Meonske Professional Development Conference Presenters and Panelists

View the speakers and presenters for the 2024 Meonske Professional Development Conference.

 

Barbara Benton Barb Benton
Vice President, Government Relations - The Ohio Society of CPAs

Barbara Benton is a veteran lobbyist and association leader who has successfully led the advocacy interests of Ohio’s CPAs for over three decades. In that role, she leads OSCPA’s lobbying efforts at the state and national levels, including managing The Ohio Society’s political action committee.  She represents OSCPA on various coalitions and committees related to priorities of OSCPA and its members and analyzes legislative, political and regulatory developments affecting the CPA profession to keep OSCPA members and stakeholders informed and to ensure the voice of the CPA profession is heard. Barbara is a Certified Association Executive, a past president of the Ohio Lobbying Association (OLA), a two-time recipient of OLA’s President’s Award for contributions to the lobbying profession, and the 2019 recipient of the American Society of Association Executive’s national Professional Performance Award.


Allison Bores Allison Bores
Forensic Accountant  - Cleveland Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

Allison Bores is a forensic accountant for the Cleveland Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), assigned to Cyber Criminal investigations involving, but not limited to, virtual currency domestic and international money laundering, dark web market vendor payments, and ransomware victim payments. Bores joined the FBI in March 2020 after approximately 7 years in private wealth management. She obtained a BBA in accounting and finance from Baldwin Wallace University and an MBA focused in accounting from Baldwin Wallace University. Bores is a Certified Fraud Examiner and a Certified Anti-Money laundering Specialist.


Kyle Cheney Kyle Cheney
Deloitte Controllership

Cheney is a leader in Deloitte’s Controllership practice with over 20 years of financial accounting and consulting experience. He has extensive experience in initiatives designed to improve controllership capabilities with automation, governance, and process efficiency. He graduated from with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, and holds a Master’s degree in Management Information Systems from Case Western Reserve University. He is also a CPA in the state of Ohio.


Ted Christy Kyle Cheney
Senior Manager, Audit - KPMG

Ted is a Senior Manager in KPMG’s Audit practice and was a founding member of the audit practice’s ESG Center of Excellence. Ted is a collaborative and team-oriented leader in KPMG Cleveland’s Audit practice. Eleven years of experience providing financial statement audits and is responsible for the execution of reporting and assurance procedures related to ESG subject matter. Most recently, Ted has spent the last 3 years developing the US firm’s resources and capabilities in ESG, including the execution of a variety of ESG reporting and assurance engagements.


Christy Coffman Kyle Cheney
Senior Director, Internal Audit - Lubrizol Corporation

Christy Coffman is the Sr. Director of Internal Audit at the Lubrizol Corporation, a Berkshire Hathaway company. Christy is accountable for providing independent evaluations of operations to drive improvements which maximize efficiency and ensuring compliance with company policies and applicable laws and regulations. In her current role, she partners with Ethics and Compliance, Information Security, and Enterprise Risk Management to ensure the company has a robust governance framework that enhances overall risk management and ethical conduct. Over her 20-year career, she has held various roles in risk advisory, procurement, and internal controls. Christy has her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from . She is a member of the City of Solon Audit Committee and active in the P.T.A. for her daughters’ schools.


Tiffany Crosby Tiffany Crosby
Chief Learning Officer - The Ohio Society of CPAs

Tiffany Crosby is the Chief Learning Officer for The Ohio Society of CPAs. She is responsible for organizational development, workforce development, learning, and DEI. Crosby is also one of OSCPA’s premiere instructors for ethics. Prior to her work with the society, she was the Founder and President of Petra Learning LLC, a professional training and development company. Additionally, Crosby was an Executive Director in the Advisory Risk Practice of Ernst & Young, LLP. She spent more than 13 years at EY leading various types of internal audit, internal control, finance, and enterprise risk management projects. She has helped numerous companies define and implement processes and procedures to comply with new financial accounting standards, strengthen governance processes, and reduce costs. Crosby teaches financial management and business leadership classes as an adjunct faculty member at Southeastern University. She previously taught financial accounting and managerial accounting as an adjunct faculty member at Columbus State Community College (CSCC). Crosby is a CPA licensed in Pennsylvania and Ohio. She received a B.S.B.A. in Accounting from Duquesne University and MBA from Franklin University and is a doctoral student in Southeastern University’s Organizational Leadership Program. 


