Professionals on the Move – June 2022

The new leaders include:

Transactions

• Anthony (Tony) Enlow will lead Transaction Advisory Services in the Dallas market, where he is based, addressing significant growth in client needs in that region. He has more than 25 years of experience in mergers and acquisitions and financial analysis in domestic and international settings. Enlow’s industry experience includes multi-location retail, restaurants, franchising, electric and natural gas, monitored home security companies, manufacturing and distribution, RV dealerships, construction, service organizations, and technology.
• Ryan McCaslin gives the firm greater resources in the Midwest and will work with other Chicago-based Transaction Advisory partners and team members to grow that market. He has more than 20 years of professional experience providing accounting, consulting, assurance, and advisory services to middle market clients. His experience includes training and mentoring new professionals, developing a replenishing pipeline of transaction work, quality of earnings on the buy and sell side, assisting clients with working capital closing mechanism calculations and review of purchase agreements.

Project Finance and Consulting

• Christopher Livingstone has more than 20 years of infrastructure consulting experience focused on the transportation sector, including state and local government entities overseeing transportation and mobility-focused projects. He has extensive experience in project finance, commercial and financial transaction structuring, asset strategy, mitigation strategy, funding source identification, value for money analysis, and financial analysis and modeling. Livingstone has worked extensively in the social infrastructure, energy, and higher education sectors. He is based in Los Angeles.
• Arthur Simonson has more than 20 years of experience in infrastructure and the debt capital markets. As a global credit and infrastructure finance executive, he has significant knowledge of infrastructure transaction origination, investment analysis, asset management, and implementing risk management protocols. He has helped build an infrastructure and project finance ratings business, managing a team of professionals that rated and surveilled infrastructure transactions and companies across multiple asset types, geographies, regulatory jurisdictions, financing methods, and business structures. Simonson is based in the New York metro area.

Nathan Wechsler Manager Elected Treasurer of Nonprofit Organization

The regional accounting firm of Nathan Wechsler & Company, PA recently announced that Amanda Brendell has been elected treasurer of the board of directors for Kearsarge Food Hub in Bradford. Brendell has served on the nonprofit’s board of directors since September 2021. 

The mission of Kearsarge Food Hub is “to reinvigorate our community within a restorative local food system through cultivating food sovereignty, growing engaged learners, and nurturing community.”  The non-profit’s programming consists of Sweet Beet Farm, Market, and Café, as well as community outreach like collaborative projects and educational opportunities. To learn more, visit www.kearsargefoodhub.org.

Brendell studied at Plymouth State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Accounting with a minor in Economics. As a manager at Nathan Wechsler, she directs engagements and supervises on-the-job training of staff members. She specializes in governmental projects, hospitality and restaurants, construction, and corporate and partnership taxation. In addition to serving on the Kearsarge Food Hub board, Brendell is a board member and former treasurer of Red River Theatre and a former Individual Representative for the Rochester Chamber of Commerce.

Brown Schultz Sheridan & Fritz Hires New Team Members

Regional premier advisory firm,Brown Schultz Sheridan & Fritz (BSSF), recently announced the hiring of new team members in Pennsylvania and Maryland:

Frank C. Musso joined BSSF as a Tax Senior Manager. He brings over 20 years of experience in tax compliance, financial accounting and reporting, cost accounting and budgeting and attestation services to the Firm. Frank is located at the BSSF office in Frederick, Maryland.

Beth W. Graham joined BSSF as a Client Advisory Services (CAS) Senior Associate. She has over 25 years of experience. She is located at the BSSF office in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.

Andrew Kimbrell joined BSSF as a Staff Accountant. He is located at the BSSF office in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.

Margaret Geraci joined BSSF as a Staff Accountant. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Penn State University. She is located at the BSSF office in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.

Paige Lenker joined BSSF as an Administrative Assistant. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Management from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She is located at the BSSF office in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.

NYSSCPA Announces Society Award Winners Who Contributed to the CPA Profession

As part of the New York State Society of CPAs (NYSSCPA) annual awards program, aimed at honoring CPA members who have impacted the profession through their expertise or volunteerism in their careers and/or community, eight members have been announced for 2022.

Arthur J. Dixon Public Service Award 

The Arthur J. Dixon Public Service Award recognizes CPAs who have a demonstrated history of public service and volunteerism for a charitable, community or civic organization. Lee M. Cohen is the managing partner and founder of LMC CPAs.

Cohen graduated from New York University in 1993 with a degree in accounting. Upon graduation, he worked as a controller for a chain of retail stores, where he gained invaluable business experience that serves him in helping his clients because he understands what it means to be a business owner. Cohen began building his practice in 1995 while maintaining jobs at two accounting firms, and became certified in 1999.

He is actively involved in his community by serving as president of Sephardic Bikur Holim, one of the largest social services agencies in Brooklyn.

NYSSCPA Distinguished Service Award 

The Distinguished Service Award salutes CPA members who have set themselves apart as Society leaders through service within the NYSSCPA and the accounting profession. David Evangelista and David A. Lifson share this honor. 

David Evangelista is a graduate of The Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania and holds a B.S. in economics, with a concentration in accounting. He left one of the top six national accounting firms in 2021 and started David Evangelista, CPA, a boutique CPA firm specializing in tax and accounting services, as well as ERISA advising and consulting services. 

In March 2008, the U.S. Secretary of Labor appointed Evangelista to the Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans (ERISA Advisory Council) for a three-year term. He was appointed by the AICPA in 2003 to the initial Executive Committee of the AICPA EBP Audit Quality Center.

Evangelista is the founding president of the Society’s Rockland Chapter and has served in multiple capacities on the Society’s Board of Directors and on the Future of Accounting Education Board of Trustees.

David A. Lifson, is a senior advisor with Crowe LLP based in New York City. He is in the firm’s national Global Private Client Service family office, tax and business consultancy practice, where he develops business strategies and personal financial plans utilizing both his and the firm’s broad range of accounting, audit, tax and business consulting backgrounds, both domestically and internationally.

Lifson is the recipient of the AICPA 2009 Arthur J. Dixon Memorial Award—the accounting profession’s highest award in the area of taxation. He was also awarded the Sustained Contribution Award in 2011, which recognizes members of the institute who have contributed measurably to the AICPA and CPA profession through their volunteer services. He has chaired the Tax Executive Committee, served as a member of the AICPA Board of Directors, chaired the AICPA National Tax Conference and many more committees and task forces.

Lifson chaired the Small Business and Self-Employed subgroup of the Internal Revenue Service’s Advisory Council (IRSAC) during 2010 and 2011, while serving on the council for four years through 2011. IRSAC meets regularly to advise the Commissioner of the IRS and key IRS group leaders on how to effectively administer the tax system.

Dr. Emanuel Saxe Outstanding CPA in Education Award 

This award pays tribute to the contributions of CPAs who have dedicated their life’s work to accounting education. Dr. Nina Terranova Dorata is a full professor of accountancy at St. John’s University, having earned that distinction within seven years of being hired. 

Before joining the faculty at St. John’s University, Dr. Terranova Dorata taught at SUNY Old Westbury, where she served as chair of the Accounting and Business Law Department. Additionally, Dr. Terranova Dorata taught at St. Joseph’s College, where she co-founded their Accounting Society.

At St. John’s, Dr. Terranova Dorata has been the Department of Accountancy chair and assistant chair for nine years, was responsible for the creation of the Accountancy Scholars Program, the VITA Program and AACSB accounting reviews, as well as for the development of degree programs, learning tracks and certificates.

As the past chair of the Society’s Future of Accounting Education Committee, she is passionate about assisting accounting programs’ leaders, as they navigate curriculum changes due to the CPA Evolution Model. 

