Melville Resident to be Inducted Into NY CPA Hall of Fame

When a ballplayer puts up huge numbers over a long period of time, they often get inducted into their respective sport's hall of fame. What about those that crunch the numbers, actual ones, not home runs or touchdowns?

Accountants have their hall of fame too, and this year, Michael L. Borsuk will join their ranks. The New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) will be inducting the Melville resident into its Hall of Fame at a banquet in the city on May 19. He is only the 20th New York CPA to be so honored.

The NYSSCPA Hall of Fame was established in 2000. It honors CPAs that go above and beyond simply serving their clients. They help other CPAs, are active in their community, and work pro bono for non-profits, for example.

"Total surprise," Borsuk says upon learning he would be inducted. "After I recovered from the shock, I realized what an honor it was and how grateful I am that they selected me."

According to Mark Meinberg, president of the Nassau chapter of NYSSCPA, the decision to honor Borsuk was an easy one to make, and his unselfishness is an example to be followed by others in the field.

"Many people think about how do I economically improve my status in life and that's where they put their energy," Meinberg says. "Michael has been an example to many in our organization of why giving is a rewarding feeling."

Borsuk practiced as a CPA from 1961-98, and is a retired partner of the Long Island office of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.  He is a graduate of New York University, becoming an accountant after deciding his original major of pre-dental wasn't for him. He joined the NYSSCPA in 1965, and is a past president of the state and Nassau chapter, and has served on many committees through the years.

Borsuk says he is still active with NYSSCPA today, and regularly attends leadership conferences and social events. He says his biggest achievements involved getting federal reforms in the business.

He helped push the Private Securities Litigation Reform bill, passed by Congress over a decade ago. The act helps prevent the frivolous filing of lawsuits against CPAs and others by shareholders of companies whose stock may have dropped a couple points, as plaintiffs now must show proof of fraud before proceeding.

Borsuk also cites an accounting reform bill that came as a result of the 'Enron-type' scandals of recent years. Many accountants were found to be complicit in the collapse of such companies, and the act tightens educational requirements for CPAs, improving their image to the general public.

"We needed more assurance that CPAs were really not bad as the papers made them out to be," Borsuk says.

Borsuk has lived in Melville for eight years, and spent 35 years in Bellmore before that. Now the married father of three will be honored by his peers with induction into the Hall of Fame, an achievement well deserved, according to Mark Meinberg.

"[Mike] has done a lot to enhance the image that the public has of what a CPA can be," Meinberg said.