IT WAS A music scholarship that brought Steve Dunavant (‘83) to CBU, but some experts say that the talents for math and music both come from the same part of the brain that engages in spatial-temporal reasoning. Apparently the accounting professors at CBU were able to harmonize with Dunavant’s natural rapport with numbers, and he ended up graduating with a degree in accounting.

He went on to become the founder and the managing member of Thompson Dunavant PLC - the largest certified public accounting firm in Memphis (it also has offices in Houston and Atlanta). It employs 115 persons who provide a broad range of services to their clients, including tax, audit and consulting services.

"Education is an essential part of the support structure for a growing community. CBU plays a key role in supporting our community and us in that regard," according to Dunavant.

The Lasallian belief of entering a school to learn and leaving to serve has stuck with Dunavant and formed the foundation of his firm’s philosophy - which is to hire and train quality individuals in order to provide outstanding service to the client. The similarities do not only reside in client services but also in the approach to their own employees.

"Much like CBU, Thompson Dunavant provides opportunities to learn, interact, and grow - both professionally and personally - in a family-like atmosphere," according to Mark Baricos (‘02).

Baricos is one of 17 CBU alumni who currently work at Thompson Dunavant. Moira House, the firm’s human resource director, sees many parallels between the core values of both places. "We share a similar vision for educating accounting professionals," she says. "We both agree this vision expands beyond the classroom to include areas that develop effective leadership skills and that instill a strong sense of commitment to the community."

The commitment to serve their clients and develop their staff is demonstrated in a below-average turnover ratio, but is also recognized by national and local awards - including being names among the "Best Places to Work in Memphis" and "Best Employers in Tennessee." In 2009, Thompson Dunavant was named one of INSIDE Public Accounting’s "Best of the Best Firms." They were the only Memphis-based CPA firm to receive this honor.

To end on a melodic note, music still plays an active role in Dunavant’s life. He still plays bass in a band. He also plays sometimes with his church and is a board member for the Visible School, a local music and worship arts college.

By Stephen Kirkpatrick; Spring/Summer 2010 Issue

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