Accounting Alumnus Establishes Endowed Scholarship

For Anthony Bakale, an internship with Cohen & Company during his senior year at CSU evolved into a 35-year career with the firm. Today he's a partner, as well as Cohen's tax technical director and the longest-serving member of its board of directors.

His career achievements and gifts of time and talents to the University are Point of Pride for the College of Business. But then in 2016, Anthony (BBA 1982) and his wife Kathy established the Anthony and Kathleen Bakale Endowed Accounting Scholarship to benefit Accounting students.

"As a student, scholarships made me feel like someone was pulling for me," Anthony said. "We hope our scholarship does the same for current and future generations of CSU Accounting students."

Anthony is a 30-year member of the Accounting Department Advisory Board (including chair for 3 years), a 14-year member of the Alumni Association board of directors (holding officer posiitions including vice president and president) and has served as an adjunct faculty member teaching tax courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

He is currently a member of the CSU Foundation Board of Directors, he chaired the Audit Committee for 6 years and has served on the Executive and Investment Committees. In 2014, he was CSU's Distinguished Alumni Award recipient for service to the University.

Both Anthony and Kathy are strong supporters of the University, often in attendance at CSU events including Viking athletics. They have been basketball season ticket holders for 30 years. One of the couples' thrills was meeting Norris Cole last season when CSU retired his jersey and sitting 10 feet away from LeBron James, a good friend of Norris' who attended the ceremony.

Cohen & Company regularly hires CSU students as employees and interns, is a regular attendee at Meet the Accountants Night, Beta Alpha Psi meetings and also supports Radiance and other Monte Ahuja College of Business initiatives.