Gordon T. Edwards Tiffany Crosby
Chief Financial Officer - Akron Children's Hospital

Gordon joined Akron Children’s Hospital, as the Chief Financial Officer in September 2022. He moved to Ohio from Wisconsin, where he was most recently the Chief Operations and Financial Officer at Marshfield Clinic Health System. Gordon has also held a variety of healthcare executive roles at PeaceHealth (WA), Gundersen Health (WI), and Legacy Health (OR). Gordon earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Washington and his MBA from Viterbo University in LaCrosse, WI. He is a CPA in the states of Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin, and Ohio. He is also a Fellow with Healthcare Finance Management Association. 


Thomas Fagan Tiffany Crosby
Director, State and Local Tax - PwC

Tom is a Director in PwC’s State and Local Tax practice with almost 20 years of experience focused on multistate and local tax matters. He has provided his clients with a variety of multistate and local tax services including state audit defense, state refund reviews, legal entity reorganization assistance, state apportionment studies, state nexus studies, securing state voluntary disclosure agreements and state compliance services. Tom’s work experience includes Big 4 accounting firm experience, regional accounting firm experience with a focus on closely held businesses, and state and local tax law firm experience. He graduated from with a B.B.A. and M.S. in Accounting and the University of Akron School of Law. Tom is licensed to practice law in Ohio. 


Ashley B. Gibson Ashley Gibson
Chief Financial Officer - Eikon-X

Ashley B. Gibson, CPA, CMA, CSCA is the CFO for Eikon-X and leads the Finance & Accounting practice. Ashley has over 13 years of experience in executing finance transformation initiatives for publicly-held, private, and not-for-profit clients around the world. Ashley aligns finance organizations with robust strategies to maximize operational efficiency and effectiveness by harnessing technological capabilities to deliver business insights. Ashley graduated from Southern Illinois University with a BS in Accountancy (magna cum laude) and a Master of Accountancy with a concentration in Auditing & Accounting Information Systems. She also received her MBA from Texas A&M University. Ashley is a published author on numerous thought leadership pieces, is a public speaker, and has served on numerous not-for-profit boards. 


Patrick Gilmore Patrick Gilmore
Partner - Deloitte

Patrick Gilmore is a Partner with Deloitte in its national office, where he specializes in matters pertaining to SEC rules and regulations related to financial reporting. Patrick joined Deloitte in 2021 after 17 years on the staff of the SEC in the Division of Corporation Finance. Prior to joining Deloitte, from 2017 until his departure, Patrick served as the Deputy Chief Accountant in the Division of Corporation Finance’s Office of the Chief Accountant at the SEC, where he led the staff in providing technical accounting and reporting support for the Division’s disclosure review program, led various rulemaking efforts, and answered interpretive questions and waiver requests related to the form and content of financial statements to be included in SEC filings. During 2020, Gilmore also served as the Acting Disclosure Review Program Director, where he oversaw the Division’s selective review of transactional and periodic filings. He spent the earlier part of his career with the SEC in various management and staff positions in the Division of Corporation Finance’s Office of the Chief Accountant and the disclosure review program in the computer and software industry group. Gilmore earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Towson University and is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the AICPA. 


Doug Hayes Patrick Gilmore
Chief Financial Officer - Baker Manufacturing Company

With 25+ years of finance leadership experience, Doug is the Chief Financial Officer for Baker Manufacturing Company. Prior to his current role, Doug served as the Vice President of Finance for Bettcher Industries, a KKR FoodTech platform company, in addition to General Electric’s lighting division. Through his extensive experience leading the finance function for public and private equity-backed multinational companies, Doug has driven transformative M&A initiatives enabled by the underlying finance and accounting technology. During his time at Bettcher Industries, Doug spearheaded the financial integration of a 250M+ international organization. During his 12 years at General Electric, Doug successfully lead the spinoff of a sensors division.  


