Professionals on the Move – October 7, 2014

Decosimo Selects Senior Manager and Promotes Accountants
Decosimo Co. promoted Kim Perry, CPA to a senior manager within the firm’s assurance practice in the Chattanooga office. Perry has experience working with clients across various industries, including manufacturing and distribution, consumer finance, financial institutions and not-for-profit organizations.

In addition, Trey Johnson and Marcus Williamson have been promoted to senior accountants in the firm’s Chattanooga office, and Sara Lawson-Vineyard has been promoted to senior accountant in the firm’s Dalton, Ga., office.

Ernst & Young Names New Partner of Higher Ed Team
Ernst & Young LLP recently announced the addition of Bob Lammey, CPA has joined the Higher Education practice as a partner in the firm’s Exempt Organization Tax Services group. In his new role, Lammey will work with colleges and universities nationally, supporting their professional services needs, including domestic and international tax matters, advisory support, and assurance items. Lammey formerly served as the Sr. Director of Higher Education at Radius and Director of Global Business Compliance at Harvard University, where he supported the global initiatives of many universities in the U.S. and had oversight of the tax reporting and international activities of Harvard. 

Carr, Riggs & Ingram Acquires Wealth Management Firm
Carr, Riggs & Ingram, LLC recently acquired wealth management firm, Level Four Advisory Services. Level Four, which is headquartered in Plano, Texas, now operates as a division of CRI, which has 42 offices throughout Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

Grant Thornton Names New Principal and Managing Partner
Grant Thornton LLP recently selected Jose Molina as a principal and leader of its Financial Services Advisory Enterprise Risk Management practice and Jamie Fowler, CPA as office managing partner of its Mid-Atlantic practice.

Molina’s experience includes leading financial risk management and finance transformational programs, risk analytics and modeling, regulatory compliance operating models, risk capital management and stress testing and operational risk management optimization techniques. Molina is a chartered accountant in Europe and a member of the Global Association of Risk Professionals, the Professional Risk Management International Association and the Royal Institute of Economists of Spain. He received an advanced degree in economics, finance and business management from the University of Seville, Spain.

Fowler recently served as the Northeast region partner-in-charge of Tax and as national managing partner of National Tax Strategic Solutions. She has change management, leadership and strategy execution experience, and has led large-scale organizational restructuring projects for companies nationwide for more than 30 years. Fowler received her master’s degree in accounting from the University of Virginia and her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Ouachita University.

PKF Texas Recognized for by When Work Works
Parnell Kerr Forster of Texas, P.C. recently with the 2014 When Work Works Award for its use of effective workplace strategies to increase business and employee success. The award is part of the national When Work Works project administered by the Families and Work Institute and the Society for Human Resource Management and recognizes employers of all sizes and types in across the country. 

NSBN LLP Announces Three New Senior Managers
NSBN LLP, CPAs & Business Consultants recently promoted Eric S. Adler, CPA, Carey M. Heyman, CPA, and Monica T. Heyman, CPA to Senior Managers. Adler, provides tax planning, consulting, bookkeeping and QuickBooks® services to clients in a variety of industries including real estate, horse racing, closely-held personal businesses and individuals. Both Carey and Monica Heyman serve clients in residential, commercial and industrial real estate, providing audit, accounting and tax services.

Avalara Appoints Tami Reller to Board of Directors
Avalara, Inc. announced the appointment of industry software leader and former Microsoft executive Tami Reller to its board of directors. Reller, who is currently the executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Optum, previously worked at Microsoft as executive vice president marketing and served as CFO for several divisions within Microsoft.

CohnReznick LLP and Watkins Meegan LLC Announce Merger
CohnReznick LLP and Watkins Meegan LLC recently announced plans to merge the two practices. Mike Micholas, Watkins Meegan’s Managing Partner, will continue to be a part of the senior management team in the region. The combined firm will have nearly 300 partners, approximately 2750 employees and 28 offices.

Scott and Company CPAs Expands Audit Team
Scott and Company LLC recently added Ronnie Head, CPA and Sarah Judge to the firm’s Assurance and Advisory Services team. In their new roles, Head and Judge will work on audit engagements, risk assessments, financial statement preparation and other duties for governmental and not-for-profit clients and closely-held businesses in industries including real estate, hospitality, manufacturing and healthcare.

Head rejoins Scott and Company as Senior Manager after five years in the private sector.  He has more than 15 years of combined experience in industry and public accounting. Head graduated from the University of Georgia with a B.B.A. in Accounting and a Masters of Accountancy with Audit Specialization. 

Judge joins Scott and Company as an Associate Accountant. She previously worked at Ernst & Young on the assurance services team, serving clients in the manufacturing, healthcare, closely held businesses and not-for-profit industries. She graduated from the University of South Carolina’s Moore School of Business with a B.S. in Business Administration, with an emphasis in Accounting and International Business.

PwC’s Risk Assurance Practice Expands its Data Protection and Privacy Capabilities
PwC US recently announced the expansion of its Data Protection and Privacy practice within its Risk Assurance division with the addition of the following professionals: Jay Cline as Principal; Ken Mortensen as Managing Director; Angela Saverice-Rohan as Managing Director; Brad Chin as Managing Director; Doris Patrick as Director; Bob Gibson as Director; Jim Williams as Director; and Frank Cindrich as Director.

Dixon Hughes Goodman Names New Principal of New York Office
Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP recently added Jared Forman as a new Principal with the firm’s Risk Advisory Practice. Forman’s experience includes consulting with large global financial institutions, such as banks and insurance companies. In his new role, Forman will assist clients in solving issues related to Enterprise Risk Management, capital management, governance and organization, stress testing, risk strategy, communication, and compliance with existing and emerging risk and capital related regulation. Forman graduated from Binghamton University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics.