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"Shy"
CPA helps mid-sized firms
by
Holly M. Rodriguez
When
Michael Gracik began his accounting career, he was hoping
to make a decent living but never expected to accomplish
what he has today. “Out of college, I was extremely
shy,” the 27-year veteran of the profession says.
“I’m surprised that I got over it, because
this is not an industry to go into if you’re shy
— you have to interact with people.”
Michael Gracik |
Recognized
for his work in individual tax, estate, and trust services,
the Virginia native is a partner at Keiter, Stephens,
Hurst, Gary & Shreaves in Richmond. He says he is
drawn to the unpredictability of his work. “One
thing I love about this profession is that it’s
never boring,” he says. “Each day, I probably
deal with at least 10 different things — some complex,
some not. That’s one of the best things about being
in this business.”
His
client roster is long on mid-sized companies such as
Strange’s Florist Inc., Eagle Construction of Virginia
Inc. and Potomac Supply Corp. Gracik joined Keiter Stephens
as a partner in 1991, after leaving Gary, Stosch, Walls
& Co. in Richmond. “The firm I was working
for merged into what became Deloitte & Touche, a
big firm working with large, publicly traded companies,”
he says. “I came to Keiter as a partner, because
they were better suited to work with mid-sized businesses
and their owners.”
Gracik,
a graduate of the University of Virginia, credits Keiter
Stephens for much of his success. He relies on the expertise
of other partners in the firm, he says, to help him
deliver a full range of services to clients — expertise
that would be overwhelming for one person to develop
on his own. “If I was on my own, and not in a firm
like this, I don’t think I would have the good
reputation that I do now.”
Humility
is characteristic of Gracik, says colleague Alice Cappellino,
also with Keiter Stephens. “He’s very humble
and he would probably be embarrassed if I said, in front
of him, that he was one of the smartest people that
I know.”
Gracik
says one of his most satisfying accomplishments has
been working on the individual tax committee for the
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
The committee is working with members of Congress on
the daunting task of simplifying the federal tax code.
“I like to think we made some progress,” he
says. Gracik helped write Congressional testimony and
developed seminars for members of Congress on “marriage
penalty” tax relief provisions. Gracik is also
affiliated with nearly a dozen civic organizations,
taking part in fundraising for the Medical College of
Virginia Massey Cancer Center and the J. Sargeant Reynolds
Community College Education Foundation.
Cappellino
says Gracik is regarded as one of the best in his profession.
“He has an incredible memory, but he’s just
an overall good person, which attracts clients to him,”
she says. “He doesn’t walk down the hall like
he’s the best, but he is, you know?”
Return
to Virginia Business - November 2002
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