John McNamara '81 '82 MS Named 2017 Accounting Alumnus of the Year

“I’ve always loved public accounting, especially learning my clients’ unique stories and then helping them succeed,” emphasizes Accounting Alumnus of the Year John McNamara ’81 ’82 M.S. Since 2009, John has thrived as an Assurance Shareholder with Sullivan Bille, P.C., a 35-person CPA firm in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. From 2004 to 2009, he was an Assurance Director with McGladrey (today RSM). Previously, he worked at KPMG, Arthur Andersen, and Feeley and Driscoll.

 

John earned his B.B.A. (cum laude) and M.S. degrees in accounting from Isenberg. He added an M.S. degree in Taxation from Bentley University in 1992. He is a member of the UMass Accounting Advisory Council, which helps the department with strategic planning and program evaluation.

 

“I did not come from wealth; my uncle paid for my UMass education, as my father died when I was twelve,” John recalls. “I saw first-hand what a difference a friend can mean, so I’ve given back with scholarship assistance for over 10 years to Isenberg accounting students.” While at McGladrey, he recalls, he decided to create a scholarship on his own.  His current firm assists him in awarding a scholarship in its name to a sophomore each year. Isenberg offers its students, he notes, “an affordable and quality education, culminating in well-paying job opportunities upon graduation, making our scholarships an excellent investment.”

 

John’s accounting expertise includes domestic and international manufacturing and distribution, supermarkets, construction, publishing and HUD real estate. He is also adept at not-for-profit auditing, including OMB A-133 compliance, Yellow Book, ERISA, and labor union accounting issues.

 

“Without question, my family is a UMass family,” John continues. His oldest daughter, Kaitlyn, is completing her dual Master’s degree in Educational Administration and Counseling following her B.A. in Psychology—all from UMass.  His middle daughter, Elizabeth, completed a bachelor’s degree in Resource Economics with a minor in Marketing from Isenberg and is currently completing her Master’s degree in Marketing Analytics. His youngest daughter, Kara, is a sophomore at Commonwealth College, with double majors in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Neurological Psychology.

 

John and his wife, Deb, recently moved to Hampton, New Hampshire, closer to the striper community that tests John’s growing angling prowess. 

 

John will be honored on April 20th at Isenberg's Annual Accounting Banquet at The Log Cabin in Holyoke, MA.