James F. Antonio

2018 Hall of Fame Inductee

James F. Antonio began his career in the private sector and academia. He has a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. He worked for several of the country’s major CPA firms, and also taught accounting at the universities of Illinois, Missouri and South Florida. He left the academic world in 1974 to begin his service in state government as deputy state auditor in Missouri. He was elected as Missouri’s state auditor in 1978 and re-elected in 1982.
 
An active member of NSAA and NASACT, Antonio was aware of discussions surrounding the concept of establishing an independent body to set accounting standards for government. Having served in academia, the private sector, and government, he had definite ideas about the shortcomings of the standards. It wasn’t until 1983 that he learned about a unique opportunity to be a part of a new standards-setting body, and he became excited by the institutional challenges that forming such an entity posed.
 
In 1984 Antonio became the first chairman of the newly-established GASB. He presided over the Board during its formative years, from its inception until June 1995. He played a key role in developing and prioritizing the original GASB agenda, which included topics that had been discussed by government accountants for years.
 
In addition to responding to longstanding issues, Antonio’s era at the GASB saw the issuance of other major standards, including Statements 3, 9 and 14. The founding Board, under Antonio’s leadership, can be credited with achieving and maintaining the legitimacy of the GASB as the recognized governmental accounting standards‐setting body.
 
Antonio served as vice chairman of the Mid-American Intergovernmental Audit Forum and was a member of the National Intergovernmental Audit Forum.
 
He was one of two state auditors serving on the joint state and federal steering committee charged with implementing the national single audit concept, which standardized audit requirements for states, local governments, and entities receiving federal financial assistance.
 
Jim Antonio’s curiosity, vision and perseverance served him well during America’s shift to the modern era of governmental accounting and auditing, and his influence is still felt today in these underpinnings of current government financial management practice.