State CPA Society News & Updates is a selection of recent announcements and initiatives by CPA associations in the United States and its territories.
The Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants (FICPA) recently announcedJim Gurowka, CAE, as its new Chief Growth Officer (CGO), effective Sept. 30. Gurowka comes to the FICPA after a 19-year tenure as Senior Vice President of the Institute Management Accountants (IMA). In his time at IMA, Gurowka was responsible for developing and executing the organization’s strategic plans and tripling the association’s membership and revenue. He will now put his international experience to work at the state level, where he looks forward to working in service of the CPA profession in Florida.
As CGO, Gurowka will oversee FICPA’s member service, sales, learning and development, and marketing and communications initiatives. He will work closely with Weir and the FICPA Council to execute the Institute’s strategic plan, with a special emphasis on creating sustainable growth opportunities and enhancing member value.
A native of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Gurowka is a graduate of York University and holds a master’s degree in Industrial Relations from the London School of Economics and a Political Science. Before his time at the IMA, he served as a Senior Finance Analyst for Volkswagen Group Canada and as a Partner at the consulting firm Focused Management Information, where he assisted clients ranging from Hewlett Packard and Toyota Motor Credit to the Ontario Teacher’s Pension Plan and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Since departing the IMA last year, he has worked as a consultant, advising associations and non-profits on developing corporate relationships and creating successful fundraising campaigns.
The Greater Washington Society of CPAs (GWSCPA) recently announced its list of board members and nominations for the 2024/2025 year. Those members include:
FY25 New Board Nominees
Christine Cardinal
SVP, Commercial Relationship Manager
Atlantic Union Bank
Christine Cardinal is a Senior Vice President in the Nonprofit Banking Group at Atlantic Union Bank. Christine has over 25 years of banking experience specializing in working with tax-exempt organizations in Northern Virginia, DC, and Maryland. She is focused on partnering with nonprofits to deliver exceptional service, serve as a valued resource, and assist them with financing needs and improving efficiencies through the use of automation and technology.
Christine has a BBA in Accounting from St. Mary’s University and an MBA in Finance from Texas Tech University.
Contina Djaouga, CPA
VP, Finance
US Travel Association
Contina Djaouga joined the U.S. Travel Association in 2014 eager to expand on her 15-plus years of leadership and management experience with nonprofit organizations. She manages the accounting department and ensures the timely and accurate preparation of monthly financial statements for the Association. In addition to assisting in the coordination and management of the Association’s annual audit and budget, she oversees the payroll and benefits accounting.
She holds a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants.
Omid Mohebbi, CPA
Audit Manager
GRF CPAs & Advisors
Omid Mohebbi, CPA, is a Manager with GRF CPAs & Advisors and specializes in audits of nonprofit organizations and employee benefit plans. Mr. Mohebbi is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and events on the nonprofit sector, employee benefit plans, and the latest accounting standards. He currently serves as Chair of the Greater Washington Society of CPAs Nonprofit Academy Committee and Co-Chair of the Greater Washington Society of CPAs Employee Benefit Plan Conference Committee. Until recently, he also served for a number of years as Board Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee of a prominent nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C.
Jess Roper, CPA
Director | Outsourced CFO
Vault Consulting, LLC
Jessica Roper has over 14 years of accounting experience serving the nonprofit industry. She is a Director and Outsourced CFO in Vault Consulting’s outsourced accounting practice group. Her current responsibilities include the management and preparation of financial statements, analysis of financial statement variances, compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, financial projections, and cash management, federal and non-federal grant reporting and compliance, and tax compliance for our not-for-profit clients.
Jessica regularly participates in grant reviews with the board of ArtsFairfax and other arts organizations in the Greater Washington DC area. Jessica received a Master of Accountancy from George Washington University and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). She is an active member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Greater Washington Society of CPAs (GWSCPA).
Evan Seward, CPA
Executive Search Director
Cordia, Now Cherry Bekaert
Evan Seward is an Executive Search Director for Cordia Resources by Cherry Bekaert, where he brings a unique combination of direct accounting/finance understanding, executive search, and staffing experience to support a variety of clients in the DC area and beyond. Based out of Arlington, VA, Evan helps to lead the direct-hire staffing practice focused on full-cycle search efforts for finance and accounting professionals. Before joining Cordia Resources, Evan worked for several years in the public accounting industry with KPMG and within corporate accounting at Navy Federal Credit Union.
He has a Bachelor’s in Accounting, an MBA, an active CPA license in Virginia, and is proud to be a Certified Diversity Recruiter (CDR).
FY25 Renewing Board Members
Alex Galeano, CPA, MBA, CAE
CFO
Independent Community Bankers of America
Alex Galeano is ICBA’s Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, based in Washington, DC. In this role, Alex provides leadership to the association as a steward, strategist, and catalyst for the financial resources and activities of ICBA and its subsidiaries.
Alex started his career in the for-profit industry, serving in public accounting, consulting, and Fortune 500 companies. Over time, Alex felt that he wanted to apply his accounting and financial management background to work for an organization with a social, charitable, or community mission. In 2003, he accepted a role with AARP and went on to have a 9-year tenure there.
After AARP, Alex held senior financial positions at the National Association of Broadcasters and recently served as Chief Financial Officer for ASIS International, a global membership organization for security management professionals.
Alex received both his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and MBA from Strayer University. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the Commonwealth of Virginia and recently obtained his Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation.
Brittney Gordon, CPA
Director of Business Development
The Alliance Group
Brittney Gordon, CPA is the Director of Business Development at The Alliance Group and has led the firm’s non-profit practice for the last 7 years, in addition to serving clients in the Fortune 500, private companies, and multinational firms. In her role, Brittney provides Executives with access to a range of talent solutions including consulting, advisory, executive search, and interim staffing.
She is a graduate of the College of William & Mary and a proud Tribe alumna. Brittney has been described by her clients as passionate about her work, generous in making connections within her professional network, creative in her approach to problem-solving, thorough in her technical knowledge, and compassionate, engaging, and professional in her demeanor.
Venus Tuazon, CPA
Director
CliftonLarsonAllen
Venus has more than 18 years of public accounting experience supporting the DC Metro Area’s nonprofit community, providing services to a variety of complex tax-exempt organizations, including independent schools, human services, foundations, associations, religious, and cultural sectors, and others. Venus has extensive experience with audits of nonprofit organizations of all sizes, with a diverse range of important missions.
She has prepared various tax returns for nonprofits, taught at seminars, and written articles about accounting and tax issues affecting nonprofits. Venus advises clients on best practices relating to internal controls, policies, and procedures, and the proper implementation of these.
The South Carolina Association of CPAs (SCACPA) has opened registration for Fall Fest, a two-day conference that provides numerous educational sessions and networking opportunities. The Fall Fest will take place November 14-15, 2024 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. Visit the SCACPA website for more information or to register online.
The Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs (PICPA) is offering an Accounting and Auditing Conference, which will take place December 11 and 12, 2024 from 8:00 AM to 3:50 PM. The conference is $779 for PICPA members and $879 for non-members. The conference will be webcast and offers 16 CPE credits. Visit the registration page for more information or to register for the webcast.
The Vermont Society of Certified Public Accountants (VTCPA) recently announced the hiring of Sadie Fischesser as the Society’s new Executive Director. Sadie has recent experience in operations with the State of Vermont and she brings a background in non-profit leadership and management. In the past, she has been a non-profit Board President, Secretary, and Executive Director.
VTCPA would also like to thank Rita Richardson, who has been the Interim Society Administrator for the past few months, and wish her continued success in the future.
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Tags: Firm Management
