Outstanding CPA In Business & Industry Award
NEAL D. LYONS
Today, nearly half of the Society’s current members do not practice public accounting but instead have careers as educators, in government, or in a variety of capacities in business and industry in Nebraska. One of those outstanding Society members is Neal D. Lyons, who is the recipient of the Society’s 2023 Outstanding CPA in Business and Industry Award.
Lyons has 34 years of experience in accounting and business management. His extensive background includes roles in public accounting and corporate leadership positions serving as CFO for wholesale distribution, manufacturing, and financial services companies.
He currently is the chief financial officer (CFO) at UNICO Group, an insurance broker headquartered in Lincoln, Neb., where he provides leadership and financial oversight to the company and also manages information technology and human resources. Furthermore, he holds key positions as chairman of the board, executive team member, and shareholder at UNICO.
Lyons joined UNICO after spending time as the vice president of finance at GT Exhaust, CFO at Lincoln Poultry, and manager at BKD LLP.
In addition to his responsibilities at UNICO, Lyons is actively engaged in community and philanthropic endeavors. He currently serves on the board and finance committee of Tabitha Inc. and contributes his expertise as a member of the church council and as treasurer of Southwood Lutheran Church in Lincoln, Neb.
Lyons has been a member of the Nebraska Society of CPAs for 32 years, serving on the Nebraska Society of CPAs Board of Directors from 2019 to 2022 and as secretary of the board from 2021 to 2022. He currently is serving on the Foundation Board of Trustees for the Nebraska Society of CPAs.
A native of David City, Neb., Lyons graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and an emphasis in accounting.
He and his wife Michelle have two adult children: son Carter (Sarah) and daughter Ericka (Mark) and one grandson, Luka.
Outstanding Accounting Educator Award
DR. SUSAN W. ELDRIDGE
In recognition of her outstanding ability to educate and prepare students to become career-ready, and for her aptitude to implement positive change and build relationships among students, faculty, staff, administrators, employers, and community partners, the Nebraska Society of CPAs is honored to recognize Dr. Susan W. Eldridge as the 2023 recipient of the Society’s Outstanding Accounting Educator Award.
Dr. Eldridge is a results-oriented leader, innovator, and avid learner with a proven track record in strategic planning and management. In July 2021, she was named the associate dean for Faculty, Research, and Planning in the College of Business Administration (CBA) at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Prior to that, Dr. Eldridge served as director of UNO’s School of Accounting.
Born and raised in Lumberton, N.C., Dr. Eldridge earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, specializing in accounting, at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill in 1983. That same year, she passed the CPA exam on her first attempt—that was when you took the exam with paper and pencil over two and a half days.
She went to work in Raleigh, N.C., for KPMG (formerly Peat Marwick Mitchell), then one of the “Big 8” CPA firms, where she started out as an auditor.
After holding positions in public accounting and as a controller in the construction industry, Dr. Eldridge earned her master’s degree in accounting in 1992 at Appalachian State University, and her Ph.D. in 1997 at UNC-Chapel Hill. She also served as a lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin, and in 2002 joined the faculty at UNO’s CBA.
Since coming to Omaha, Neb., Dr. Eldridge has worked hard and earned the respect of her peers and her students, receiving numerous honors, including the Graduate Accounting Professor of the Year Award, Dean’s Citation for Outstanding Service, Dean’s Citation for Extraordinary Performance, Lady Vestey Woman of Achievement Award from the Accounting and Financial Women’s Alliance, and the Woman Leader in Nebraska Education Award from the Platte Valley Institute of Management Accountants.
She remains a licensed CPA and an active member of the American Accounting Association, the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), Financial Executives International, the Accounting and Financial Women’s Alliance, and the Nebraska Society of CPAs.
Dr. Eldridge and her husband Mark, who passed away in August 2022 and was also a CPA, have three adult children: daughter Jennifer, son James (Allee), and son Mitchell (Erin).
Public Service Award
STATE SENATOR JOHN P. STINNER
In recognition of his remarkable dedication and exemplary contributions to his profession and the business world, as well as his steadfast leadership and commitment to the state of Nebraska, former State Senator John P. Stinner is being honored as the recipient of the Society’s 2023 Public Service Award.
Sen. Stinner grew up on the outskirts of Pittsburgh and attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on a full athletic scholarship, where he played for Coach Bob Devaney on the Nebraska Cornhuskers National Championship football team in 1970 and 1971. At UNL, he earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration and a Master of Arts in economics with a minor in accounting.
Following graduation, Sen. Stinner earned his CPA license while working in public accounting at Peat, Marwick, Mitchell, now KPMG, in Lincoln, Neb. He then served as a senior lender and head internal auditor for First Commerce Bancshares and ran multiple troubled banks during the agricultural crisis of the 1980s.
