86th Annual Symposium

Jeff Butler is an author and workplace strategist who explores what organizations need to do to navigate uncertainty. His experience spans over 40 industries in 4 continents on how different cultures and employees interact with each other. He studies common threads of behavior in industries such as IT professionals, underground utility workers, police officers to clothing retail chains. In addition, Jeff has also worked with various Fortune 500 companies to my and pop shops. His ideas have made it to TEDx twice, appeared in dozens of media outlets including two books on human behavior:- The Authentic Workplace and The Key To The New You. Currently, he lives in Dallas, Texas as an out of place Californian.

J. William Harden, Ph.D., CPA, ChFC, is an associate professor in the Bryan School of Business and Economics at the University of North Carolina (UNC) — Greensboro, where he teaches tax courses on flow-through entities, individual and corporate tax, tax research, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) practices and international tax. Prior to teaching, Harden was a senior tax accountant with an international CPA firm as well as a tax accountant for an international oilfield exploration company. In addition to his university teaching, Harden consults on tax and financial planning issues. He has testified before the House Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee on Internet taxation issues. The recipient of a Lybrand Certificate of Merit in 2002, Harden is actively involved in several committees at UNC — Greensboro.

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.

J. William Harden, Ph.D., CPA, ChFC, is an associate professor in the Bryan School of Business and Economics at the University of North Carolina (UNC) — Greensboro, where he teaches tax courses on flow-through entities, individual and corporate tax, tax research, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) practices and international tax. Prior to teaching, Harden was a senior tax accountant with an international CPA firm as well as a tax accountant for an international oilfield exploration company. In addition to his university teaching, Harden consults on tax and financial planning issues. He has testified before the House Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee on Internet taxation issues. The recipient of a Lybrand Certificate of Merit in 2002, Harden is actively involved in several committees at UNC — Greensboro.

Elizabeth McDowell, CPA, CIA has nearly 20 years of audit experience and is the founder of Audit Forward, an innovative internal audit consulting and training firm. In addition to training and consulting, Elizabeth is an adjunct Professor of Accounting at Front Range Community College and serves as a Non-Executive Independent Director for an internal audit firm in the UK.

Elizabeth’s most recent industry experience was at Achieve, where she was Sr. Director, Audit Strategy; prior to that, she held internal audit leadership roles at Elevations Credit Union, Fidelity Investments, and Xcel Energy after first starting her career at Ernst & Young.

Mike provides Assurance & Advisory services to the firm’s clients and consults on technical matters related to professional standards. With a tenure dating back to 1986, he became a Member of the Firm in 1990 and transitioned into his consulting role in 2022.

Boasting 40+ years of experience, Mike has worked with manufacturing, retirement plan, construction, financial institution, and nonprofit clients. His expertise expands to business and strategic planning, mergers & acquisitions, employee stock ownership plans, internal controls, and governance structures of business entities. He served as the firm’s Director of Audit, Accounting, and Quality Control for 18 years. He chaired the firm’s A&A Committee during his tenure and has been an integral member of Management and Technology Committees and various additional Task Forces. Mike has performed a significant number of peer reviews and consulted on quality management issues for firms nationwide. He also serves as an instructor for continuing professional education courses pertaining to accounting and auditing on the local, regional, and national levels.

Mike has served as Member and Chair of various distinguished committees within the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), Maryland Association of CPAs (MACPA), North Carolina Association of CPAs (NCACPA), and Allinial Global over the past 25 years. His engagement has led to meaningful contributions to the wider accounting community. Current and past positions include:

