Phillip Neuhart
First Citizens Bank

Phillip Neuhart is the Director of Market and Economic Research at First Citizens Bank. In this role, he develops and delivers the Bank’s market and economic viewpoints in the form of written content, speaking engagements, audio/visual content, and virtual events. Previously, Phil was the Manager of the Institutional Portfolio Strategy Team at First Citizens. Phil and his team functioned as the liaison between the Capital Management Group and institutional clients, working closely with both the team and client to develop investment policies, asset allocations, manager structure, as well as performance analytics and reporting.

Prior to joining First Citizens, Phil worked as an Institutional Equity Strategist with Morgan Stanley in New York. In this role, he provided US equity market research for institutional clients, equity research analysts, traders, and sales associates. This research was focused on fundamental and quantitative equity market analysis, weighted sector allocations, and S&P 500 price strategies.

Prior to his time with Morgan Stanley, he served as both an Institutional Equity Strategist and Economist with Wachovia-Wells Fargo Capital Markets. Phil is a graduate of Duke University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics.

Jon Lokhorst, CPA
Your Best Leadership

Jon Lokhorst, CSP, CPA, PCC, is a leadership coach, corporate trainer, keynote speaker, and the author of Mission-Critical Leadership: How Smart Managers Lead Well in All Directions. He works with organizations to develop leaders everyone wants to follow, build teams no one wants to leave, and deliver exceptional results. Before launching Your Best Leadership LLC, Jon enjoyed a 30-plus year career as a CPA, CFO, and organizational leader. He has a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and is recognized by the International Coach Federation as a Professional Certified Coach. Jon is member of the National Speakers Association and served recently as President of the Minnesota chapter. He has earned the Certified Speaking Professional Designation (CSP), a distinction held by less than 20 percent of NSA members. On a personal note, Jon loves grandparenting and being “Papa” to his four adorable littles, as he calls them.

John Hozik, CPA
MorganFranklin

John leads MorganFranklin’s Managed Services practice where he oversees all aspects of strategy and delivery to address the complex challenges that impact the strategic discussions of executive management. He has extensive experience working with large international publicly traded companies that are undergoing transactions and/or transitions where speed to solution is the driver. John led a team that was recently engaged by the Controller of a large U.S. bank to analyze, improve, rationalize, and automate over 2,000 accounting tasks and activities previously outsourced off-shore. His leadership and expertise resulted in a 50% headcount reduction within 18-months. Prior to joining MorganFranklin, John worked in KPMG’s audit practice leading the audits of SEC registrant financial services clients across multiple industries.

Reagan Mullins, CPA
Vaco

Reagan Mullins is a managing partner, serves as National Line of Business Leader for Strategic Staffing, and oversees Vaco’s staffing practice in the Birmingham market.

Jennifer Louis, CPA
Emergent Leadership

Jennifer Louis resides in Charlotte and is President of Emergent Solutions Group LLC. Over the course of her career she has worked in both public accounting and internal audit. For 25 plus years she has been primarily focused on providing high-quality CPE in the accounting and auditing arena.

Tommy Stephens received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree (Major in Accounting) from Auburn University in 1985. In 1992, he earned a Master of Science degree (Major in Finance) from Georgia State University in Atlanta.

Presently, Tommy is a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Information Technology Professional, and a Chartered Global Management Accountant.

During his professional career, Tommy has gained valuable experience in a variety of positions, including:

• Working as an auditor and technology consultant for an Atlanta-based public accounting firm.
• Leading an Internal Audit staff and managing a Cost Accounting team for a Fortune 500 company.
• Serving as a Chief Financial Officer for an international engineering organization.
• Founding and managing his public accounting firm that provides accounting, tax, and consulting services to individuals and a variety of small and emerging businesses.

In 1995, Tommy began authoring and presenting continuing professional education courses to accounting and finance professionals.

In 2003, he affiliated with K2 Enterprises, and in 2007, he joined the firm as a partner.

Over the past twenty-seven years, Tommy has presented over 2,800 educational sessions to over 71,000 participants throughout the United States and Canada. Tommy maintains professional memberships with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Additionally, he is a past member of the Institute of Internal Auditors.

