Crass Announces Candidacy For State House District 24
Hot Springs Certified Public Accountant Keith Crass annouced today that he will seek to become the new state representative for district 24,which includes the western parts of Hot Spring and surrounding areas. The seat is currently held by term limited Democrat Rep. Rick Saunders. Crass will run as a Republican.
Tolbert’s Note – While not an endorsement, I am pleased to see a fellow CPA run for the legislature. To my knowledge, we currently do not have a CPA state legislator, and I think some good financial knowledge that a CPA would bring would be a welcome addition. I have not talked issues with Crass (hopefully we can in the near term) but I have heard Crass speak to some of my CPA continueing education sessions and he is certainly engaging.
Full release on the jump.
Hot Springs (Wednesday) – On Wednesday, Keith Crass announced his candidacy for the Arkansas Legislature in House District 24. Representative Rick Saunders is term-limited and cannot run for re-election.
Crass’ goals as a state legislator will be to focus on bringing more jobs to Hot Springs, be a common sense voice, and provide quality constituent service to those he serves.
“My focus will be to bring new jobs to Hot Springs and provide a common sense voice in the Arkansas Legislature,” stated Crass. “Now is not a time to stand on the side lines. As a CPA, I understand the tax burdens that individuals and small businesses face. I will work to lower taxes and bring more jobs to our community during these tough economic times.”
Crass is the managing partner of Crass and Smith, P.A. in Hot Springs. A graduate of Arkansas State University (ASU), he has served as an adjunct faculty member for the Garland County Community College and the University of the Ozarks. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Arkansas Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the ASU Alumni Association, and has served on various boards in Hot Springs.
“I have worked to pass legislation and know how the legislative process works,” stated Crass. “I feel that I can hit the ground running to greatly benefit Hot Springs and our surrounding communities. Hot Springs has been great to me the past 25 years, and being an effective legislator will be another way of my giving back to the community.”
Crass is a member of the AICPA Ambassadors program and was previously the National Key Person Coordinator for Arkansas, which involved oversight of legislative contacts and activities. He recently received the ASCPA 2009 Outstanding Legislative Service Award for his work with the Arkansas Legislature. 
Crass was the 2007-2008 President of the Arkansas Society of CPAs, representing over 2800 certified public accountants. Prior to that, he served eleven (11) terms as Chairman of the Professional Ethics Committee, and was Co-Chairman of the Legislative Committee.
Tags: 2010 Candidates