Mr. David Papariella, vice president of Harding, Shymanski & Company, P.S.C., is a member of the Romain College Board of Advisors, an advisory group composed of senior business leaders who are acquainted with the needs of the community and of commerce and have a strong interest in establishing and maintaining direct and effective communication between the business world and the business classroom.
What is your connection to USI, and what makes USI and the Romain College of Business special to you?
I attended school and played baseball at USI. I was the last graduating class of ISUE. I totally enjoyed my experience there as a student athlete. Throughout my career here at Harding Shymanski & Company, I was involved for many years in the recruiting for our firm, and USI has been a great source of many of our employees. We have hired a significant number of USI graduates. I have had lots of involvement with Dan Wade (Professor Emeritus of accounting) and as part of the Accounting Circle.
From your prospective, what is unique about the Romain College of Business?
The quality of the students has been very impressive, and the quality of the education.
Tell us about some of the highlights as you’ve advanced in your career path.
One of the things I've enjoyed the most is getting to meet people in the business community, both in my client base and with other professionals. Over the years, those relationships have been a highlight of my career. The Board of Advisors is another way for me to interact with both the University and other professionals I have come to know over my career.
What attributes make a person successful in your industry?
Analytical thinking. Problem solving. Listening skills. A willingness to get involved in the community.
What is one thing you wish you knew when you were in college?
To get involved. Back in college, I wish I would have taken advantage of all the resources the college had. I played baseball, which was very time consuming, and I didn’t get very involved besides that.
What advice would you give a recent college graduate?
Stay connected to the University. Stay connected to the relationships you made there.
How would you finish this sentence: If I were back in college, I wish I would have gotten a better understanding of________________.
Evansville Business Community.
What are some challenges you see your industry facing in the short-term and in the long-term?
Continuing to bring in talent to keep up with our growth. Staying abreast with rapidly changing technology areas, including cyber security.
Who do you think are the most important/influential people in your industry today?
Our people. Keeping our people, retaining and developing our talent, and providing opportunities for their advancement.
What’s the most effective daily habit you possess?
Getting to work early, and starting the day early.
What factors do you consider most often when planning for the future?
Empowering our people. Sharing relationships.
What are you passionate about?
I’m passionate about our people’s success and our clients’ success. I could spend hours talking about that.
What is one goal you still want to accomplish?
Since I’m further along in my career, I’d like to eventually have a successful transition of client relationships. I also have some specific client family succession planning goals that I'd like to see through to the end.
Published November 14, 2018