Member, Auditing Standards Board (ASB)
Chair, AICPA Audits of Less Complex Entities Task Force (under ASB)
Member, AICPA Attestation Standards Task Force
Member, International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board LCE Reference Group – appointed as the U.S. representative
CPA on Staff, Coastal Peer Review
Member, MACPA Audit Committee
Past Member, AICPA Accounting and Review Services Committee
Past Member and Zone Chair, AICPA Technical Issues Committee – a national committee working to represent the views of small and medium-sized firms and their clients in the standards-setting process. As Zone Chair, Mike focused on auditing, accounting, and review services as well as professional ethics standards
Past Member, AICPA Council
Past Chair, Maryland Peer Review Committee
Past Member, AICPA Auditing Standards Board
Past Chair, Allinial Global Accounting & Audit Committee
Past Chair, MACPA (2015-2016)
Mike has significant authorship involvement in numerous resources published under AICPA committees, including practice aids. In June 2020, he was invited to collaborate with Bob Dohrer, AICPA Chief Auditor, in delivering a webcast on the Audit Implications of COVID-19. Addressing queries from hundreds of practitioners, the webcast emerged as a widely utilized resource during the ongoing global pandemic.

Mike is passionate about doing quality work to assist firms in achieving compliance and representing smaller firms on large-scale national/international committees.

Sabrina Parris is the owner of Honeycomb State Tax Strategies, a firm dedicated to assisting tax professionals and their clients navigate complex multistate tax issues. With a profound commitment to the accounting field, Sabrina is particularly passionate about enhancing the accounting pipeline and supporting women in maintaining their careers in public accounting. Her expertise and innovative approaches have made her a sought-after voice in the industry, leading to features on innovative podcasts such as Accounting High and Entrepreneur Exchange, and in notable publications such as Bloomberg Tax. Sabrina’s contributions to the field are driven by her dedication to providing solutions and fostering a more inclusive and dynamic accounting profession. Sabrina is an active member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants.

Susan Stutzel, CPA, joined the PartnersCoach team in 2019 and has contributed greatly to the firm’s coaching and training programs. She launched her career in a national firm as a young accountant. After a few years, she took advantage of working in a small, family-owned business, and then for a Fortune 500 company.

Being in the private sector made her aware of her love of public accounting and joined a small regional firm, serving clients and growing the firm. Her real love was training and mentoring staff, which led her to obtain an Executive Coaching certificate.

Today, she leads a small firm working with non-profit entities, playing a role in strategic thinking and planning with nonprofit leadership teams. “I have a great situation in that I help clients achieve their strategic goals while training and coaching fellow accountants in firms around the nation. I truly love what I do.”

Elizabeth McDowell, CPA, CIA has nearly 20 years of audit experience and is the founder of Audit Forward, an innovative internal audit consulting and training firm. In addition to training and consulting, Elizabeth is an adjunct Professor of Accounting at Front Range Community College and serves as a Non-Executive Independent Director for an internal audit firm in the UK.

Elizabeth’s most recent industry experience was at Achieve, where she was Sr. Director, Audit Strategy; prior to that, she held internal audit leadership roles at Elevations Credit Union, Fidelity Investments, and Xcel Energy after first starting her career at Ernst & Young.

Mike provides Assurance & Advisory services to the firm’s clients and consults on technical matters related to professional standards. With a tenure dating back to 1986, he became a Member of the Firm in 1990 and transitioned into his consulting role in 2022.

Boasting 40+ years of experience, Mike has worked with manufacturing, retirement plan, construction, financial institution, and nonprofit clients. His expertise expands to business and strategic planning, mergers & acquisitions, employee stock ownership plans, internal controls, and governance structures of business entities. He served as the firm’s Director of Audit, Accounting, and Quality Control for 18 years. He chaired the firm’s A&A Committee during his tenure and has been an integral member of Management and Technology Committees and various additional Task Forces. Mike has performed a significant number of peer reviews and consulted on quality management issues for firms nationwide. He also serves as an instructor for continuing professional education courses pertaining to accounting and auditing on the local, regional, and national levels.

