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 Douglas A. “Doug” Ewald, who is the recipient of the Society’s 2022 Outstanding CPA in Business and Industry Award.
Leading teams, propelling organizational profits, promoting collaborative cultures, and building relationships have defined Doug Ewald’s career. An expert in the financial, accounting, and business development fields, his career spans three decades across Nebraska’s private and public sectors.
Ewald’s current role as executive associate athletic director and chief financial officer for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln began Nov. 1, 2021. In this position, he oversees the athletic department’s business operations and serves as a key member of Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Trev Alberts’ senior administrative staff. His responsibilities include oversight of the Husker Athletic Fund, ticketing, Husker Athletic Partners, Huskers Radio Network, creative and emerging media, licensing and branding, marketing and fan experience, spirit squad, HuskerVision, human resources, department travel, and equipment management.
Ewald joined Husker Athletics after spending more than three years as the vice chancellor for business, finance, and business development at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. As vice chancellor, he oversaw all budget, finance, human resource, operational, and administrative services as well as all business development activities in support of Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D. In total, he oversaw 600 employees across the two campuses.
Ewald began his professional career with Arthur Andersen & Co., where he gained a solid foundation as a CPA. From there, he spent 17 years at Union Pacific where he played a pivotal role as director of state taxes. In addition to leading the state tax team, Ewald was instrumental in drafting state tax incentive legislation and lobbying legislators for its passage. Nearly $1 billion in tax benefits to UP resulted from his tenacity, networking, knowledge of tax initiatives, and savvy negotiations.
His most public role involved serving as Nebraska’s tax commissioner under Governor Dave Heineman from 2006 to 2013. In this position, he restructured the Nebraska Department of Revenue into a more customer-responsive agency and successfully leveraged technology to reduce the workforce by 20% while leading the nation in electronic tax-return filing. He is the only CPA to serve in this capacity.
After service to the state, he returned to public accounting, launching KPMG’s State and Local Tax Practice in Nebraska from the ground up and serving as managing director. He then spent a short time at Ameritas where he served as tax director before moving into the University of Nebraska system.
Ewald has been able to leverage a career of diverse experiences into financial success while developing a team of professionals who challenge the status quo and utilizing technology and best practices to further the mission of the organization. Throughout his career, Ewald has recognized the importance of building relationships to ensure successful outcomes. From government leaders to legislative contacts to company executives, he continues to harness the power of networking.
A lifelong Nebraskan, Ewald holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from Buena Vista University (1985), where he played varsity baseball for four years, and a master’s degree in professional accounting from the University of Nebraska at Omaha (1987). He has been a member of the Nebraska Society of CPAs for 34 years.
Ewald and his wife Robin have three adult children: sons Dane (Amanda) and Cale (Morgan) and daughter Emily (Nolan) and granddaughter Olive.
The purpose of the Outstanding CPA in Business & Industry Award is to honor Nebraska CPAs who have made a significant contribution to the growth and success of their employers or a notable entrepreneurial achievement. In addition, the award recognizes those CPAs working in business, industry, or government who have distinguished themselves by having made a significant contribution to the enhancement of the accounting profession. The nominee must be a CPA, be a member of the Nebraska Society, and be in good standing with the profession. Selection of the award recipient is made by a committee of Society members and approved by the Society Board of Directors.
