Our Session Moderators
Gail Perry, CPA
She is also the creator of Ensuring Success, a unique annual conference that brings leaders of the profession together to offer continuing professional education to thousands of accountants from the comfort of their own offices or homes. Gail is a member of the AICPA’s PFS Credential Committee, and the creator of a workshop for CPA.com designed to help tax accountants advance their practices to include personal financial planning services. Gail also maintains a small tax practice where she serves real estate agents and performing artists, and she has taught an online financial planning course for more than 10 years. Gail is a graduate of Indiana University where she earned her bachelor's degree in journalism. After returning to school to study accounting at Illinois State University, Gail earned her CPA and worked for Deloitte's Chicago office as a state and local tax specialist. She is a former tax columnist for the Indianapolis Star newspaper, has been a community college adjunct accounting professor, and was on staff for 10 years at the Indiana CPA Society as a computer applications instructor. Gail was the publisher and editor-in-chief of AccountingWEB before joining the CPA Practice Advisor team.
Alexandra DeFelice
She worked as a journalist for the first decade of her career, including as an editor and reporter for Accounting Today, Accounting Tomorrow, Accounting Technology, Journal of Accountancy, and Growth Strategies, a publication of the Association for Accounting Marketing.
Our Presenters for 2024
Tanya Baber EA, CTRS, NTPI Fellow
Tanya is a member in good standing of the National Society of Accountants (NSA), The American Society of Tax Problem Solvers (ASTPS), The National Society of Tax Professionals (NSTP), and the National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP). She also serves on the board of directors for a variety of local and national non-profits, and volunteers with Search and Rescue to give back to her community.
Ms. Baber enjoys teaching advanced level classes to CPA's, Accountants, Comptrollers, and other individuals seeking continuing education. She consults with and enjoys helping these same accountants and individuals with their own difficult tax resolution cases.
She also did a 30 minute radio program throughout the fall and winter of 2015. She enjoyed speaking about taxes and making sense of its complexity for the average person.
Davis Bell
In his personal life, Davis and his wife Melissa are the parents of seven (not a typo) children. He vaguely remembers having some hobbies prior to having children, and occasionally bumps into evidence of these former hobbies in a dusty, cobwebbed corner of his garage. These included tennis and backpacking.
Davis is active in his community, coaching many of his children's teams and serving on the board of UCAIR, Utah's partnership for clean air.
Canopy’s fully integrated practice management solution includes client management, document management, workflow, time & billing, engagements & proposals, and more. Trusted by over 3,000 accounting firms, Canopy’s solutions are SOC2-certified and data-encrypted.
David Cieslak
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.
Aaron Clayton, CPA
As a leader at Eide Bailly, Aaron is committed to fostering innovation and delivering tailored solutions to meet the unique needs of clients. He has a passion for building strong relationships, empowering businesses to grow, and contributing to the success of the firm’s clients and team members.
Aaron is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and an active member of the AICPA, South Dakota CPA Society, and Healthcare Financial Management Association. He frequently speaks at conferences and seminars on emerging industry trends in accounting, sharing insights and practical strategies with peers and professionals. Aaron has been blessed with having the opportunity to serve the CPA profession in a variety of ways and has been fortunate enough to be recognized as a CPA Practice Advisor 40 Under 40 award winner in both 2020 and 2021.
Outside of his professional commitments, Aaron enjoys golf, spending time watching his children’s activities, and community involvement through the Chamber of Commerce and serving on multiple not-for-profit boards, reflecting his dedication to both personal and professional excellence.
Todd Cooper
Todd joined the CPA.com team (an AICPA company) with an extensive leadership background at some of the most recognized technology providers in the accounting and finance industry. As Director of Channels he oversees the execution of the CPA.com channel strategy that focuses on developing, maintaining, and expanding relationships and contributions across the entire channel network. Todd collaborates with strategic partners to create and implement a mutually beneficial channel partner program that supports awareness, engagement, marketing, and revenue goals. This includes firm associations, industry alliances and networks, state societies, and industry thought leaders. Todd has been a featured speaker throughout his career in practice management, technology, and FinTech.
He lives outside Houston, TX where he enjoys spending time outdoors with his family, is active on multiple youth sports boards, and serves as an alumnus advisor for the college of business for his alma mater.
Randy Crabtree
You can find articles from Randy in Accounting Today's Voices column, the AICPA Tax Adviser, CPA Trendlines, Intuit Accountants TaxPro Center and he is a regular presenter at conferences and training events hosted by national accounting associations, state CPA societies and other industry associations.