Mike has served as Member and Chair of various distinguished committees within the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), Maryland Association of CPAs (MACPA), North Carolina Association of CPAs (NCACPA), and Allinial Global over the past 25 years. His engagement has led to meaningful contributions to the wider accounting community. Current and past positions include:

Member, Auditing Standards Board (ASB)
Chair, AICPA Audits of Less Complex Entities Task Force (under ASB)
Member, AICPA Attestation Standards Task Force
Member, International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board LCE Reference Group – appointed as the U.S. representative
CPA on Staff, Coastal Peer Review
Member, MACPA Audit Committee
Past Member, AICPA Accounting and Review Services Committee
Past Member and Zone Chair, AICPA Technical Issues Committee – a national committee working to represent the views of small and medium-sized firms and their clients in the standards-setting process. As Zone Chair, Mike focused on auditing, accounting, and review services as well as professional ethics standards
Past Member, AICPA Council
Past Chair, Maryland Peer Review Committee
Past Member, AICPA Auditing Standards Board
Past Chair, Allinial Global Accounting & Audit Committee
Past Chair, MACPA (2015-2016)
Mike has significant authorship involvement in numerous resources published under AICPA committees, including practice aids. In June 2020, he was invited to collaborate with Bob Dohrer, AICPA Chief Auditor, in delivering a webcast on the Audit Implications of COVID-19. Addressing queries from hundreds of practitioners, the webcast emerged as a widely utilized resource during the ongoing global pandemic.

Mike is passionate about doing quality work to assist firms in achieving compliance and representing smaller firms on large-scale national/international committees.

Susan Stutzel, CPA, joined the PartnersCoach team in 2019 and has contributed greatly to the firm’s coaching and training programs. She launched her career in a national firm as a young accountant. After a few years, she took advantage of working in a small, family-owned business, and then for a Fortune 500 company.

Being in the private sector made her aware of her love of public accounting and joined a small regional firm, serving clients and growing the firm. Her real love was training and mentoring staff, which led her to obtain an Executive Coaching certificate.

Today, she leads a small firm working with non-profit entities, playing a role in strategic thinking and planning with nonprofit leadership teams. “I have a great situation in that I help clients achieve their strategic goals while training and coaching fellow accountants in firms around the nation. I truly love what I do.”

Avril Pinder was unanimously appointed County Manager by the Board of Commissioners on Feb. 5, 2019, and sworn in on March 5, 2019.
Prior to Buncombe County, Pinder served New Hanover County, NC, for 13 years as Finance Director, Assistant Manager, and most recently, Deputy County Manager. Prior to that, she spent 10 years in service to the City of Jacksonville, NC, as Community Development Director and Assistant Finance Director.

Pinder is a Certified Public Accountant. She holds an MBA from Delaware State University and is an International City/County Management Association credentialed manager.

Cal Christian is a professor of accounting at East Carolina University teaching International Accounting and Accounting for Decision Making. He is a registered CPA in North Carolina and Mississippi, and has more than 10 years of experience in the public accounting profession with the former international accounting firm of Ernst & Whinney in Houston, TX, and Jackson, MS; and in industry with LDDS (the predecessor to WorldCom) and the Mississippi law firm of Holcomb, Dunbar. Cal holds a PhD from Florida State University and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Mississippi. He teaches continuing education classes for the NCACPA, AICPA, CPA firms, and publicly traded companies, and has been recognized as an NCACPA Outstanding Conference Speaker. While at ECU, Cal has been honored as a College of Business Teaching Fellow and has been awarded the UNC Board of Governors’ Outstanding Teaching Award and the ECU College of Business Scholar/Teacher Award. Cal also has several service responsibilities with ECU including serving as The NCAA Faculty Athletic Representative. Cal has been involved within the CPA profession as a NCACPA Board Member and within the Greenville Community as President of the Eastern NC Ronald McDonald House.

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).

Arthur Joseph Werner, J.D., M.S. (Taxation) is currently a shareholder in the lecture firm of Werner-Rocca Seminars. His areas of expertise include business, tax, financial, and estate planning for high net worth individuals. Art is a former adjunct professor of taxation in the Master of Science in Taxation program at Philadelphia University. He received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting and his Master of Science in Taxation from Widener University. He holds a J.D. in Law from the Delaware Law School of Widener University.

