Bert N. Mitchell of New York City was chosen for the accounting profession' s highest honor, the Gold Medal Award for Distinguished Service, awarded annually by the AICPA. The award is given to members whose influence and dedicated service to advance the profession distinguishes them among their peers. First presented in 1944, 79 CPAs so far have been recognized with the award.

Mitchell received the Gold Medal at the AICPA's 109th annual members' meeting in Chicago on October 19, 1996.

Bert N. Mitchell is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Mitchell Titus LLP, the nation's largest minority-controlled CPA firm with more than 200 employed in offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia.

Over the last 25 years, Mitchell has been active in various leadership positions within the accounting profession. From 1977-80, he served as a member of the AICPA Board of Directors and from 1975-93 as a member of its governing council. A founding member and chairman of the board of the National Association of Minority CPA Firms, Mitchell spent 10 years as a member of the State Board of Accountancy for the State of New York, including one year as its chair. He also served as president of the New York State Society of CPAs during 1987-88. A native of Jamaica, Mitchell has been active in community affairs, philanthropy, and politics. He has served on the boards of over a dozen not-for-profit organizations and educational institutions. Mitchell has also been a member of numerous public service commissions and committees, including the Mayoral Commission on Black New Yorkers and the Commissioner's Advisory Group of the Internal Revenue Service.

The list of honors and awards he has received is lengthy and includes, among others: The Harvard Business School's "1995 Alumni Achievement Award", Centennial Liberty Award;" the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith's Human Relations Award, U.S. Small Business Administration's "Minority Business Person of the Year Award;" and the Martin Luther King "Keeper of the Dream Award" from the Economic Opportunity Council of Nassau County. *