Outstanding CPA in Chapter Service Award 

The Outstanding CPA in Chapter Service Award recognizes NYSSCPA CPA chapter members who have distinguished themselves as chapter leaders through model service within their chapter, the NYSSCPA and the profession. Rosemarie A. Giovinazzo-Barnickel was awarded this honor. 

Giovinazzo-Barnickel is a firm owner in Staten Island. She has been a member of the Society since 1988 and is currently a member of the Staten Island Chapter. She is the current Chair of the Society’s Professional Liability Insurance Committee, and served on the Society’s Board of Directors and on the Executive Committee for many years.

After graduating from Pace University, Giovinazzo-Barnickel began her career with 10 years at Coopers & Lybrand—now more commonly known as PwC—before moving into private industry for four years, and then finally starting her own practice 22 years ago. She has followed in the footsteps of her late father’s, a former Society member and chapter past president; her son Scott is also a CPA.

Outstanding CPA in Public Practice Award 

The Outstanding CPA in Public Practice Award recognizes outstanding service and professional development in public practice. Antoinette Spina is a manager at Bailey, Carr, CPAs, P.C. 

She became a CPA in 1984 and has over 40 years of experience in taxation and small business advisory. Spina is a past president for the Rochester Chapter, and the year she served as president, she actively recruited young professionals for the board. Spina was a member of the statewide committee for Bankruptcy and Insolvency Issues.

Spina is also a member of the AICPA and has served on a local, statewide and global level for the IMA. In 2014, she received the IMA Exemplary Volunteer Award at the IMA’s Annual Conference. In addition, the Rochester Chapter’s volunteer award was renamed the “Antoinette Spina Award for Exemplary Volunteerism” the year she was its recipient.  

Outstanding Statewide Committee Chair Award 

The Outstanding Statewide Committee Chair Award is a new award that celebrates the exemplary service and performance in leading a Society’s statewide committee. These leaders have all demonstrated full commitment to the goals and mission of the committee, undertook efforts to provide robust content and CPE for their committee members, and excel at committee recruitment and retention. This inaugural award was presented to Gina Omolon and Zhoudi Tang.

Gina Omolon is a partner at Mazars USA LLP. With over 15 years of public accounting and three years of private practice background, Omolon has extensive experience providing accounting and auditing services to public and nonpublic domestic and foreign entities, primarily in the financial services industry. She worked with clients in addressing complex financial and reporting issues, including mergers and acquisitions, financial instruments, and credit losses and derivatives.  

Prior to joining Mazars, she worked at a Big 4 firm. She was also the CFO of the China subsidiary of an international manufacturing and distribution firm. Omolon graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in accounting, from the University of San Carlos in the Philippines. 

Zhoudi Tang is a state and local tax manager at WithumSmith + Brown PC. He has experience assisting individuals and businesses in complying with federal, state and local regulations. He advises clients, with respect to residency, nexus and apportionment issues, with a focus on income and franchise taxes. Tang’s industry expertise includes closely held and family businesses. He received his master’s degree from the Zicklin School of Business of Baruch College. He is also a contributor to New Jersey CPA magazine. 

Ross Yogel Promoted to LGA Partner

LGA, a CPA and Business Advisory firm with offices in Woburn, MA, Chestnut Hill, MA, and Salem, recently announced that Ross Yogel, MBA, CPA, CVA, MAFF, has been promoted to Partner in the firm’s Business Advisory Services practice. Ross specializes in serving clients and attorneys in need of closely held Business Valuations, Financial Consulting, and Forensic Accounting.

Ross is a licensed Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA), Master Analyst in Financial Forensics (MAFF), and CPA and has been working in Business Valuation for over ten years. In addition to his work in our Valuation practice, Ross has helped spearhead the launching of the Litigation Support and Forensic Accounting services at LGA.

A native of Weston, and a Syracuse University (undergraduate) and Suffolk University alum, Ross now lives in South Boston, MA. Outside of the office, Ross enjoys exploring new restaurants in the Greater Boston region, playing golf, and grilling.