Postlethwaite & Netterville Pledges $50,000 Gift to Accounting Department

Louisiana-based accounting firm Postlethwaite & Netterville has pledged a $50,000 donation over five years to the University of New Orleans Department of Accounting. The gift was announced by William E. Balhoff, chief executive officer and managing director of Postlethwaite & Netterville, and Philip Harmelink, chairman of the UNO Department of Accounting.

"We have a philosophy that recognizes the value of attracting and retaining high-quality individuals with differing backgrounds and experience," Balhoff said. "Our firm is proud to employ many alumni from the University of New Orleans as part of this philosophy. This donation is in appreciation and recognition of those graduates that work or have worked at P&N and to help support the department in the future as we look forward to our continued relationship with the University."

UNO has graduated approximately 4,000 students from its bachelor's degree program in accounting as well as approximately 340 from its master's program in accounting and more than 350 from its master's program in tax accounting. Postlethwaite & Netterville currently employs more than 80 graduates of UNO's accounting department, according to company officials.

UNO administrators and nearly 50 Postlethwaite & Netterville employees who graduated from the UNO accounting department gathered for a check presentation at the famed Blue Room at the Roosevelt Hotel. The UNO alumni who attended were: Alana Acereto, Anastasia Efthymiou, Andrew Garcia, Andrew Pentony, Andy Belteau, Brandy Smith, Brian Berry, Cathy Truong, Christian Belteau, Christopher Antunez, Christopher Hickman, Cody Bellanger, Damian Davenport, Daniel Sellers, David Sardenga, Diana Spears, Elise Bordson-Bozzo, Gretchen Kenning, Hector Caballero, Jason Eaton, Joey Richard, Jolie Foucheaux, Julia Licona, Kelly Bakewell, LaShanda Coleman, Lilly Fincher, Lynne Burkart, Marcel Duhe, Marco Filos, Mason Maurer, Matt Fotsch, Matthew Lazaro, Meghan Ragsdale, Michael Weydert, Michelle Breaux, Patrick Reid, Philip Gunn, Robert Nettles, Sean Blais, Tam Nguyen, Timothy Musso, Tina Womack, Todd Tournillon, Tommy Maginnis, Tony Thong and Tung Nguyen.

"Private contributions such as this have a significant impact on our ability to reach the goals of the department," Harmelink said. "Especially in light of budget cuts in recent years, these contributions are even more important to us. We are very appreciative of the generosity of Postlethwaite & Netterville."

The UNO Department of Accounting is one of only about 180 departments of accounting in the world with separate accounting accreditation from AACSB International, the Association to Advance College Schools of Business, putting UNO in the top 3 percent of accounting programs worldwide.