Professionals on the Move – November 17, 2014

CohnReznick LLP and Watkins Meegan LLC Complete Merger
CohnReznick LLP and Watkins Meegan LLC announced the completion of their merger, announced last month. The merger will allow for the geographic expansion of Watkins Meegan’s Government Contractors Practice. Mike Micholas, Watkins Meegan’s Managing Partner, will now serve as Co-Regional Managing Partner-Mid-Atlantic for CohnReznick along with Gary Perlow. This is CohnReznick’s second merger this year. Ercolini & Co. joined the firm in July.

AICPA Elects President of the International Federation of Accountants
The American Institute of CPAs recently announced the election of Olivia Kirtley, CPA, CGMA to a two-year term as president of the International Federation of Accountants. The first female president in IFAC history, Kirtley succeeds Warren Allen. She is also the first representative from the business community to serve in that position. Kirtley has previously served on the independent IFAC Task Force on Rebuilding Public Confidence in Financial Reporting, became a member of the IFAC Board and was elected. She was also the first woman to be elected chair of the Board of Directors of the AICPA, where she continues to serve as a member of the governing Council, and was chair of the AICPA Board of Examiners.

Grant Thornton Names New Managing Director
Grant Thornton LLP recently appointed Robert Conlon as a managing director and compensation consulting leader of the firm’s Chicago Compensation and Benefits Consulting practice. Conlon has almost 25 years of experience in the areas of compensation, talent management, succession management, change management and organization effectiveness, including recruiting and sourcing, onboarding and orientation, performance management, strategic workforce planning and human capital strategy. He received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and social relations and completed graduate fellowship studies in the areas of organizational analysis, organizational psychology, team development and communications at Harvard University.

AICPA Names Recipient of Arthur J. Dixon Memorial Award
The Tax Division of the American Institute of CPAs named Patricia A. Thompson as the recipient of the 2014 Arthur J. Dixon Memorial Award, the highest honor bestowed by the accounting profession in the area of taxation. Thompson is a tax partner with Piccerelli Gilstein & Co, where she works with closely held business owners and their businesses in the manufacturing, real estate, service and wholesale industries. She has served on AICPA committees for more than 20 years, including the AICPA’s Tax Executive Committee and the Individual Taxation Committee. Thompson has also served as president, vice president, secretary and treasurer for the Rhode Island Society of CPAs throughout her career, serving as president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. Thompson received his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Rhode Island and her Master of Science in Taxation from Bryant College.

1st Source Announces Promotions
1st Source Corporation announced its Board of Directors has elected Jim Seitz to President of 1st Source Corporation, Andrea Short, CPA to Executive Vice President of the Corporation and Jeff Buhr to Executive Vice President of the Bank. Seitz has served as Bank President for the past two years, and, in his new role, he will lead the bank’s business and commercial banking area, specialty finance lending units and banking centers. Seitz received his M.B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and his B.S. in Business Marketing from Indiana University.

Short, who is the Chief Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer, will have responsibility over the bank’s lending and deposit operations. Short graduated with her B.A. degree from Alma College and completed the University of Chicago Booth School of Business’ Chicago Management Institute.

Buhr is the Chief Credit Officer of 1st Source, and is responsible for credit analysis and underwriting, loan workout and recovery and loan administration. Buhr graduated from the University of Idaho and received his M.B.A. from Texas Christian University.

RotenbergMeril Joins the BDO Alliance USA
RotenbergMeril has joined the BDO Alliance USA. As an independent member of the BDO Alliance USA, RotenbergMeril can expand the services offered to clients by drawing on the resources of BDO USA, LLP and other Alliance members. The Alliance allows RotenbergMeril to broaden its coverage in international audit and tax services and expands its capabilities in such specialty areas as information systems assurance and specialized tax services.

Consulting Firm Joins Marks Paneth LLP
ITR LLC recently joined Marks Paneth LLP. ITR provides litigation support to attorneys and their clients in international trade remedies and dispute proceedings. The firm and its 12 staff members, including partners and principals, will become part of the Litigation and Corporate Financial Advisory Services Group at Marks Paneth.