Not for Profit Accounting Conference (Virtual)

David Heinen has been with the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits since 2007, leading the Center’s public policy and advocacy work and providing non-answers (and occasional useful information) about legal compliance, trends in the nonprofit sector, and advocacy to hundreds of nonprofits. He has served on boards of a variety of local and national nonprofits. David is a graduate of Duke University and the William and Mary School of Law. Before returning to North Carolina to work for the Center, David spent seven years as an attorney with a Washington, D.C. law firm serving the nonprofit community. He lives in Raleigh with his wife and three children, the oldest of whom describes her dad as “weathered.”

David Heinen has been with the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits since 2007, leading the Center’s public policy and advocacy work and providing non-answers (and occasional useful information) about legal compliance, trends in the nonprofit sector, and advocacy to hundreds of nonprofits. He has served on boards of a variety of local and national nonprofits. David is a graduate of Duke University and the William and Mary School of Law. Before returning to North Carolina to work for the Center, David spent seven years as an attorney with a Washington, D.C. law firm serving the nonprofit community. He lives in Raleigh with his wife and three children, the oldest of whom describes her dad as “weathered.”

Jordan Miller is a principal with CliftonLarsonAllen and specializes in assurance services for nonprofit organizations, in addition to nonprofit health care organizations.

Jordan has served a diversity of nonprofit clients with CliftonLarsonAllen, from social service organizations, religious organizations, arts and cultural organizations, associations, independent schools, and foundations.

Her experience with assurance services includes all phases of audits, from engagement planning to report drafting and engagement wrap-up. She places special emphasis on creating efficiencies in the process in order to determine the best way to perform the audit.
Her experience with assurance services includes all phases of audits, from engagement planning to report drafting and engagement wrap-up. She places special emphasis on creating efficiencies in the process in order to determine the best way to perform the audit. She also believes the audit is a window into the organization’s operations and loves discovering additional ways CLA can assist the organization.

Jordan received her Master of Accounting degree from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, as well as her Bachelor of Science in Accounting. She is a Certified Public Accountant in North Carolina.

Jordan serves on the program council and technology committee for the North Carolina chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA). Jordan also served on the Student Outreach, Advancement, and Recruitment Committee of the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants (NCACPA), a committee that she was previously chair of for two years. In addition, she has presented continuing education sessions at conferences across North Carolina, including Nonprofit Roundtables for local Charlotte nonprofits. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). During 2016 and 2017, she was awarded the CPA Practice Advisor’s 40 Under 40 award.

Within CLA, she serves on several committees including the Healthcare Quality and Learning Committee and the Healthcare Data Analytics Task Force. She is also responsible for the office’s recruiting initiatives. She has taught audit training sessions at CLA’s new hire conferences in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Slater has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Auburn University and was a member of the Beta Alpha Psi accounting honor society. He is a member of both the AICPA and the NCACPA. Slater also co-teaches a course each year through the Western North Carolina Nonprofit Pathways program, which provides resources to area nonprofit organizations.
Upon graduation, Slater went to work for Yeager & Boyd, LLC, an accounting firm in Birmingham, AL. During his time there, he had the opportunity to work with public housing authorities throughout the southeastern United States, learning about what role they played in addressing the housing needs of their communities. This experience helped shape his desire to apply his skillset in a way that helped his community to become a better place. After leaving Yeager & Boyd and before moving to Asheville, Slater spent a year traveling in the Western United States with his wife Nikki who was working as a traveling nurse at the time. They explored the west coast, learning more about the country, and when it came time to settle down, they immediately looked to Asheville as a place to call home.
Slater soon joined Steve in his practice, and in May of 2008 they partnered to form Corliss & Solomon, PLLC. Slater is always looking for opportunities to improve and streamline processes, and he has integrated a number of technological tools to better support our clients’ needs.
When he’s not working, Slater spends time with his family and they stay active exploring the creeks and trails of Western North Carolina.

Rhonda K. Devan, CPA, is a seasoned financial professional with a passion for empowering nonprofits to achieve their financial goals and optimize their operational efficiency. With over 30 years of experience in the field of audit, tax, accounting and finance, Rhonda brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role as a trusted advisor and consultant.

