in Screenwriting at Emerson University.