Bidding a Fond Farewell to a Remarkable Role Model & Leader
As HBE celebrates our 50th anniversary in 2024, it comes with deep gratitude for the sacrifice, vision, and foresight of the leaders who have helped shaped the foundation of who we are today—a trusted partner to our clients, a supportive community for our employees, and a leader in our profession. While this is a truly exciting milestone for our firm, it comes with the bittersweet announcement of the retirement of longtime partner, John Smolsky, effective June 30, 2024. After a rewarding and successful career in public accounting spanning over 40 years, John has made significant contributions to our firm, our clients, and those we serve.
As one of the original partners of Fuhrman, Smolsky & Furey, P.C., John has spent the majority of his career dedicated to serving numerous individual and business clients within the Omaha community. Following the merger with HBE in 2018, John’s leadership in the integration of the office locations, community outreach, and staff development has greatly contributed to the continued growth and success of our firm. Most recently, John has helped spearhead the implementation of HBE’s formal staff coaching program to ensure future generations of HBE leaders are equipped to reach their greatest potential.
“John has been a tremendous role model and leader at HBE over the past six years, and we have all greatly benefited from his exceptional leadership,” says Scott Becker, HBE Managing Partner. “In his book, ‘The Ideal Team Player’, author Patrick Lencioni outlines three virtues, and John embodies each of them – he is humble, hungry, and smart. Personally, I believe John epitomizes humility and intelligence, which are fundamental in serving clients and leading teams. He has set a remarkable example for me and all of us at HBE, demonstrating what it means to be an ideal team player and servant leader. We will miss both his wisdom and great sense of humor and extend our best wishes to John as he begins his retirement.”
We are deeply grateful to John for his unwavering dedication to HBE, our clients, and our employees. His impact will be long-lasting, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to him for all he has done. Please join us in wishing John the very best in this new chapter of his life.