The University of Nebraska–Lincoln School of Accountancy inducted Larry Hupka, '72, into the Hall of Fame and honored Ron Nebbia, '85, as the inaugural John Connor Family Award recipient at the annual Celebration of Excellence in October. More than 300 alumni and friends attended the event sponsored by Deloitte, Eide Bailly, Forvis Mazars, KPMG, Labenz, Lutz and RSM.

"Our Hall of Fame inductees are selected by the School of Accountancy Advisory Board to honor alumni who achieve national and international prestige in their accounting careers," said Jimmy Downes, director of the School of Accountancy, George and Evelyn Brewster Professor of Accountancy and associate professor of accountancy. "This year we also established a new John Connor Family Award to recognize an alum who has given back to the school and exhibits a deep interest, similar to John Connor, in moving the School of Accountancy forward. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997, Connor also served on the SoA Advisory Board in the early 2000s and helped coordinate the first Celebration of Excellence event. His vision helped connect students, faculty and alumni."

Larry Hupka, '72 - Hall of Fame Inductee

Originally from Johnson County, Nebraska, Hupka enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam. After his honorable discharge, he enrolled at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln to study accounting.

"I was at a turning point when I got out of the military and wasn't sure what I was going to do. The College of Business gave me a chance, and as a result, I took advantage of it and earned a high-quality degree. I also had a successful career," Hupka said.

He worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers for nearly 30 years, serving as a management consultant and partner. Starting in Dallas, his military and university experience provided the background needed to help advance and support the information systems around tax reporting.

"In the early '70s, it was complicated. I had processing experience from the military and worked in the operations center at the university. When the consultants found that out, they brought me in to help develop the systems needed," said Hupka.

Using "a startup framework", Hupka helped PricewaterhouseCoopers evolve through rapid technological changes throughout three decades. To assist others, he partnered to create a group, which eventually became the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) to provide education, certifications and standards for information systems.

Also involved in statewide professional organizations in Texas and Colorado, he served on the board and as chair of the Colorado Society of CPAs.

A partner at IBM for two years, he retired in 2004. He and his wife, Cathryn, reside in Loveland, Colorado, and have two grown children, Steve and Jennifer (Hupka) Pickett.

"Nebraska took a chance on me. I'm very thankful and it's the reason I give back," said Hupka. "I loved my work and had a lot of great experiences. I also met a lot of good people."

Ron Nebbia, '85 - John Connor Family Award Recipient

A credentialed business valuator, Nebbia started with Arthur Anderson in the summer of 1985 after graduating from Nebraska. Two years later, he joined Lutz and later became a consulting shareholder, specializing in business management, mergers and acquisitions, business valuation consulting and technology and process efficiency consulting.

"Ron excelled at developing new clients and quickly ascended to a firm management role due to his ability to problem solve and lead. He has always been at the forefront of integrating technology into firm operations to serve clients better and more efficiently," said Aaron Crabtree, associate dean of master's programs and executive development, KPMG Faculty Fellow in Professional Accounting and associate professor of accountancy.

Nebbia joined the School of Accountancy Advisory Board in 2010 and served two terms. When the SoA created the split-semester internship program, Nebbia helped create a training program so students could make the most of the hands-on experience for students.

"Ron has a quick wit and a sense of humor and has always been willing to provide valuable feedback and support for the school," Crabtree said. "He has also been a friend, confidant and advisor who never fails to answer the phone when I call or ask pointed questions about my plans."

Nebbia and his wife, Amy, met while in college and live in Waterloo, Nebraska. They have four children, who are also Husker alumni, Steve, '12; John, '12; Allison (Nebbia) Boulay, '14 & '16; and Mary, '17. Ron shared how two became accountants at Nebraska and two married accountants.

"I'm forever grateful for the people that are teaching these kids," Ron said. "The university spends time recruiting students while also recruiting companies like Lutz to hire those students. When you think about that from a business perspective, that's challenging. It's two different sets of customer groups that are not necessarily on the same page. I commend them for their efforts and bringing us highly educated, highly qualified kids that are actually ready to come to work."

Nebbia shared his appreciation for the event and all those who attended.

"This night was a celebration of people who are very dedicated, working together for a common goal to make things better for the young people at Nebraska, get them educated and on good footing for the rest of their career," said Nebbia.