Excerpts printed from: Eagle Newspapers, Excellence 07' Edition

Syracuse, NY – February 28, 2007 – Fifty years ago, the great athlete Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers announced his retirement from a legendary career in baseball. That same year, Ed Green was launching what would become a celebrated professional firm in Syracuse.

Now a half century later, Green's successor CPA firm continues to enjoy the rewards of hard work, high standards, and living an ambitious community-oriented lifestyle.

An attorney and certified public accountant, Green attributes much of the firm's longevity to its core values: integrity, service, and trust. It's important for clients to be able to walk in and feel comfortable and good, he said.

It takes the right kind of employees to make that happen.

“I looked for chemistry,” Green said. “This is a people business. If you can't relate to your client, you have nothing to build on. There has to be that chemistry, that attitude and that passion. If your associates don't have those characteristics, then they don't belong working in the profession.”

Even though professional credentials of an associate are vital, it's watching an associate in action that counts even more.

“You don't know a person until you work with him or her nine to five, five days a week, and you get to know what they're all about, their pluses and minuses.”

Green is devoted to community involvement and has served on numerous community boards over the years. He was a vice president and member of the Executive Committee of Syracuse University Board of Trustees. He was a board member for the Glimmerglass Opera and was chairman of their investment committee as well as serving as chairperson of Crouse Hospital 's Foundation Investment Committee.

Green also served as chairman of Crouse Irving Memorial Hospital Foundation, Syracuse Symphony, Everson Museum of Art, WCNY, Central New York Community Foundation and the Cultural Resources Council.

He has been a board affiliate with Syracuse Stage, Cazenovia Lake Association, Stone Quarry Art Park, Cazenovia College, Cazenovia Preservation Foundation, and Cazenovia Chamber of Commerce.

Green is currently a board member of the Syracuse Symphony, the YMCA and the MOST Foundation. His community participation is not distinct from those of his successors.

“We hired good people and over time, they also got involved with the community on their own,” Green said.

Another facet to owning a winning firm is having the ability to stay flexible and take risks.

“I always kept asking myself where I wanted to be five years from now,” Green said. “There is no formula – we just took advantage of opportunities – one step at a time. I never had a formula, nor do I have one today.”

Green advises today's entrepreneurs to think big; think globally.

“Don't be afraid of change. Try new things. There are all kinds of distractions and hurdles. Have patience. Be open to ideas. The game of life is to win five and only lose four."

Edward Green is the founder of Green & Seifter CPAs. He now works for Green & Seifter Investment Advisors as an independent investment advisor.

Green & Seifter CPAs provides clients with a wide array of professional services in the ares of accounting, audit and taxation, business planning and valuation, financial planning and investment management, and fraud prevention and detection. For more information about the firm please visit www.GreenSeifterCPAs.com or call 315.422.1391.