Autumn Kraus Named 2020 Sam Winstead Volunteer of the Year for the T. Boone Pickens YMCA

Plano, TX (May 19, 2021) – Whitley Penn Forensic Litigation Valuation Services Partner, Autumn Kraus, has been named the 2020 Sam Winstead Volunteer of the Year for the T. Boone Pickens YMCA.

This award is presented every year to a volunteer at each branch of the Dallas YMCA who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to a program or has helped further the goals of the YMCA in his or her community. The YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas is holding its Annual Celebration on Tuesday, May 18th honoring its volunteers.

“It is an honor to be named T. Boone Pickens’s Volunteer of the Year. Giving back to and investing in my community has been fulfilling, and I continue to enjoy putting my time towards serving the T. Boone Pickens YMCA,” stated Kraus.

“Autumn demonstrates an unmatched commitment to service both in our firm and her community. It is inspiring to see members of our team go above and beyond by giving their time, talents and treasures to such a worthy and impactful organization with over 135 years serving Dallas and its surrounding communities”, stated Felix Lozano III, CPA, CFE, Partner in Charge of the Dallas office of Whitley Penn.

Kraus is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Accredited in Business Valuations (ABV), and is also a licensed attorney. She has spent more than a decade providing expert testimony on accounting, tax, financial, and business valuation issues in litigation cases in both state and federal courts.

Before joining Whitley Penn, Kraus began her career as an auditor with a Fortune 100 company serving as the Foreign Operations Audit Manager and then spent 10 years serving as a Controller for a regional financial institution. Her previous work experience provides her with a unique skill set that allows her to effectively assess financial and accounting records to assess fraudulent transactions, develop lost profit models and as well as business valuations in a variety of industries. Kraus’s legal education provides additional skills in understanding the legal issues of a case that allows her to provide a perspective that addresses both accounting and legal aspects.

She is the current Treasurer and Board Member of Empowering Women as Leaders (EWL). Autumn is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants (TXCPA), as well as the Dallas, Tarrant and Houston County Bar Association – Family Law Section and ProVisors networking group.

Kraus graduated with her B.S. in Accounting and Marketing from Millikin University, M.B.A from Stephen F. Austin State University, and J.D. from Texas Wesleyan School of Law.

About YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas

The YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas is a nonprofit organization, serving almost 200,000 people annually via programs, outreach, and events throughout Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Hopkins, Palo Pinto, and Rockwall counties.

About Whitley Penn, LLP

Whitley Penn has consistently been recognized as “One the Top 100 Firms in the U.S.” and “Best of the Best” by INSIDE Public Accounting and other industry publications. For more information on Whitley Penn, please visit www.whitleypenn.com.

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