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Practice management

Firms on the move: ConvergenceCoaching celebrates 2019 graduating class

ByDanielle Lee
June 7, 2019 11:31 AM

AFWA releases 2019 Accounting MOVE Project Report and Best Accounting Firms for Women lists; AICPA graduates 99 minority students from leadership workshop; and more CPA news.

ARIZONA

BeachFleischman, Tucson, and payroll executive Lawrence Bailliere, formed a joint venture to launch Contempo HCM, an Arizona-based payroll and human capital management company. Bailliere was named CEO to lead the company’s growth and strategic vision.

CALIFORNIA

The CPA Consultants’ Alliance, San Diego, integrated in its CPACA Next group, established in 2018 to strengthen intergenerational connections and build succession planning, to create one unified group under the CPACA. The CPACA also added three new members: Arianna Campbell at Boomer Consulting; Sarah Elliott, co-founder of Intend2Lead; and Renee Moelders of ConvergenceCoaching.

CONNECTICUT

Blumshapiro, West Hartford, will be participating in "JA In A Day" on June 7, with two dozen firm volunteers participating in hands-on activities with nearly 300 Webster Hill Elementary School students. This is the tenth straight year the firm has participated in this workshop on work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy.

GERMANY

Kolaschnik Partner Rechtsanwälte, Hamburg, combined with Andersen Tax & Legal in Germany.

ILLINOIS

RSM US LLP
Photo courtesy of RSM US LLP
RSM US, Chicago, has partnered with the UCLA Anderson, a quarterly economic outlook for California and the U.S., to provide support to Forecast conferences, publications and research, and help maintain important connections to the business community.

MASSACHUSETTS

The Massachusetts Society of CPAs, Boston, announced the appointment of 18 members to its board of directors for 2019-20. As board officers: Chairman John Micalizzi, RSM US; chairman-elect John Colucci, McLane Middleton; vice chairman of the finance committee Robert Miller, Miller Advisors, LLC; vice chairman of the audit committee Doug Fiebelkorn, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP; past-chairman Mark Nichols, Mark W. Nichols, CPA, PC; and president/CEO Amy Pitter, Massachusetts Society of CPAs.

Serving on the board as members are: Shay Blanchette, Babson College; Elise Caputi, KLR; Laura Felice, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Inc.; Karen McElroy, Deloitte; Laura O'Brien, ALL CPAs; Francisco Oliveira, Kyn Therapeutics; James Powers, Powers & Sullivan, LLC; Brian Renstrom, BlumShapiro; Carol Ruiz, PwC, LLP; Kathryn Seekell, Kurzman, Dempsey & Kowalker, LLP; Ronald Tull, Schofer Dillberg & Company, Inc.; and James Wegmann, Fidelity Investments.

MISSOURI

BKD building
Garret Layman
BKD Corporate Finance, Springfield, is celebrating its 25-year milestone with a name change, as it becomes BKD Capital Advisors. In other firm news, BKD Cyber has added a new service named BKD Red Team to its service line, a digital attack simulation that emulates the actions a hacker might take during a cyberattack. The simulation results are then used in training sessions with the client’s IT security department.

NEBRASKA

ConergenceCoaching2019class.jpg
ConvergenceCoaching, Bellevue, announced the graduating class of its 2018-19 Spring Transformational Leadership Program: Ryan Goerres, audit manager, Andrea and Orendorff LLP; John St. Clair, tax manager, Bader Martin, P.S.; Jamie Katz, tax director, BerganKDV; Martin Woods, senior manager, Caler, Donten, Levine, Cohen, Porter, & Veil PA; Sheila Jackson, income partner/tax services manager, Casey Peterson Ltd; Tom Jasiak, income partner, CPA, Casey Peterson Ltd.; Scott Nielson, CPA, Cooper Norman; Kevin Terry, director, Croskey Lanni, PC; Melissa May, director, Croskey Lanni, PC; Elinor Litwack, senior manager, Gelman, Rosenberg & Freedman CPAs; Drew Holoubek, senior manager, Green Hasson & Janks LLP; Margaret Flowers, senior Tax manager, Harris CPAs; Kristi Wick, partner, Hogan-Hansen, P.C.; Damian Hurmence, partner, Hogan-Hansen, P.C.; Nick Aarsen, Office director, Hogan-Hansen, P.C.; Aaron Ackerman, consulting executive, HoganTaylor LLP; Ben Gray, senior manager, HoganTaylor LLP; Tammy Lee, tax manager, Jones & Company LTD; Justin Hayes, assurance director, Katz, Sapper, & Miller, LLP; Ana Coscia, partner, Montgomery Coscia Greilich LLP; Kathryn Jones, manager, Presley & Partners; Justin Jacobsma, manager, Williams & Company, P.C.; Dan Semmler, manager, Williams & Company, P.C.; Danny Dekker, manager, Williams & Company, P.C.; Sherry Titterington, manager, Williams & Company, P.C.; and Luke Seier, CPA, Zinman and Company, PC.

NEW JERSEY

The New Jersey Society of CPAs named Kyle Sell, audit and assurance partner at Deloitte in Parsippany, president for the 2019-20 term. Sell has been a member of the NJCPA since 2004 and served on numerous committees and interest groups.

NEW YORK

AICPA building in Durham, N.C.
The American Institute of CPAs announced that 99 minority college students completed the AICPA’s 25th annual Accounting Scholars Leadership Workshop. (Read the full story.)

EY, New York, announced that Fran Craig, CEO and chair of Unanet, is a finalist for the Entrepreneur of the Year 2019 Mid-Atlantic Award, which recognizes entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies who excel in a variety of professional and personal areas. Award winners will be announced at a gala event June 13 at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, D.C.

PUERTO RICO

FPV & Galindez, San Juan, became a member firm of global network Nexia International.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

PCAOB logo
Courtesy of PCAOB
The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board announced that Patricia Ledesma, acting director and chief economist, research and economic tools, in the Office of Economic and Risk Analysis, will leave the PCAOB in June after more than five years of service.
Danielle Lee
Managing Editor, Accounting Today
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