Conference Highlights
Plenary & AAA Luncheon Speakers

John Steele Gordon was educated at Millbrook School and Vanderbilt University, graduating with a B.A. in history in 1966. He has enjoyed an adventurous career and lifestyle, including a nine-month, 39,000 mile journey in a Land-Rover from New York to Tierra del Fuego, and traveling throughout Europe, Africa, North and South America, and Japan. Mr. Gordon has also served on the staffs of Congressmen Herman Badillo and Robert Garcia.

He has been a full-time writer for the last 20 years and has authored numerous books; his latest book, An Empire of Wealth: The Epic History of American Economic Power, was published in 2004. Mr. Gordon’s specialty is business and financial history and has had articles published in, e.g., Forbes, Forbes ASAP, Worth, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. He is a contributing editor at American Heritage, where he has written the "Business of America" column since 1989. Mr. Gordon is a frequent commentator on "Marketplace," the daily Public Radio business-news program aired throughout the country. He has appeared on numerous other radio and television shows, and currently writes a monthly column for Barron's on business and economic history.

Mr. Gordon now lives in North Salem, New York. His email address is: jsg@johnsteelegordon.com.

Presentation Date: Monday, August 4th — Opening Plenary
Presentation Title: Accounting: A Force for Progress Over the Centuries

Zoe-Vonna Palmrose is serving as Deputy Chief Accountant for Professional Practice in the Office of the Chief Accountant at the SEC, while on leave from the University of Southern California. She has published and spoken extensively on a variety of issues related to the quality of financial reporting and auditing. She coauthored Thog’s Guide to Quantum Economics: 50,000 Years of Accounting Basics for the Future.

Dr. Palmrose’s research has been recognized by the AAA’s Competitive Manuscript Award and twice by the Deloitte/AAA Wildman Award. She served as VP–Research and on a number of AAA committees. She was on the Public Oversight Board’s Panel on Audit Effectiveness and the ASB Fraud Task Force that developed SAS No. 99. Dr. Palmrose has received the Auditing Section’s Distinguished Service Award.

Presentation Date: Tuesday, August 5th — Morning Plenary
Presentation Title: Science, Politics, and Accounting: A View from the Potomac

Aulana L. Peters is a retired partner of the law firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher where she was a partner during 1980–1984 and 1988–2000. From 1984 to 1988, she served as a commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission. From January 2001 to April 2002, Mrs. Peters served as a member of the Public Oversight Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She has also served as a member of the Financial Accounting Standards Board Steering Committee for its Financial Reporting Project and as a member of the Public Oversight Board’s panel on audit effectiveness.

Currently Mrs. Peters serves on the U.S. Comptroller General’s Accountability Advisory Council and the International Public Interest Oversight Board. She is a director of 3M Corporation, Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., and Deere & Company.

Presentation Date: Tuesday, August 5th — Luncheon
Presentation Title: Globalization: Implications for Accounting and Accounting Education

John H. Biggs is former Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of TIAA-CREF. Mr. Biggs became Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in January 1993. Previously he served as President and Chief Operating Officer from 1989–1993. He began his professional career with the General American Life Insurance Company in 1958. He served in various actuarial management positions for the company and in 1970 was appointed Vice President and Controller. In 1977, Mr. Biggs became Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance at Washington University in St. Louis. He was named President and CEO of Centerre Trust Company, St. Louis, in 1985.

A native of St. Louis, Mr. Biggs earned an A.B. degree in classics from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. in economics from Washington University in St. Louis. He is a fellow of the Society of Actuaries. Mr. Biggs is a Director of the Boeing Company and a Trustee of Washington University, The Danforth Foundation in St. Louis and The Santa Fe Opera. He chairs the Audit Committee at Boeing. He is Chairman of the Board of Emeriti (a non-profit company offering post retirement medical benefits to college faculty). He is also a Director of the National Bureau of Economic Research. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Council on Foreign Relations and the Foreign Policy Association.

Mr. Biggs has published a number of papers on corporate governance, variable annuities, social security, regulation and taxation of pension plans, and demographic effects on pensions.

Presentation Date: Wednesday August 6th — Morning Plenary
Presentation Title: The Importance of Accounting Education in the 21st Century

Sue Haka, incoming AAA President for 2008–2009, is the Ernst & Young Professor of Accounting in the Eli Broad Graduate School of Management at Michigan State University. She recently served as Vice President-Finance and chair of the AAA Audit Committee. She has participated in numerous AAA activities including the publications committee, director of the AAA Doctoral Consortium, speaker at the New Faculty Consortium, and president of the Management Accounting Section. She served as editor of Behavioral Research in Accounting. Her teaching and research focus is management accounting. Professor Haka was recently awarded the highest honor bestowed on faculty by Michigan State University, the Distinguished Faculty Award.

Presentation Date: Wednesday August 6th — Luncheon
Presentation Title: Our Changing Member Profile