The indelible influence of the incomparable Boz Bostrom
Chair's Message
Eric O'Link | December/January 2026 Footnote
Editor's note: Updated November 24, 2025
I always look forward to Oct. 9. It’s my birthday and it is often the nicest part of fall. This past October, however, the day took on a different meaning. It’s the day we lost Boz Bostrom.
I was checking Facebook around lunchtime for birthday wishes and for updates on Boz’s health. He had been posting almost daily on Facebook since being diagnosed with liver failure a few weeks earlier. The most recent update — a few days prior — was that he was back at Mayo Clinic in Rochester after spiking a fever, this while waiting on test results that would, we all expected, earn him a spot high on the transplant list.
In my mind, there was no way that Boz wasn’t going to come out the other side of this. Since his diagnosis, he was tenacious in his fight and optimistic about the outcome. Then I saw the post: Boz passed away that morning.
What a gut punch. I sat silently in my office, mouth agape, trying to process the heartfelt words his son, Wyatt, wrote. I believed that Boz still had so much to give to this world. (And I was looking forward to another Johnny Fitch novel.)
I’d attended Boz’s ethics CPE sessions over the years, but it wasn’t until I joined the MNCPA board that I got to know him. He brought his signature style of leadership there, first as a member, then as treasurer and finally as board chair. He was always authentically Boz: intelligent but down to earth; straight shooting; on point and passionate about our profession, usually while wearing one of his signature “Accounting” T-shirts.
About those shirts: For Boz’s first MNCPA board meeting as chair, the rest of us on the board wore “Accounting” shirts to surprise him. It was board member Cindy Wrecza’s first meeting. “I was incredibly excited to meet Boz,” she recalled.
Cindy arrived to find other board members wearing “Accounting” shirts, while Boz uncharacteristically sported more businesslike attire. When it came time to gather for the annual board photo, Boz made a comment about Boy Scouts always being prepared: “And then, like Superman, he unbuttoned his shirt, and underneath he had on his own ‘Accounting’ shirt,” Cindy said. “He totally got us back on the surprise. He shared that during break he went down to his car and changed for the picture. He’s just that awesome.”
Our Minnesota CPA pathways legislation has been a hot topic the past few years, and on this Boz made his support clear. He spoke frequently and convincingly about the importance of broadening the pathways to a CPA certificate, and in part because of his zeal, the United States will have thousands more CPAs in the coming years.
There’s another part of his legacy that will endure: Boz the mentor. He advised students on academics, sports, career decisions and life. He believed in others, too: He asked me to succeed him as MNCPA board chair when I never would have pictured myself in this role. After I accepted, he gave me occasional pointers about being board chair as he learned them himself.
Our profession needs more people like Boz. Emulating his example is a way to honor his memory. Keep spreading the word about accounting as a rewarding career filled with opportunity. Encourage pursuit of the CPA credential. Look for ways to connect with and elevate others. Celebrate their successes. Be generous with your time and your knowledge.
At home on Oct. 9, I went to my bookshelf and found my copy of Boz’s novel, “The New Start.” I opened the cover. There on the first page was his handwriting, “To Eric, You are a great CPA and MNCPA board member! All my best, Boz.”
Like many others have shared, Boz, you are an inspiration. I will endeavor to live up to your words every day.
Sincerely,
Eric O’Link
Chair, MNCPA board of directors
boardchair@mncpa.org