In May 2022 Randy was appointed, for a 3-year term, to the Intuit Tax Council. Prior to starting Tri-Merit, Crabtree was managing partner of a CPA firm in the greater Chicago area. He has more than 35 years of public accounting and tax consulting experience in a wide variety of industries and has worked closely with top executives to help them optimize their tax planning strategies.
He lives outside Houston, TX where he enjoys spending time outdoors with his family, is active on multiple youth sports boards, and serves as an alumnus advisor for the college of business for his alma mater.
Nicole Davis
Prior to establishing Butler-Davis, Nicole's professional journey was rooted in corporate accounting for prominent Fortune 500 entities. She initiated her career at ConocoPhillips, a leading oil and gas enterprise located in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
Holding memberships with the American Institute of CPAs and the Georgia Society of CPAs, Nicole's educational accolades include an MBA from the University of Tulsa and a summa cum laude Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Grambling State University. Currently, she serves as the Vice Chair of the AICPA Practitioners Planning Committee and is a Committee Member for the Professional and Personal Liability Insurance Programs of the AICPA. Furthermore, Nicole is an active participant in both the Rockdale and Newton Chambers of Commerce.
Nicole and her spouse, JW, reside in Georgia, and are proud parents to five children. On social media, she's amassed a substantial audience of over 25,000 followers across various platforms, where she frequently posts about her life as a wife, mom, and CPA. Nicole is passionate about traveling, penning down her thoughts, whipping up meals, and indulging in reality TV shows.
Diana DiBello
As a public speaker and author, Diana has developed numerous papers and presentations on taxation, including articles for the Journal of Accountancy and the Journal of Multi-State Taxation.
Sean Duncan
CPAs across the United States possess so much valuable knowledge about business, finances, AND taxes; but all too often they shy away from sharing their wisdom in a timely and actionable manner.
Over the last 25+ years, Sean has accumulated a diverse and unique set of credentials and knowledge that he shares through speaking at conferences and events, in private seminars, one on one with clients, and with his very talented team at SMD.
A recognized expert on comprehensive financial and business strategy, Sean M. Duncan, CPA has been a speaker at AccountingWeb Live, Insightful Accountant’s Future Forward, Scaling New Heights, and many other conferences. He is a member of ADP’s Accountant Advisory Council, and Ignitions Client Council.
He has contributed to Intuit’s Accountant blog, and is a frequent contributor to articles in The Dallas Morning News, Insightful Accountant and other publications and has made numerous appearances as a TV or radio show guest, and often speaks at conferences across the United States.
John H. Higgins, CPA.CITP
He has founded and sold two CPA technology advisory startups in his career and now focuses exclusively on helping accounting professionals understand and apply emerging technologies. John is currently immersing himself in the application of artificial intelligence by accounting and finance professionals.
W. Michael Hsu
Michael’s journey from CPA to thought leader in financial intelligence wasn’t without its struggles. He learned early that providing numbers alone wasn’t enough—businesses needed accountants who could offer insights, solutions, and strategic direction. This realization pushed him to create not only DeepSky but also the CFO Club, a training ground for the next wave of financial leaders who want to elevate their client experiences from basic services to impactful CFO advisory roles. With fintech innovations and a robust online education and accountability platform, Michael continues to support accountants in expanding their reach and effectiveness.
Attendees of Michael’s session will discover actionable strategies to redefine their client interactions and build lasting relationships through expert financial guidance. Join him to learn how to become the advisor your clients can’t do without—because in today’s world, numbers only tell part of the story, but it’s your insights that drive success.
Randy Johnston, MCS, MCP
Adrian Johnson
Prior to joining SafeSend, Adrian led product, design, and customer success at Ascent, a regulatory technology startup in Chicago. He also spent 9 years at Morningstar in various product leadership roles in the US and Europe. Outside of work, Adrian enjoys traveling with his wife and two kids, as well as running marathons.
Al-Nesha Jones, CPA, MBA, MOM
She is currently a Participant in the ProConnect Customer Council for Intuit Inc., 2021 – 2024, a member of the Intuit Trainer/Writer Network, an inaugural member of the CHIP Professionals Council (CHIP is bridging the gap between consumers of financial products and financial professionals of color), a member of the National Society of Black CPAs (NSBCPA), a member of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA), and a mentor at her high school (Saint Vincent Academy) and college (Montclair State University) alma maters. Outside of being a self-proclaimed 'cool mom', her biggest accomplishment to date has been creating rewarding career opportunities for her team members that mirror the opportunities she didn’t have when she left her corporate career. She currently leads a 100% female team, where they have flexibility in both their schedule and work location, to ensure they can prioritize all of the nouns that bring them joy.
