| December
2008
| Letter
from the Chair |
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 Dear
Friends and Colleagues,
Elections have been on the minds of most US citizens for months. Despite feelings as to the outcome, most of us are relieved that the politic-ing is over and are glad to get back to business-as-usual, even in these uncertain financial times.
AGN-NA also had its annual election of officers at our Board meeting in November. I was elected NA's 31 st Chair. I thank all my predecessors, especially Jennings Hastings, the immediate past chair, for their vision, steady hands and, most importantly, their example as to how to continue strengthening the value 52 CPA and CA firms in North America can bring to each other.
My goals for this year are to improve our website and streamline our communications, while continuing to focus on increasing member participation in programs.
We will also continue to work on the initiatives in our strategic plan, especially our satisfaction surveys. In 2007, we completed a survey of all partners in AGN-NA. Just a few months ago, we completed a survey of a majority of the staff of the NA member firms. The results from both of these surveys have been enlightening and are helping all of us to improve our performance and culture.
In 2009, I'm particularly excited about the third phase: surveys of member firms' top clients on a quarterly basis. We plan to train partners to perform these surveys, face-to-face with key clients.
It is our intention to continue to monitor these three key satisfaction metrics' as a major indicator of achieving our long-term goal of being the association of high performing professional service firms.
Another accomplishment in our strategic plan is our formation of AGN-NA University, based on our core value of continuous learning and development of all members. 2008 has been another banner year as far as attendance and participation: 41 firms have sent over 350 individuals to our various levels of audit and tax staff training programs.
The '08 Future Leaders' program, which I am privileged to co-instruct, had 22 individuals participating and we're starting to build the '09 class now. Contact Rita to register your next generation of leaders.
2008 has been another banner year for AGN-NA University, based on our core value of continuous learning and development of all members. 41 firms have sent over 350 individuals to our various levels of audit and tax staff training programs. |
Finally, I'm very gratified to be among the members of Advanced Partner Training class of 2005 – some of which will be “graduating” at a ceremony at the May 2009 North American Regional meeting. As part of the team that envisioned and implemented this program, I'm happy to see that it has exceeded our expectations for bringing diverse firm leaders together on a quarterly basis to discuss practice management tools and best practices.
Equally as important as the learning going on within the APT study groups, however, has been the new friendships that have developed among the study group members – many of whom did not know each other at all.
These new relationships have spawned new and better ideas for doing things within our firms, which confirms Jim Collins' first rule in Good to Great : “First Who then What.”
There is no question that AGN-NA has the “right people/firms on the bus” because the flywheel we have created is yielding value to member firms beyond our organization founders' wildest dreams. We just need to keep pushing …
I'll see you in Denver in May.
Charlie McGimsey
Chair, North American Region
Windham Brannon P.C. CPAs
Atlanta, GA
Cmcgimsey@windhambrannon.com
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| NARM -'09- Denver - May 17 - 19 |
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Tuesday afternoon general session to focus on effective execution strategies with the help of Afterburner Fighter Pilots |
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Today's business environment is nothing short of combat -- hostile and fast-changing. Corporate survival depends on execution. Who better to teach how to execute flawlessly in this environment than Afterburner's team of real fighter pilots? |
On Tuesday afternoon at 1 p.m. (May 19, 2009), AGN-NA members will have a unique opportunity to learn from the experts how to:
Be a team that works as one |
| Be a team that works for the same goals |
| Be a team that not only knows how to plan a mission – but how to execute that mission flawlessly from start to finish. |
Afterburner has trained over 100 of the Fortune 500 companies worldwide to do what makes a company and its people successful: Execute a winning plan. “Leading the Worlds' Top Corporations to Flawless Execution ” is more than a slogan – it is the company's foundation.
The instructors for this seminar will be an ethnically diverse group of fighter pilots. They will teach the Flawless Execution Model -- the process used by fighter pilots around the world to execute missions when the stakes are high and failure is not an option.
And, the best part is that participants are actively involved! After a keynote session, the entire AGN group will be broken into “Squadrons” of 15 and sent to break-out sessions to use the skills they've just learned to plan a real mission.
NARM '09 on-line registration will open up by February 1 and all AGN-NA partners will be notified. You won't want to miss the Afterburner General Session , or meeting with your colleagues in the auditing & accounting, business valuations/litigation support, IT, human resources, marketing, and not-for-profit sharegroups, as well as the popular practice management seminars.
Mark your calendar to be in Denver May 17, 2009!