Gaurav Hiranandani Gaurav Hirandandani
Senior Associate Chief Accountant, OCA - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission 

Gaurav Hiranandani is a Senior Associate Chief Accountant in the Office of the Chief Accountant (OCA) at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In this role, he serves on the leadership team for OCA's accounting group, focusing on accounting and financial reporting matters relating to financial assets, derivatives and hedging, debt and equity, consolidation, compensation, income taxes, and crypto assets. The accounting group's activities include responding to accounting consultations from registrants, auditors, and SEC staff regarding complex financial reporting issues; overseeing the activities of the Financial Accounting Standards Board; monitoring the activities of international accounting standard setters including the International Accounting Standards Board; and communicating key technical accounting issues to stakeholders. Prior to joining the Commission, Gaurav worked in various industry technical accounting and financial reporting roles, first at Coinbase, Inc. and then at Stripe, Inc. Before that, Gaurav served in multiple roles at Ernst & Young, LLP, including within audit, advisory and the national practice. Gaurav is a graduate of George Mason University. He is a Certified Public Accountant in the Commonwealth of Virginia and New York, as well as a Chartered Financial Analyst.


Greg Jonovich Gaurav Hirandandani
Division CFO, Electronic Materials - Materion Corporation

Greg Jonovich is Division CFO, Electronic Materials, for Materion Corporation. He serves as a strategic partner for the business, helping to develop and execute strategy while working at all levels of the organization to drive growth initiatives, enhance profitability and evaluate value-creation opportunities. Materion is a multinational company based in Cleveland, Ohio, that specializes in high-performance engineered materials serving the telecommunications, consumer electronics, automotive, medical, industrial, aerospace, defense and optical coating industries, among others. Prior to joining Materion, Greg spent more than 20 years progressing through numerous financial leadership roles at Lubrizol, including eight years as Vice President of Finance for the Advanced Materials segment, a $2.6M global specialty chemicals business. Greg is a CPA and holds a BSBA in Accounting from John Carroll University, as well as an MBA from Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. He is currently on the Board of Directors for the Ohio Society of CPAs and is a member of the Cuyahoga Community College Business Advisory Board.


Joyce T. Joseph, DBA Joyce Joseph
Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB)

Joyce T. Joseph, DBA, joined the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) on July 1, 2023. Her first term concludes June 30, 2028, when she will be eligible to be considered for reappointment to a second term. An accomplished financial leader, Dr. Joseph brings to the Board substantial expertise in technical accounting and a unique depth of understanding of the standard-setting process and its relevance to the financial investor, having previously served on the FASB’s Investor Technical Advisory Committee and on the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s Standing Advisory Group.  Prior to joining the FASB, Dr. Joseph spent nearly two decades leading research and analysis on current and emerging financial accounting and reporting matters with an investor and user perspective, first as a managing director at S&P Global Ratings before founding Capital Accounting Advisory and Research, LLC. She also was a vice president at JP Morgan Chase & Co., leading Securities and Exchange Commission reporting and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, and an assistant professor of professional practice at Rutgers University. She began her career at KPMG LLP auditing financial institutions before joining Deutsche Bank, becoming assistant vice president with controllership responsibilities. Dr. Joseph was a board member on the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Board of Examiners, setting policy for the CPA exams and shaping the future of the accounting profession and its members. She is a member of the AICPA, National Association of Black Accountants, and CFA Society New York. Dr. Joseph holds a Doctor of Business Administration degree from Rutgers University, a Master of Business Administration degree from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Pace University. She is a certified public accountant (CPA), a chartered global management accountant (CGMA), and a Standard & Poor’s certified credit ratings analyst – Financial Institutions Industry.  