Rhonda’s proficiency extends beyond traditional accounting practices. She possesses a deep understanding of nonprofit regulatory requirements, industry trends, and best practices, allowing her to provide strategic guidance and actionable insights to her clients. Whether she’s providing finance office assessments, building stronger finance teams, streamlining processes, restructuring chart of accounts, implementing effective budgeting processes, or optimizing internal controls, Rhonda’s holistic approach to financial management is grounded in a commitment to driving tangible results.

Rhonda holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Roberts Wesleyan University, a master’s degree in education from the State University of New York at Brockport and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the state of North Carolina and New York. She is also a member of AICPA, where she remains actively engaged in continuing education and professional development to stay abreast of emerging trends and advancements in the field.

Jeff Mechanick is Senior Project Advisor for Not-for-Profit Organizations at the FASB. In that role, he provides organization-wide technical and strategic advice on standard-setting activities affecting the not-for-profit sector, guides and facilitates stakeholder outreach with the sector, chairs the FASB’s Not-for-Profit Advisory Committee, and participates in some of the FASB’s broader educational activities. He is also a member of the Technical Advisory Group of the International Financial Reporting for Nonprofit Organizations initiative (#IFR4NPO).

Prior to joining the FASB staff in 2006, Jeff spent 20 years working in and with the not-for-profit sector, as the CFO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc., and before that, as a Senior Manager with KPMG, LLP, in the firm’s New York office. From 1992 to 1994, he served as the National Technical Senior Manager for the firm’s Higher Education, Research, and Other Not-for-Profit Organizations (HERON) practice. He is also a past member of the AICPA’s NFP Expert Panel. Jeff received his MBA from Rutgers University and his AB from the University of Chicago, and he is a member of the AICPA and the New York State Society of CPAs. He is also an adjunct instructor in Columbia University’s MS degree program in Nonprofit Management.

With nearly two decades of expertise in governmental and nonprofit accounting, Alex helps facilitate the development of governmental training programs for Galasso Learning Solutions. Her engaging presentation style, passion for connecting with attendees, and ability to make complex topics accessible have made her a sought-after educator in the field.

Prior to joining GLS, Alex worked for several governmental entities, served as an auditor for a public accounting firm, and earned both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Accounting from Colorado State University. Her contributions to the accounting field have been widely recognized, including being named one of the Top 50 Women in Accounting (2022, 2023) and receiving the AICPA’s Outstanding Young CPA Award in 2022.

Alex serves on AICPA Council and is a member of the Governmental Performance Accountability Committee. She previously served on the Emerging Professional Initiative Committee of the AICPA. She is currently serving as the Vice President of the Educational Foundation Board of Trustees for the Colorado Society of CPAs and is a member of their Young Professional Council. Alex loves Disney and running so in January 2024, she completed the 48.6 mile Dopey Challenge at Walt Disney World!

“Mig Murphy Sistrom owns a specialty accounting firm with provides consulting, accounting, and planning services exclusively to nonprofits on a variety of issues, including accounting systems design, cost allocation, budgeting, internal control and fraud prevention, policies and procedures manuals, and IRS and other compliance issues.

Her firm also provides bookkeeping and other accounting support services.

Mig has authored several articles on nonprofit financial topics and has taught courses on these subjects through Duke University’s Nonprofit Management Program and other organizations.

She is active in the N.C. Association of CPAs and has served on the boards of directors of several North Carolina nonprofits.

Mig holds a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University and is a graduate of Leadership America North Carolina.

Prior to opening her own firm, she served as Director of Finance and Administration for a nonprofit organization with an annual budget of over $10 million.

Previously, she was an audit manager at a large local CPA firm, where she provided accounting, consulting, audit, and tax services to nonprofit organizations.

She began her professional career as a staff auditor at Price Waterhouse LLP.

She holds a Masters of Accounting and a B.S. degree with Highest Honors in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.”
Her firm also provides bookkeeping and other accounting support services.

Mig has authored several articles on nonprofit financial topics and has taught courses on these subjects through Duke University’s Nonprofit Management Program and other organizations.

She is active in the N.C. Association of CPAs and has served on the boards of directors of several North Carolina nonprofits.

