The strength and diversity of our contributing authors is a bedrock value at The Progressive Accountant. Here you’ll find the very best of the very best of the thought-leaders of our profession. While different in many ways (age, geography, gender, practice type, specialty, etc.) our authors share one common trait: they each have the heart of a teacher. All are recognized experts in their specific areas and each speak, teach, write, and appear regularly. And while they each maintain practices and/or related consultancies, they are all willing to share their time and expertise in an effort to help their colleagues. I am so very fortunate for that willingness and for each of their friendships.
Tom C. Davis, CPA, CITP is a partner at Bowen, Phillips, Carmichael, Davis & Sims and President of Knowledge Concepts, Inc., the developers of FirmWorks.
Donny C. Shimamoto, CPA.CITP, is the founder and managing director of IntrapriseTechKnowlogies LLC, a Hawaii-based consulting company dedicated to helping small businesses and middle market organizations leverage strategic technologies, proactively manage their business and technical risks, and enable balanced organizational growth and development. Donny also works with larger organizations as a trusted business advisor, facilitating organizational strategic planning and execution, IT governance and planning, enterprise architecture, information architecture and assurance, business process improvement, and business intelligence initiatives.
Richard Oppenheim blends business experience, technology skills, and writing competence with a passion to help others succeed. Richard’s CPA career evolved from auditor to an early innovator, developing computer applications for the CPA firm and clients. As a consultant, he marketed and sold computer based education programs. He co-founded a company creating on-line continuing education courses for a range of AICPA guidelines including the areas of security, management and control over IT operations.
John D. Anderson, CPA.CITP, CIA, MCP, MSA; is the Information Technology Services Group Manager at Weidmayer, Schneider, Raham & Bennet, a large, local CPA firm in Ann Arbor, MI. He joined the firm after completing a Masters Degree in Accounting from Eastern Michigan University. He speaks at national computer user meetings and is very well respected for his activity on ARNE [the Accountants Resource Network], an Internet bulletin board system sponsored by Thomson Reuters.
Brian Tankersley is a consultant based in Knoxville, Tennessee. Brian is a frequent speaker at continuing education courses on auditing and technology for K2 Enterprises, and is a senior faculty member with Becker Professional Review. Brian writes and publishes a nationally recognized blog on accounting and technology (www.cpatechblog.com) and frequently posts articles to the K2 blog on AccountingWeb.com.
Val is the CEO of K2 Enterprises which is a national technology training and consulting organization. He has eleven years experience in public practice and has been involved with information systems and the technology industry for over twenty five years.
Matt Altman CISA, CGEIT, serves as a technical consultant for accountants through Altman Consulting and Technology, Inc., and is an IS Auditor for the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation. He recently published \"Bad Daddy!\" Ways Toddlers Corrupt their Dad, a humor book with ideas for dads to use when moms aren\'t looking.
Kathy Yakal has been writing about personal and business technology since 1983, as an editor and writer at COMPUTE! Publications. She writes frequently for The Progressive Accountant on technology topics.
As the partner-in-charge of its technology division, One Tech, Brent provides expert technology services to Fordham Goodfellow clients in Hillsboro, OR. As a Certified Public Accountant and a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, Brent enjoys demonstrating to clients how investments in technology can improve overall business results. Brent started his career in accounting as a professor at Portland Community College and as a president of his own accounting and consulting firm.
Jack LaRue, senior vice preisdent myPay Solutions, joined Thomson Reuters in 1993. Prior to his current role as general manager of myPay Solutions,, Jack held positions as Senior Vice President, CS Professional Suite and Vice President of Marketing for the Tax & Accounting business of Thomson Reuters. Jack has more than 25 years of marketing and sales experience. Prior to joining the Thomson Reuters team, Jack headed the business-to-business marketing efforts of Florists\' Transworld Delivery
Geni Whitehouse, CPA.CITP, CSPM is the Founder of Even a Nerd Can Be Heard, an organization focused on communication skills for smart people. With past roles ranging from partner in a CPA firm to leader of the technology practice in a firm, she has a wide range of experiences to share. She is the author of How to Make a Boring Subject Interesting : 52 ways even a nerd can be heard.
Edi Osborne, CEO of Mentor Plus, has been a leader in training and consulting to the accounting profession since 1997. Mentor Plus is dedicated to helping firms make the transition from a "service centric" traditional accounting focus to a "client centric" advisory services culture. for more info go to: www.mentorplus.com
Hugh Duffy is co-founder and chief marketing officer for Build Your Firm, a leading practice development firm dedicated to the accounting industry. Build Your Firm works with small accounting firms providing accounting marketing, practice management and Web site development services. He writes regularly for The Progressive Accountant on related topics.