Art lectures extensively to certified public accountants, enrolled agents, insurance agents, and financial planners in the areas of estate planning, financial planning, and estate and gift taxation. He has presented well in excess of 1,500 seminars over the past fifteen years. Art has been rated as having the highest speaker knowledge in his home state of Pennsylvania by the Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs, awarded the AICPA Outstanding Discussion Leader Award in Nevada, the Florida Institute of CPAs Outstanding Discussion Leader Award, and the South Carolina Association of CPAs Outstanding Discussion Leader Award.

Arthur Joseph Werner, J.D., M.S. (Taxation) is currently a shareholder in the lecture firm of Werner-Rocca Seminars. His areas of expertise include business, tax, financial, and estate planning for high net worth individuals. Art is a former adjunct professor of taxation in the Master of Science in Taxation program at Philadelphia University. He received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting and his Master of Science in Taxation from Widener University. He holds a J.D. in Law from the Delaware Law School of Widener University.

Art lectures extensively to certified public accountants, enrolled agents, insurance agents, and financial planners in the areas of estate planning, financial planning, and estate and gift taxation. He has presented well in excess of 1,500 seminars over the past fifteen years. Art has been rated as having the highest speaker knowledge in his home state of Pennsylvania by the Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs, awarded the AICPA Outstanding Discussion Leader Award in Nevada, the Florida Institute of CPAs Outstanding Discussion Leader Award, and the South Carolina Association of CPAs Outstanding Discussion Leader Award.

Jennifer has over 25 years experience in designing and instructing high-quality training programs in a wide variety of technical and “soft skills” topics needed for professional and organization success. In 2003 she founded Emergent Solutions Group, which is dedicated to meeting organization’s professional training needs on a project or part-time basis. Jennifer serves a wide variety of clients, including public accounting firms, state CPA societies, private industry corporations, and public sector agencies.Previously Jennifer served as the Director of Audit Product Development at Surgent Professional Education for three years. Prior to that, Jennifer was Executive Vice President/Director of Training Services at AuditWatch, Inc., a highly respected training and audit process consulting firm later acquired by Thomson Reuters. Over her six years at AuditWatch, Jennifer served many roles. She began her career at AuditWatch as Vice President of Product Development. Jennifer also served as an instructor and consultant for the firm’s Audit Productivity Improvement Program (a comprehensive program enabling accounting firms to enhance audit quality and improve audit efficiency), as well as various other training courses. Later, Jennifer was primarily responsible for working with clients to design high-caliber, customized training programs. She led the Training Services Division, which includes AuditWatch University (“core-level” staff training for new hires to managers) and related offerings. She also co-authored the Guide to Value-Added Auditing (Thomson/Practitioners Publishing Company, Fort Worth, TX, July 2001).

Before joining AuditWatch, Jennifer was the Financial/Operational Audit Manager at AARP. While at AARP she served as one of their specially trained facilitators available as a resource throughout the organization for designing and leading strategic meetings and trainings.

Jennifer was also an Audit Manager at Deloitte, in Washington, DC. During her five years with Deloitte, she was a frequent local and national instructor. Jennifer also served as an instructor for the firm’s national “Train the Trainers” program.

Jennifer graduated summa cum laude from Marymount University with a BBA-Accounting. She is currently a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and is licensed to practice accounting in the Commonwealth of Virginia and North Carolina.Contact Jennifer via email at [email protected], or via LinkedIn

Jack Schmoll is an experienced state and local taxation professional with 31 years of experience. He worked for 9 years with the Washington State Department of Revenue and 22 years in public accounting. Jack helps other accounting firms with state and local tax expertise and works on North Carolina and multistate tax issues. He is a frequent presenter for NCACPA and other organizations and provides state and local tax education to CPA firms and businesses.

