2025 NCACPA Annual Business Meeting & Focus on the Profession

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.

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.

Kelly is a partner in the Fayetteville office and is also the firm’s Chief Executive Partner (CEP). In his role as CEP, Kelly is responsible for guiding the firm’s overall strategy as well as its day-to-day operations. Kelly earned his Bachelor of Science in Commerce from the University of Virginia. Kelly began his career with PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP in Winston-Salem, NC before joining the firm’s Fayetteville office in 1982. His practice experience includes working with small businesses in a variety of areas including tax planning, financial reporting and management advisory services. Kelly’s vast experience in the construction industry enables him to provide construction companies with valuable guidance in all areas of their business, from how to maximize their bonding plans to how to strengthen their internal control systems. In his work in the health care industry, Kelly has advised medical practices in areas such as benefit analysis and accounts receivable monitoring. He also has significant experience in working with government contractors in all phases of their business. Kelly has assisted government contractors in the start-up phase to successfully structure their businesses and system designs in order to comply with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR).

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.