People & firms on the move: Crowe names first chief diversity officer

Chris Mitchell (pictured) was named the first chief diversity officer at Crowe, Chicago. Mitchell has been with Crowe for six years, serving as a consulting principal within the technology, media and telecommunications services group. In his new role, Mitchell is responsible for driving an innovative and programmatic agenda to support a culture of inclusion in line with the firm’s vision and strategy.

James Ruotolo was hired as a fraud risk senior manager at Grant Thornton, Chicago, where he will help build the firm’s fraud and financial crimes practice capabilities.

The CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois, the charitable partner of the Illinois CPA Society, announced its board of directors to serve April 1, 2020-March 31, 2021. The board of directors, and their organizations, are: president Sara Mikuta, Wipfli LLP; vice president Kimberley Waite, Marcum LLP; secretary Brent Baccus, Pittman & McKeever LLC; treasurer Howard Blumstein, BDO USA LLP (retured) and Loyola University; immediate past president Deborah Rood, CNA Insurance; and directors: Martrice Caldwell, OneGoal; Rose Cammarata, CDK Global Inc.; Rebekuh Eley, RSM US LLP; Marques Fisher, PwC LLP; Mark Glochowsky, Schuler Shook Inc.; Lee Gould, Gould & Pakter Associates LLC; Kenton Klaus, Deloitte LLP (retired) and DePaul University; Elizabeth Murphy, DePaul University (retired); Jason Parish, Plante Moran PLLC; Daniel Rahill, Wintrust Wealth Services; Walter Rein, KPMG LLP; Leilani Rodrigo, E.C. Ortiz & Co. LLP; Michael Rodriguez, WEC Energy Group; Elizabeth Sloan, Grant Thornton LLP; Jeffery Watson, Miller Cooper & Company Ltd. Ex-officio directors are: Geoffrey Harlow, Wipfli LLP and Todd Shapiro, Illinois CPA Society.

BKD, Springfield, announced 32 promotions to senior manager and senior managing consultant levels, effective April 1, in various office locations. The firm promoted, to senior manager: Gabriel Albanese, Denver; Stella Cohen, New York; Dodge Docheff, Kansas City; Karen Garcia, Fort Worth; Jason Griffin, Joplin; Brad Hashagen, Springfield; Lauren Hellman, Omaha; Maura Jackson, Dallas; Chris Jeffery, Salt Lake City; Colby Jensen, Omaha; Jessica Kinnard, Kansas City; Morgan Klipp, Lincoln; Angela Leininger, Kansas City; Shawnell Linot, Wichita; Kyle Miller, Springfield; Kelly Minter-Schneider, Fort Smith; Michelle Ratzlaff, Enid; Jonathan Reale, Dallas; Dustin Redger, Wichita; Walker Roberts, Jackson; Doug Schneider, Dallas; Michael Schroeder, Colorado Springs; Benny Slomovics, New York; Brian Smith, Little Rock; Courtney Smith, Springfield; and Celeste Tabor, Evansville. To senior managing consultant, the firm promoted: Stephen Blumhardt, transaction services, Kansas City; Sarah Loghin, San Antonio; George Lugo, cost segregation/R&D tax credit services, Merrillville; Johnny Sanders, IT risk services, Nashville, and Elizabeth Wilson, Springfield; and to senior managing advisor Shelly Titus, BKD Wealth Advisors, Springfield.

Joseph Breen Jr., tax staff level 1 accountant at Withum, Roseland, received the Elijah Watt Sells Award for CPA Exam excellence.