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North American Board meets, elects 2009 officers |
Charlie McGimsey, Windham Brannon , P.C., CPAs, Atlanta, GA, was elected Chair of AGN International-North America, Inc. at the Fall meeting of the Board of Directors, held at the Westin O'Hare in Chicago, IL
The Board also elected the following to serve on the NA Executive Committee for 2009:
- Gary Fitzgibbon Vice Chair, (Managing Partner, Adams & Miles, LLP, Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
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| - Warren Barnes Treasurer (Managing Partner, Kernutt Stokes Brandt & Co. LLP, Eugene, OR) |
| - Bill Goodman , Secretary (Managing Partner, Schenck Business Solutions, Appleton, WI) |
| - Jennings Hastings , Immediate Past Chair (Managing Partner, Faw, Casson & Co., LLP, Dover, DE) |
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Forty-one (of 52) Board members attended the November 6-7 practice management seminar and Board meeting. Bob Bunting, Moss Adams Chair, and newly-elected chair of IFAC, presented to the group on “ Leveraging Your Leadership – Creating a Vision Everyone Will Work For .”
The Board also voted unanimously to change the Bylaws, Article III (Dues) to adjust the maximum amount paid to reflect the change in the Consumer Price Index. Following this approval, the Board then approved the 2009 budget. |
More about Charlie McGimsey . .
McGimsey has served on AGN-NA's Board of Directors since 2002 and its Executive Committee since 2005. He joined Windham Brannon & Co. as a principal in 1988 and became Managing Partner in 1996. McGimsey's technical expertise includes corporate, partnership, and individual taxation, litigation support, and IRS controversy. As a Certified Fraud Examiner, he has provided expert consulting and witness services in large fraud cases. He has been an expert in legal disputes on lost profits, insolvency determination, financial projections, business valuation, income tax matters, professional malpractice, and claims administration for class action settlements. Charlie has also supervised complex and sensitive engagements for the U.S. Treasury Department and the Office of Inspector General. He has provided merger and acquisition consulting for the Resolution Trust Corporation and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, as well as private companies. |
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AGN-NA Partners - Join the Class of 2009 APT program! |
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If you'd like to consistently explore all the non-technical aspects of leading an accounting firm practice with other AGN-NA partners, principals and senior managers, then the AGN-NA Advanced Partner Training program is for you.
The next class will be May 20-21, 2009 in Denver, immediately after the NARM. Talk to your managing partner about getting involved and e-mail Nathalie Champagne at nchampagne@agn.org to find out more about the program.
There are lots of benefits to the program, but one of the most important is the opportunity to get to know at least 8-10 other AGN-NA firm partners a whole lot better.
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AICPA Professional Ethics Division finalizes Association definition
Following the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) Ethics committee's adoption in 2007 of a new definition of what constitutes an association and what constitutes a network , the AICPA Professional Ethics Executive Committee (PEEC) has adopted its new ethics guidelines, which further define and clarify the differences between networks and associations. If members would like a copy, please contact rhood@agn.org. AGN International is clearly an association.
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Sharegroup Teleconference Schedule
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Despite the time of year, AGN-NA sharegroups are still eager to share information. The most active groups are taking one last opportunity in January and February to collaborate before busiest season curtails all outside activities.
Make plans now to dial-in and join your AGN colleagues in a free discussion of timely issues. For more information on the topics and registration, visit www.agn-na.org and click on Programs & Events – Events Calendar. Sharegroup members will be alerted via e-mail, however, any member may attend. In most cases, participants receive one hour of CPE after completing an on-line evaluation.
JANUARY
6
Tax Sharegroup Teleconference
Time: 3 pm ET / 2 pm CT / 1 pm MT / 12 noon PT
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BV/Litigation Support Sharegroup Teleconference
Time: 3 pm ET / 2 pm CT / 1 pm MT / 12 noon PT
Small Business Services Sharegroup Teleconference
Time: 3 pm ET / 2 pm CT / 1 pm MT / 12 noon PT
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Human Resources/Firm Administration Sharegroup Teleconference
Time: 2 pm ET / 1 pm CT / 12 noon MT / 11 am PT
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15
Audit & Accounting Sharegroup Teleconference
Time: 2 pm ET / 1 pm CT / 12 noon MT / 11 am PT
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Not-For-Profit Sharegroup Teleconference
Time: 1 pm ET / 12 noon CT / 11 am MT / 10 am PT
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FEBRUARY
17
Marketing Sharegroup Teleconference
Time: 2 pm ET / 1 pm CT / 12 noon MT / 11 am PT
MARCH
4
Information Technology Sharegroup Teleconference
Time: 12 noon ET / 11 am CT / 10 am MT / 9 am PT
MAY
27
State & Local Tax Sharegroup Teleconference
Time: 3 pm ET / 2 pm CT / 1 pm MT / 12 noon PT
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| Meet the newest North America’s Designated Resources |
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AGN-NA developed the Designated Resources program as a means to identify association members who are resources for more specialized assistance within certain practice specialties or industries. Please call on them to help you with your client needs.