Scott H. Cytron, ABC, a Big4.com staff writer, i s a frequent contributor to industry publications covering professional services’ industries, including accounting, healthcare, financial planning, collections and debt, and high-tech. He works with many CPA firms to increase their recruitment and retention efforts through communications and marketing strategies
John Higgins, CPA.CITP, is a strategic advisor with Rochester, Mich.-based CPA Crossings, LLC. John and his firm specialize in helping accounting, tax and financial professionals leverage technology to be more productive and profitable. CPA Crossings (www.cpacrossings.com) has extensive experience in helping firms make the transition to a “digital” (paperless) practice model. He contributes regularly to The Progressive Accountant on related topics.
Barry MacQuarrie, CPA.CITP, is the director of Technology Solutions for KAF Financial Group (www.kafgroup.com) in Braintree, Mass. As the CPA Firm Workflow Expert for The Progressive Accountant, he often writes about the technologies used by CPA firms, including paperless office solutions, workflow applications, security applications and document management software.
Kurt Martin is a Founder and Group Publisher of Progressive Media Group (PMG) and the Publisher of The Progressive Accountant. During his tenure as Publisher of The NonProfit Times, he grew the imprint from a single newspaper to a community of websites, online job boards, email newsletters and digital editions of the print editions. Prior to taking the role of Publisher he was the East Coast Sales Manager for Broad Daylight, Inc. a knowledgebase company. He also held management roles in advertising and ciruculation sales at American Banker/Bond Buyer (Thomson), Faulkner & Gray (Thomson) and SourceMedia's Accountants Media Group (Investcorp.) Kurt graduated from Montclair State University with a B.A. in Political Science and Public Administration.
Geni Whitehouse, CPA.CITP, CSPM is the Founder of Even a Nerd Can Be Heard, an organization focused on communication skills for smart people. With past roles ranging from partner in a CPA firm to leader of the technology practice in a firm, she has a wide range of experiences to share. She is the author of How to Make a Boring Subject Interesting : 52 ways even a nerd can be heard.
Chad Brubaker is the President and CEO of E.Mochila, a leading website provider for accountants.He earned his B.S. in Business Administration and Computer Science at University of California, Berkeley.He resides in San Francisco, where he and his colleagues are constantly exposed to the most cutting-edge internet and website issues.
Chris Fraser CPA.CITP, CISA, MBA, MCP is a Business Technology Consultant. Chris has spent his entire professional career addressing business information technology needs and developing solutions for those needs. He specializes in risk management, design, implementation, integration and support of IT systems, business technology review and IT assurance services. His experience includes working for Arthur Andersen and IBM Corporation. Chris is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed by the State of Florida, Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP), a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) with a specialization in Small Business Server, as well as the first Microsoft Small Business Specialist in Tampa Bay, FL.
Julie S. Lepper, EA, MBA is the Principal of Julie S. Lepper, Accounting & Tax Service, LLC, a small local accounting firm in Pinckney, MI. She earned her Master's of Business from Eastern Michigan University and her Bachelor's of Accountancy from Walsh College in Michigan. Julie has over 16 years in consulting with client not only accounting and tax issues , but also on software and sales engagements. She specializes in focusing on start-up businesses and small to medium client needs.
Alexander Vuchnich, CPA, CFE is Manager of Enterprise Accounting Markets.
Mr. Vuchnich leads weekly CPE seminars, demonstrating how accountants can add value to their practices.
Prior to joining Sageworks, Inc., Mr. Vuchnich was an audit manager with Batchelor, Tillery & Roberts, LLP, a professional services firm focusing on small business and not-for-profit clients. Mr. Vuchnich served clients in a range of industries including technology, manufacturing and service.
Mr. Vuchnich holds a Masters of Accountancy and BS in Accounting from North Carolina State University. Mr. Vuchnich is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Mr. Vuchnich served on the NCACPA\'s Young CPA Cabinet as chair of the Community Service Subcommittee.
Bob Scott has provided information to the tax and accounting community since 1991, first as technology editor of Accounting Today, and from 1997 through 2009 as editor of its sister publication, Accounting Technology. He is known throughout the industry for his depth of knowledge and for his high journalistic standards.
Wayne Schulz is the founder of Schulz Consulting. He began his career working for two professional service organizations and managing their consulting divisions. He has been active not only with the implementation of Sage MAS 90 and MAS 200 accounting software but often is engaged to help clients design or evaluate their current accounting procedures.
The philosophy of Schulz Consulting has been built around one of being a consulting firm first and a sales company last. This is evidenced by Wayne’s unwavering claim that he is the world’s worst salesman but perhaps one of the top at providing client service to his loyal base of clients (many of who have been with him since 1986).
David Cieslak, principal with Arxis Technology, a computer consulting firm with offices in Southern California, Chicago and Phoenix, specializes in micro-computer accounting systems, information security, the Windows operating environment, systems development and project management. He is currently an instructor for K2 Enterprises and frequent speaker for the California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and other state accounting societies.
Mr. Cieslak currently chairs the Sage ACCPAC 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 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.
