News

Coale, Pripstein & Associates Receives 2006 Governor’s Arts Award

Coale, Pripstein & Associates, P.A., is pleased to announce that the firm has received the 2006 Governor’s Arts Award from the Maryland Citizens for the Arts Foundation. The award was presented at ArtSalute 2006, held on May 25 at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. Coale, Pripstein & Associates, P.A., was recognized for our long-standing commitment to the arts through financial support, in-kind financial services, and thousands of hours of volunteer service by founding partners Edmund Coale and Eric Pripstein on behalf of Maryland’s arts community.

For the past 15 years, Coale, Pripstein & Associates, P.A., has provided financial support and expertise to Young Audiences of Maryland (YAMD). The firm subsidizes artists’ fees so that children throughout Maryland can experience the state’s best performing artists. “Coale, Pripstein & Associates has been instrumental in helping us grow from a small nonprofit serving a few counties to one of the most utilized arts education resources in the state,” said Stacie Sanders, YAMD executive director. “There is no other organization that is more committed to our success than Coale, Pripstein & Associates.” In addition to financial contributions, Eric Pripstein has volunteered his time to YAMD, serving in a number of positions, from treasurer to current Board president.

Along with their work on behalf of YAMD, Edmund Coale and Eric Pripstein were also recognized for their numerous contributions to other community arts organizations and programs, including the Columbia Center of Theatrical Arts.

Maryland Public Television will broadcast ArtSalute 2006 on Sunday, June 18, at 8:00 p.m. and July 2, at 4:00 p.m.

Award Presentation of 2006 Governor’s Arts Award to Coale Pripstein & Associates as Small Business Supporter of the Arts by Maryland First Lady Kendall Ehrlich
Eric Pripstein, CPA	Edmund “Skip” Coale, CPA

Honoring the entrepreneurial spirit SBA applauds small businesses and the supporters who fueled their growth
- Courtesy of bizjournals.com/baltimore

Editor's note: Each year the U.S. Small Business Administration holds up for the small business community a selection of exemplary business owners, who have worked to overcome adversity, tirelessly pursued dreams of business ownership and carved out successful companies. At the same time, the SBA lauds the advocates, those behind-the-scenes supporters who have fought to advance the position of business owners through education, financing, encouragement and other efforts. Here are the stories of this year's honorees, who will be recognized at the SBA's annual awards breakfast at 7 a.m. May 11 at Martin's West in Woodlawn.

Accountant Advocate of the Year

Winner: Edmund S. Coale III, Coale, Pripstein & Associates P.A

Edmund S. Coale III does more than just crunch the numbers. As an accountant serving the small-business community, he finds himself more often than not playing the role of business advisor, strategic counselor and all-around hand-holder.

"The tax issues, the accounting issues, the application of financial principles are all universal. The difference with small businesses is that they typically don't have as strong a support system in place," Coale said. "They don't have a CFO or internal financial people, so they rely more heavily on the services of an accountant than a bigger business might.

"A lot of times I have to help them identify what the questions are, before we even begin to look for solutions."

A graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park, Coale did service in the army before returning to his alma mater to finish his degree in accounting. He launched his Columbia practice, Coale, Pripstein & Assoc. P.A., in 1980 with an eye toward serving small businesses.

He said his work with small businesses gives him a special kind of satisfaction.

"I enjoy the energy and the dynamics that are embodied by the entrepreneurs," he said. "They often are fighting an uphill battle in their dealings with the larger businesses and with the government. It is almost like the Don Quixote syndrome. You have people trying to accomplish their dream, really struggling to do that, and in a matter of speaking I am their sidekick in trying to reach that dream."

- Adam Katz-Stone (May 4-10, 2001 Issue, Vol. 18 No. 51)