John Kirsch Named to Greater Butler and Warren Counties Business Hall of Fame

Diane Glover

Mar 25, 2022

Kirsch CPA is proud to announce that founding partner John Kirsch has been named to the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame.

The Junior Achievement of OKI Partners (JA) welcomed Kirsch CPA Group founder and partner John Kirsch into its Business Hall of Fame, in recognition of his business success and longstanding commitment to the community.

The honor is given annually to exceptional members of the Greater Butler and Warren county business communities, recognizing “forward thinking entrepreneurs and accomplished community leaders” for their contributions to the region’s economic development and “business excellence.” Honorees are chosen by an elite committee of business leaders.

A prominent organization within the Ohio business community – and worldwide – JA works with educators, business leaders, non-profits, and government partners to provide K-12 students with career preparation, entrepreneurship classes, financial literacy programs, and more.

“I have never met anyone who has so patiently and gratefully given their time to the pursuit of building up others.”

-Kirsch Senior Manager Anthony Lewis

Honorees in the Hall of Fame are recognized for their industry leadership and entrepreneurial success as well as their contribution to the success of the future community and business leaders.

A “Pay it Forward” Mindset and Commitment to the Central Ohio Community

Kirsch Director and CPA Debra Weber, who has worked with Kirsch for over 30 years, has always been inspired by his leadership, passion, and commitment.

“He genuinely wants the best for all of the team members and all of the clients,” said Weber. “John has the very unusual combination of being both incredibly smart and incredibly personable.”

“That’s really the difference in our approach both to our team and to our clients,” he says. “When we make them successful, success will fall our way and that has proven to be true.”

-Kirsch founder and JA Hall of Fame honoree John Kirsch

As the team at Kirsch can attest, Kirsch brings the same commitment that built a firm to his efforts to build a better future for the community. With a “pay it forward” mindset and a passion for helping businesses meet their growth potential, the recognition comes as no surprise to those who have worked closely with the Kirsch founder.

“I have never met anyone who has so patiently and gratefully given their time to the pursuit of building up others,” said Kirsch Senior Manager Anthony Lewis. He always makes time to answer questions and he always has a smile on his face.”

The mentoring role that Kirsch plays within the firm was cited repeatedly by other employees.

“Through John’s encouragement and mentoring I have attained goals I never dreamed I could reach,” said Jackie Powell, a CPA and manager who joined the firm in 1995. “John’s commitment to mentoring and coaching has impacted many lives in a similar fashion, throughout the firm and the CPA profession.”

Director Janis Bergeron, who arrived in the U.S. two decades ago from Ontario, agreed.

“I am so thankful that John took a chance on me,” Bergeron said. “He spent countless hours teaching me U.S. tax law and demonstrating how to be an exceptional, trusted business advisor to our clients. I will always be grateful for his leadership and friendship.”

Partner Pete Abner said that is characteristic of Kirsch. “He focuses daily on developing others. He is truly a selfless leader. He is extremely giving of himself and his time and his talents.”

Client Matt Kornau, CEO of Kaleidoscope Innovation, also took note of Kirsch’s leadership. “He continually brings young people in right out of college and grows those careers within the organization,” Kornau said. “He always shines a light on them and that’s what I admire.”

It’s an approach that Kirsch says is “foundational” to the way the firm does business.

“That’s really the difference in our approach both to our team and to our clients,” he says. “When we make them successful, success will fall our way and that has proven to be true.”

An Industry and Community Leader

Kirsch founded the Kirsch CPA Group in 1991 to fill what he saw as a need to provide small and mid-sized businesses with a more holistic array of CFO and accounting services that take the entire picture of a business into account to help business owners reach specific goals.

Over the years, he has worked closely with clients to promote strategic business development, growth and succession planning, as well as strategic tax planning.

Kirsch also works hard to be a role model to his employees with a healthy and sincere commitment to work-life balance. When he is not at the office or giving back to the community through board and leadership positions for a variety of local not-for-profit, healthcare and educational organizations, Kirsch can be found on backpacking trails throughout the country or spending time with his wife, four children, and friends.

The team at Kirsch is incredibly proud to have a Business Hall of Fame laureate leading our organization. To learn how you can add your efforts to the valuable work of Junior Achievement, click here.