Arthur Joseph Werner, J.D., M.S. (Taxation) is currently a shareholder in the lecture firm of Werner-Rocca Seminars. His areas of expertise include business, tax, financial, and estate planning for high net worth individuals. Art is a former adjunct professor of taxation in the Master of Science in Taxation program at Philadelphia University. He received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting and his Master of Science in Taxation from Widener University. He holds a J.D. in Law from the Delaware Law School of Widener University.

Art lectures extensively to certified public accountants, enrolled agents, insurance agents, and financial planners in the areas of estate planning, financial planning, and estate and gift taxation. He has presented well in excess of 1,500 seminars over the past fifteen years. Art has been rated as having the highest speaker knowledge in his home state of Pennsylvania by the Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs, awarded the AICPA Outstanding Discussion Leader Award in Nevada, the Florida Institute of CPAs Outstanding Discussion Leader Award, and the South Carolina Association of CPAs Outstanding Discussion Leader Award.

Jennifer has over 25 years experience in designing and instructing high-quality training programs in a wide variety of technical and “soft skills” topics needed for professional and organization success. In 2003 she founded Emergent Solutions Group, which is dedicated to meeting organization’s professional training needs on a project or part-time basis. Jennifer serves a wide variety of clients, including public accounting firms, state CPA societies, private industry corporations, and public sector agencies.Previously Jennifer served as the Director of Audit Product Development at Surgent Professional Education for three years. Prior to that, Jennifer was Executive Vice President/Director of Training Services at AuditWatch, Inc., a highly respected training and audit process consulting firm later acquired by Thomson Reuters. Over her six years at AuditWatch, Jennifer served many roles. She began her career at AuditWatch as Vice President of Product Development. Jennifer also served as an instructor and consultant for the firm’s Audit Productivity Improvement Program (a comprehensive program enabling accounting firms to enhance audit quality and improve audit efficiency), as well as various other training courses. Later, Jennifer was primarily responsible for working with clients to design high-caliber, customized training programs. She led the Training Services Division, which includes AuditWatch University (“core-level” staff training for new hires to managers) and related offerings. She also co-authored the Guide to Value-Added Auditing (Thomson/Practitioners Publishing Company, Fort Worth, TX, July 2001).

Before joining AuditWatch, Jennifer was the Financial/Operational Audit Manager at AARP. While at AARP she served as one of their specially trained facilitators available as a resource throughout the organization for designing and leading strategic meetings and trainings.

Jennifer was also an Audit Manager at Deloitte, in Washington, DC. During her five years with Deloitte, she was a frequent local and national instructor. Jennifer also served as an instructor for the firm’s national “Train the Trainers” program.

Jennifer graduated summa cum laude from Marymount University with a BBA-Accounting. She is currently a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and is licensed to practice accounting in the Commonwealth of Virginia and North Carolina.Contact Jennifer via email at [email protected], or via LinkedIn

Jim has completed over 500 business valuations, 250 equipment appraisals and 1500 business personal property audits. Jim has served as an expert witness in business valuation and property tax matters. He is the president and founder of Turner Business Appraisers. He is a certified public accountant, a certified valuation analyst, certified machinery & equipment appraiser, and a licensed real estate/business broker. He has valued businesses in multiple industries (ranging from legal and professional practices, personal services, wholesale trade, retail trade, IT firms, and manufacturing) and regularly makes presentations at the International, State and Local Appraisal conferences and seminars. As a business owner, Jim connects with his clients and truly understands their needs. His devotion to exceed the expectations of his customers is evident in the level of care and attentiveness with which he approaches each and every business transaction. Jim enjoys hiking and biking with his family.

Keith Wood is both an attorney and CPA with a special background in taxes. He also is a board-certified specialist in estate planning and probate law.

Keith’s practice is focused on business, tax and estate planning for a wide range of clients, including new startups, entrepreneurs and multigenerational family-owned businesses. He counsels these closely held enterprises in the unique challenges they face – from succession planning, tax planning and management structures to effective compensation strategies.