Steve Kraynak Joyce Joseph
U.S. Director - SumProduct.com

Steve Kraynak joined SumProduct.com as the U.S. director after more than a decade as a product manager for the Excel team at Microsoft, where helped craft many features in Excel, including new worksheet functions like IFS & TEXTJOIN, Data from Picture, Excel for Mac, user experience improvements like Smooth Scrolling, and many others. Kraynak has been a featured presenter at Microsoft Ignite, Excelapalooza, Excel Summit South, Excel Virtually Global, Microsoft Business Applications Summit (MBAS), EuSpRIG and others. He also has years of experience working with Excel prior to joining Microsoft, in both the software and vaccine manufacturing industries, where he made his mark by using desktop tools such as Excel to automate and simplify many business processes. Kraynak has a passion for listening to customers and helping them succeed by making the most of technology and their data, especially by using Excel.  


Ron Lewis Ron Lewis
Senior Vice President & Head of Finance Shared Services - KeyBank

Ron Lewis is the SVP and Head of Finance Shared Services at KeyBank.  He brings more than 30 years of banking experience to this role.  He is responsible for Corporate Procurement, Corporate Reconcilement, Financial System Support and Information Delivery, and serves as the CFO of KeyBank’s Technology and Operations division.  Prior to his current role, he was the Assistant Controller for KeyBank responsible for Month End Close, Consolidation Accounting, and a number of other Accounting operations areas.  During his time as the Assistant Controller, he led a significant finance transformation through the implementation of Workday technology.

 


Wei Li, Ph.D. Wei Li
Chair for the Department of Accounting & Associate Professor - Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship at

Wei Li, Ph.D., is the Chair for the Department of Accounting at the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship at . She joined the Kent State faculty in 2006 after receiving a Ph.D. from Washington State University. Li’s main research interests examine whether and how psychological and social factors influence investors’ decision making. In addition, her work has explored the areas of management financial reporting decisions and donors’ decision processes. Li’s research is international in scope. She is a co-recipient of two research grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China.  


Serena Loftus, Ph.D. Serena Loftus
Assistant Professor - Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship at

Serena Loftus, Ph.D., joined the faculty of in 2021. Her research focuses on how managers’ language choices impact investors’ and employees’ reactions to accounting information. Her research has been published in premier academic journals and has also appeared in news outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Workspan, Strategic Finance Magazine, and Investor Relations Magazine. Loftus has been nationally recognized for her teaching, including being named a Top 50 Undergraduate Business Professor for 2021 by Poets & Quants magazine. She is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA).  


Alexandra MadoniaNot pictured
Forensic Accountant  - Cleveland Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

Alexandra Madonia is a forensic accountant for the Cleveland Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), assigned to investigations involving, but not limited to, public corruption, organized crime, and corporate embezzlements. She leads a national initiative to combat elder fraud. Madonia joined the FBI in September 2021 after approximately seven years in the audit practice for a global public accounting firm. She obtained a B.B.A. in accounting from and a master’s degree in communication from Purdue University. Madonia is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the state of Ohio. 


Mark MarmonNot pictured
Vice President, Global Finance Transformation Practice  - RGP

Mark Marmon is a Vice President in RGP’s global Finance Transformation Practice. He is responsible for identifying, developing, and deploying solutions that improve process efficiency and enhance automation for clients in the areas of Finance, Accounting and Risk. Mark has extensive business experience leading functions reporting to the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, blending consulting roles with corporate leadership roles. Throughout his career, Mark has focused on increasing the return on investment across accounting and finance organizations. These efforts have included finance process analysis and improvement, transaction support and post-merger integration, application of technical accounting pronouncements and design of finance operational support infrastructure. Mark has significant experience with Private Equity firms and understands the importance of middle market cash management and working capital needs. Mark has held the roles of Chief Financial Officer for a privately-held company, VP Finance for a publicly-held company, and Managing Director and Regional Practice Director for a global consulting organization. Mark also led an Area Practice for outsourcing and process improvement for a Big Four Accounting Firm. 


Neal McNally Neal McNally
Chief Financial Officer - Youngstown State University

Neal McNally is the VP of finance and business operations at Youngstown State University. He recently served as acting president for YSU. His prior roles include budget director for YSU and for the Ohio Board of Regents. McNally has a Master of Public Administration (MPA) and BA in public finance from Ohio State University.