Mig holds a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University and is a graduate of Leadership America North Carolina.

Prior to opening her own firm, she served as Director of Finance and Administration for a nonprofit organization with an annual budget of over $10 million.

Previously, she was an audit manager at a large local CPA firm, where she provided accounting, consulting, audit, and tax services to nonprofit organizations.

She began her professional career as a staff auditor at Price Waterhouse LLP.

She holds a Masters of Accounting and a B.S. degree with Highest Honors in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

“I love providing tax services for public charities, higher education institutions, private schools, cultural institutions, associations, foundations and healthcare organizations! Why? Here’s why …

The essence of a tax-exempt organization is the reason for its exemption. It’s entwined with its total existence.

I’m honored to work with such organizations. They are essential to the community, to people, to the world. It’s a privilege to be someone who serves exempt organizations, whether as a board member, an employee or even as a service provider.

And none of our work should be undervalued.

As part of my why I do what I do, it’s to encourage those who work with exempt organizations, sometimes by suggestions, by stories, by seriousness, to remember what a prestigious privilege it is to do so.”

Specializing in Taxation (nonprofit in public and private areas, nonprofit consulting, trusts, and individual taxation), Nonprofit Audit, State & Local Government Audit (k-12 school districts, community colleges, special districts, emphasis on pensions and OPEB) and Single Audit/Uniform Guidance

As a Director in Cherry Bekaert’s Assurance practice, Amelia focuses her practice on serving not-for-profits and educational organizations. With more than 10 years of experience, clients depend on Amelia for timely, practical guidance on many technical accounting and compliance issues, such as implementation of new standards, compliance with federal and state laws and grant programs, fair value matters, endowment accounting and not-for-profit industry insights. Amelia employs her expertise to assist not-for-profits with financial and compliance audits, including Uniform Grant Guidance. She is the Learning Leader for the Firm’s Not-for-Profit Industry Group and has been an instructor at conferences associated with the Southern Association of College & University Business Officers and the North Carolina Association of CPAs.

“As a Senior Associate in Cherry Bekaert’s Government & Public Sector industry group, Paula is part of the advisory team for grant administration and compliance engagements which provides clients with grant lifecycle management solutions. Her career in accounting and grants management spans over 25 years in the not-for-profit, public, and private sectors. She is a Certified Grants Management Specialist. Her specialties include full cycle grant management and accounting, risk assessment, subrecipient monitoring, 2 CFR 200 Uniform Guidance compliance, internal controls, grant reconciliations, workflow analysis, and policy and procedure development.

Paula has worked in various capacities in the grant sector. Her work includes executing NIH research grants; founding a not-for-profit private school, where she wrote proposals and managed a robust grant portfolio; and, serving as the manager of an institution of higher education’s post-award grant program in the Department of Financial Services. Her broad experience has provided her with a versatile skill set that readily adapts to meet the needs of the clients she now serves.”

As the Director of Client Solutions and Education, Linda is the “Linda Widdop has been with Tech Impact for the past two decades where she demystifies technology for all levels of nonprofits to help them be more productive, raise more funds, and support more communities. She has worked with thousands of nonprofits across the country and the world to help them understand, implement, and support the ever-changing technologies that help them meet their mission. She is a regular conference and event speaker presenting on the relatable and timely topics include the importance of technology planning, cybersecurity, data visualization and more.

In her current role as Chief Innovation Officer, Linda shapes the innovation culture by identifying and leading technological and process transformations that link innovation efforts with the purpose and strategic planning of the organization. Linda can not only answer any technology question you have, but any bird question too. She’s an avid (and slightly obsessed) birdwatcher and is always excited to share her passion for all things with wings.”best person to contact with questions about how Tech Impact can work for your nonprofit. She understands our services and how nonprofits use technology.

Ryan Harrington is the Managing Director for the Data Innovation Lab (DIL) at Tech Impact where he focuses on developing data science projects for social good. Previously, Ryan was the lead data scientist at CompassRed Data Labs, a data science and analytics consulting firm where his focus was on developing models using a combination of statistical methods and machine learning techniques. Outside of work, he co-founded and co-organized Open Data Delaware, an organization dedicated to improving data transparency within government institutions and applying data and technology to solve civic problems.