Keith frequently speaks to groups on tax and business succession topics and has been honored by the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants with multiple “Outstanding Speaker” awards.

Michael L. Walden is a William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor and Extension Economist at North Carolina State University and a member of the Graduate Economics faculty with The Poole College of Management. Dr. Walden retired at the end of March 2021 and is now a Professor Emeritus.

His Ph.D. degree is from Cornell University and he has been at NC State since 1978. He has also been a Visiting Professor at Duke University. He has served on several local and state level commissions. He currently teaches ARE 201 Introduction to Agricultural and Resource Economics.

Dr. Walden has teaching, research, and extension responsibilities at NC State University in the areas of consumer economics, economic outlook, and public policy. He has published eleven books and over 300 articles and reports, including the books North Carolina in the Connected Age in 2010 and North Carolina Beyond the Connected Age: The Tar Heel State in 2050 in 2017, both published by the UNC Press.

With his wife, he is the co-author of three “economic thrillers”, Macro Mayhem, Micro Mischief, and Fiscal Fiasco, designed to teach economics in an entertaining way.

Dr. Walden can be frequently seen, heard, and read in the media. He has daily radio programs aired on stations around North Carolina for which he has won two national awards. He is often interviewed on local TV and radio news broadcasts, has appeared on NBC, CBS, The Fox Report, and the Newshour With Jim Lehrer, and is frequently quoted in such newspapers as USA Today, The News and Observer, The Charlotte Observer, The Boston Globe, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. His biweekly column, You Decide, is carried by over forty newspapers in the state. He has made over 2500 personal presentations.

An accomplished executive with a track record of successfully leading collaborative strategic planning initiatives throughout her career, Amy founded True Nine in 2023 to help professionals embrace the opportunities and challenges made possible by change. She is well known for her unwavering dedication to leading authentically, celebrating change, and mentoring others.

Amy’s dynamic style, combined with her eclectic career and vast experience as a mentor, gives her clients confidence that she understands the challenges and opportunities they face. Utilizing pedagogical techniques gleaned from her doctoral studies, Amy connects outcome-oriented tactics with individual situations for positive outcomes. Her clients benefit from her experiences in executive leadership and organizational transformation, network cultivation, and goal-setting strategies.

Before founding True Nine, she was the COO and CFO for multiple organizations, guiding them through periods of intense change. In these roles, she led strategic planning and innovation initiatives that resulted in diversified revenue streams, new and expanded service offerings, better brand awareness, increased market share, a more engaged workforce, and improved financial results.

Amy is a “true nine,” having worn the number throughout her soccer career. Her passion for a team’s ultimate success, on-field experiences, and ability to remain calm under pressure are prevalent in her client relationships, collaborative approach to strategy development and execution, and quick instincts when presented with challenges or opportunities.

Recognized by Ignition’s Top 50 Women in Accounting and by LinkedIn as a Top Leadership Voice, she delights in sharing her experiences for the professional development and career advancement of others.

Amy holds a Bachelor’s in Accounting from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where she was a student-athlete on the university’s first PSAC Championship Women’s Varsity Soccer Team. A proud Keystone State native, Amy furthered her education with an MBA from Penn State University. She earned a Doctorate in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where her research focused on the relationship between leadership team diversity and strategic change.

Ethics in the workplace is a serious matter, but talking about it doesn’t have to be “business as usual.” Chuck Gallagher learned a lesson about ethics, choices and consequences the hard way—but now he shares his experience so that others don’t have to.

You may have seen Chuck on television, or heard him on CNN, CBS or NPR radio programs. His business insights are sought after for his strong position on ethics and ethical leadership. Chuck’s focus is business—but his passion is empowering others. His unique business ethics presentations clearly demonstrate he brings something to the platform that isn’t often found in typical business ethics speakers. Chuck’s personal experience in building businesses and sales teams while leading companies provides a practical and powerful framework for ethical success.

