Stephen C. Riggs, III

UWF degree and year of graduation:
BA Accounting 1976

Why did you choose to attend UWF?
I was a percussionist in high school and was granted a full music scholarship to attend PJC. I received my AA from Pensacola Junior College. Overall my decision to attend UWF was an economic decision. During my college years I worked and paid for a lot of my college education.

What were your goals as a student?
My main goal was to obtain an accounting degree, finish with a 3.0 GPA or better and obtain gainful employment. I also wanted to leave campus with as little student loan debt as possible.

What is your best memory from your days at UWF?
During the 1970’s, it was a magical time for the UWF accounting program. All 8 of the “Big 8” accounting firms interviewed on campus. Accounting students made up the largest percentage of students on campus. Students had easy access to the professors as the professors could not get to their offices without walking by the accounting students study labs. Dr. Committee was building the department’s name and reputation and it was just a fun department to be a very small part of.

Who was your favorite professor and why?
Dr. James Potts because he taught core accounting concepts through intermediate accounting courses. I knew I was learning something that I had never heard of before. Dr. Potts had been teaching for so long that he had the questions and answers in the text books memorized. He would be writing a question on the board and ask you a detailed question while writing on the chalk board. If you were not able to answer the question or at least make an intelligent guess as to what was going on, he would verbally take you out at the knees. The knowledge and concepts taught in intermediate accounting is the core and basis of what I do for a living. I feel I learned debits and credits from the very best.

What do you do now?
I am a partner with Carr, Riggs & Ingram, the 36th largest CPA firm in the nation. I also own Destin Air Charters, a Part 135 air charter operation located in Destin, Florida. I am developing Heritage Plantation, a 1,000 acre golf course community in Crestview, Florida. I own an interest in Sportz Max, a talk radio sports program that airs in six states — and am a shareholder in Destin First Bank.

Outside of work, what activities and organizations are you currently involved in and what are your personal interests?
I am a deacon in the FWB Church of Christ. I like to fly but do not pilot my own plane any more. I play 6 to 8 rounds of golf a year. I mainly like to read. Daily I read the Pensacola News Journal, The NW Florida Daily News, the Wall Street Journal and the USA Today.

How did UWF help you progress to this point?
It provided me with a strong educational background in finance, business law and accounting. My education from UWF, combined with what I learned from my father, who was self-employed, has enabled me to become a self-employed entrepreneur with some level of business acumen. Business success generally means when you take calculated risks, you make more good decisions than the bad decisions we all make. If you have not made a bad business decision in business, you are not taking any risks. With risk comes reward. Without risk, comes little to no reward.

How do you stay connected to UWF?
I have a great affinity for UWF and support the College of Business. I serve on the advisory committee for the College of Business. Geographically speaking, it’s easy for me to be involved because I live within 60 miles of the Pensacola campus. My firm in NW Florida sees UWF as a vital lifeline to great entry level accounting students.

What advice do you have to current and future UWF students?
Grades are important. Grades are the single most important factor in landing your first job. After the first job is in the :”bank”, the importance of grades falls off. I would encourage students to take courses and get involved in things outside of their declared major. This will expand their horizons and help students relate to different people. Also, students need to read about different things to be well versed in different topics. I currently subscribe to approximately 30 different weekly or monthly magazines. If the students can afford to, I would greatly encourage them to travel overseas and see some of the world. There is more to the world than Florida or the USA.

What quality makes UWF special or unique?
Personal and individual attention you’re given as a student.

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