tr ailblazer

“To live is to think.” –Marcus Tullius Cicero

vance Goolsbay, CPA

A December 2018 survey conducted by Insider indicated about 43 percent of Americans made resolutions for 2019 to either lose weight or eat healthier. Anyone who has ever accepted that challenge knows how daunting it can be, as it usually requires forming new, healthy habits to replace the comfortable yet unhealthy habits. Miranda Vance Goolsbay, CPA, an

Getting to know

Miranda

investment operations manager for the George Kaiser Family Foundation in Tulsa, decided 2016 would be the year she would become a healthier, more active person. With mindful eating, she lost 25 pounds, but she wanted more. “I also wanted to become more fit

and active,” she said. “I overcame some physical and mental hurdles, started following the Couch-to-5K training program for inexperienced runners and signed up for my first race in October 2016.”

After that, Vance Goolsbay entered

Who was your teen crush? Heath Ledger (à la A Knight’s Tale)

What was your first concert? Backstreet Boys

What snack do you crave late at night? Peanut butter

Do you have a favorite sports team? Being from Kansas City, I’m a lifelong fan of the Chiefs and the Royals.

If you could have an endless supply of anything, what would it be? Energy!

Do you have any quirky talents? I can wiggle my ears!

If you could be a master chef at making anything, what would it be? Steak. Or eggs. Or steak and eggs.

If you could be on any game show, what would it be? I’ll take Jeopardy for $1,000, please.

18 CPAFOCUS March/April 2019

several more races, enjoying her new, healthier self. In late 2017, her in-laws persuaded her to join them in a triathlon sprint event in April 2018 that included swimming, cycling and running. “I hadn’t swum or cycled in years, but I thought the challenge would be fun,” she said. “I bought a road bike and all the accessories. I signed up for adult swim lessons to refresh my skills and joined the YMCA so I would have access to a practice pool.” Vance Goolsbay, who recently transitioned to corporate finance from public accounting, said finding the time to train while volunteering for Tulsa Area United Way and Youth Services of Tulsa during one of the busiest tax seasons she’d experienced was difficult, but she finished the race and has signed up for another triathlon in 2019, hoping to improve upon her first performance.

“I’ve learned patience and persistence and found strength within myself that I didn’t know I possessed,” said Vance Goolsbay. “Tis experience has changed my perspective on my life and future and realigned my priorities… My perception of others has shifted, as well, and I can be more empathetic and understanding after being humbled by my own challenges.” In addition to the OSCPA, the

University of Tulsa graduate is also a member of the AICPA and the Tulsa Young Professionals (TYPros). Vance Goolsbay also volunteers for Junior Achievement, OK2Grow, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Openarms Youth Project.

A former colleague, David McCaslin, an income tax manager with QuikTrip Corporation & Subsidiaries in Tulsa, said, “I observed her evolution from a new staff member to an experienced senior to a highly skilled manager. Miranda quickly built a reputation as a reliable team member due to her commitment to exceptional quality and her willingness to question why things were done a certain way.” Another former colleague, Jessie

Bennett, CPA, a tax services manager with Ernst & Young in Tulsa, said, “Miranda is also an excellent coach and goes above and beyond to provide feedback and learning opportunities to those she supervises. Her coaching was key to developing staff and seniors in our local office.” Perhaps her greatest coaching project was coaching herself toward life changes in 2016. “I didn’t know that embarking on a physical transformation would also transform me mentally and spiritually,” Vance Goolsbay said, “and I am grateful to have made that discovery.”

Miranda