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Laura Culp ’82 has made a habit of earning honors.
Most recently, she received the 2007 Simonetti Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Akron College of Business Administration.
“I was deeply honored to receive this recognition,” she says. “While I did not know Dr. Simonetti and did not have the opportunity to have him as a professor, I was privileged to hear him speak at the awards breakfast a number of times. It was very special to receive this recognition in the year following his passing.”
Culp also was recognized at the International Group of Accounting Firms’ (IGAF) annual tax conference, where her presentation on tax planning ws named second best at the event.
“I was thrilled about my IGAF award because it was the first time I had won,” she says. “I had thought of the idea before I got to the conference; it was based on a real-life tax situation that I had solved for a client.”
Culp was named Woman Philanthropist of the Year in 2005 by The Women’s Initiative Council of the United Way of Summit County (Ohio) and Woman of Distinction for Community Volunteerism by the Girl Scouts of the Western Reserve Council in 1998
Culp is shareholder and director of taxation at Brockman, Coats, Gedelian & Co. in Akron, Ohio.
“My specialty is business and individual taxation,” she explains. “I consult with clients regarding their income and estate taxes and I work on minimizing those taxes. I also work with clients on succession planning and merger and acquisition, as well as general business consulting. And I manage the day-to-day administration of our tax department, which is made of approximately 20 people.
“Whether it be transitioning their business to the next generation or deciding what to do with a business after some event in their life, such as the death of a spouse, I enjoy helping people solve their business problems. Working with people on their taxes, I know a lot about them and their family and I can be a good sounding board about different issues, not just tax issues.”
A major challenge is balancing work and family life, especially during tax season.
“Our firm is known for good client service so that means being very responsive to our clients’ needs, and one phone call can change my schedule for the day. I need to be very organized and know how to prioritize all the demands on my time,” she says.
Culp knew in high school that she was interested in using math for her career. She took accounting classes at Lafayette and landed an internship at Ingersall Rand.
“After that experience, which I really enjoyed and learned a lot from, I felt I was better suited for public accounting,” says Culp, an economics and business graduate. “With public accounting, I work with a variety of clients and every client has different needs and problems, so my days are rarely routine.”
At Lafayette, Culp found a mentor in Rose Marie Bukics, Jones Professor of Economics and Business.
“She had a big impact on my choice of career as she taught accounting and also had worked in public accounting,” says Culp. “She took an interest in me personally, as she did with many other students, and gave me good advice as well as tried to help me get a job with one of the Big 8 accounting firms at the time.”
Culp appreciates the preparation Lafayette provided.
“My education at Lafayette helped me with my critical thinking and started my accounting knowledge,” she says. “I have to work with a lot of different people, with different personalities, and I think my social experiences at Lafayette, such as being involved in different groups and living in the dorms, helped prepare me for that.”
Laura Culp ’82