2021 Women to Watch Recipients
Women of the PICPA consistently demonstrate excellence in their professional careers, take pride in helping others achieve their goals, and help their companies and clients succeed. Through innovation and influence, these women take initiative to create committees, develop new programs, and inspire young professionals. The fourth annual Women to Watch Awards, conferred in partnership with the AICPA, recognize the dedication and leadership of women who exemplify extraordinary commitment to the accounting profession.
Joining CPA honorees from across the country, the PICPA’s honorees of 2021 are Bethany Novis, Brenda Pawlowski, Adrienne Straccione, and LaDawn Yesho.
Bethany Novis
As clients turn to RKL for guidance on an ever-growing range of challenges, Bethany Novis leads a team of consultants uniquely positioned to deliver solutions and seize opportunities across the business spectrum. In her role as leader of RKL’s Business Consulting Services Group, she directs new service offerings, workforce development and quality control initiatives across all of the firm’s consulting capabilities.
Beyond her firmwide leadership role, Bethany is well-respected as one of Pennsylvania’s leading forensic accountants. A Certified Fraud Examiner, Bethany has more than two decades of experience helping companies and organizations confront the pervasive threat of fraud, delivering forensic accounting services such as employee theft investigations, reconstruction of financial records and damage calculations for litigation purposes.
Bethany is also a highly credentialed business valuator and specializes in valuation of stock for gifting, buyouts and wealth planning. Her patience, persistence and personal interest in her clients’ financial issues inform the collaborative and communicative approach she takes to developing customized solutions.
Brenda Pawlowski
Brenda Pawlowski, CPA, CFE, is a shareholder with Kotzan CPA & Associates, P.C., a women-owned business. Pawlowski has over 25 years of experience in both audit and tax planning/compliance. Her audit concentration is in governments, including school districts, as well as construction and employee benefit plans. Her tax focus is in the individual and business areas of taxation. In addition to serving her clients, Pawlowski works with her partner to manage daily operations and guide the strategic direction of the firm.
She regularly spearheads workplace improvements from the implementation of more efficient audit and tax practices, to researching high quality and affordable employee benefits. Pawlowski led the effort for our firm attaining the designation of Women Business Enterprise (WBE/DBE) in 2018.
Pawlowski encourages employees to take ownership of their work and strives to ensure that staff have what they need to succeed. In addition, she has assisted in implementing policies to create opportunities for staff members, including those to promote a work-life balance, professional development, and involvement in the daily operations of the firm. She encourages open communication among all staff members as a key to everyone’s success.
Aside from training and mentoring the staff professionals within our firm, she has worked with countless young professionals offering guidance, job shadowing opportunities, and internships. She has volunteered her time to local high schools, through speaking engagements and similar activities, to promote our profession and advise students on their future career paths.
Membership and participation in the PICPA have been instrumental in Pawlowski’s development over the years. At the local level, she is a past president of the Central Chapter and has served on various chapter committees. At the state level, she served as a member of PICPA Council, as well as the Local Government Accounting & Auditing Committee.
Her accomplishments include the Central Chapter’s Volunteer Service Award and recognition in the PICPA’s 40 Under 40 Program. Brenda is also actively involved in her church, formerly (pre-COVID) as a CCD teacher, and currently as part of the evangelization team.
Adrienne Straccione
A dedicated member of the Philadelphia business community, Adrienne is active with numerous organizations including the Philadelphia Chapter of Professional Women in Construction, the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Estate Planning Council, Chilean & American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia, General Building Contractors Association, Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc., and the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the PICPA’s Accounting and Auditing Committee. She has been a guest speaker for many professional organizations and has presented at PICPA CPE events. In 2013, Adrienne was honored by her peers when she received the Young Leaders Award from the PICPA.
LaDawn Yesho
In her current role at S&T she oversees all aspects of the company’s auditing function, including the strategic direction of the audit practice. Additionally, LaDawn has expanded her responsibilities to serve as Assistant Secretary to broaden her exposure to governance related matters of a publicly traded company in a heavily regulated industry.
LaDawn was formerly an Audit Senior Manager at Ernst & Young, LLP where she had a career-long focus in the financial services industry and contributed to various initiatives such as serving as the professional women’s diversity champion, assurance quality reviewer, and author/instructor for various firm-sponsored national training courses. Prior to joining S&T in May 2009, she was a Vice President – Financial Manager for the PNC Financial Services Group primarily responsible for managing the overall performance of the annual SOX financial control evaluation.
She enjoys mentoring young professionals and often meets with college students to share her career path and lessons learned. She has sponsored three young professional “women of promise” for future leadership through the United Way’s Women’s Leadership Council TOGETHER (to get her) Leading program where she served as a role model for the next generation. LaDawn recently became a PA Women Work Program 3 cups of coffee volunteer to positively impact the lives of students graduating from Community College and starting their career by sharing expertise, creating connections, providing advice on resumes and what is needed to enter a chosen profession.
She is committed to actively serving her community through volunteer efforts such as the United Way where she is a Member of the Southwestern United Way Women’s Leadership Council Executive Committee and serves on the Southwestern Operating Board. She volunteers to support local senior citizens through Open Your Heart to a Senior and annually coordinates a team of S&T employees to volunteer and support the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania’s Day of Caring (even during the pandemic she made it happen!).
LaDawn was awarded the Champion For Women Award from the Pennsylvania Bankers Association. This award is given to a seasoned professional who, through personal commitment, application and dedication, is invested in the success of others and fosters growth to ensure women maximize their potential. She is also a recipient of the PICPA Southwestern Chapter Volunteer Award for her contributions to the chapter and community. Additionally, LaDawn was honored as one of the PA Business Central’s Women Making a Difference.
