Professionals on the Move – February 2, 2017

Berdon Names New Valuation and Tax Partners
Berdon LLP recently named Fred E. Chilkowitz, CPA, ABV, ASA and Hal Zemel, CPA, J.D., LL.M. to partners within its Valuation and Tax Services. Chilkowitz currently serves as Chair of Valuation Services within the firm’s Litigation, Valuation and Dispute Resolution Group. He has 20 years of valuation, damages, financial consulting and auditing experience, working with closely-held companies for estate and gift tax reporting, litigation matters and transactions, and calculating damages for complex litigation matters. Chilkowitz has testified as an expert witness in both federal and state litigation matters. He graduated from Rutgers University with his Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and from New York University’s Stern School of Business with his Master of Business Administration degree in finance.

Zemel has nearly 25 years in public accounting providing advisory services to businesses in the manufacturing, distribution, retail, advertising and real estate industries. He provides advisory services to businesses on the taxation of multistate corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies. Zemel received his Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Lehigh University and his Juris Doctor degree from Boston University School of Law and a Master of Laws degree in taxation from New York University School of Law.

Professor Becomes Member of the International Accounting Standards Board
The IFRS Foundation recently announced that Tom Scott has joined the International Accounting Standards Board. Scott, who has been an academic in the field of accounting at various universities in Canada since the late 1970s, has an extensive biography, which includes teaching at all university levels and publishing numerous research papers. He has received several awards and served as a member of the Canadian Accounting Standards Board from 2003 to 2011. Scott most recently served as a director and professor of Accounting at the School of Accounting and Finance, University of Waterloo, Canada. He received his PhD from Queen’s University and Master and Bachelor degrees from the McGill University in Canada.

Rehmann Names New Directors
Rehmann has named Sandy Shecter, CPA as director of the firm’s accounting, consulting & tax department and Laura Oblinger as director of client services for the firm’s west region. Shecter has been with the firm for 27 years and currently serves as a principal in the ACT department. She chaired Rehmann’s Women’s Initiative Network, led the firm’s tax internal inspections and is a member of the firm’s Healthcare Leadership group. She graduated from the University of Michigan with her bachelor’s degree in general studies and a concentration in accounting.

In her new role, Oblinger will oversee business development. She has experience overseeing and managing programs to support businesses’ strategies and brands. Oblinger received her associate’s degree from Northwestern Michigan College and her bachelor’s degree in marketing and communications and MBA in strategic management from Davenport University.

2017 President of the Financial Planning Association Officially Assumes Role
Shannon J. Pike, CFP^®, Vice President of Tanglewood Legacy Advisors, LLC, has officially assumed the role of 2017 President of the Financial Planning Association^®. He has 20 years of financial services experience. In his new role, Pike will work with the FPA Board of Directors, volunteer leaders and staff to advance the association and serve the needs of certified Financial Planner professionals. Pike received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois in Consumer Economics with a concentration in financial planning and his banking degree from the American Institute of Banking.

WeiserMazars LLP Hires Principal
WeiserMazars LLP recently hired Gil Enos as a principal in its Health Care Consulting Group. Enos has more than 25 years of experience in building, scaling and leading successful healthcare technology and services organizations. His expertise includes strategic business development, emerging technologies and clinical/transactional data exchange. Enos graduated from Boston College with a bachelor’s degree in English.

PBMares Partner Recognized
PBMares recently announced that Harvey Johnson, CPA, CGMA, partner and head of its financial services team and information technology and cybersecurity consulting practice, has been recognized by Inside Business as one of this year’s Top 40 Under 40 recipients. Johnson’s experience includes internal and external audit services for financial institutions. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in business with a focus in accounting from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington and his Master of Science degree in accounting from Old Dominion University.

Ryan Enters Partnership with Vusion
Ryan recently announced it has entered a strategic alliance with Vusion that will connect existing Vusion clients with Ryan’s fuel tax experts. Through this partnership, professionals will help truck and mid-market companies identify and secure millions of dollars of untapped fuel tax refund opportunities.

Sensiba San Filippo Acquires Kupperberg & Associates
Sensiba San Filippo LLP recently announced the acquisition of Kupperberg & Associates. As part of the acquisition, Clifford Kupperberg, Pamela Seites, and Ken Kupperberg will transition to SSF’s San Francisco, San Mateo and Pleasanton offices.

CohnReznick Receives Winner’s Circle Award
CohnReznick recently received the Winner’s Circle Award for Women In Leadership for its open and inclusive culture and for investing in change that supports advancement of women. CohnReznick, which launched its women’s program in 2005, regularly enlists the support of both women and men to address and develop solutions for issues of unconscious bias and help retain and advance women to leadership positions.

CohnReznick Appoints Leader of Its Restructuring and Litigation Advisory Team
CohnReznick recently announced the appointment of Chad J. Shandler, CPA to National Director of its Restructuring and Litigation Advisory team. Shandler has nearly 25 years of experience in the restructuring industry, working with financially troubled companies, trustees, secured creditors, and creditor groups to help maximize their value. He has been retained as an expert to plaintiffs and defendants on matters such as lost profit, breach of contract, anti-trust and fraudulent conveyance. Shandler earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with Honors in Management from the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis.

PKF International Welcomes New Firms
PKF International recently announced that Zhongxingcai Guanghua Certified Public Accountants LLP will join its global network of independent firms and Frazier & Deeter LLC will re-join. With the addition of ZG, PKF now has more than 400 offices operating in more than 150 countries across five regions. Existing ZG clients now have access to PKF’s global network for international expansion.

Frazier & Deeter, which has prior experience with the PKF network, works with many multinational clients and the alliance with PKF International will enable Frazier & Deeter to better support these clients.

PKF O’Connor Davies Names New Partners
PKF O’Connor Davies, LLP recently named David Gannon, CPA, Ann Buscaglia, CPA, Jennifer Galasso, CPA, Stephen Machinski, CPA, Andrew Scott, CPA and Gus Saliba, CPA as partners. Gannon, who has 20 years of accounting and auditing experience, will serve in the firm’s Government Services Division. Gannon regularly speaks on governmental accounting and auditing topics for New Jersey professional associations and serves on the national review panel of the International Association of School Business Officials. He graduated from Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.

Buscaglia has more than 30 years of experience providing tax services to closely held businesses in a variety of industries. Her expertise includes partnerships and corporate, individual, trust, and foundation returns.

Galasso has 15 years of experience specializing in audit and tax work for affordable housing entities. She is the lead auditor for Yellow Book audits and serves as a member of the treasury team of It Takes a Village 10591, an organization that provides support services for seniors.

Machinski has more than 18 years of accounting and auditing experience, specializing in not-for-profit organizations. His expertise includes conducting audits in accordance with the Uniform Grant Guidance (Single Audit) and audits of employee benefit plans.

Scott has more than 13 years of experience, working with individuals and small and medium-sized businesses. He specializes in audit services related to non-public privately held businesses.

Saliba has more than 25 years of public accounting experience in the not-for-profit sector, working with educational organizations. His expertise includes audit planning, internal control reviews, developing budgets and forecasts and providing board education and governance advice.