Stephen McNally J. Stephen McNally
CFO, Treasurer & Secretary - Plastic Technologies Inc. (PTI) 

J. Stephen McNally, CMA, CPA, is the Past Chair of IMA's Global Board of Directors and continues to serve on the Global Board, the Global Board’s Global Markets Committee, and the Small Business Committee. In addition, Steve is a proud member of the IMA Toledo Chapter. Steve is CFO, treasurer, and secretary of the Plastic Technologies Inc. (PTI) Group of Companies. Based in Holland, Ohio, the PTI Group serves nearly every major consumer goods company and is recognized worldwide for sustainable packaging innovation. Prior to PTI, Steve spent a lifetime at Campbell Soup Company.

 


Norman Meonske Norm Meonske
Meonske Professional Development Conference Founder & Kent State Professor Emeritus

Norman Meonske, Ph.D., has conducted many continuing professional education presentations for state CPA societies, corporations, CPA firms, IMA meetings, and other professional organizations. He is the recipient of IMA’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He is also the 2004 recipient of IMA’s  prestigious R. Lee Brummet Exemplary Educator Award and IMA’s Ohio Regional Council’s Distinguished Service award. Meonske was recognized in 2011 as the Outstanding Educator of the Year by the OSCPA/The Ohio Region of the American Accounting Association. His prior public accounting experience was with Arthur Andersen & Co. 

 


Kyle Moffatt Kyle Moffatt
Partner - PwC

Kyle Moffatt joined as a partner with PwC in April 2020. He has also worked for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and held titles of Chief Accountant and Disclosure Program Director, Chief Accountant, Associate Director of Disclosure Operations, Associate Director of Disclosure Standards, and Branch Chief Accountant. Moffatt received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Maryland, College Park.  

 

Joseph Nejman
Vice President, Internal Audit and Compliance - STERIS

Joe Nejman is the Vice President of Internal Audit and Compliance at STERIS. He has over 30 years of Internal Audit and Compliance experience in increasing roles of responsibility within the financial services, insurance, manufacturing, and medical device industries. His passion lies in the digital transformation of audit and compliance. He received his B.B.A. in Accounting and his M.B.A. with a specialization in Information System Technology from Cleveland State University and holds post graduate certificates in Leadership and Medical Device Leadership from Case Western Reserve University and Xavier University, respectively. His current professional certifications include the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Certified Quality Auditor (CQA), and Certification in Risk Management Assurance (CRMA). He a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), having served as the Northeast Ohio IIA Chapter President from 2011-2013, and currently serves on the Northeast Ohio IIA Board of Governors. He is a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), and currently serves on the Northeast Ohio ACFE Board of Directors. He is also a member of the Information System and Audit Control Association (ISACA), having served as the Northeast Ohio ISACA Chapter President from 2005-2006, and served on the Northeast Ohio ISACA Board from 2006 -2010. He served on the Cuyahoga Heights School Board from 2017 to 2021 and currently serves on the Internal Audit Education Advisory Board at Cleveland State University. He has been a speaker on a variety of audit, risk, control, and data analytics topics and teaches the Northeast Ohio IIA sponsored course, “Introduction to Internal Auditing”, to new auditors and interns each spring.  


Mindy Nett
Associate Professor - Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship at

After teaching on an adjunct basis for many years, Nett joined the accounting faculty at Kent State full-time in 2014. She is also the faculty advisor for Beta Alpha Psi and the Accounting Association. She received a B.S. from Miami University and an MTax from the University of Akron. Prior to joining the department full-time, she worked in public accounting for 22 years, first as a client-serving tax professional and most recently as the learning leader for tax professionals at Grant Thornton LLP. Nett is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the Ohio Society of CPAs, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, The Institute of Management Accountants, the American Accounting Association and the American Tax Association. 


Reginald F. Novak Reggie Novak
Senior Manager in Audit and Accounting Services - Ciuni & Panichi, Inc.

Reggie F. Novak, CPA, CFE, is a senior manager in Audit and Accounting Services at Ciuni & Panichi, Inc. He provides audit, review, and compilation services for a diverse group of clients, including for-profit entities, employee benefit plans, school districts, and municipalities. Novak graduated from earning a B.B.A. with majors in accounting and computer information systems. 