Currently Vice President of a national public company and former Sr. VP of Sales and Marketing for a public company, Chuck may have found a sales niche early on in life selling potholders door to door, or convincing folks to fund a record album of his musical performance at age 16 (and yes those were the days when an album was made of vinyl), but it was the school of hard knocks that provided a fertile training ground for Chuck’s lessons in success. Described as creative, insightful, captivating, and a person that “connects the dots” between behavior, choices and success,Chuck gives his clients what they need to turn concepts into actions and actions into results.

In the middle of a rising career, Chuck lost everything because he made some bad choices. He has since rebuilt his career and his life back to immense success. With more vulnerability than the average keynoter, Chuck shares with his audiences his life journey, the consequences of his unethical choices, and how life gives you second chances when you make the right choices. In fact, Chuck’s new book, SECOND CHANCES: Transforming Adversity into Opportunity, has received numerous endorsements and has been described as one of those rare books that effectively bridges the gap between personal accountability and business success.

Rafe Martin, CRO, CCRP

Rafe Martin is the Chief Risk Officer at ComTech. He helps clients manage cyber risks and enhance operational preparedness through effective cyber resilience planning.

With over 30 years of IT experience, Rafe holds a Certificate in Artificial Intelligence from MIT, is Certified in Cybersecurity, and holds the Certified Cyber Resilience Professional (CCRP) certification from DRI International.

As an in-demand speaker and host of ComTech’s RippleFX podcast, Rafe shares insights on emerging technology, including cybersecurity, cyber resilience, and artificial intelligence at conferences, on podcasts, and in webinars.

Whether it’s creating harmony with his bluegrass band or experimenting with the culinary philosophy that anything wrapped in bacon and put on the smoker is bound to be a masterpiece, Rafe enjoys life’s varied flavors. He also cherishes spending time with his wife of 34 years and their family.

Ethics in the workplace is a serious matter, but talking about it doesn’t have to be “business as usual.” Chuck Gallagher learned a lesson about ethics, choices and consequences the hard way—but now he shares his experience so that others don’t have to.

You may have seen Chuck on television, or heard him on CNN, CBS or NPR radio programs. His business insights are sought after for his strong position on ethics and ethical leadership. Chuck’s focus is business—but his passion is empowering others. His unique business ethics presentations clearly demonstrate he brings something to the platform that isn’t often found in typical business ethics speakers. Chuck’s personal experience in building businesses and sales teams while leading companies provides a practical and powerful framework for ethical success.

Currently Vice President of a national public company and former Sr. VP of Sales and Marketing for a public company, Chuck may have found a sales niche early on in life selling potholders door to door, or convincing folks to fund a record album of his musical performance at age 16 (and yes those were the days when an album was made of vinyl), but it was the school of hard knocks that provided a fertile training ground for Chuck’s lessons in success. Described as creative, insightful, captivating, and a person that “connects the dots” between behavior, choices and success,Chuck gives his clients what they need to turn concepts into actions and actions into results.

In the middle of a rising career, Chuck lost everything because he made some bad choices. He has since rebuilt his career and his life back to immense success. With more vulnerability than the average keynoter, Chuck shares with his audiences his life journey, the consequences of his unethical choices, and how life gives you second chances when you make the right choices. In fact, Chuck’s new book, SECOND CHANCES: Transforming Adversity into Opportunity, has received numerous endorsements and has been described as one of those rare books that effectively bridges the gap between personal accountability and business success.

Carolyn Woodruff, JD, CPA, CVA is a visionary and leader in accounting, law, and banking. She is a preeminent lawyer, a Family Law Specialist, a North Carolina Certified Public Accountant, and a Certified Valuation Analyst with the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts®. She is an instrument-rated multi-engine airplane pilot and regularly flies private aircraft. She was the first North Carolina female fellow in the distinguished American College of Tax Counsel. She serves on the public board of Blue Ridge Bankshares, Inc. (BRBS)(NYSE).

Carolyn was awarded The Order of the Long Leaf Pine in 2022 by North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper in recognition of her significant contributions to the state and to her community through exemplary service and exceptional accomplishments.

