Power of Change Honoree's biggest challenge becomes “the best thing that could have happened”

By Jessica Barboza, OSCPA content specialist  

Annette Rader, CPA, senior manager at William Vaughan Company, prioritizes being a good role model, helping others find their way and doing things the right way.  

“When it comes to preparing something for a client, I want it to be right,” Rader said. “I want it to be the best possible product we can give them.”  

Rader has long supported women in accounting, having served on The Ohio Society of CPAs’ Women’s Initiative Committee since its start. “I remember sitting down and creating our mission statement,” she said. “It’s been important to me because when I started in accounting, there weren’t many women partners.”  

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Rader regularly attended the committee’s local events, which included both professional development and social gatherings. She said the 2024 Power of Change Luncheon reminded her of those early events. “Just being able to sit in person, talk and network at our table—that was fun,” she said.  

Rader now leads the women’s group at her firm. "We just do things to get the women together to build each other up, and that, to me, is very rewarding— when you see other people building each other up.”  

Another way Rader builds women up is through her mentorship. “It’s an honor when someone chooses you to be their mentor,” she said. “I want to do whatever I can to steer them in the right way.”  

She said it is especially rewarding to see the “lightbulb moment” when a mentee gains clarity on a concept or task.   

Rader’s commitment to others is a constant in her career, but she has also experienced moments of uncertainty. One of her biggest challenges came when her position was cut during cost-saving measures at her former company. Looking back, she now says that it was the best thing that could have happened. 

Within two months, she found a role with more flexibility, something that was especially important as a young mother and was uncommon at that time. That company was later acquired by William Vaughan Company, where Rader still works today. This year, she will celebrate 36 years with the firm, a milestone she credits to the flexibility and support she’s received.   

“Getting back into public accounting was great,” she said. “When we were busy, I worked more than 40 hours, but when we weren’t, I worked less. Especially when my kids were little or in high school, that flexibility made all the difference.”  

Hence, to young women starting out in accounting, she says: the hard work pays off.   

“When I was first starting out, I would work these crazy hours and be thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, I just don't really know if this is worth it, if this is what I want to do,’” Rader said. “But, in the end, when you look back on your career it will have been worth it, because you learned a lot from that, and it puts you in a better place later on.”  

Register to join us as we recognize Annette Rader, along with 12 other 2025 Power of Change Honorees, at OSCPA’s annual Power of Change Luncheon on Tuesday Nov. 18 in Columbus!