The Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) and the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants (FICPA) today congratulated Brian Krogol from the University of Florida and Veronika Krasteva from the University of Miami who qualified for the 2012 Elijah Watt Sells Award. The award, which is based on their top performance on the Uniform CPA Examination, is recognized as a remarkable achievement in the CPA profession. Out of the more than 92,000 candidates tested last year, only 39 were eligible for the prestigious award.

“Brian and Veronika have achieved a huge accomplishment, and I encourage them to continue their great work here in Florida as licensed CPAs,” said DBPR Secretary Ken Lawson. “Licensed CPAs are vital to Florida’s economy, and I have no doubt these two students will contribute to the quality of professionals we have in Florida.”

Sponsored by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the winners of the 2012 Elijah Watt Sells award must receive a cumulative average score of 95.5 or higher on all four sections of the Uniform CPA Examination, complete testing during the previous calendar year and pass all four sections on their first attempt. The Elijah Watt Sells Award program was established in 1923 by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) to recognize outstanding performance on the CPA Examination.

“We’re thrilled that two Florida CPA candidates have been named as winners of this prestigious award,” said FICPA President/CEO Deborah Curry, CPA, CGMA. “This speaks to the quality of education that Florida accounting students are receiving. Brian and Veronika are valuable members of our profession and we wish them much success in their future endeavors.”

Founded in 1905, the FICPA is a Tallahassee-based, statewide, professional association representing member-CPAs throughout Florida. With a membership of more than 18,500, the Institute's mission is to promote the value of its members and serve their diverse needs; enhance members' competency and professionalism; support professional standards; and advocate on behalf of the profession. For complete information about the FICPA, visit old.ficpa.org, follow @FICPA on Twitter and visit Florida Institute of CPAs on Facebook.

The Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s mission is to license efficiently and regulate fairly. The Department licenses and regulates more than one million businesses and professionals ranging from hotels and restaurants, real estate agents and accountants to veterinarians, contractors and cosmetologists. For more information, please visit www.MyFloridaLicense.com.

More information about DBPR is available online at www.myfloridalicense.com. Also, follow @FloridaDBPR on Twitter or Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation on Facebook for updates about license cycles, events and other important news.