Alumni Highlights
January 2026 – Daniel Sweeney ’17
Daniel Sweeney ’17 is the January Alumni Highlight and was a 2025 Finest Under 40 award recipient!
Daniel earned his bachelor’s degrees in accounting and business administration from Shepherd in 2017. As a student, he served as both treasurer and president of the Shepherd University Accounting Club, earning the Outstanding Senior Accounting Club Award. Daniel was also named a McMurran Scholar—the University’s highest academic honor—and graduated summa cum laude.
Following graduation, Daniel became a licensed Certified Public Accountant under the West Virginia Board of Accountancy in 2018, all while pursuing his master’s degree in finance at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and working full-time at Decker & Company, PLLC in Martinsburg. He completed his master’s degree in 2020.
Today, Daniel is a Member and Audit Director at Decker & Company. In this role, he oversees audit planning and management as well as business and personal tax preparation. His journey with the firm began during his time at Shepherd, when an internship opportunity led to the career he now describes as “a dream come true.”
Daniel credits much of his success to Shepherd.
“The accounting program not only prepared me for the CPA exam, but also opened doors through internships and community connections that helped launch my career,” Daniel said.
Now residing in Shepherdstown, Daniel remains deeply committed to giving back. He serves as treasurer of the Shepherd University Alumni Association Board of Directors, is active in the Shepherdstown Community Club, and frequently participates in Shepherd accounting program events—whether speaking to classes or attending the annual Accounting Club Dinner. Beyond his board duties, Daniel is a familiar face at alumni events throughout the year, volunteering his time, supporting SUAA initiatives, and helping foster connections between alumni and students. His hope is to help current students reach their own professional goals, just as Shepherd helped him achieve his.
The Shepherd University Alumni Association is proud of Daniel’s accomplishments and commends his volunteerism. Shepherd Students Succeed!
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Alumni Highlights Archive
FORMERLY KNOWN AS RAMS ACROSS AMERICA, a social media series featuring a new region of the United States each semester and highlighting alumni in each state. This program was replaced by ALUMNI HIGHLIGHTS, as seen above, in November 2020. See alumni highlighted prior to November 2020 from across the U.S. in the map below.