David Jamieson '17 initially came to Westminster to play football and entered as an undecided student. Through the influence and mentorship of Professor Jesse Ligo, he chose to pursue an accounting degree, eventually leading him to an alumni connection that set him on a professional path to a successful career.

For David, Westminster College is a lifelong community that continues to influence his career and relationships, and fuels his desire to help future generations of students however he can—even today, nearly 10 years after his graduation.

What made you choose Westminster College? 

Initially I came to Westminster to play football and entered as an undecided student. I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do, but eventually through the influence and mentorship of Professor Ligo, I chose to pursue a degree in accounting and business administration, which ended up being a perfect path for me. I knew from the second I stepped foot on campus during my recruiting visit for football in the winter of 2012 that this was the place for me. It felt like a home away from home. I grew up only 25 minutes away from campus in Brookfield, Ohio, so Westminster was a perfect fit logistically for me to be far away enough from home that I felt like I went “away” for college, but in all reality, I was just right down the road if I needed to be back for something.  
 

How well did Westminster prepare you for your career?

Professor Ligo played a huge role in helping me decide to major in accounting. I had many conversations with him in his office over my time as a student, and he is a truly special person. He cares about the success and future of every single one of his students. We, to this day, have similar conversations. Then as I progressed through my time at Westminster, the alumni network and the connections I made on campus helped me to secure my first job with Arnett Carbis Toothman, a regional CPA firm in New Castle, Pa. My time at Westminster set me up for success creating pathways to professional positions. Despite entering undecided, by the time I left, I felt ready and capable of succeeding in the workforce because of not only Professor Ligo but the entire School of Business. Most of the professors I had in class 10 years ago are still at the school teaching. It shows how strong and stable leadership is within that department, which is why students who make their way through any of the majors that fall under the School of Business umbrella are ready for the workforce.

What internships, extracurriculars or projects did you participate in? 

During my time at Westminster, I was highly involved across campus, participating in a fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon (held multiple different vice-president roles including philanthropy and new member development), serving as an associate member of the Board of Trustees during my junior and senior years, member of the Student Government Association (finance chair as a junior and treasurer as a senior) and a member of the Student Alumni Association.  These alumni-facing roles provided me with more opportunities to meet so many different Titans from various decades.  There are many influential people that I have had the privilege to meet and work with through these roles, many of whom I still talk to today—David Clelland, David and Robin Gooch, Lou Perrotta, Gary Brown, Rick Reiber and Rich Mills, to name a few. I also worked as a tutor in the Academic Success Center and, as a member on the football team, I also served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) throughout all four years, which allowed me the chance to be engaged with the athletics department, particularly Jim Dafler, former director of athletics, who was always there to help guide me.

How did you come to achieve your position as supervisor at Arnett Carbis Toothman and senior manager at Baker Tilly US? 

I made the decision to return to Westminster for a semester in the fall of 2017 to earn 12 additional credits to pursue my Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license, as one of the requirements to become licensed after passing all four sections of the exams was to have 150 credit hours of college level courses. I passed all four exams in roughly 14 months and officially became licensed as a CPA in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in August 2019.  That qualification gave me the leverage I needed to climb the ranks at Arnett Carbis Toothman (ACT). More advancement opportunities became available when Baker Tilly US, LLP acquired ACT in 2021, which granted me the chance to move from an associate role to a senior manager role where I am today. 

How do you stay connected to Westminster still today?

I am really driven by a sense of responsibility to give back to the institution.  My commitment to see this through has manifested primarily through my role as an assistant football coach.  I took this role when I returned in the fall of 2017 during what I term my “super senior year” and am still serving in this capacity today.  I’ve also made it a point to consistently support various projects on campus that mean a lot to me, such as the football program, organizing the annual football golf outing and fundraising for bowl rings and locker room projects. This year, I am serving my class by assisting with reunion planning for our cluster reunion too. I have really enjoyed staying connected and found that a lot of my life leads back to Westminster. Westminster is my home away from home and I truly have cherished every minute of being able to be a part of this place for the last 14 years. It is a special place with a lot of very special people. I wouldn’t be in the position I am today if it weren’t for Westminster and how my time as a student and even now as an assistant football coach has shaped and continues to shape me each and every day. I joke around with everyone by saying I am probably going to have to get buried on the 50-yard line at Burry Stadium someday, but that is how much this place truly does mean to me.

To connect with David, reach out to him on LinkedIn.

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