Jackie Pallack Jackie Pallack
Vice President - Arhaus, Inc.

Jackie Pallack is the VP, Business Process at Arhaus, Inc., a growing lifestyle brand and omni-channel retailer of premium home furnishings. As a recently public company, Arhaus continues to work to mature its internal control environment and remediate its disclosed material weaknesses. Jackie recently transitioned from the newly created internal audit function to business process to have a more hands on and direct impact on remediation efforts. Over her 25-year career, she has held various roles in advisory and internal audit functions at a variety of organizations including public, private, and private equity. Jackie has a BS in Accounting from Grove City College and an MBA from Cleveland State University and holds Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) and Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) certifications. 


Mark M. Polatajko, Ph.D. Mark Polatajko
Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration -

Mark M. Polatajko, Ph.D., CPA, joined in January 2016 and serves as the senior vice president for Finance and Administration. He is responsible for the overall finance, facilities, safety, internal audit, compliance, and risk management functions of the university. Polatajko has more than 28 years of government and public higher education experience, along with five years of public accounting experience. Polatajko earned a Ph.D. in Urban Education from Cleveland State University, specializing in leadership and lifelong learning. He also earned an MBA from Ashland University, specializing in finance, and a B.S. in accountancy from the University of Akron. 


Scott ReeserScott Reeser
Senior Project Manager - Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB)

Scott Reeser is a senior project manager with the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB). He is working on GASB projects related to the reexamination of the financial reporting model and infrastructure assets. Previously, he worked on projects related to post-employment benefits, fiduciary activities, and transactions reported as deferred outflows of resources and deferred inflows of resources. Before joining the staff of the GASB in 2010, Reeser spent 10 years working for the Office of the Comptroller in the State of Illinois. During that time, he was responsible for the coordination and preparation of the state's Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and the development of statewide accounting policies. He also previously worked for more than five years with a public accounting firm.


Felicity SedmakScott Reeser
Senior Finance Manager - KeyBank

Felicity Sedmak is the Workday Operations & Administration lead at KeyBank; she is a Senior Finance Manager on the Financial Systems Support & Data Enrichment team. Felicity has been at KeyBank for just over a year following her seven-year career with Silicon Valley Accountants (SVA). In her career, Felicity has put a significant emphasis on learning and living Agile Methodologies as a means to Continuously Improve not only the processes she supports but herself and her teams too.


R. Drew Sellers, Ph.D. Drew Sellers
Associate Professor - Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship at

R. Drew Sellers, EDM, CMA, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Accounting at . He teaches undergraduate and graduate students, supervises the internship program, and coordinates the department's Master of Science in Accounting, MSA program. Prior to joining Kent State, Sellers worked in practice and industry for 30 years. He received a B.A. from and a Doctorate from Case Western Reserve University. 


Adam Silva Sanjay Singh
Senior Manager, Washington National Tax Group - Crowe LLP

Adam Silva of Crowe LLP is a Senior Manager in Crowe’s Washington National Tax group. Adam specializes in Tax Controversy and his practice involves advising firm clients on a broad range of technical and procedural tax issues and representing clients in IRS Examinations and Appeals proceedings. He has represented large entity clients in numerous industries before the IRS, dealing with a host of domestic and international tax issues. Prior to joining Crowe, Adam was an Attorney with the IRS Office of Chief Counsel in Boston, Massachusetts where he advised IRS Examination teams and represented the IRS in litigation proceedings before the U.S. Tax Court and was later a Senior Manager in the Tax Controversy group with a Big Four accounting firm. Adam is a graduate of Providence College and Boston College Law School and a member of the Massachusetts Bar.  


Sanjay Singh Sanjay Singh
Chairman & CEO - Mace Security International, Inc.

Sanjay Singh is Chairman and CEO of Mace Security International, Inc. Previously, he was President at Roll-Kraft, a privately held manufacturing company. Over the course of his 25-year career, Singh consistently demonstrated expertise in increasing shareholder value. Singh has held multiple financial leadership roles in private-equity-owned portfolio companies at divisions of Stanley Black & Decker and Newell-Rubbermaid. Currently, Singh serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Regional Brands, Inc., and on the Board of Directors of MAGNET and Entrepreneur's EDGE. Singh has an MBA from Gannon University in Erie, PA., and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from St. Xavier College in Kolkata, India. 


