First USI faculty member honored as 2023 Distinguished Accountant Award recipient

Jeanette Maier-Lytle ’88 M’95, Instructor in Accounting, has been named the recipient of the 2023 USI Romain College of Business Distinguished Accountant Award. The award was announced by 2021 recipient, Michael B. Carroll ’88, Chief Financial Officer at Heritage Federal Credit Union. 

Maier-Lytle is the first USI faculty member to receive the Distinguished Accountant Award. The Accounting Circle member who nominated her wrote that, “Her former students are now accounting leaders in the Evansville community and beyond, and she has helped put the USI Accounting Program on the map.” 

Maier-Lytle has been an instructor at USI since 1997. She started coaching student business case teams in 2001, competing at the local, national and international levels. Some of the most significant achievements include winning the Indiana CPA Society (INCPAS) competition five times in a row and being only the second university to place first in the annual Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) competition five times. 

She devotes countless hours visiting area high schools, promoting USI to potential students. Maier-Lytle has been a member of the IMA for more than 30 years and served as their Director of Community Service. She received the INCPAS Outstanding Educator Award in 2006 and the USI Outstanding Advisor Award in 2009 and is listed as one of the 2008 Indiana Super CPAs in Indiana Business Magazine.  

A passionate advocate of helping others in the community, Maier-Lytle is a founding member of Hug Alliance, a local not-for-profit, and currently serves on the Board as Treasurer. She is a volunteer advocate for at-risk girls at the Youth Care Center juvenile detention center. She is currently working toward a certificate in mental health coaching from Light University. 

Prior to joining USI, she worked in various accounting and consulting roles at Alcan Aluminum and American General Finance, during which time she discovered a passion for teaching. 

Maier-Lytle earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and Master of Business Administration degree from USI. She earned her CPA designation in 1995. 

The Distinguished Accountant Award has been given annually since 2004 by the USI Romain College of Business in conjunction with the USI Accounting Circle and recognizes professional achievement, service to the region and/or University and service to the accounting profession. The selection criteria include leadership, professional achievement, stature in the accounting industry and involvement with USI and the community.