Anytime you have upheaval in any industry, the changes that result are usually positive,” says Thomas J. Saiz, managing partner in the San Diego firm of Calderon Jaham & Osborn CPAs. Saiz, who has been in the accounting industry for 17 years, believes recent scandals involving big corporations and their accounting firms will result in major reforms.

“We traditionally have had a close relationship with the boards of directors of our clients,” says Saiz. That relationship, he maintains, has resulted in more open communications and fewer problems. Saiz has moved quickly in the industry. Now 39, he was 32 when he was named partner at Calderon Jaham & Osborn, the youngest in company history. He became managing partner at 37, again the youngest ever.

The firm specializes in health care, small business, nonprofit organizations and government agencies. Saiz oversees the operation in the San Diego and El Centro offices.

The Small Business Administration named Saiz Accountant Advocate of the Year in 1997 for promoting small business. He is treasurer of the San Diego Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and host of the annual San Diego fund-raiser for California Rural Legal Assistance, a nonprofit organization that assists Hispanics in legal matters. Saiz is active with Project Concern International, the San Diego-based International Health Organization and the Hands Across the Border committee.

Every year, his firm awards two $1,000 scholarships to high school students who want to study accounting. One of his goals is to attract more students to the accounting industry.

“There are traditional barriers in the educational process for Latinos and other minorities,” says Saiz. “I want to help bring down those barriers. We have a good educational system, but we need to bridge the gaps.”

— Manny Cruz