True to the holiday season, ADKF has been busier than ever! Each month has been chock-full of community events, recruiting efforts, and a whole lot of office fun! As we wrap up our fourth quarter, we reflect on the impact we have made within the San Antonio community, both in and out of the office.
At ADKF, we are dedicated to being an involved partner for the San Antonio community. Luckily, many of our clients and team members provide opportunities to give back to our city and we are so proud to be a part of so many wonderful events and efforts.
The cool weather of October was ideal for the wine tasting benefits the firm sponsored and attended: The Gruene Wine and Music Festival benefitted the United Way of Comal County, and the Boys and Girls Club of San Antonio hosted their annual Wine Tasting Fundraiser. The firm participated in the United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County’s Campaign, in which team members pledged funds to benefit United Way and its community partners. ADKF is proud to have 100% participation, meaning every single employee contributed to the fundraising efforts. Also, in the month of October, members of our Audit team celebrated and attended the 30th Anniversary Gala for Project MEND, a client who refurbishes and distributes used medical equipment to those unable to purchase the items they need. This client is near to our hearts as one of our Partners, Paul Wobser, serves on the Board of Directors. Watching, and contributing, to the growth of this organization has been incredibly rewarding and we are proud to be a small part of it!
Project MEND was not the only organization celebrating an anniversary this Fall. November marked the 40th Anniversary for The Center, an organization in which one of our founding Partners, Howard Klein Jr., serves as an advisor. We were proud to be a sponsor at their celebratory gala as the money raised from the event helps The Center continue to provide dining, learning and leisure activities, social gatherings, wellness efforts, and other support services to the elderly. In November, ADKF also participated in the TXCPA – San Antonio 19th Annual Benefit Golf Tournament, the organization’s largest scholarship fundraiser of the year!
Our community events continued well into December! The firm sponsored and participated in the 11th Annual Hunt with Heart Sporting Clays Tournament which raised money for youth battling severe, life altering or threatening, illnesses, as well as attended the 10th Annual St. Nicholas Ball, which helps support Catholic Charities, and its various programs, across San Antonio. It is always an honor to support not only our clients, but the communities they serve.
While we were serving the community, our in-house recruitment team was working hard to serve the firm! The team was spotted at several college fairs and classroom presentations, as well as hosted and attended a number of recruiting events. It was an absolute pleasure to meet students at career fairs hosted by Texas A&M – San Antonio, UT Rio Grande Valley, Texas State University, and Texas Lutheran University. Our team also appreciated the opportunity to talk directly with accounting students in the classroom at the University of Texas at San Antonio and the University of the Incarnate Word. In November, we welcomed a group of UTSA students into our office where they took a tour, met team members, and had a Q&A panel session with several of our Partners. Additionally, the team attended the TXCPA – San Antonio Etiquette Dinner, in which they taught accounting students proper table, business dinner, and interview etiquette. Events such as these allow students to be introduced to the accounting industry, ask questions, and learn about what ADKF has to offer them.
Often, once a student has committed to an internship with the firm, their start date may be many months away. ADKF is proud to continuously build and nurture those relationships in the interim. In November, the firm held an incoming intern mixer at Chicken n Pickle. Several Partners, the recruitment team, and former interns who have been converted to staff members, attended the event. The entire group mixed and mingled, talked a little about accounting, but mainly took this time to get to know one another personally. Finally, our team members and the incoming interns took to the courts where they enjoyed friendly, yet mildly competitive, games of pickleball together. We enjoyed this opportunity to relax, have fun, and bond outside of the office. Additionally, this was a great way for the incoming interns to meet our team so that they have familiar faces on their first day in the office!
Our intern mixer was just one event we hosted in the month of November! To wrap up the year and show our gratitude, we hosted a Client Appreciation Luncheon. Clients, Partners, and managers gathered for a lunch together at Paloma Blanca where they caught up and talked about life outside of business matters. We had such a wonderful time seeing everyone and events like this are a great way to continue to build our client relationships. In addition to the lunch, all attendees walked away with a gift, and we raffled off 3 sweet treat baskets which were personally delivered to each of the winner’s offices. The luncheon was a great success, and we look forward to hosting many more client events in the future!
Serving our clients and community is at the core of everything we do. Our Volunteer Committee helped the firm continue this tradition by organizing several events for the staff to participate in. First, we hosted a blood drive at the San Antonio office with the help of the South Texas Blood and Tissue bloodmobile. Not only did our staff contribute, but we called upon the help of other businesses within our building. Together, we were able to make an impact and do our part to help build the blood supply for South Texas. Next, ADKF, with the assistance of our Volunteer Committee, partnered with TXCPA – San Antonio to contribute to the San Antonio Police Department’s Blue Santa Toy Drive. Throughout the month of November, collection bins placed in our breakroom filled up with brand new toys donated by our team. In December, those toys were then taken to the TXCPA-SA’s Blue Santa Luncheon, in which members of the organization combined all their donations and loaded them into an SAPD collection truck. These toys were then taken and distributed to families throughout the city, ensuring that every child had a smile of their face this Christmas!
The busy schedule didn’t just apply to outside of the office! This time of year, our Employee Engagement Committee is busier than ever thinking of ways to celebrate the holiday season together. Starting in October, the group organized a Halloween potluck and costume contest. We had a great time seeing everyone’s creativity come to life and enjoyed a wonderful lunch together. In November, we had our largest potluck of the year: Thanksgiving! We had a great turnout and so many of our team members participated by bringing in their delicious signature dishes and desserts. In December, the committee hosted a desk decorating contest in which staff members were encouraged to make their workspace, either in office or at home, as festive as possible. The tinsel, garland, trees, lights, and wreaths have certainly made the San Antonio office feel merry and bright! The committee also organized a Secret Santa gift exchange which took place at our annual Holiday Party in December!
This year, our Holiday party took an adventurous turn as the team celebrated the season at Natural Bridge Caverns. We traveled 180 feet below the surface to take in the sights of stalagmites, stalactites, and numerous other natural formations that have grown over the span of thousands of years. The cave tour turned out to be a great team bonding experience as we encouraged each other to keep going while we made the climb back up to the surface in 99% humidity. The team building energy continued well into the next activity – an outdoor maze. We navigated over 5,000 square feet of twists, turns, and dead ends while racing with, and against, each other to locate the hidden checkpoints within the maze.
While the office loves a bit of friendly competition, we also love to celebrate together! Before lunch was served at our Holiday party, several exciting announcements were made, such as numerous staff promotions including Austin Lee to Partner! Additionally, we celebrated our latest team member to pass all four parts of the CPA exam, Briana Costa. The firm listened as Howard Klein Jr., a founding and namesake Partner, gave a meaningful speech as he approaches retirement at the end of this year. Howard blessed the food and lunch was served! As plates began to empty, we exchanged gifts as part of our Secret Santa event. The pavilion erupted with happiness, laughter, and gratitude as team members tore apart wrapping and tissue paper to reveal their present. Additionally, everyone walked away from the party with a gift from the firm – a cozy blanket, glass ADKF mug, and a hot cocoa bomb – ideal for the chilly December weather!
Our Fourth Quarter has been full of opportunity, community involvement, and growth which is reflective of our entire 2023! We are so thankful to every single client and team member who has made this year so memorable, and we are excited to see what 2024 brings!