Since 2007, she has been selected to North Carolina Super Lawyers. For information on the selection process: https://www.superlawyers.com/about/selection-process/. She has been recognized since 2009 in Best Lawyers in America. For information on Best Lawyers Methodology, visit https://www.bestlawyers.com/methodology.
She holds a FinTech certification from Harvard Business School, where she did her Capstone paper on Central Bank Digital Currency in 2021. She holds AICPA badges in Blockchain and Cybersecurity. She is a frequent speaker on FinTech, including presentations to the NCACPA on “Demystifying FinTech” and “FinTech and Innovation.” She has lectured at Wake Forest Law School on FinTech and presented on “Fintech Innovation and Regulatory Sandboxes” to the North Carolina Banking Commission.

Through the North Carolina Association of CPAs (NCACPA), Carolyn has been a speaker and trailblazer in continuing education for CPAs who need knowledge of taxation related to divorce and business valuation in divorce in North Carolina. Carolyn has written many continuing education manuscripts, including “Financial Guide to Divorce in North Carolina” and “Business Valuation Principles in North Carolina.” She is skilled with both in person presentation and remote teaching for adult audiences.
She began her legal career with Tuggle Duggins and Meschan, P.A., where she became a principal and shareholder in only four short years. Following her tenure at Tuggle Duggins, she branched off and formed a law firm specializing in family law, where she remains today, serving as CEO and lead counsel in high profile, high net worth divorces.

She was graduated from Duke Law School with High Honors, and she served as Research and Managing Editor of the Duke Law Review.
Carolyn can be contacted on 336-272-9122 extension 3004 -1747 or [email protected].

As a small business owner and entrepreneur, I love listening and learning about the path, struggle, and successes of other small business owners. In nearly two decades of working with business owners, I have learned that most have poured their blood, sweat, and money into their business. As owners age and their operation continues to run successfully, they struggle with getting money out of the business and reducing their annual tax bill.

Matt and his firm, O’Neil Wealth LLC, partner with business owners across the US, to create customized plans that reduce their tax liability, while simultaneously growing their net worth. This allows them to focus on growing their business, selling their business, and/or planning for the retirement they’ve always wanted.

A graduate of Michigan State University’s Eli Broad College of Business, Matt has spent his entire career as an independent financial planner. A firm believer of continuing your education past the classroom, Matt is a Certified Financial Planner CFP® and Chartered Financial Consultant, ChFC®. Outside of the office he enjoys raising their three children with his wife Megan. He’s also an avid reader and enjoys 1960’s and 1970’s era muscle cars.

David Cieslak is Chief Cloud Officer and EVP with RKL eSolutions, a leading business process automation consulting firm with offices across the US. In his role, he is responsible for helping companies grow strategically with cloud-based solutions and industry-specific service expertise for ERP, CPM, CRM, AP Automation, and other critical business processes. He is a frequent speaker for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA) and other state accounting societies as his alter ego “Inspector Gadget.” He is a Sage Intacct Certified Consultant and holds the GIAC Security Essentials Certification (GSEC). He is the past Chair of the AICPA IT Executive Committee and past president of the California CPA Education Foundation.

David Cieslak is a Principal with Arxis Technology, Inc., a computer consulting firm with offices in Southern California, Chicago, and Phoenix. He specializes in cloud computing, mid-market ERP accounting software, information security, the Windows operating environment, systems development, and project management.

Cieslak currently serves on the Sage Mid-market ERP Business Partner Advisory Council. He is the past Chair of the AICPA IT Executive Committee and past president of the California CPA Education Foundation. He is an active participant with the CalCPA State Technology Committee. He is past chairman of the CalCPA State Technology Committee, former member of the AICPA Information Technology Practices Sub-Committee, and previously served on the Information Technology Alliance Board of Directors. He is a member of various other AICPA and CalCPA planning committees for courses, conferences, and computer shows.