Roman Kepczyk
Roman was named by INSIDE Public Accounting as one of the profession’s Most Recommended Consultants from 2005 through 2022, CPA Practice Advisor’s Top 25 Thought Leaders from 2011 through 2023, and Accounting Today’s Most Influential People in Accounting (17 years and counting). He currently writes for AICPA Professional Insights, Thomson Reuters Audit and Accounting Update, and CPA Practice Advisor.
Ed Kless
Before Tipping Point, Ed served as Sage's senior director of Partner development and strategy. He hosted the Sage Thought Leadership Podcast and developed and delivered curriculum for Sage Partners and Customers. Ed also appears on The Soul of Enterprise with “his friend and co-host” Ron Baker, founder of the VeraSage Institute where Ed is also a senior fellow.
TJ Lewis
He excels in fostering cross-functional collaboration and navigating the evolving accounting landscape. His role with Spark ensures Rightworks stays ahead of the innovation curve as the profession explores and adopts leading AI technologies.
Vaughan Long
Vaughan has previously taught for the Virginia Society of Enrolled Agents (VASEA), the National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP), CPA Academy and is currently in his 2nd year as the Director of the VA Tech Income Tax School for whom he has also taught for the past 8 years.
Vaughan has been married for 24 years to his wonderful wife and has 2 great children, a son and a daughter.
Eric McMillen, Chief Security Architect
Prior to forming The McMillen Group, he was a Manager in both
the Network Security and Infrastructure practice and the National Information
Systems Assurance practice for BDO, LLP, an international accounting and
consulting practice; previously, he was the Chief Technology Officer for an
international consulting firm, specializing in the Accounting and Professional
Services sector.
Gaynor Meilke, MS, CBC, CTC, CTRC-E
She is a ghostwriter and the author of multiple books, including Avoiding App-athy:Your Step-by-Step Guide to Winning More Sales and Customer Advocates in the Accounting Channel, The Bank Your Brain Blueprint™, and The Market Ownership Method which are available on Amazon.
Dr. Jackie Meyer, CPA, CCTA
Caron Marie Mitchell, CPA
Most recently, she has focused on product development and
compliance for top SaaS accounting software providers, including Intuit and Xero.
Blake Oliver, CPA
In 2012, Blake founded Cloudsourced Accounting, an online accounting services company with a mission to disrupt the business model of traditional accounting firms. The company was an early adopter of cloud accounting technology, which enabled Blake’s staff and clients to collaborate 100% remotely. Aprio Cloud acquired Cloudsourced Accounting in 2015.
After a stint at Armanino LLP, California’s largest accounting and consulting firm, Blake took the leap into tech startups. He joined FloQast as a product marketer and later led marketing at Jirav. In 2021 he set off on his own again to found Earmark CPE, a mobile app that enables accounting and tax professionals to earn CPE for listening to podcasts.
Blake holds a Bachelor of Music from Northwestern University and an Accounting Certificate from UCLA. He lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he enjoys hiking, swimming, and cycling.
Enrico Palmerino
Enrico also serves on the Board of OnProcess Technology and Fidelity Bank and is an investor and advisor in several prominent tech companies. He has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting, Top 30 Most Inspiring Business Leaders, and 2020 Golden Bridge Entrepreneur of the Year.
Botkeeper has raised $90M from marquee investors and serves several thousand companies and 80+ accounting firms, processing 40M+ transactions per quarter.
Prior to Botkeeper, Enrico was co-owner and Managing Director of SmartBooks, a cloud accounting firm which grew from 6-40 employees in 3 years before he was bought out in 2015 so he could launch Botkeeper. Early in Enrico’s career he was ranked 2nd among Bloomberg’s Top 25 Entrepreneurs Under 25 in recognition of his co-founding of ThinkLite. Enrico grew ThinkLite from a dorm-room startup to $8.5M ARR before graduating college and successfully exiting the venture.
Byron K. Patrick, CPA.CITP
A recognized technology leader, Byron frequently speaks at conferences and contributes to industry publications, including the Journal of Accountancy. He has been an active member of the Maryland Association of CPAs and the AICPA, holding several key positions.
Kane Polakoff
His wide range of expertise includes strategic visioning and implementation; technology innovation, P&L management, global operations and account management; client accounting advisory services; business process outsourcing, and management consulting. Kane’s experience includes helping businesses restructure and reestablish operational excellence by transforming from a discrete service provider to a value-added integrated solution provider. In addition to working with US companies, he has led business process solutions deployment internationally, including in Australia, China, Europe, India, Israel, Mexico, and the Philippines.
Kane was recently named one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting by Accounting Today. His thought leadership has been featured extensively in national publications including Accounting Today, CPA Practice Advisor, and US News & World Report. He has been a featured presenter for key industry organizations including the AICPA, Financial Executives International, Information Technology Alliance, and Digital CPA.
