April 6, 2023

Thomas Pietras on Community Involvement

This is the first of a series of planned articles about how TEAM BPS is involved in our communities (SC Midlands, Spartanburg, Jefferson, SC, Atlanta, Philadelphia). In this article Thomas Pietras, a BPS founder, reflects on his 40+ years of community involvement.

I graduated from the University of South Carolina in May 1979 and went to work with Arthur Young & Company in Greenville. In 1986, I was able to move home to Arthur Young’s (later Ernst & Young) Columbia office. In 1992, when EY closed the office, I moved to Bauknight Pietras & Stormer, P.A. Throughout my career, I’ve tried to be involved in my community. For me, this is what part of that involvement has looked like:

  • Member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
  • Member of the South Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants (named one of the 100 Influential People in Accounting)
  • Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce (Finance Committee)
  • Spring Valley Education Foundation (Treasurer)
  • South Carolina Small Employer Insurer Reinsurance Program (Board Member)
  • Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce (Board Member)
  • American Red Cross Blood Services (Board Member, chairman of Finance Committee)
  • Northeast Columbia Soccer Association (predecessor to SC United FC) (President, Treasurer)
  • Keep America Beautiful of the Midlands (Board Chairman, Treasurer)
  • Columbia City Ballet (Treasurer)
  • South Carolina Youth Soccer Association (Treasurer)
  • Committee of 100 (board member, Treasurer)
  • EngenuitySC (Advisory Board Member)
  • Navigating from Good to Great Foundation (Board Member, Treasurer)
  • Columbia Advisory Board — German American Chamber of Commerce
  • Member of the inaugural class of the Palmetto Venture Fellowship (a program of Venture Carolina, VentureSouth, and the South Carolina Department of Commerce)
  • University of South Carolina, School of Accounting, Adjunct professor

In one way or another, we all have a debt to the places we live in and to the people who live here with us. We all must find ways to be of service to our communities. We also must recognize that there are different ways that people can give back, whether it is funding, time, or other avenues.

Being involved is good for our community, it is good for each of us individually — and let’s face it, it is also good for business. The friends you find and the connections you make can last a lifetime. My client list includes many people that I met as a result of my community involvement.

At BPS, we encourage our people to become involved. In future articles, some of our folks will tell their own stories in their own words. I think you will find them interesting.