Show up for any run in the greater Jackson area, and you’re likely to see Tony Huffman at the starting line. Attend a community event and the air is energized with his spirit and determination. This Mississippi CPA has his eye on more than just the finish; he remains a true believer in the spirit of winning in more ways than one.

Long-distance stamina only begins to describe this self-styled 35-year-old entrepreneur, who not only owns his own practice—Huffman & Company, CPA—but employs two other CPAs, two paraprofessionals, and will realize more than $400,000 in revenues for 1997.

With a background that includes over six years with Ernst & Young, Tony started his practice in 1992. He confidently admits, “there’s nothing better than being on your own; you have a lot more headaches and responsibility, but there is no greater feeling than being in control of your own destiny.”

His approach attests to his ability to keep an open mind in learning—and facing—new opportunities and challenges related to the CPA profession and in community activities as well. He believes his work is preparing him to realize his own aspirations in the political arena—enough, in fact, to consider running for office in the next few years.

Exhausting or exhilarating? Very much the latter.

Adapting to a Changing Environment
Tony believes regulation and government intervention create the greatest challenge facing the CPA profession, and explains why CPAs not only are turned to for advice on a number of levels, but why the profession will continue to be important and enduring for years to come.

“The CPA profession creates an almost instinctive adaptability for the people who are in it because we recognize the need to change, conform and adapt on an annual basis,” says Tony. “This thinking puts us in an ideal position to work with clients who are rooted in methodology of doing the same thing over and over again instead of learning a simpler, faster and better way to accomplish an end result.”

Just as he and others must learn about innovations, such as moving to a paperless environment, CPAs, too, must convince their clients that it is not going to be a detriment to learn a new method of operation or try to apply a new tax law. If he is going to run for public office, he will maintain a platform that closely mirrors his work in the CPA profession, tax knowledge and an understanding of what the ordinary taxpayer wants and small business owners need.

“We all want the same thing: an opportunity to make a good living, take care of our families, and live in a safe and secure environment. If I were to seek office, I would make the tax code fair and make business less restrictive.”

Sounding like a true politician, he aims to deliver promises that will go unbroken, similar to the philosophy he tries to maintain in daily firm operations. “Everyone turns to the CPA as the one to make the transition from different environments,” says Tony. “To do so, the CPA needs to be the leader during these transitions to stay a step ahead of the client.”

Building Blocks to Success
Tony’s involvement in the community helps him build a client base, but also encourages him to realize his other dream of building better lives for people in Jackson. He is an executive board member of the Metropolitan Crime Commission, an organization he helped start in 1994 to enable the public to take a proactive role in decreasing crime in their own communities.

“Crime in Jackson was out of control,” he says. “There didn’t seem to be anyone from a leadership level taking a preventive role in minimizing crime or even addressing that there was, in fact, a problem. A group of us from the citizens’ level formed this organization to make our leaders aware and hold them accountable for their actions or lack of action.”

Tony’s contribution to the board, like many CPAs volunteering their time in community groups, began in an accounting capacity by filing the nonprofit organization paperwork and keeping finances in tact. His desire and need for making a difference enabled him to expand his role into leader, advocate and even fund raiser. A drive-by shooting that killed a runner gave him and a local attorney the idea to create the First Annual Metro Jackson Run Against Crime on Nov. 1, raising about $5,000 for the cause.

“We had a great turnout that brought out a lot of awareness to the community,” says Tony. “This was a big event for us to put on, but we looked at it as a ‘call to arms’ to enable the Commission to be active in all areas of the city.”

Tony’s other volunteer pursuits include several other nonprofit organizations, and is a founding member and current chairman of the Mississippi Chapter of the Leukemia Society of America. He also is a race coordinator for the Mississippi Olympic Committee, and even carried the ceremonial torch in May 1996 as it passed through the Jackson area on its way to Atlanta.

Practitioners are keen in the Jackson area to discover how Tony can spend so much time on other pursuits and manage to hold together a CPA practice, let alone any kind of personal life. Although a cliché, his motivation begins within his own self in wanting to “give back” something to the community. Because of an active role in the community, it is no surprise that he has significantly strengthened his role in client relations and development, leading to an increase in firm revenues.

“I’m a big believer in community service; it is the rent that you pay for living where you live and a way for me to give back all the good things that have happened to me,” he says. “My business has grown because of the things that happened through community service, and I hope others will see that my volunteer work is more than just a line on a resume. It is true time commitment and a way to help others.”

Others interested in Tony’s approach to the way CPAs interface with business in the face of regulation may contact him at cpahuff@aol.com.