Speaker information coming soon!

Tommy Stephens received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree (Major in Accounting) from Auburn University in 1985. In 1992, he earned a Master of Science degree (Major in Finance) from Georgia State University in Atlanta.

Presently, Tommy is a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Information Technology Professional, and a Chartered Global Management Accountant.

During his professional career, Tommy has gained valuable experience in a variety of positions, including:

• Working as an auditor and technology consultant for an Atlanta-based public accounting firm.
• Leading an Internal Audit staff and managing a Cost Accounting team for a Fortune 500 company.
• Serving as a Chief Financial Officer for an international engineering organization.
• Founding and managing his public accounting firm that provides accounting, tax, and consulting services to individuals and a variety of small and emerging businesses.

In 1995, Tommy began authoring and presenting continuing professional education courses to accounting and finance professionals.

In 2003, he affiliated with K2 Enterprises, and in 2007, he joined the firm as a partner.

Over the past twenty-seven years, Tommy has presented over 2,800 educational sessions to over 71,000 participants throughout the United States and Canada. Tommy maintains professional memberships with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Additionally, he is a past member of the Institute of Internal Auditors.

Jennifer Louis, CPA
Emergent Leadership

Jennifer F. Louis, CPA founded Emergent Solutions Group, LLC in 2003, where she focuses her energy on designing and delivering high-quality, practical, and engaging accounting and auditing training. She was most recently Director of Audit Product Development at Surgent Professional Education. Prior to that Jennifer served as Director of Training Services at AuditWatch, Inc, was the Financial/Operational Audit Manager at AARP, and was an Audit Manager for Deloitte & Touche LLP. Jennifer graduated summa cum laude from Marymount University with a BBA-Accounting. Besides loving life on the lake with her husband in Charlotte, NC, she enjoys hiking with her Coton de Tulear dogs, and savoring any precious moments spent with her two young adult boys.

Tommy Stephens received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree (Major in Accounting) from Auburn University in 1985. In 1992, he earned a Master of Science degree (Major in Finance) from Georgia State University in Atlanta.

Presently, Tommy is a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Information Technology Professional, and a Chartered Global Management Accountant.

During his professional career, Tommy has gained valuable experience in a variety of positions, including:

• Working as an auditor and technology consultant for an Atlanta-based public accounting firm.
• Leading an Internal Audit staff and managing a Cost Accounting team for a Fortune 500 company.
• Serving as a Chief Financial Officer for an international engineering organization.
• Founding and managing his public accounting firm that provides accounting, tax, and consulting services to individuals and a variety of small and emerging businesses.

In 1995, Tommy began authoring and presenting continuing professional education courses to accounting and finance professionals.

In 2003, he affiliated with K2 Enterprises, and in 2007, he joined the firm as a partner.

Over the past twenty-seven years, Tommy has presented over 2,800 educational sessions to over 71,000 participants throughout the United States and Canada. Tommy maintains professional memberships with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Additionally, he is a past member of the Institute of Internal Auditors.

Jon Lokhorst, CPA
Your Best Leadership

Jon Lokhorst, CSP, CPA, PCC, is a leadership coach, corporate trainer, keynote speaker, and the author of Mission-Critical Leadership: How Smart Managers Lead Well in All Directions. He works with organizations to develop leaders everyone wants to follow, build teams no one wants to leave, and deliver exceptional results. Before launching Your Best Leadership LLC, Jon enjoyed a 30-plus year career as a CPA, CFO, and organizational leader. He has a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and is recognized by the International Coach Federation as a Professional Certified Coach. Jon is member of the National Speakers Association and served recently as President of the Minnesota chapter. He has earned the Certified Speaking Professional Designation (CSP), a distinction held by less than 20 percent of NSA members. On a personal note, Jon loves grandparenting and being “Papa” to his four adorable littles, as he calls them.

Robert Broome
NCACPA

As NCACPA Director of Advocacy, Robert works with our members to develop, implement, and communicate the association’s public policy agenda to legislators and regulators. He serves as staff liaison to several NCACPA Resource Groups, including Advocacy, Tax, Government, and Accounting & Attestation.

