evan west, CPA “Whatever you are, be a good one.” ~Abraham Lincoln
Evan West, CPA, a senior manager in business tax services with Ernst & Young LLP in Tulsa, Oklahoma, spent 20 days on a mission trip building a church and school for two rural villages in southern Mexico; an event he says was an awakening. During the trip, West and his group stayed
in another church at a nearby village. All of their meals were prepared and served in local residents’ homes. “It certainly was an eye-opening and
life-changing experience for me,” West said. “Having the opportunity to spend time in the residents’ homes – and see them sacrifice what little they had to feed us – each day was truly amazing,” “To observe that a family only had four
pigs and sacrificed one so our group could eat meat for the week certainly made us realize the many luxuries we take for granted in our daily lives, as well as the appreciation the local community had for our efforts,” West added. “It was an unbelievable experience.” “For someone like me who had little to
no construction experience and sat behind a desk all day, raising buildings from the ground up provided a strong sense of team accomplishment,” West said. “We were able to complete the two buildings during the time we spent there and actually attended a Sunday service in the new church before we left.”
“Many of the local residents even helped
with the construction along the way, which was completely unexpected but appreciated,” West added. “When we left, all the tools and leftover materials we purchased for the trip were left in the care of the community. “Sometimes in our busy lives, it’s easy to
just write a check to these organizations and feel like you’ve done your philanthropic duty,” West added. “Completing a trip like this helps you realize that other parts of the world need a lot more than just money.” West, an OSCPA member for six years, has
also volunteered with the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless and the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma. Additionally, he is an advisory board
member with the Oklahoma State University School of Accounting where he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting. “Evan demonstrates a commitment to
developing people and serves as a mentor and counselor for team members,” said Cathy Gates, a managing partner with Ernst & Young LLP in Tulsa. “He is a role model in terms of balancing his personal and professional commitments.”
Evan’s Trail mix
One thing I won’t be caught doing is: Posting selfies on the Internet
The TV show I watched religiously as a child? WWF (now referred to as WWE)
What scares you? Pretty much anything my son does (he’s almost two)
32 CPAFOCUS March/April 2016
What’s the most embarrassing song you have on your iPhone/iPod/mp3 player? “Let It Go” – Disney’s Frozen (don’t tell anyone) (Editor’s Note: Who? Us?)
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