Deborah F. Spake, Ph.D. Deborah Spake
Dean - Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship at

Deborah F. Spake, Ph.D., joined in January 2013 as Dean of the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship. She previously served at the University of South Alabama's Mitchell College of Business and has served on the faculties of the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Western Michigan University and as a visiting professor at the University of Applied Sciences in Worms, Germany. Prior to earning her doctorate in marketing, she worked as the marketing research director of a publishing company and later for consulting firms in Atlanta, Georgia. Spake's research interests include services marketing, advertising, and business ethics. Her research has appeared in numerous publications. She is a member of the editorial review board of the Journal of Business Research and facilitates a seminar for new associate deans of business for AACSB International, the accreditation body for colleges and schools of business. She has previously served as a judge for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Program. 


Amanda Sterling Deborah Spake
Senior Director, Internal Audit  - Metallus

Amanda J. “Mandy” Sterling is Senior Director, Internal Audit for Metallus (formerly known as TimkenSteel). She has over 30 years of auditing experience (internal and external) and has led general accounting, transactional service, global consolidations, tax and external reporting teams. Prior to her career at Metallus, Mandy served twelve years in public accounting in both auditing and advisory roles. Her goal is to elevate internal audits position, impact and influence in an organization by changing the way internal audit is perceived. Mandy earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and is a certified public accountant. She is a member of the Ohio Society of CPAs and Institute of Internal Auditors and currently serves on the Northeast Ohio IIA Board of Governors. 


Lisa Stiffler Deborah Spake
Managing Director, Risk Consulting - KPMG

Lisa is a managing director in KPMG’s Risk Consulting practice with over 23 year specializing in internal audit, SOX compliance, and enterprise risk management. She specializes in the Industrial Manufacturing and Consumer Market industries, helping companies navigate risk considerations for new IPO’s, significant, complex transactions, and enterprise-wide transformational changes.


Mary Taylor Mary Taylor
Chief Financial Officer - NeoMed

Mary Taylor is a leader with years of experience as a Certified Public Accountant working in the private sector and as serving as an elected official at the local, state and executive branches of government. She was elected and served 2 terms as Ohio’s Lieutenant Governor. Her work in government focused on transforming and modernizing government operations, delivering results to clients, and producing savings for taxpayers and stakeholders throughout the State of Ohio.


Don TomoffMike Tokich
Founder - Invenio Advisors, LLC

Don is the founder of Invenio Advisors LLC, a consulting firm exceling in optimizing information management, enhancing process efficiency, elevating reporting and data analysis capabilities; in addition to specializing in comprehensive education and training services. Don’s background spans "Big 4" public accounting and includes significant roles in senior-level industry finance, including an eight-year tenure as VP, Finance and Treasurer at Jo-Ann Stores, equipping him with deep knowledge of industry insight and practical business perspective. Since shifting focus in 2010, Don has dedicated himself to assisting executives and organizations in navigating the complexities of digital transformation, with a particular emphasis on process improvement, data analytics, and the development of knowledge management information strategies. His approach emphasizes pinpointing critical improvement areas and employing technology to drive significant advancements, marrying hands-on experience with strategic vision. Beyond consulting, Don is a course developer and instructor with the , and has emerged as a leading voice on Excel, digital technologies, and the exciting frontiers of Generative AI and ChatGPT.


Mike TokichMike Tokich
Chief Financial Officer - STERIS

As senior vice president and chief financial officer at STERIS, he has primary responsibility for financial reporting, financial planning and analysis, investor relations, information technology, business development, strategic planning and other areas.


Jessica Vargo Jessica Vargo
Chief Financial Officer - The Foundation

Jessica Vargo is a licensed CPA with more than 34 years of accounting, tax, and finance experience. She has been the CFO for the Foundation since 2017. She began her career at one of the largest public accounting firms, followed by starting and growing her own public accounting firm. Public accounting was her focus until she sold her practice to spend the last 20 years working with nonprofit organizations.