Robert has more than two decades of experience in government relations and executive management for professional associations. A native of Tennessee, he worked in Nashville and Atlanta before moving to Raleigh in 2013. He earned his Certified Association Executive credential in 2020, and he serves on the Board of Directors for Association Executives of North Carolina.

Courtney Knoll, PhD, CPA
NCACPA Chair

Dr. Courtney H. Knoll is a Clinical Professor of Accounting at the Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Associate Dean of the Master of Accounting (MAC) Program. Through her leadership and professional involvement, Dr. Knoll plays a pivotal role in nurturing the next generation of accounting leaders, contributing significantly to the evolution of accounting education. During Dr. Knoll’s twenty plus years teaching MAC students at Kenan-Flager, she has taught nearly every course in the tax curriculum and currently teaches Federal Income Taxation, Tax Research, and International Taxation. A two-time recipient of the Weatherspoon Award for Excellence in MAC Teaching, Dr. Knoll’s enthusiastic teaching style has been recognized for its influence and effectiveness. Dr. Knoll’s work extends beyond the classroom. She has served as faculty advisory for the Undergraduate Accounting Club, the student Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, and numerous tax case competitions. In addition to these student-focused endeavors, she served as Executive Director of the UNC Tax Center, which aims to build bridges between academics, practitioners, and policymakers. During her time in this role, she expanded the center’s network and support through the formation of an impactful Alumni Leadership Council and spearheaded the development of new partnerships and events, including an annual conference with the Urban-Brooking’s Tax Policy Center, and the UNC Tax Summit, a joint event with the UNC School of Law. A CPA in both North Carolina and Georgia, Dr. Knoll recognizes the value of building strong connections between the MAC program and the accounting profession. She currently serves as chair of the North Carolina Association of CPAs’ board of directors. In addition, she is a long-time member of the American Institute of CPAs and the American Accounting Association, and currently serves as an AICPA Academic Champion and AICPA Council member. Prior to joining the faculty, Dr. Knoll earned her Ph.D. in Accounting from the Kenan-Flagler Business School. She worked for five years in Arthur Andersen, LLP’s Atlanta office after earning her Master of Science in Accounting and her Bachelor of Science in Commerce from the University of Virginia.

Mark Soticheck, CEO
NCACPA 

Since July 2024, Mark has been the Chief Executive Officer of the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants. In this role, he works with the Board of Directors in the development and implementation of the organization’s strategic direction. Prior to this role, Mark joined NCACPA in May 2016 as their Chief Operating Officer, where he oversaw communications, engagement, professional development, learning and innovation, finance and administration. Prior to joining NCACPA, Mark worked in public accounting with Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP for 10 years and as Chief Operating Officer for Fidelity Bank for three years. Mark has served on various boards including NCACPA’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee, Junior Achievement of Eastern North Carolina, the Triangle Land Conservancy as a board member and treasurer, as well as on both the Wake Technical Community College and North Carolina State University’s Poole College of Management’s Accounting Advisory Boards.

Speaker information coming soon!

Tom Triumph
Triumph Consulting

I’ve got over three decades of hard-won experience. Along the way I’ve helped large organizations act nimbly and small companies scale, been a participant in two global technology revolutions, joined a podcast with Dose of Leadership —and have been part of some remarkable teams and success stories (and some misfires), and am the author of the book Evolve or Die: Lessons for World-Class Innovation & Creativity.

• Oversaw the creation of dozens of innovative products within different industries, including: medical device, defense, software and professional services.
• Experienced in bringing the unique personalities and skills sets of team members together to generate innovative ideas and solve real business (and real-world) problems.
• Worked and consulted for B2B & B2C Fortune 100 companies and entrepreneurial startups, and bring a broad perspective.

I help event attendees better innovate and contribute by delivering inspiring, informative and engaging keynotes tailored to your specific needs. I also consult with companies to help them improve their product development process and create next generation products that leapfrog the competition, reinvigorate their marketing or reinvent some aspect of their business – all with the goal of driving revenue.