Incoming NASBA CEO Appoints Four to Leadership Team

“Kent, Brie, Bill, and Sedrik each bring unique skill sets and a history of working directly with NASBA’s member boards of accountancy,” Dustin said in a statement on July 19. “NASBA is fortunate to attract these highly skilled individuals to carry out the important work of the organization and strengthen the NASBA culture as we transition into the future.”

Kent Absec, of Kellogg, ID, will serve as NASBA’s vice president, state board relations. In this role, Absec will serve as an advocate for state boards of accountancy and explore opportunities to provide support and services to NASBA’s member boards. Previously, Absec served as the executive officer for the Idaho State Board of Accountancy, a role he held since March 2012. Absec’s involvement with NASBA includes six years on the Computer Based Testing (CBT) Administration Committee and five terms as a member of the Executive Directors Committee. Absec also served as the Executive Directors Committee chair and liaison to the NASBA Board of Directors for two consecutive years.

Brie Allen, Esq., of Lexington, KY, will serve as chief legal officer of NASBA. In this role, Allen will oversee all legal matters on behalf of the association. A North Carolina native, Allen’s background is in professional regulation, contracting, and governance, with a focus on nonprofits engaged in innovative work. Most recently, Allen served as legal counsel of the U.S. and global offices of U.K.-based consulting firm The Behavioural Insights Team. Prior to that, she spent a decade practicing with Raleigh, NC-based law firm Allen & Pinnix, working with NASBA, the Washington State Board of Accountancy, and Texas State Board of Public Accountancy. She also worked and consulted for the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative, assisting its international legal profession regulatory work.

Bill Emmer, CPA, of Ramsey, NJ, will serve as NASBA’s vice president, operations. With more than 30 years of business and leadership experience, Emmer will oversee multiple operations at NASBA, including services related to the CPA exam, CPA licensing, the National Candidate Database, the National CPE Registry, other products and services, as well as IT. He acted as the enterprise program manager of the Uniform CPA Examination (CPA exam) where he was responsible for the day-to-day operations across the NASBA, AICPA, and Prometric (NAP) enterprise. Emmer was instrumental in launching continuous testing of the CPA exam and launching the exam in several international countries.

Sedrik Newbern, of Nashville, TN, will serve as president of the NASBA Center for the Public Trust (CPT) and as chief ethics officer of NASBA. As CPT president, Newbern will manage the nonprofit ethics and leadership organization’s day-to-day operations and growing number of CPT programs. As chief ethics officer, Newbern will oversee ethics compliance for the organization and will represent NASBA in ethics-related activities within the accounting profession. Newbern’s tenure with NASBA began in 2019, where he served as CPT operations director. In 2021, he transitioned to a consultant for the CPT. Prior to joining NASBA, Newbern held various marketing and operations leadership roles across the insurance and nonprofit sectors. He has also shared his experience and passion for entrepreneurism as a college professor in his role as entrepreneur-in-residence in the Department of Management for Gordon Ford College of Business at Western Kentucky University.