Claude Vincenti Jessica Vargo
Vice President, General Auditor - Medical Mutual

Claude Vincenti is the Vice President, General Auditor at Medical Mutual. Founded in 1934, Medical Mutual is the oldest and one of the largest health insurance companies based in Ohio providing high-quality health, life, disability, dental, vision and indemnity insurance products. Claude started with Medical Mutual in 2016 serving in various senior positions and has been the General Auditor since 2021. He came to Medical Mutual after 20+ years with Summa Health System in Akron, serving as President of SummaCare for the last 2 years. Prior to that, he spent seven years with Cigna serving in various finance and operations related positions. Claude’s experience running a health plan brings a deep understanding of the business of health care and diversity to the Internal Audit function. While General Auditor at Medical Mutual, the organization has initiated several business expansion and diversification efforts through acquisitions and realignment of existing lines of business. His focus is to enable the internal audit team to best support the organization’s dynamic environment. He received his MBA from Capital University and his bachelor’s degree in accounting and computer science from Bowling Green State University.


Susan Willeke Susan Willeke
Education and Communications Manager - Ohio Ethics Commission

Susan Willeke is an accomplished government relations professional with 30 years of experience in public affairs, communication, and public speaking. Willeke joined the Ohio Ethics Commission in 2005 as the Education and Communications Manager, where she oversees and conducts educational and communication outreach. In that position, she presents approximately 200 speeches annually, develops information strategies regarding agency programs and represents the Ethics Commission to Ohio citizens, the media, and the Ohio legislature.


Luke Wilson Luke wilson
Manager, Internal Audit & Enterprise Risk - KPMG

Luke Wilson is a manager in KPMG's Internal Audit & Enterprise Risk practice based in Cleveland, with more than seven years of internal audit and accounting experience. His work involves leading the execution of internal audit, enterprise risk, SOX, and ESG engagements for clients across a variety of industries. With the increasing need for ESG guidance, Wilson has been focused on helping to develop KPMG's methodology and approach to ESG processes and controls to address emerging risks surrounding ESG reporting. Luke has presented to IIA chapters and other groups on ESG and Internal Audit's role. 


Jason Zeman Gabe Zubizaretta
Senior Manager, Management Consulting - Cohen & Co.

With 10+ years of experience supporting Fortune 500 finance organizations, Jason drives organizations through operational and strategy-driven transformation, project management, financial management, and staff development opportunities. Jason is an active CPA (OH) and CMA, and has assisted with the transformation of the Controllership function for some of the largest and most complex organizations.  


Jeremy Zink Jeremy Zink height=
Partner, Federal Tax Services - Crowe LLP

Jeremy Zink is a Partner in our Federal Tax Services practice and has over 18 years of experience. He serves primarily corporate entities in the manufacturing, chemical, plastics, auto, retail, health care, and technology industries. Jeremy has spent the majority of his career focused on corporate tax clients ranging from closely held private companies to Fortune 25 multi-national consolidated groups. Specifically, Jeremy’s primary practice areas include corporate compliance, financial reporting for taxes (i.e. ASC 740) services for publicly-traded and private-equity-owned corporate groups, M&A considerations from both a federal income tax as well as ASC 740 perspective, and overall general tax consulting. 


Gabriel Zubizarreta Gabe Zubizaretta
CEO & Founding Principal - Silicon Valley Accountants

Gabe Zubizarreta is the CEO and Founding Principal of Silicon Valley Accountants. His role at Silicon Valley Accountants is focused on building both technical and soft skills. Zubizarreta designed a Financial Effectiveness Framework which delivers continuous improvement-based results to optimize financial processes by focusing on people, processes, and systems. This Framework is based on a balanced approach of training, leadership, process improvement, and system optimization. He has more than 10 years of prior experience at PwC, has held various Controller positions, and has led several merger integration projects. Zubizarreta is focused on delivering exceptional results and is a passionate advocate for process improvement and financial transformation.