People & firms on the move: LaPorte names new president & CEO

November 6, 2020 10:17 AM

NASBA appoints board members; Sweeney Conrad promotes 20; and more CPA news.

ARIZONA

Roman Kepczyk (pictured), director of firm technology strategy for Right Networks, Phoenix, is hosting the 12th annual 2020 Roman Kepczyk Virtual Technology Workshop, organized by Art Kuesel, president of Kuesel Consulting. Registration is available here.

CALIFORNIA

Windes, Irvine, was named one of the Best Places to Work in Orange County for the 10th consecutive year by the annual program run by the Orange County Business Journal and Best Companies Group.

CONNECTICUT

James Rotherham, audit partner at Baker Tilly, San Diego, was appointed to the Small Business Advisory Committee of the Financial Accounting Standards Board, Norwalk.

FLORIDA

Grassi opened a new office in Palm Beach, at 231 Royal Palm Way.

GEORGIA

PrimeGlobal, Duluth, announced a global strategic partnership with the American Institute of CPAs to provide the international association’s member firms with resources, tools and thought leadership to explore new business opportunities. (Read the full story.)

KANSAS

Randy Johnston, owner and vice president of K2 Enterprises, Hutchinson, along with Peter Mares and Frank Rochon, have introduced a method to help businesses minimize financial losses and recover from the pandemic, with a "Candemic" website for people to submit business-boosting ideas.

KENTUCKY

The Accounting & Financial Women’s Alliance, Lexington, announced the recipients of the 2020 Women Who Count Awards during a virtual luncheon for the Women Who Count conference Oct. 30. The winners were: Anna Raney, director of leadership and culture, Polston Tax and Accounting in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City Chapter, as AFWA Emerging Leader; Emma Caldwell, controller, Advanced Correctional Healthcare in Peoria, Illinois, member-at-large, as AFWA Emerging Leader; Lauren Akers, tax senior associate, Allison Mott CPA, Kansas City, Kansas City Chapter, with the AFWA Growth Award; Jennifer Collins, audit manager, Grant Thornton, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Tulsa Chapter, with the AFWA Growth Award; Andrea Wilt, financial advisor, Premier Financial Partners, Kansas City, Missouri, Kansas City Chapter, as AFWA Industry Professional; Liz Mason, CEO/founder, High Rock Accounting, Scottsdale, Arizona, Phoenix Chapter, with the AFWA Small Business Award; Madeleine Trimble, assistant professor, accounting, College of Business, Illinois State University, Peoria, Illinois, with the AFWA Academic Award; and Dorothy Ashley, East Mesa Chapter, Mesa, Arizona, with the AFWA President’s Award. Also awarded, for AFWA Chapter Achievement: for membership: District of Columbia Chapter; communications: Denver Chapter; programming: Kansas City Chapter; scholarship: Denver Chapter; and public service: Illinois State University Chapter. And chapters celebrating milestones are: New York Chapter: 80 years; Buffalo, New York Chapter: 70 years; Richmond, Virginia Chapter: 70 years; Denver, Colorado Chapter: 70 years; Jackson, Mississippi Chapter: 60 years; Ames, Iowa Chapter: 30 years; and Troy, Michigan Chapter: 10 years. (Read the full story.)

LOUISIANA

Eric Bosch

Eric Bosch (pictured) was selected as president and CEO-elect of LaPorte CPAs & Business Advisors, Metairie, to assume the role Dec. 1, 2021. Bosch will work with William Mason, current president and CEO, over the next 13 months as he transitions from the role he has held for 20 years. Bosch joined LaPorte in 1990 and currently serves as a director in the audit and assurance services group.

MISSOURI

Christopher Goodwin was hired as a senior tax associate at Abeles and Hoffman, St. Louis.

NEW YORK

Prager Metis, New York, announced its newest expansion, Nagano Morita, a division of Prager Metis, which will add an international Japanese desk and five new domestic offices for Prager Metis located in Torrance, Los Angeles and Silicon Valley, California, as well as Boston and Fort Lee, New Jersey.

CohnReznick, New York, was recognized as the Best Audit Firm in Hedgeweek’s 2020 US Awards.

Christian Burgos was hired as co-leader of the State and Local Tax practice at Friedman, New York. In other news, the firm also announced a strategic alliance with Friedman Accounting Services LLC that delivers outsourced financial expertise to clients.

The National Conference of CPA Practitioners will be hosting its 18th annual Accounting & Tax Symposium virtually Nov. 10, 13, 18 and 19. More information is available here.

TENNESSEE

NASBA's headquarters in Nashville

Courtesy of NASBA

The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy, Nashville, announced appointed members of its board of directors for 2020-21: A. Carlos Barrera as chair, W. Michael Fritz as vice chair; Jimmy Burkes and Nicola Neilon as directors-at-large; Lynn Hutchinson as Southwest regional director; Kent Absec as executive directors committee chair and executive directors’ liaison to the NASBA board of directors. The NASBA continuing board members are: Ken Bishop as president and CEO; Richard Reisig as treasurer; Stephanie Saunders as secretary; Catherine Allen, J. Coalter Baker, John Dailey Jr., Tyrone Dickerson and Sharon Jensen as directors-at-large; J. Andy Bonner Jr. as Southeast regional director; Alison Houck as Middle Atlantic regional director; Stephen Langowski as Northeast regional director; Faye Miller as central regional director; Jason Peery as mountain regional director; Katrina Salazar as Pacific regional director; Laurie Tish as past chair; and Kenya Watts as Great Lakes regional director.

TEXAS

Brian Trampe

Brian Trampe (pictured) was hired as a director in the forensics and litigation services practice at Weaver, Houston.

Knight CPA Group, Austin, was named the 2020 Associate Member of the Year by the Texas Association for Home Care & Hospice at their virtual 51st annual meeting and conference, recognizing the firm’s excellence in service, leadership and commitment to the home care & hospice industry.

Briggs & Veselka, Houston, joined HLB USA as a member firm of global network HLB.

VIRGINIA

William Choi

William Choi was hired as an assurance partner at Dixon Hughes Goodman, Tysons.

WASHINGTON

Sweeney Conrad, Kirkland, announced several promotions: Justin Hoffman and Michelle Gartner to principal; Amy Schwende, Emily Taibl, Jessica Simons, Jessica Vessels, Kristina Chee, Mary Amarelo, Michelle Peters, Naomi Gerbatsch and Thomas Jones to senior tax managers; Jill Jamison to audit manager; Manami Stein and Will Park to tax managers; Ardian Adili, Billy Tan, Janet Wu, Sakura Mamiya and Tim Cotton to senior tax associates; and Chase Miyake to senior audit associate.