Governor Abbott Names Chair, Appoints Five To Texas State Board Of Public Accountancy

TEXAS, March 14 - March 14, 2025 | Austin, Texas | Appointment

Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Kenneth Omoruyi and reappointed Grant Coates, Jill Holup, Jeannette Pierro Smith, and James “Jim” Trippon to the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy for terms set to expire on January 31, 2031. Additionally, the Governor has named Jeannette Pierro Smith as chair of the Board. The Board protects the public by ensuring that persons issued certificates as certified public accountants possess the necessary education, skills, and capabilities and that they perform competently in the profession of public accountancy.

Kenneth Omoruyi of Bellaire is the managing partner of CKO CPAs and Advisors, an adjunct accounting professor at Lone Star College, and a certified public accountant (CPA). He serves on the Texas Society of CPAs – Houston Nominating Committee, the Leadership Council of Texas CPA Society, and the AICPA Sophisticated Tax Conference and Professional Ethics Executive Committees. Additionally, he is the alto saxophonist at his church, Lindale Assembly of God. Omoruyi received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Benin, a Master of Science from the University of Southern California, and a Public Leadership Credential from Harvard Kennedy School.

Grant Coates of Fort Worth is CEO and president of The Miles Foundation. Previously, he served in various financial and investment roles for Miles Production Company and The Miles Foundation for over two decades. He is an executive committee member for Read Fort Worth and a board member of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, Fort Worth Community Land Trust, and Philanthropy Advocates. Coates received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of North Texas and a Master of Business Administration from Texas Christian University.

Jill Holup of Austin is chief operating officer and chief financial officer at CenterGate Capital and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder. She is a member of the CFA Institute, CFA Society of Austin, and the Private Equity CFO Association. Additionally, she is a board member and treasurer of the Austin Humane Society and serves as an industry mentor and judge for the CFA Institute’s Investment Research Challenge. Holup received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from The University of Texas (UT) at El Paso and a Master of Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley.

Jeannette Pierro Smith of Mission is a partner at Carr, Riggs & Ingram, LLC. She serves on the board of examiners for the AICPA and as a board member and Southwest Regional Director of the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy. She is a member of the Texas Society of CPAs, where she previously held the roles of director at large, treasurer, and executive board member. Additionally, she serves on the Advisory Board of UT Rio Grande Valley School of Accountancy. Smith received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Houston. 

James “Jim” Trippon of Houston is a CPA and president of JM Trippon & Company and Trippon Wealth Management Group. He is a personal finance author and member of the Texas Society of CPAs, and the Union League Club of Chicago. Trippon received a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

These appointments are subject to Senate confirmation.