CPA Advisory Group, Inc.

ACCOUNTANT ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR

As Published in the "SBN Magazine" - May 2001

This isn't the first time David Krebs has been in the spotlight for helping small businesses.

Krebs, CEO of CPA Advisory Group, Inc., was honored in 1993 as the SBA's Accountant Advocate of the Year for many of the same reasons he's won the award this time around.

"Dave has always sought opportunities to help others," says J. Clark Price, president and CEO of the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants, in a letter supporting Krebs' nomination for the 2001 SBA award. "He has been an aggressive spokesperson for common sense solutions for small business and has always seized opportunities to spotlight what CPAs provide as advocates for small business and as protectors of the public interest."

Krebs began his career with the Big Five accounting firm previously known as Coopers & Lybrand but left there to start his own CPA firm in 1985. Since then, the CPA Advisory Group, Inc., which focuses on small and start up companies, has grown to 15 employees, and its billings are approaching $1.5 million.

Krebs has developed several educational programs for the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) on topics including business financing, record keeping, payroll, bartering, taxes and financial planning. He presents these programs at no charge to business owners and those considering going into business.

"He projects a no-nonsense attitude and exhibits a genuine concern for the beginning entrepreneur and clients with whom he works," says Dan Pealer, chairman of the local SCORE chapter in his nomination letter for Krebs. "I feel that he is an asset to any organization that he chooses to work with."

In 1991, Krebs chose to take his instructional role a step further by shifting his focus to teaching other CPAs, who could then educate their small business clients. In the past 10 years, he has given presentations to more than 50,000 accountants, advisors and small business owners in most of the 50 states. He has also written publications on how to save money on taxes, tax planning and structuring business entities.

"I've know Dave for many years and have always been impressed by the passion he brings to everything he does," Price says. "Dave has given unselfishly of his time to benefit the CPA profession in Ohio."

Krebs earned his degree from Miami University in Oxford and is active in the American Institute of CPAs, National Speakers Association, National Federation of Independent Business, Toastmasters and Ohio Speaker's Forum. He is also past chairman of Community Connection for Ohio Public Offenders, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to reintegrate former offenders back into society.

Krebs serves as chairman of the finance committee at Worthington Christian Church, where he also is a deacon and an adult Sunday school teacher.

He and his wife, Pat, have four children.