ILLINOIS

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Crowe
Chris Mitchell (pictured) was named the first chief diversity officer at Crowe, Chicago. Mitchell has been with Crowe for six years, serving as a consulting principal within the technology, media and telecommunications services group. In his new role, Mitchell is responsible for driving an innovative and programmatic agenda to support a culture of inclusion in line with the firm’s vision and strategy.

James Ruotolo was hired as a fraud risk senior manager at Grant Thornton, Chicago, where he will help build the firm’s fraud and financial crimes practice capabilities.

The CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois, the charitable partner of the Illinois CPA Society, announced its board of directors to serve April 1, 2020-March 31, 2021. The board of directors, and their organizations, are: president Sara Mikuta, Wipfli LLP; vice president Kimberley Waite, Marcum LLP; secretary Brent Baccus, Pittman & McKeever LLC; treasurer Howard Blumstein, BDO USA LLP (retured) and Loyola University; immediate past president Deborah Rood, CNA Insurance; and directors: Martrice Caldwell, OneGoal; Rose Cammarata, CDK Global Inc.; Rebekuh Eley, RSM US LLP; Marques Fisher, PwC LLP; Mark Glochowsky, Schuler Shook Inc.; Lee Gould, Gould & Pakter Associates LLC; Kenton Klaus, Deloitte LLP (retired) and DePaul University; Elizabeth Murphy, DePaul University (retired); Jason Parish, Plante Moran PLLC; Daniel Rahill, Wintrust Wealth Services; Walter Rein, KPMG LLP; Leilani Rodrigo, E.C. Ortiz & Co. LLP; Michael Rodriguez, WEC Energy Group; Elizabeth Sloan, Grant Thornton LLP; Jeffery Watson, Miller Cooper & Company Ltd. Ex-officio directors are: Geoffrey Harlow, Wipfli LLP and Todd Shapiro, Illinois CPA Society.

MISSOURI

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Garret Layman
BKD, Springfield, announced 32 promotions to senior manager and senior managing consultant levels, effective April 1, in various office locations. The firm promoted, to senior manager: Gabriel Albanese, Denver; Stella Cohen, New York; Dodge Docheff, Kansas City; Karen Garcia, Fort Worth; Jason Griffin, Joplin; Brad Hashagen, Springfield; Lauren Hellman, Omaha; Maura Jackson, Dallas; Chris Jeffery, Salt Lake City; Colby Jensen, Omaha; Jessica Kinnard, Kansas City; Morgan Klipp, Lincoln; Angela Leininger, Kansas City; Shawnell Linot, Wichita; Kyle Miller, Springfield; Kelly Minter-Schneider, Fort Smith; Michelle Ratzlaff, Enid; Jonathan Reale, Dallas; Dustin Redger, Wichita; Walker Roberts, Jackson; Doug Schneider, Dallas; Michael Schroeder, Colorado Springs; Benny Slomovics, New York; Brian Smith, Little Rock; Courtney Smith, Springfield; and Celeste Tabor, Evansville. To senior managing consultant, the firm promoted: Stephen Blumhardt, transaction services, Kansas City; Sarah Loghin, San Antonio; George Lugo, cost segregation/R&D tax credit services, Merrillville; Johnny Sanders, IT risk services, Nashville, and Elizabeth Wilson, Springfield; and to senior managing advisor Shelly Titus, BKD Wealth Advisors, Springfield.

NEW JERSEY

Joseph Breen Jr., tax staff level 1 accountant at Withum, Roseland, received the Elijah Watt Sells Award for CPA Exam excellence.

NEW YORK

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Meredith Hauptman
Meredith Hauptman (pictured), senior manager of human resources at Marks Paneth, New York, was named to the Crain’s New York Business list of Notable Women in Talent Resources.

OREGON

The Oregon Society of CPAs, Beaverton, elected its 2020-21 board of directors. The board, installed April 1, are: board chair Selene Sullivan, shareholder and president on Principle Accounting; chair-elect Charles Mello, audit partner at Deloitte; vice chair Geoffrey Dougall, managing partner at Dougall Conradie; past chair Kari Patterson, vice president of finance with PacificSource Health Plans; and directors: Laura Bergstrom, finance tax director at KBF CPAs; Kelly Bosch, chief financial officer at the University of Oregon Foundation; Mary Ericksen, advisory team associate at Buckingham Strategic Wealth; Cynthia Granatir, chief accountant for Marion County; Ross Holliday, senior tax manager at Boldt Carlisle + Smith; Harriet Strothers, partner at Delap.
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