Jim is a Partner, Member of the Board of Directors and a Member of the Management Committee at WithumSmith+Brown, Red Bank, New Jersey and is Director of Firm Technology. In that capacity, he has the responsibility for overseeing all technology issues and operations for the Firm’s eleven offices and over five hundred employees. Jim gives direction and vision to a group of talented internal technology professions whose job it is to keep the Firm functional 24/7. His responsibilities consist of network design and implementation, Internet connectivity solutions, wireless network configuration, technology strategic planning, as well as overseeing the acquisition, implementation and training of new applications and technologies throughout the Firm. In addition, Jim is also responsible for the Firm’s annual technology budget. In September 2008 Jim was named by Accounting Today as one of the Top 100 Most Influential people in Accounting. Jim licensed as a CPA in New Jersey, New York and North Carolina.
Thomas Stephens, Jr. is a partner with K2 Enterprises. To date, he has lectured nationally on subjects such as internal controls for small businesses, practice management and marketing, computer hardware and software applications, tax strategies and compliance, and financial accounting standards and applications. Over the past thirteen years, Mr. Stephens has presented in excess of 950 educational programs to over 25,000 participants nationwide.
Mr. Stephens received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree (Major in Accounting) from Auburn University in 1985. After earning his designation as a Certified Public Accountant, Mr. Stephens attended graduate school, earning a Masters of Science (Major in Finance) from Georgia State University in 1992. Additionally, Mr. Stephens is a volunteer with the local school system and is an active member of his church. He also maintains professional memberships with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants and is a past member of the Institute of Internal Auditors.
Will is currently a Shareholder of K2E, LLC. Will has conducted seminars for 47 State CPA Societies, and has spoken at numerous accounting technology conferences, including speaking at the AICPA Information Technology Conference for 21 years, as well as doing training for other organizations such as the FBI. Will is a past Chairman of the AICPA Information Technology Conference, as well as past chairman of other conferences and professional committees. Will is a co-author of the Practitioners Publishing Company\'s \"Guide to Installing Microcomputer Accounting Systems\" and has had numerous articles published in professional journals including the Journal of Accountancy, the CPA Journal, and others.
Jennifer Wilson is a partner and co-founder of ConvergenceCoaching, LLC, a leadership and marketing consulting and coaching firm that specializes in helping CPA and IT firms achieve success. Learn more about the company and its services at www.convergencecoaching.com.
Dr. Bob Spencer has nearly 40 years experience in Strategic Technology Planning, Software Selection, Disaster Recovery and Contingency Planning, Process Engineering, Content Management, Information Technology Reviews and Audits, and Internet Security Audits. He is an internationally published author of more than a dozen books and hundreds of articles on business and technology optimization.
Ken Garen, CPA, is the Co-founder and President of Universal Business Computing Company, (www.ubcc.com), a software development firm of high-volume, high-productivity accounting and payroll technology. Contact Ken at ubcc@ubcc.com or call Ken at 800-762-8222.
The Progressive Accountant also occasionally features contributions from these fine authors
Brian Hamilton is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sageworks, where he manages overall strategy and product development. He is an original co-developer of “FIND” (Financial Information into Narrative Data), the company's core artificial intelligence technology which converts financial numbers into plain-language reports. “FIND” is the basis of profitCents® and Sageworks Analyst®, applications that are used today by thousands of financial institutions and accounting firms throughout North America and the United Kingdom.
With more than eight years of public accounting experience, Jeremy Gooding works in the areas of creation and review of financial statements, income tax compliance, and consulting services. His experience extends to serve a variety of client types, including estates, trusts, individuals, privately held companies, family-owned businesses (including family limited partnerships), consolidated corporations, and multi-state corporations and partnerships. Jeremy is also an expert specializing in retail, manufacturing, and auto dealerships, and he provides client services in the areas of hospitality and professional services. Jeremy holds the CPA designation and is with Eide Bailly, LLP in Boise, Idaho, office. He can be reached at JGooding@eidebailly.com.
Steven Ladd is co-founder and CEO of Copanion -- a leading innovator in tax document automation. Copanion’s GruntWorx products help tax professionals save up to one hour per return by automatically identifying, organizing and extracting information from scanned tax documents. Prior to founding Copanion, Ladd was chairman of Systematic Accounting. Earlier in his career, he founded InterChip Systems, Inc. -- an electronics product development company that was subsequently purchased by Honeywell. He has also acted as a consultant to technology businesses and has managed sales, manufacturing, and design operations at venture-backed and Fortune-500 sponsored start-ups.
Barry is CEO of BizActions, which he co-founded in September 2000. Previously, he was co-founder and CEO of GovCon from 1993-1999 where he developed an online electronic commerce community that brought together thousands of IT contractors and hundreds of government entities. He was also the CEO of Friedman and Fuller, an accounting and business consulting firm that was sold to American Express in 1996. He stayed with American Express as a Regional Director until 1999. Barry holds an MBA in business administration from Loyola College and taught Financial management in their Executive MBA program. He has been a CPA since 1961.
Tom C. Davis, CPA, CITP is a partner at Bowen, Phillips, Carmichael, Davis & Sims and President of Knowledge Concepts, Inc., the developers of FirmWorks.
