Auditor of State to Speak as Part of Ashbrook Series

ASHLAND, Ohio – Mary Taylor, Ohio’s Auditor of State, will speak at Ashland University on Jan. 26. Taylor will address “Ohio by the Numbers, Ohio by the Heart” as part of the spring 2010 Major Issues Lecture Series presented by the John M. Ashbrook Center for Public Affairs at Ashland University.

Tickets for the noon luncheon, to be held in the John C. Myers Convocation Center, are $20 each. Tables of eight are $160. Those wishing to order tickets can do so by making checks payable to the Ashbrook Center and mail the order to: Ashbrook Center, Ashland University, 401 College Ave., Ashland, Ohio 44805. For more information, contact Linsey Bruce at 419-289-5435 or lbruce@ashbrook.org.

Since taking office on Jan. 8, 2007, as the first certified public accountant to serve as Ohio’s auditor of state, Mary Taylor has been making impressive progress toward holding state and local government more accountable while rooting out fraud, waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars.

Among her professional accomplishments during this time, Taylor was named one of “Ohio’s Most Influential CPAs” for 2008 by the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants. She was elected to serve on the governing council of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and was one of three women selected to represent the United States as a delegate to the 52nd session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.

Prior to becoming auditor of state, Taylor was elected to two terms in the Ohio House of Representatives, where she served on the House Finance, Ways & Means, and Education committees. Taylor began her career in public service as a city councilwoman in Green, Ohio. She and her husband, Don, have lived in Green for the past 21 years. The Taylors have two sons, Joe and Michael, ages 18 and 15.

Taylor began her career in 1990 in the private sector at the national accounting firm of Deloitte and Touche, after receiving her Bachelor's degree in accounting and Master's degree in taxation from the University of Akron. She joined the regional firm of Bober Markey Fedorovich & Company in 1994, where she was director of the firm's tax department and senior manager of the employee benefits practice.

Taylor was honored as a 2008 recipient of the University of Akron’s Dr. Frank L. Simonetti Distinguished Business Award. The award was created by the University of Akron College of Business Administration Alumni Board in 1987 to honor distinguished alumni for their achievements in business and significant contributions to their communities. She also has been honored by the National White Collar Crime Center, as recipient of its 2008 Member Agency Award for Excellence.

During Taylor's service in the state legislature, she received the Watchdog of the Treasury Award and the 2006 National Federation of Independent Business Guardian of Small Business Award. Taylor is a 2003 graduate of the Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development, a program offered by the Midwestern Office of The Council of State Governments.

The Ashbrook Center, located on the campus of Ashland University, teaches the meaning and significance of America through educational programs for students, teachers and citizens.
Ashland University is a mid-sized, private institution conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong, applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.