Before joining CohnReznick, Kane was the National Client Accounting Advisory Services (CAAS) Practice Leader for a major public accounting firm.
Andy Root
Andy works closely with firm partners and their teams, helping them advance in strategy, technology, culture, and operations. His contributions to the profession have earned him recognition as one of CPA Practice Advisor's "20 Under 40" Accounting Influencers.
Cathy Rowe
She excels in problem solving, and user-centered design. In 2013, Cathy was named as one of the Top 40 Under 40 thought leaders in the accounting profession by CPA Practice Advisor due to the fact that she made significant progress in bringing the customer workflow perspective into the Design and Development processes at CCH. CCH customers are now consulted & involved in all phases of Design and Development within the CCH Axcess and Prosystem fxproducts at CCH. This initiative drives increased Productivity and Ease of Use into all aspects of the CCH products while streamlined integrations between products is occurring to match the end-to-end work CCH customers are conducting.
Dr. Sean Stein Smith
He has also been named a 40 under 40 in the accounting profession from 2017-2022 by CPA Practice Advisor and the NYSSCPA in 2021. Sean was named on the NJBIZ Power 50 in Accounting in 2021 & 2022. He was also awarded the Outstanding Young CPA of the Year Award by the AICPA in 2022. In 2022, Sean also earned the Certified Cryptocurrency Auditor certificate offered by the Blockchain Council, and in 2023 he completed an Executive Education program in AI Strategy at MIT.
Brian Tankersley, CPA, CITP, CGMA
A respected voice in his field, Brian frequently contributes articles to industry publications and has been recognized with multiple awards for his expertise and service to the profession.
Kenneth W. Taylor, Jr. CMI
In addition to his primary role, Ken collaborates with Forvis Mazars’s telecommunication consulting team to deliver state and local regulatory compliance services. He is well-versed in regulatory reporting requirements and excels at designing and implementing compliance processes for clients.
Before joining Forvis Mazars, Ken gained valuable experience at an international accounting firm, where he provided similar services.
Ken is a proud United States Marine Veteran and holds a B.S. degree in accounting from Indiana University, Bloomington. He is also a Certified Member of the Institute (CMI) through the Institute for Professionals in Taxation®, where he serves as an instructor for Sales Tax School II.
Terrell Turner
Terrell is also the creator of the Golden A.G.E of Business, a performance framework that more businesses are adopting to drive improvements within their organizations. Beyond leading his firm, he hosts multiple podcasts, is a public speaker, and an avid content creator.
Ronald Ulrich
Amy Vetter, CPA, CGMA, RYT500, CSP
Amy’s experience includes leadership roles at top firms like XERO and Intuit, where she led strategic growth and cultural change. A keynote speaker, best-selling author, and podcast host, Amy connects with diverse audiences by sharing practical strategies for achieving work-life harmony. She has published three books, including her most recent Disconnect to Connect, to inspire countless readers to take action and make monumental life changes. Through her podcast, Breaking Beliefs, Amy challenges her audiences to rethink their beliefs while pursuing excellence in their career and lives. Amy's mission is to inspire leaders to create purpose-driven, thriving organizations.
Chris Vignone
Industry specialties include retail, telecommunications, bankruptcy, and turnarounds.
Garrett Wagner
Garrett works with CPA firms across the country helping them to implement lasting change by understanding the unique needs of each organization.
Garrett specializes in corporate taxation and can successfully implement ideas and change by using his communication style to get support from key members of the Firm. With his ability to think outside the box, develop procedures, and train staff it has allowed Garrett to have tremendous success in bringing about lasting change.
Garrett believes that the public accounting landscape is undergoing a tremendous change and that by focusing on developing the next generation of leaders and understanding the shift in the profession to providing value added consulting services, that Firms can obtain long lasting success.
Started the LinkedIn group Innovating Trailblazers to provide support for the next generation of leaders by allowing them to share ideas, frustrations, and support each other's growth.
Specialties: CPA, CITP specializing in helping business owners achieve personal and professional success.
Kelly Welter, CPA
Kelly’s extensive work with small businesses over the years laid the foundation for her work with businesses in a variety of industries. It is common for her to work with clients from the startup stage, assisting them with business formation, setting up the accounting and payroll, and provide financial, general business, and tax consultation through all the stages of their development. Kelly is working with sole practitioners and small businesses in helping them analyze their current operating and financial situations. She has worked to help them find the balance between their work and personal life and tax situations.
Geni Whitehouse, CPA, CITP
She is a co-founder of Solve Services, a remote bookkeeping business for the wine industry and is the author of “How to Make a Boring Subject Interesting: 52 ways even a nerd can be heard” which is available on Amazon.com.