H&S scene;

              FROM AIRPORT TO ACCOUNTING FIRM
Jonnie Marsh had a strong drive to become an accountant. It carried her through eight years of night school and a series of jobs until last year, when she became a full-time member of our Los Angeles staff.
While a student at the Los Angeles campus of California State University, Jonnie interned with our office. "1 had a number of interviews," she said. "But I really liked the people from H&S, and that's what made me want to be a part of this Firm. Following the internship I was lucky enough to get a part-time job in the Tax Department until the end of school." Since December 1974 Jonnie has been with the office's small business services group.
Before joining H&.S Jonnie worked for
the post office and the Federal Aviation Administration at the Santa Monica Airport—where she was an air traffic controller. "I got that job when I was with the post office, about 1969," she explained. "The FAA trained me, and 1 worked at the airport for three years while going to school. My duties consisted of controlling traffic in the air and on the ground, reporting on traffic and weather conditions and coordinating information. It was an exciting and challenging job. But I knew what I wanted to do with my life—and that was to become an accountant."
Jonnie's interest in the profession extends beyond the office, too. While at the university she founded the student chapter of the National Association of
Black Accountants and served as its first president. When she came to the H&.S office she joined the LA chapter of the organization, where she was recently elected to a one-year term as secretary.
The National Association of Black Accountants serves many of the same functions as the state societies, such as holding technical seminars and disseminating information. It is also designed to meet the specific needs of the black accountant, to bring together minority groups and those interested in helping them, and to increase opportunities for minorities in the accounting profession. The organization offers its services to minority businesses that can't afford an accounting firm, and Jonnie is hoping to play a more active role in this work.
Jonnie's drive to become an accountant now pushes her to become an even better one. "1 find my work in the small business group stimulating, The range of services we offer is great, and since many of the businesses seem to have problems unique to their operations, there is always a new challenge," This summer she began taking courses toward a graduate degree at her alma mater, and she is thinking ahead to the CPA examination. Given her past successes, the future looks bright for Jonnie Marsh,
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