Autumn Kraus Receives YMCA Catalyst Advancing Equity Award

Plano, TX (October 19, 2022) – Autumn Kraus, Whitley Penn Forensic Litigation and Valuation Partner received the YMCA Catalyst Advancing Equity Award at the October 18^, 2022, YMCA Key Leaders Luncheon.

The YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas developed the Catalyst Advancing Equity award to recognize an individual and organization that has been crucial to advancing the Catalyst Initiative work of the YMCA. Developed in March 2020, when COVID-19 closed the doors to our traditional membership, the Catalyst Initiative re-focused staff and volunteers to help those most impacted by the pandemic. Since then, the Catalyst Initiative has continued to help people marginalized by the negative impacts of COVID-19 as well as those with additional needs.

“I am deeply honored to have received this award from the YMCA,” stated Kraus. “This organization, its people, and its mission are incredibly inspirational to me and continue to fuel my passion to help others grow and develop to be their best.”

“As Whitley Penn continues to invest in our local communities by giving back, we see the impact and positive change firsthand through organizations such as the YMCA and people such as Autumn,” added Felix J. Lozano III, Whitley Penn Chief Growth Officer and Incoming Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Dallas Metropolitan YMCA. “We extend our congratulations and support to Autumn for receiving the Catalyst Advancing Equity Award.”

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 and opinions 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 Kraus 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. Her legal education provides additional skills in understanding the issues of a case and allows her to provide a unique perspective that addresses both accounting and legal aspects. She currently serves as Treasurer and Board Member of Empowering Women as Leaders (EWL). Kraus 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 County, Tarrant County and Houston Bar Associations – Family Law Sections and the 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. We are a member of HLB International, a global network of independent advisory and accounting firms. For more information on Whitley Penn, please visit www.whitleypenn.com.

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