As of May 1, Robert Belt, a 1984 graduate of Livingston High School, and the accounting firm he founded, joined Crowe LLP, a leading public accounting, consulting and technology firm in the U.S. with offices around the world. Ranked the 12th largest accounting firm in the U.S. in Accounting Today’s Top Firms 2024, Crowe is recognized by many organizations, including Fortune Magazine, as one of the best places to work in the U.S. As a member of Crowe’s global network, the eighth largest accounting network in the world, it serves clients worldwide. The network consists of more than 200 accounting and advisory service firms in more than 130 countries around the world.
“As a young man from Livingston, it’s just incredible to be working alongside over 560 partners and 6,600 of the brightest professionals in the country,” Belt said.
Having developed a unique career providing trusted audit services to local governments across Texas, Belt’s clients include the largest appraisal district in the U.S., the largest 911 district in the U.S., the top five university systems in Texas, the financing entity for NRG Stadium, Minute Maid Park and Toyota Center, and a host of cities, counties, school districts and universities across the state.
Belt said it all began in his teens on a trip to the deer lease with Jim Windham of Livingston.
“Mr. Windham said, ‘Get something behind your name like a doctor or CPA.’ Those simple words stuck. Years earlier playing the board game Monopoly I was the victim of a fraudulent Ponzi-embezzlement scheme perpetrated by my own sisters, Darla Belt Dear and Dana Trujillo. I guess that childhood board game taught me a lot about how easy it is to take advantage of someone’s trust and the need to protect the public,” Belt said.
Belt’s mission today includes safeguarding the investments of citizens of the state as a member of the Texas State Securities Board, appointed by Governor Gregg Abbott. He is also currently appointed by the Harris County Commissioners Court to serve on boards to facilitate construction of medical center improvements and low-income housing projects.
Belt attended Stephen F. Austin State University, obtaining his license as a certified public accountant shortly thereafter. He said he is particularly proud of the fact that he hired and developed the career of several team members that graduated from Livingston and SFA.
As far as what piqued his interest in local governments, Belt said that he attended a Livingston City Council meeting to earn his citizenship in the community merit badge and obtain his Eagle Scout rank from Livingston’s Troop 97. The experience later prompted him to volunteer to audit a city where he discovered fraud and his testimony resulted in the felony conviction of that city’s mayor. That skill set continued to develop more audits and forensic investigations to protect the public. Belt said he is especially proud to have recently been awarded the contract for independent auditing services for the City of Livingston for the first time ever.
“Although I moved to Houston to start my career, I had several opportunities to return to East Texas to help a number of governments. Early in my career I worked with Polk County to help build the county’s fund balance and improve the county’s credit rating which saved taxpayers money. Those efforts included helping the county obtain the National Government Finance Officers Association’s prestigious award for both the county’s financial report and budget. My greatest point of pride was returning to SFA as a professional, assisting them with reaccreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
“Walt Disney said, ‘It all began with a mouse.’ For me, it all began with a $1.05 Matchbox car at Perry’s that I couldn’t afford. I didn’t recognize it at the time, but I was forming my first business plan. At the time glass Coke bottles could be returned for a nickle, so I just rode my bicycle, looking for discarded Coke bottles. Within a week of riding my bike around town, I purchased my first Matchbox car and went on to build my Matchbox/Hotwheels collection,” Belt said. “Old habits die hard, as I have moved on to full-size cars and have a stable of antique cars, including Louis Chevrolet’s first car produced, a 1913 Little.”
As far as the impact his upbringing in Livingston has had on him, Belt said several people were influential for him.
“My parents, Bob and Edna Belt obviously had the greatest influence. My dad was also my scout master and little dribbler coach. A few standout teachers I had, including Mrs. Overhoff and Mrs. Bass, who, in addition to their teaching duties, were also very involved in the First United Methodist Church youth program. As an adult, I can now recognize the cumulative effect of people working behind the scenes that I didn’t see back then. When I was in school, I didn’t know the names of school board members that hired the superintendent and set the budget to ensure the teachers got paid. I can now more fully appreciate that I didn’t get here alone and that for every one person that directly helped me, that there were 20 people behind the scenes working for a kid they would never know,” Belt said.
“I now work behind the scenes helping school boards, city councils, boards of regents and commissioners’ courts across the state make smart decisions and create lasting value and it all began in Livingston with a Matchbox car,” Belt said.
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