Southern Miss School of Accountancy Hosts Meet the Firms

Tue, 09/10/2024 - 10:59am | By: Bailey Harris Shoemake

The School of Accountancy at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) hosted its annual Meet the Firms event at the Trent Lott Center on Thursday, Sept. 5. The event provides accounting students with an opportunity to network with a record number of well-known firms and organizations from across the state of Mississippi and beyond.

More than 200 participants attended this year’s event, with 32 different firms and organizations represented. 

“We are grateful to the CPA firms, businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies that offer our students the opportunity to explore the many career options available with an accounting degree,” said Dr. Blaise Sonnier, Director of USM’s School of Accountancy.  “The continued support and participation of employers in our Meet the Firms event highlights that our students are job-ready upon completion of our accounting program.” 

Dr. Sonnier went on to share some of the positive feedback he received from professional participants about the quality of the school’s students. “It is gratifying to hear these employers comment on how impressive our students are and how well they perform on the job,” said Dr. Sonnier.

The event is coordinated by Julia Bradley, Instructor and Director of Firm Relations, and Amber Hatten, Professor of Practice and the Director of the Master of Professional Accountancy (MPA) graduate program, with the support of Amy Yeend, Assistant Dean for Professional Development and Career Success for the Southern Miss College of Business and Economic Development. 

“Meet the Firms is a night that we look forward to each and every year.  It is so exciting to see our students, faculty members, university leaders, alumni, and accounting professionals come together on campus at Southern Miss,” said Hatten.  “Accounting graduates are in high demand, and we are very grateful to have so many organizations supporting the School of Accountancy and working to meet, recruit, and hire our talented students.  It is our hope that the Meet the Firms event results in many internship and full-time job opportunities for accounting students as they prepare to enter the profession and begin their careers.”

Participating Firms/Organizations included: 

• Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi  

• BMSS, LLC  

• C Spire  

• Carr, Riggs, & Ingram (CRI)  

• Cooperative Energy  

• Deloitte  

• Donnell CPA Group  

• EisnerAmper  

• Ernst & Young (EY)  

• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  

• Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)  

• Forvis Mazars 

• GranthamPoole PLLC  

• Hancock Whitney Bank 

• Hannis T. Bourgeois (HTB)  

• Harper, Rains, Knight & Company, P.A. (HRK)  

• Holt & Associates, PLLC  

• HORNE  

• KPMG LLP  

• Matthews, Cutrer and Lindsay, P.A. (MCL)  

• Mississippi Department of Revenue (DOR)  

• Mississippi Office of the State Auditor (OSA)  

• Mississippi Power  

• Mississippi Society of CPAs (MSCPA)  

• Parish Tractor, LLC  

• Piltz, Williams, LaRosa & Co (PWL)  

• Saltmarsh, Cleaveland & Gund  

• Silas Simmons,LLP  

• Southern Farm Bureau Life  

• TMH  

• Watkins, Ward & Stafford, PLLC  

• Wilkins Miller  

Click here to learn more about the School of Accountancy.