DANBURY, CONN. — The Danbury accounting firm Fiorita, Kornhaas and Company P.C. will be recognized for exemplary professional and public service at the 29th annual WestConn Society luncheon Friday, March 19, at Western Connecticut State University.

Joseph A. Fiorita Jr. and Robert J. Kornhaas Jr., certified public accountants and principal partners of the firm, will accept the WCSU Foundation Community Service Award at the luncheon beginning at 11:30 a.m. in the Grand Ballroom of the Westside Campus Center on the university’s Westside campus, 43 Lake Ave. Extension in Danbury. The luncheon, hosted by the WCSU Foundation, also will feature introductory remarks by WestConn President James W. Schmotter and a keynote talk by Ancell School of Business Dean Dr. Allen Morton on “The Role of Financial Literacy in a Well-Rounded College Education.” Admission is limited to members of the WestConn Society and their invited guests.

Founded in 1973, Fiorita, Kornhaas and Company provides a diverse range of financial services ranging from tax preparation, business accounting and audits to personal financial, retirement and estate planning, corporate mergers and acquisitions, and litigation support. As one of the leading CPA practices in the Greater Danbury area, the firm has provided career opportunities and internships over the years, helping WestConn students to gain experience and build skills in the accounting profession. Fiorita, Kornhaas and Company is a member of the WCSU Trustees’ Club and the WestConn Society, and sponsors a scholarship awarded annually to a WestConn student majoring in accounting. The firm’s partners, Fiorita and Kornhaas, participate in local and regional professional organizations, corporate boards, and activities supporting the university and the WCSU Foundation.

“Fiorita, Kornhaas and Company has long been one of the most respected professional services firms in the Danbury area,” Schmotter observed. “Through their professionalism, partnerships and philanthropy, they have made a difference — for our community, and especially for Western Connecticut State University.”

A Danbury native and graduate of Mount St. Mary’s College, Fiorita has practiced public accounting for 39 years, initially at Arthur Andersen and Company and since 1973 at his own Danbury-based firm. His specializations include personal and corporate taxation, mergers and acquisitions, and family, estate and succession planning. He is a member of the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants (CSPCA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He serves as a corporator for Newtown Savings Bank and as a director of Brookfield-based Photronics Inc., as well as on advisory boards for a number of closely held companies and charitable organizations. A member of the WestConn Society, Fiorita previously served on the boards of several banks and as a member of the City of Danbury Parking Authority. He and his wife Sally reside in Danbury, and have two children and six grandchildren.

Kornhaas is a Danbury native and holds an accounting degree from the University of Connecticut, returning after his 1978 graduation to join the accounting firm founded by Fiorita. Over his 32-year career, Kornhaas has done extensive work on audits and reviews for closely held businesses and nonprofit organizations, as well as providing a wide range of personal financial services including advice on income tax and estate planning issues. He is a member of the CSPCA and AICPA, a corporator for Savings Bank of Danbury, and a former member of the board of directors of the Charles Ives Center for the Arts. He also is active in St. Joseph Church as a member of the parish council. He and his wife Kathy reside in Danbury with their three children.

The WestConn Society represents the oldest continuous giving program sponsored by the WCSU Foundation, providing an important source of private donations to support innovative academic programs, outreach opportunities and enrichment initiatives. The goal of the WestConn Society is to sustain a critical margin of excellence to enhance students’ learning experience and invest in faculty and curriculum development.

A minimum donation to the WCSU Foundation of $250 qualifies the donor for annual membership in the WestConn Society and attendance at the March 19 luncheon. For reservations and additional information, contact David Halek of the WCSU Office of Institutional Advancement at halekd@wcsu.edu or (203) 837-8832.

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