LOS ANGELES, CA June 29, 2018… GHJ Nonprofit Partner Donella Wilson was the recipient of the “Small/Midsize Company Executive of the Year” award at the 2018 Women’s Council hosted by the Los Angeles Business Journal.
Los Angeles Business Journal’s annual Women’s Council event celebrates women business leaders and honors outstanding achievements in business by women throughout Los Angeles.
“Donella continues to be devoted to improving her community and building a better future for clients and colleagues,” said GHJ’s Managing Partner Tom Barry. “She is a true example of living our #BeMore philosophy.”
Donella has over 20 years of public accounting experience and is a member of the California Society of CPAs and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and was recognized as a “Most Influential Women in Accounting” by Los Angeles Business Journal in 2017. She chairs the Firm’s annual nonprofit conference, is a principal author of our annual nonprofit whitepaper and is the nonprofit training coordinator for GHJ University.
Donella is not only committed to the accounting profession but also to serving her community and those in need. For the past decade, Donella has been a member of the Downtown Women’s Center (DWC) and is the immediate past president of the Board of Directors for DWC, whose mission is to break the cycle of unemployment and homelessness for women.
Donella is also deeply committed to mentorship. As a committee member of the GHJ mentoring program, she has helped shape the policies, pairing and culture of the firm.
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About Donella Wilson
Donella Wilson, CPA, leads the Firm’s Nonprofit Practice. She has more than 20 years of public accounting experience providing audit, accounting and special project services and works exclusively in the nonprofit sector.
Donella is a member of the California Society of CPAs and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Donella co-chairs the Firm’s quarterly nonprofit educational workshops and is the nonprofit training coordinator for GHJ University. She is a frequent guest lecturer and conference speaker on nonprofit financial management and governance issues, and as an adjunct professor, she has taught Nonprofit Financial Management at USC’s School of Public Policy, Planning and Development. Donella served on the planning committee for the California Society of CPAs’ Annual Not-for-Profit Organizations Conference for seven years and co-chaired the conference in 2016 and 2017.
Committed to ending homelessness for women, Donella is immediate past president and Board member of the Board of Directors of the Downtown Women’s Center and a member of Southern California Grantmakers. In 2017, Donella was also the recipient of a Women to Watch Award, as well as the Trailblazer Award for her charitable activities, from the California Society of CPAs and honored as a Southern California Leadership Network (SCLN) “30-in-30,” a year-long celebration honoring 30 outstanding SCLN alumni throughout 2017. She was also recognized as a 2017 “Most Influential Women in Accounting” by the Los Angeles Business Journal.
Donella obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Cape Town, South Africa and further obtained post-graduate diplomas in accounting and taxation. As a qualified South African chartered accountant, she worked for an international accounting firm in Cape Town before relocating to England. In England, Donella worked in private industry, primarily for telecommunications and television companies, where she provided management accounting and special project services. In 2000, Donella relocated to Los Angeles and joined GHJ.
Donella enjoys volunteer work, travel and outdoor adventure, with yoga and backpacking being her favorite past-times.
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About GHJ
Founded in 1953, GHJ is a Los Angeles-based accounting firm that specializes in nonprofit, food and beverage, entertainment and media and health and wellness companies. Recipient of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce 2018 Employee Champion For Life Work Harmony Award and named a “Best Places to Work” by the Los Angeles Business Journal eight times since 2008, GHJ is passionate about helping clients and its people #BeMore by focusing on building thriving businesses and creating a better future.
The firm works as a business advocate for its clients — providing personalized service and building long-term relationships to help position our clients for growth. Also ranked as a top-20 largest accounting firm on the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Book of Lists, the firm has 12 partners and approximately 150 staff members that serve over 3,000 clients. The firm is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the AICPA Governmental Audit Quality Center (GAQC), the California Society of CPAs and the California Association of Nonprofits (CalNonprofit).
