VALDOSTA STATE MAGAZINE 75 Among all of the degreed accountants employed at the firm, all but one are Valdosta State University graduates — and that is no accident. The firm makes it a point to recruit almost exclusively from VSU, which gives accounting students access to premium employment and provides the firm with a steady stream of reliable talent. The firm’s four partners — Curtis G. Fowler, Carlton W. Holley, C. Wayne Rambo, and Richard A. Stalvey — know firsthand the value and quality of an accounting degree from VSU. They are all Valdosta State University alumni who maintain strong ties with the school. Fowler and Stalvey earned a Bachelor of Science in accounting from VSU in 1964 and 1971, respectively. Holley and Rambo earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting in 1985 and 1986. “We know from personal experience that an accounting degree from VSU is as good as an accounting degree from anywhere else,” Rambo said. “The knowledge and education that I obtained in the accounting program at VSU enabled me to hit the ground running when I joined the firm and make a contribution right from the start. “I’ve been very fortunate, and we all feel that way, which is one reason why we feel it’s important to be supportive of VSU and try to give back where we can.” Fowler, Holley, Rambo, and Stalvey P.C. supports VSU in numerous ways. The practice provides scholarships and experiential learning opportunities for accounting students. It sponsors VSU athletic events and VSU’s Mu Zeta chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, a student organization for accounting and finance majors. It also participates in the Harley Langdale Jr. College of Business Administration’s Meet the Firms, a fall tradition that allows accounting students to interact with area employers. “It’s good for us because it gives us access to up-and-coming accounting graduates, but I think it’s good for the students, too, because they get a chance to interact with business professionals and industry leaders they otherwise might not get to meet,” Rambo said. The firm’s partners have also served on numerous VSU boards and committees, providing input and guidance to help VSU accomplish its mission. They have served as members and presidents of the VSU Foundation Board of Trustees, the VSU Alumni Association, the Langdale College of Business Administration Business Advisory Board, and the VSU Presidential Search Committee. “We’ve seen what VSU has done in our lives, but also we realize the impact that VSU has in this community,” Rambo said. “We feel it’s important to support our local organizations, so we try to stay involved and be helpful in any way that we can.” We’ve seen what VSU has done in our lives, but also we realize the impact that VSU has in this community. — C. WAYNE RAMBO “ “