In 1988, he assembled a group of investors and founded Gering State Bank in the Nebraska Panhandle. In 1997, the bank was renamed Valley Bank & Trust Co. In 2011, it expanded into the front range of Colorado, where it grew into Western States Bank with branches in three states until its merger with First National Bank of Omaha. From the bank’s inception until January 2016, when he retired from banking, Sen. Stinner served as CEO and president.
Sen. Stinner has dedicated his time and leadership to dozens of civic organizations over the years, which has earned him a host of awards and honors. He served on the Gering School Board for 10 years, five of the those as president. He also has served in leadership positions and on the boards of the Hospital Authority No. 1 of Scotts Bluff County, Western Nebraska Community College Foundation, Oregon Trail Community Foundation, Terry Carpenter Center, WyoBraska Museum, Zoological Association (president), YMCA of Scottsbluff (president), Twin Cities Development (president), and the Gering Downtown Revitalization Committee, among others. In addition, Sen. Stinner has been involved with the Elks Club, Scottsbluff/Gering Rotary Club, Sons of the American Legion, Knights of Columbus, and Christ the King Parish.
In 2013, Sen. Stinner was named chairman of the Nebraska Bankers Association. He then campaigned and was elected to the Nebraska Legislature in 2014, representing District 48 for two consecutive four-year terms. In 2017, he assumed leadership of the Appropriations Committee and served as chairman until the end of his tenure in 2022. Sen. Stinner served his constituents with distinction, successfully leading and advocating for passage of numerous initiatives to overcome challenges facing Nebraska, including solving the state’s budget deficit when he first took office.
Earlier this year, Sen. Stinner and his wife Rita were honored with the 2023 Distinguished NEBRASKAlander Award, the highest award given by the state of Nebraska. He also received a 2023 State Arts Award for his enduring support of the arts and humanities throughout his career. In 2000, Sen. Stinner was honored with the Scottbluff/Gering United Chamber of Commerce Visionary Superstar award. He is an Eagle Scout and a member of Omicron Delta Epsilon (ODE), The International Honor Society for Economics.
John and Rita Stinner have been married for more than 50 years and have two children, son John Jr. (Erin) and daughter Cecilia (Charles Ward), along with four grandchildren.
Distinguished Service To The Profession Award
MICHELLE R. THORNBURG
With decades of dedicated service and outstanding leadership within the profession and the business community, Michelle R. Thornburg is being honored as the recipient of the Society’s 2023 Distinguished Service to the Profession Award.
Thornburg received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Midland Lutheran College (now Midland University), graduating summa cum laude in 1993 with majors in accounting and economics.
That same year, she joined Koski Professional Group in Omaha as a staff accountant. Thornburg became a shareholder of the firm in January 1998.
Outside of work, she has shown a tremendous dedication and unwavering commitment to the CPA profession. She served a four-year term on the Nebraska Board of Public Accountancy from 2000-2004, participating on the Exam and Education Committee, Quality Enhancement Program Committee, and the Educational Advisory Committee. She still serves the State Board as a member of the Educational Advisory Committee and the Peer Review Oversight Committee.
Thornburg has been a member of the Nebraska Society of CPAs for 28 years, serving in various leadership capacities on the Society’s board of directors and on numerous committees over that time. She was chairman of the Society in 2017-2018. Prior to that, she served as Society treasurer for four years.
Her committee involvement in the Nebraska Society of CPAs includes service on the Accounting Careers Committee (chairman), Audit Committee, Awards Selection Committee, Fall Conference Committee, Nominating Committee, President Selection Transition Committee, and Women in Accounting Committee. In addition, she has served two terms on the board of trustees for the Foundation of the Nebraska Society of CPAs.
Thornburg is also a member of several other organizations, including the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), Omaha Women’s Network, and the Millard Business Association. She is a past treasurer of the Omaha Network, a current member of the Development Committee for ALS in the Heartland, and serves in various ways at her church.
The list of her previous civic activities includes Junior Achievement and service as a presenter at Math in Business Day and Expanding Your Horizons; she has served as an ambassador for the profession through her visits to numerous high school and college classrooms. Thornburg also has served as a member of the Advisory Council of the College of Business & Technology at the University of Nebraska at Kearney and on the Business Advisory Board of the College of Saint Mary.
In 2004, Thornburg received The Outstanding Young Alumni Award from Midland Lutheran College in recognition of outstanding professional achievements and personal accomplishments during her career.
Thornburg and her husband Jeff have been married for 25 years and they have one daughter, Claire.
Throughout its 95-year history, the Nebraska Society of CPAs has had thousands of members. This year, Michelle Thornburg becomes only the 38th member to receive the Society’s highest award.
