By Sue McMurray, Carson College of Business
Marla Meyer has been selected as the new Moss Adams accounting career advisor in the Carson College of Business’ Department of Accounting.
The Moss Adams accounting firm made a five-year commitment to support the WSU position, which was established following a recommendation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accounting accrediting team during the department’s last accreditation visit.
Meyer will serve as the primary student employment coordinator for accounting majors in the college and be a liaison to alumni and the accounting advisory board. She will also build and maintain relationships with regional and national public accounting firms, industry recruiters, and others interested in hiring WSU accounting majors. She will work with the Beta Alpha Psi faculty advisor to develop and implement events bringing accounting students and professionals together and advise students on accounting careers and work with students to hone their professional skills.
“Moss Adams has had a long, outstanding relationship with WSU’s quality accounting program, and we are honored to be able to participate in this important new position. One of Dean Hunter’s goals for the Carson College of Business is to make it the first choice for students seeking a business education in the Pacific Northwest,” says Randall Fenich (’81 Acc.), Moss Adams partner in charge. “Adding this position is a step forward in that process. We are excited to begin working with Marla and expect she will help students become even more prepared to enter the professional world.”
A suite of professional skills
Meyer spent the last five years in Seattle with Holland America Line, most recently as a pricing and demand manager. She was responsible for revenue optimization for a group of products contributing over $100 million annually and ensuring that optimal yield was achieved on each individual sailing.
Prior to her work in Seattle, Meyer was a sales representative for The Scotts/Miracle-Grow Company, managing a sales territory of more than $8 million in annual sales. She built strong relationships with key decision makers at Lowes, Home Depot, and Wal-Mart, and managed a team of merchandisers and counselors.
Meyer worked as a development representative for the American Cancer Society where she built relationships with corporate CEOs, presidents, marketing and human resource personnel. In addition, she recruited and trained over 100 new volunteers. She taught sales skills, event management, recruitment, and sponsorship procurement to event staff.
She also worked for Ernst & Young as a management consultant specializing in the telecommunications industry. In addition to her consulting role, Meyer managed college recruiting, trained new accounting hires and managed the annual client conference.”
“It is exciting to be back in Pullman where I grew up and attended WSU as an undergraduate student. I look forward to guiding accounting majors through the recruiting process and assisting them in defining their career paths,” says Meyer. “I’ve already begun building relationships with the many accounting firms, businesses, and government agencies that believe that WSU accounting students are an excellent choice for their organizations.”
“Marla’s experience building industry relationships in a variety of settings will be of great benefit when it comes to placing and tracking our graduates in full-time employment,” says Sue Gill, chair of the Carson College accounting department. “She will be a key resource in working with the Carson Center for Student Success to coordinate recruitment activities for accounting students and help them hone their professional skills. Among the first things Marla will do is visit firms that are currently recruiting accounting majors and attend one of the firm’s two-day summer leadership program, which will give her hands-on knowledge to bring back to accounting students.”
For more information, visit the WSU Carson College of Business accounting program website.
About WSU’s accounting program
Academic programs in the Department of Accounting are designed to prepare students for the CPA exam and for a career as a professional accountant. The department is home to one of only 186 undergraduate accounting programs worldwide that is separately accredited by AACSB. Graduates enter rewarding careers with international and national public accounting firms, Fortune 500 corporations, and government agencies. The undergraduate major is offered face-to-face and online.
