Ms. Getty has helped numerous organizations resolve IRS and regulatory issues and related civil penalties during her professional life.
ANCHORAGE, AK, February 15, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Key E. Getty, CPA has been included in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Ms. Getty is a certified public accountant celebrating more than three decades of success specializing in the nonprofit sector. After holding a couple of jobs in accounting and discovering her passion for the work, she enrolled at the University of Alaska Anchorage, which awarded her a bachelor's degree in accounting in 1992. After completing her college education, she immediately began her long-term career in public accounting firms. The following year, Ms. Getty earned a certified public accountant (CPA) credential, designating her as one of the top professionals in the accounting field.
Although Ms. Getty excelled academically and enjoyed it to the fullest, she had to put her academic life on hold with an associate degree as her husband was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and their adoptive newborn baby from South Korea arrived around the same time. As her husband had been serving in the military at the time of diagnosis, he was medically discharged, and subsequently, the family moved several times. They eventually settled in New Hampshire to be close to family. Entering the new job market allowed gaining experience as a business manager for a renowned nonprofit organization in NH.
However, they started to miss Alaska, and ultimately, the family returned to Alaska, at which time Ms. Getty re-enrolled into UAA. She earned her BBA in accounting with an emphasis in mathematics and public administration.
While in college, Ms. Getty actively promoted students' interests, opportunities, and resources while serving as an officer in the Student Council and the Accounting Club. She also volunteered as a tutor and a coordinator in the Math Lab and the Accounting lab at the campus. As a student herself, she understood some students' struggles with lack of time, finances, and other resources. Helping fellow students with their studies in math and accounting was a great joy for Ms. Getty. She was awarded multiple times by the accounting club for her dedicated service.
Hired fresh out of college by a local CPA firm, as a self-motivated and self-starter, she further developed her attention to detail and analytical skills. From 1993 on, as a senior audit and tax accountant, she began focusing on the nonprofit industry. Her interest/passion in the nonprofit sector grew out of experiencing firsthand the vulnerability of nonprofit organizations due to lack of resources.
She invested time to study and develop procedures to help nonprofits and small organizations afford a manageable system to auto-process accounting data. As a result, she traveled extensively on her job to help tribal entities and nonprofits have the system installed, set up, and trained. In 1995, due to her effort, an accounting software company, Cougar Mountain, awarded the accounting firm she was employed by as the top producer.
Ms. Getty also helped numerous organizations resolve IRS and regulatory issues and related civil penalties during her professional life. She was able to abate no less than a cumulative $5 million on behalf of many nonprofit organizations.
In 2013, Ms. Getty was named senior director of BDO USA, an international firm with clients across numerous major industries. She excelled as a leader and nonprofit expert for BDO USA until 2018, when she retired early to support her family. Since then, Ms. Getty has continued to offer her diverse expertise to clients with up to $1 billion in annual revenue as a certified public accountant.
In addition to her work in accounting, Ms. Getty has been highly active in her community throughout her life. She has served in various capacities as board president, vice president, treasurer, or director of many organizations, including Korean American Community of Anchorage, Inc., The Alaska Center, The Alaska Center Education Fund, Bridge Builders of Anchorage, Korean School Foundation, and Korean Cultural Center Alaska.
She also served on many committees and task forces, including the BBA Education Committee, ASD Multicultural Education Concerns Advisory Committee (MECAC), and many local Scholarship Committees to promote education in Alaska.
Furthermore, as a devoted figure in her area of the Korean diaspora community, Ms. Getty was appointed by the Republic of Korea president to serve on the National Unification Advisory Council from 2013 - 2021.
During the height of the COVID pandemic, Ms. Getty volunteered countless hours to help her community through unprecedented economic and social hardships. Ms. Getty kept a watch on all available COVID relief measures, from PPP and rent subsidies to 401K loans to free bus rides. She worked tirelessly, often late into the night, reading, interpreting, and translating these legislative measures and promptly sharing them through community newsletters. Ms. Getty withheld nothing to help local businesses, nonprofit organizations, and individuals with grants, loans, and various programs, including distributing resources and offering workshops.
Ms. Getty has published professional articles in the Alaska Business Journal, Chamber of Commerce Newsletter, and Federation of Korean American Associations' Special Edition Development & Challenge of Korean American Community.
Ms. Getty credits her success to the support and inspiration of many of her college professors, who shaped her career through their dedication, and to her unwavering sense of integrity and ethics. She is proud to be the first Asian female certified public accountant in the state of Alaska and to have become the only full-time accounting professional in the Anchorage area to specialize in the needs of nonprofit organizations.
To remain abreast of developments in her field, Ms. Getty is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Alaska Society of Certified Public Accountants.
About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Marquis celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2023, and Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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