GSCPA Member Alan Skelton Named Director of Research and Technical Activities of GASB
Norwalk, CT—January 29, 2021—The Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) today announced the appointment of Alan Skelton to the role of director of research and technical activities. Mr. Skelton will begin his duties as director with the GASB on April 1, 2021. He replaces David R. Bean, who will retire on March 31, 2021, after serving as the GASB director for more than 30 years.
Mr. Skelton has served on the GASB’s advisory group, the Governmental Accounting Standards Advisory Council (GASAC), since 2015 and as its vice chair since 2018. He was named to the director’s position by the GASB chair following a national search that began in September of 2020 and considered more than 30 candidates.
In the coming weeks, Mr. Skelton will step down from his current role as the state accounting officer for the state of Georgia, a position to which he was initially appointed by the governor in 2012. He was reappointed to the role in 2019. As state accounting officer, Mr. Skelton has provided accounting leadership for the state of Georgia, including oversight of statewide financial reporting, issuing accounting policy and application interpretations of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), and implementing business process improvements. He served as deputy state accounting officer from 2009—2012 and previously had more than a decade of experience in public accounting, primarily with Ernst & Young.
Mr. Skelton earned a bachelor of science degree in accounting and finance at Florida State University. He is a certified public accountant in Georgia.
In his role as GASB director, Mr. Skelton will lead the GASB staff and serve as the principal advisor to the GASB chair and Board. The position has a critical leadership function in the overall management of projects on the GASB’s technical, research, and post-implementation review agendas; GASB project-related communications; and interaction and engagement with stakeholders.
“I’m very pleased to welcome Alan to the GASB to serve as the director of research and technical activities,” said GASB Chair Joel Black. “I have known him for many years, served with him on the GASAC, and know him to be a tremendous leader. Alan shares my passion for the GASB’s mission and brings to this role deep technical expertise and practical experience in governmental accounting and financial reporting. I’m delighted we’ll be working closely together.”
Of outgoing director David R. Bean, Black said, “I have had the opportunity to get to know, work with, and learn from Dave for much of my career. His contributions to governmental accounting are extensive and his service in furthering it is truly unmatched. Without question, the clarity we now have into a government’s financial picture and the robustness of information around it bear his indelible stamp.”
About the Governmental Accounting Standards Board
Established in 1984, the GASB is the independent, private-sector organization, based in Norwalk, Connecticut, that establishes financial accounting and reporting standards for U.S. state and local governments that follow Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). These standards are recognized as authoritative by state and local governments, state Boards of Accountancy, and the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). The GASB develops and issues financial accounting standards through a transparent and inclusive process intended to promote financial reporting that provides useful information to taxpayers, public officials, investors, and others who use financial reports. The Financial Accounting Foundation (FAF) supports and oversees the GASB. For more information, visit www.gasb.org.