Mark Bartlett – Business & Industry Hall of Fame
Mark Bartlett, Executive Vice President and CFO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, was one of four inductees to the 2006 AICPA Business and Industry Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame honors CPAs who demonstrate strong business ethics, lead by example and commitment, provide insight and vision using knowledge of broad business issues, and inspire and motivate others to excellence.

Bartlett’s leadership is best demonstrated by the growth and financial success of BCBS of Michigan – the state’s single largest health insurance provider. In a competitive health care marketplace that faces constant economic, technological, and governmental changes, Bartlett has executed effective cost management programs, implemented comprehensive benchmarking, spearheaded strategic acquisitions of for-profit subsidiaries, and introduced extensive financial modeling into all aspects of his not-for-profit company. Bartlett was inducted at the AICPA Summer Controller’s Conference in Las Vegas on July 21, 2006.

Carla Sledge – Outstanding CPA in Government
Wayne County Chief Financial Officer Carla Sledge was named AICPA 2006 Outstanding CPA in Government at the local level. Home to Detroit and the 11th largest county in the U.S., Wayne County faced a $54 million dollar deficit in 2003 as it struggled to recover from the national recession. In response to the problem, Sledge created a deficit plan to bring the budget into balance and developed and implemented strategies to strengthen and stabilize the county’s financial situation for the next several years. Sledge’s efforts have reduced the size of government by $50 million without increasing property taxes or reducing services to Wayne County residents.

Sledge serves on the MACPA Board of Directors, and recently completed her term as president of the Government Finance Officers Association. Sledge received her award from another prominent Michigan CPA, Leslie Murphy, AICPA chair, at the AICPA’s 23rd Annual National Governmental Accounting and Auditing Conference held in Washington, D.C.