Caleb Bullock – Being Community-Minded

By: Emily Lehner

Caleb Bullock graduated from Indiana Wesleyan in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting. He flourished in his Accounting classes, but also learned the meaning of community. Bullock stated, “Any university can teach you how to be a technically strong in your respective field of study (more or less), but I really valued being able to have a relationship with my professors and to collaborate with my fellow students.” Indiana Wesleyan taught Bullock to be intentional with his relationships. “Some of my closest friends and best business partners came from my time at IWU, oh yeah, and my wife!” Bullock said.thumbnail_IMG_4217

Currently, Bullock is a CPA and CGMA (chartered global management accountant). He works in public practice at Somerset CPAs and Advisors as the manager of business development and growth strategy. The firm is in central Indiana. Along with his impressive career, Bullock is a member of five different committees and societies. First, he is a member of the Penrod Society, which is, “a local non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the arts in the Indianapolis community.” Penrod aids organizations that guide development in the right side of the brain.

Bullock is also the board chair for the American Heart Association young professionals group, Young at Heart. He stated, “Our mission is to engage the next generation of leaders in advocating, educating and promoting healthy living and heart health. A significant amount of funding raised goes directly to research with the hopes that treatment for cardiovascular disease will continue to be advanced.” Bullock recognizes the need for awareness to be brought to this topic.

Along with Young at Heart, Bullock is the chair for American Cancer Society’s young professionals group. The group aims to “engage the next generation of leaders in advocating, educating, and ultimately, leading the charge in the fight against cancer.” Young Professionals of the American Cancer Society focuses on moving toward a cancer free world, and Bullock encourages everyone to be aware of the signs of cancer.

Finally, Bullock is a member of the Indiana CPA Society’s Ethics Committee and CPA’s Political Action Committee. He also serves on the Young Members Leadership Committee at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and was awarded the 2015 INCPA’s Emerging Leaders Award.thumbnail_IMG_4083

Amidst his community work, Bullock said that Indiana Wesleyan was behind the preparation. He stated, “I think that the University’s emphasis on ethics and responsibility have greatly influenced my career. My drive is not only to be the best CPA that I can be, but also the best dad, husband and community partner that I can be. My identity and value is not only measured by the amount of money that I make or the amount of success I find in my career, but also, and more importantly, by the mark that I leave on the Indianapolis community and the world when I leave.”

Bullock uses the spiritual growth he gained at IWU daily. He said his desire to reach the community around him was developed during his time as a student. He also stated, “Further, a strong character is a necessary characteristic of being a great CPA and ethical behavior is of the utmost importance in being an effective CPA. To be a great CPA, you must be above reproach. The importance of these characteristics were instilled at an early age and matured during my time at IWU due to the ever present emphasis on spiritual growth and the development of strong character.”

Kent Williams, an IWU Accounting professor, was Bullock’s college mentor. Bullock believes that the faculty allowed his spiritual life to grow. He mentioned, “I’ve had the unique opportunity to serve under Kent at the Indiana CPA Society (Kent was the board chair in 2015 and an active member since then) and his example has been crucial in keeping me grounded and on track.”

Bullock married his wife, Chelsie, whom he met during his time at Indiana Wesleyan. The couple has two daughters, Nora (4 years) and Josie (4 months). He said, “They are my rock and every decision I make is made through the lens of ‘what is best for my family.’”

 

 

 

Written by Emily Lehner, a writer for the Alumni Center and a junior Writing major at IWU. She is active on the cross country and track teams. She is passionate about using her writing skills to share the good news of Christ with others. 

 

Facebook Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *