Maryland Association of CPAs Names New Chair and Directors

Her thoughts and plans for the upcoming year range from professional development to education to technology, all focused on her drive to continue to serve the interests of Maryland CPAs.

“My passion geared toward educating small firms and mentoring young accountants is central to the many issues that have serious implications for our profession,” she said. “My platform as chair is one of innovation. Exposing CPAs to the technology that’s available to them and making them aware of the possibilities is a huge part of the picture.”

Joining Bowling on the 2018-19 MACPA Board of Directors are the following:

Vice Chair

Ray Speciale, Esq., CPA, associate professor, Mount St. Mary’s University. A commercially rated pilot and flight instructor who operates a law practice dedicated exclusively to aviation-related legal and tax matters. Has written two books and numerous articles on issues impacting aircraft owners and pilots. From 2007 to 2013, served as the educator member of the Maryland State Board of Public Accountancy.

Secretary / Treasurer
Avonette Blanding, CPA, CFO, Maritime Applied Physics Corporation. Joined Maritime Applied Physics Corporation in 2006 as controller; a year later, was promoted to chief financial officer. An active member of the MACPA’s Government Contractors Committee and an active CPA Career Awareness volunteer speaker.

Immediate Past Chair

Ken Kelly, CPA, CGMA, consultant, KK Advisory, LLC. Has nearly 40 years of experience in business and public accounting. Before founding KK Advisory in 2014, served as senior vice president and controller for McCormick & Co., Inc., a $4 billion S&P 500 company for whom he worked for 18 years. Previously served as controller for Black & Decker. Previously served on the Board of Directors of the joint venture formed between the American Institute of CPAs and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants that launched the CGMA professional accreditation. An associate member and former Executive Committee member of the Committee on Corporate Reporting for Financial Executives International.

Director

Christine Aspell, CPA, Managing partner / audit partner, KPMG LLP, Baltimore. Partner-in-charge of the Baltimore chapter of KPMG’s Network of Women, where she established the chapter in 2004. A member of KPMG’s Women’s Advisory Board, which helps oversee the advancement of women. Chair of the Loyola Accounting Advisory Board. A member of the Greater Baltimore Committee Board of Directors, the Downtown Partnership Board of Directors, the Center Club Board of Governors, the My Sister’s Place Leadership Council, the Maryland Zoo, the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland, the New America (Better Life Lab), and the St. Ursula School Finance Committee. A “Maryland Top 100 Women” winner in 2012, 2015 and 2018.

Director
Mark Cissell, CPA, CEO, president, director, KatzAbosch. A member of the Board of Directors of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce and the Maryland Business for Responsive Government. Also serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board for the University of Baltimore, Merrick School of Business. Recipient of The Daily Record’s 2016 Most Admired CEO Award.

Director
Jeffrey Cook, CPA, CITP, CISA, principal, Coalfire Systems, Inc. Has created procedures and provided training on risk-based IT audit procedures for financial audits to meet AICPA standards for IT risk and has functional knowledge of NIST standards, FISMA, and FedRAMP. Heavily involved with the AICPA by volunteering as a member of the AICPA CITP credential committee and was part of the SOC 2 working group, helping to develop the 2018 version of the AICPA SOC 2 guide. In June 2016, was a recipient of the AICPA Information Management and Technology Assurance IMTA Standing Ovation Award for outstanding professional achievement in the IT specialization area.

Director
Leon Katsnelson, Director and CTO, Strategic Partnerships for Data Science, IBM. Award-winning international speaker and a published author who is always up on the cutting edge of technology trends. As director and CTO of IBM Strategic Partnerships for Data Science, leads a team of data scientists focused on artificial intelligence, machine learning, Big Data, and other applications of cognitive technologies in all areas of human endeavor. A strategic adviser to a number of startups, helping disrupt technology laggards with new business models based on blockchain, the Internet of Things, and A.I.

Director

Andrew Page, CPA, vice president / corporate controller, Under Armour. Has global responsibility for controllership, including accounting, SEC reporting and internal controls for Under Armour. His responsibilities also include oversight of the company’s equity plans and due diligence related to M&A activities. Joined Under Armour in 2011 as assistant corporate controller before progressing to his current role. Previously served as assistant controller for Discovery Communications, General Electric, AES Corporation, and FTI Consulting. Began his career as an auditor at Ernst & Young.

Director

Keith Parker, CPA, financial advisor, Morgan Stanley. Provides a combination of knowledge in accounting, transaction structuring, investment analysis, and portfolio construction. A member of CFA Institute, the Baltimore CFA Society, and the American Institute of CPAs. A CFA charterholder, a licensed CPA in Maryland, and holds the Series 7 and Series 66 Licenses.

Director

Karen T. Syrylo, CPA, owner, Karen T. Syrylo, CPA. Has specialized in multi-state tax consulting services for more than 35 years, working with clients in a wide variety of industries on matters of multistate tax planning, compliance, and audit defense and appeals, in income tax, sales tax, property tax, unclaimed property, and other taxes. The highlight of her tax career saw her initiate the Constitutional argument for the Wynne v. Comptroller case, which was ultimately successful in front of the United States Supreme Court. A long-time member and former chairman of the MACPA’s State Tax Committee, and a member of the planning committee for the annual Advanced Tax Institute. Has served on several tax study commissions established by the Maryland Legislature. Has been recognized as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women by The Daily Record. Serves on the Board of Directors of Junior Achievement of Central Maryland, on an advisory committee to her county’s schools superintendent, and as co-chairman of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce’s Tax Committee.

Director

Denise K. West, CPA, CGMA, corporate controller and HR director, Insight Homes, Inc. Has 20-plus years of accounting, finance and operations experience, specializing in several industries, including retail, residential home building, and commercial properties. Has been with Insight Homes, Inc., a residential home builder based out of Delaware, for the past two years. Her previous employment was with South Moon Under, a specialty apparel retailer, for 16 years, where she served as vice president of finance and operations. Has participated in the MACPA Women and Diversity Initiative Task Force and is active in the Eastern Shore community of Maryland.