Stacy Soefer Receives Rookie Marketer of the Year Award from Association for Accounting Marketing

Director of Marketing & Communications Takes Home Prestigious Honor
HOUSTON--(Business Wire)--
Stacy Soefer, director of marketing and communications at Gainer, Donnelly &
Desroches, LLP (GD&D), was honored June 4th by the Association for Accounting
Marketing (AAM) as 2009 Rookie Marketer of the Year. First granted in 2005, the
award recognizes exceptional accounting marketing professionals with fewer than
two years of industry experience for demonstrating outstanding service and
initiative in their roles. Benjamin Plantan, marketing manager for New
Jersey-based J.H. Cohn, and the 2008 award recipient, presented Soefer`s award
last week at AAM`s 20th annual summit in Austin, Texas.

Securing her position as an accounting-marketing industry leader, Soefer was
nominated by her firm`s management and external business associates for her
dramatic contributions to the success of GD&D in the short period she has been
employed with the firm. Creating campaigns and events that generated
above-average results, her work turns heads in both the accounting profession
and in the Houston metropolitan area.

"Since she came on board like a hurricane in 2007, Stacy has blown us away with
her passion, creativity, and single-minded purpose for establishing a strong
identity for GD&D," said partner Teresa Snow. "She quickly put us on the map by
refreshing and unifying our brand. Part of this was getting us face-to-face with
our team members, our clients, and others in the community as often as possible.
Her events are amazing and they make clients and employees, alike, proud to be
associated with our firm."

Soefer`s recognition among her accounting marketing peers began at AAM`s 2008
Summit where she received two AAM Marketing Achievement Awards: one for the
firm`s recruiting brochure and another for "best ad series." A third AAM
Marketing Achievement Award was bestowed last week for GD&D in the category
"event marketing, tradeshows and seminars."

While awards and recognition are nice, results are what drive Soefer`s
strategies: "I like to implement creative ideas that are sure to get us the
results we seek. Being creative just for creativity`s sake is not my goal. While
it`s exciting to do the unexpected, the most important thing is to be in touch
with the needs of each audience and thoroughly understand what will inspire them
to take action."

Accordingly, in 2008, Soefer launched an interactive careers micro-website
highlighting the unique personalities in the firm and a direct-mail campaign to
generate website traffic. Naturally, some resistance to the site occurred and
she stood her ground. Upon its launch, the non-conservative, fun website led to
a 500% increase in job applications.

Comments from those who nominated Soefer include:

* "Stacy takes accounting marketing to an entirely new level bringing a
dimension to profession services marketing that CPA firms have needed for a very
long time."
* "She is able to hold her own in a group of marketers ten times as seasoned in
the professional services industry."
* "Whatever Stacy endeavors to do, she does with excellence."
* "I cannot say enough good things about this red-headed ball of energy. I can't
help but be drawn to her vivid imagination and enthusiasm for marketing GD&D and
the people who work there."
* "Stacy doesn't just get involved; she is absolutely committed!"

With a background in public relations and fundraising, Soefer was instrumental
in GD&D receiving recognition in the press 27 times last year. She secured the
firm as official judges of the International Federation of Competitive Eaters`
inaugural Matzoh Ball Eating Championship; aligned the firm with the Holocaust
Museum Houston (HMH) by underwriting the "Darfur: Photojournalists Respond"
exhibit; generated buzz for the firm`s own esteemed photographer, Sam Gainer, at
the Houston Museum of Natural Science; and threw a blazing hot 60th Anniversary
party for GD&D in appreciation of the firm`s clients and team members.

About Gainer, Donnelly & Desroches, LLP: The oldest certified public accounting
firm in the Houston area, Gainer, Donnelly & Desroches, LLP provides highly
personalized and comprehensive tax, audit, and business consulting services to
privately held businesses and individuals. With a concentration in construction,
energy, healthcare, manufacturing, and real estate markets, GD&D serves a
diverse clientele from multinational corporations with gross revenues in excess
of $1 billion to small business owners and individuals. www.gddcpa.com

About The Association for Accounting Marketing: AAM is the only association
specifically addressing the marketing needs of public accounting firms. Members
comprise more than 850 marketing professionals, CPAs, consultants, vendors,
educators, and students who seek to expand the business of public accounting.
AAM, started in 1989, provides members with information, resources, and market
intelligence needed to excel and grow in their careers.
www.accountingmarketing.org

Media Contact:
David Donnelly, Partner, 713-621-8090
ddonnelly@gddcpa.com
or
Subject:
Stacy Soefer
ssoefer@gddcpa.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009