Twenty-three individuals cover 16 industries with the addition of our latest Designated Resources. Meet them . . .
| International Tax |
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Dan Byrne
Principal
Rothstein Kass & Company |
Paul Dailey
Principal
Rothstein Kass & Company |
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| Mergers & Acquisitions |
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Lou Banach
Managing Director
Schenck Business Solutions
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Jim Gettel
Managing Director
Schenck Business Solutions |
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These gentlemen join their fellow Designated Resources:
Tom Maurer - Business Management Software
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| Dennis McCullough - Business Process Improvement |
| Mark Hanson - Business Valuations |
| Larry Steinberg - Construction |
| Skip Grubanowitch - Cost Segregation |
| Bill Edwards - Employee Benefits Administration |
| Mike Miller - Fast Food Franchise [McDonald's] |
| Howard Altman - Financial Services [Broker-Dealers and Hedge Funds] |
| Kam McQuay - Health Care: Medical Practices |
| Ranko Princip - International Tax |
| Sid Shaver - Mergers & Acquisitions (Corporate Finance, Transaction Valuation, Equity & Debt Raises, working with private equity groups) |
| Brad Lusk - Private Foundations |
| Mark Weber - Property Tax, Real Estate Appraisal |
| Sandy Beckman - Restaurants |
| Tom Bellante - SEC Practice |
| Faith Gorman - State & Local Tax |
Read more about each one at www.agn-na.org/DesResources/resources.htm
How do I become a Designated Resource?
Your AGN-NA Board member must follow the nomination procedure. Board members may obtain the Guidelines and Nomination Form by logging in to the Members Only section at www.agn-na.org.
- Mouse over the Board button in the lavender menu bar in the top portion of the screen, click on Board Business .
- Click on Designated Resources Guidelines and Nomination Form.
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| Member
News |
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Blue & Co., with seven offices in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio, added the following managers: Lisa Brugh, Sue Evans, G.G. Gurce, Kurt Beier, Alex Fritz, Shawn Williams, Ann Sicker, and Gina Grote ; seniors: Joell Grisel, Josh Milbrath, Shawn Wise, Paul Wilkins, Mark Bowes, Eric Jaske, Mark Stacy, Dan Danic, Jennifer Harris, Amber Kocher, Tricia Middleton, Kyle Smith, Shannon Borden, Lindsey Ladyman, Ashley Whitlock, Shelley Meyer, Autumn Smith, and Sandy Lang ; and eight staff accountants. |
George Panzeca , Director, Ralph Litolff, Jr ., Director, George “Buddy” Long, Principal, and Philip Monteleone , Manager of Bourgeois Bennett, L.L.C. , two offices in Louisiana, have been awarded the Certified Financial Forensics (CFF) credential by the AICPA.
George was also named Kiwanian of the Year by the Kiwanis Club of New Orleans. It is the highest award the club can bestow upon a member. The award recognized his outstanding service to the community and in particular the service and leadership he provided to the K-Bar-B Youth Ranch as president for the last two years in getting the program back on its feet after Hurricane Katrina. The ranch is a residential treatment facility for abused and neglected children.
Beverly Nichols , Director, has been named one of New Orleans CityBusiness' 2008 Women of the Year. The award honors women who are making notable contributions to both the local business community and society at large. This is the second time the publication has named Bev as one of their Women of the Year.
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Clark, Schaefer, Hackett & Co. , with five offices in Ohio, acquired the health care consulting firm of The Clemans Group. Founder Ted Clemans and partner Bill Clayton join CSH as principals. The addition of this consulting expertise to the CSH Health Care Industry Group enables the firm's existing clients to operate their practices more effectively.
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Denise Hozza, CPA, CVA , and a Senior Manager with the firm, has successfully achieved the Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) accreditation from NAVCA (The National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts). The CVA accreditation certifies that the individual is trained to properly value private business enterprises, and is among the country's most distinguished and widely recognized business valuation credentials. Denise, a resident of Whitehall, has been with Concannon, Miller & Co. since 1997. She works with a wide range of closely-held businesses in the region, delivering accounting and consulting services.
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Cowan, Bolduc, Doherty & Company, North Andover, MA is pleased to announce the promotion of Melissa Edwards, CPA to manager in the audit division. Justin Hirsch and Rachael Kuzmick were both recently promoted to seniors in the audit department.
Amy Keller has been chosen by the AICPA to participate in CollegeWeekLive, which is the world's biggest online college fair, with more than 200 colleges and universities from around the world exhibiting and more than 20,000 attendees. This event has been featured in Newsweek, The New York Times, Seventeen and USA Today . Amy will be helping “man the booth” for the AICPA and will be chatting live with students and their parents about a major/career in accounting. ( www.collegeweeklive.com ).
Partners Bob Cowan, Steve Doherty and Jerry Bolduc
are standing among the donations of toys, food and
clothing the firm collected for the local Salvation Army.
The firm thanks friends, family, employees and clients
who participated and make it possible to provide for the
needy in the CBD practice area. |
Daszkal Bolton LLP, with three offices in South Florida, is pleased to announce that Michael Kridel, CPA , Partner, has been awarded the Certified Financial Forensics (CFF) credential by the AICPA.
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Edward Goolsby, CPA, CFST, Partner, James Moore & Co., P.L. , with three offices in Florida, has retired from the firm. He joined the firm's founding partner, James Moore, in 1973 and was admitted as a partner in 1977. He served in multiple capacities, including Partner-in-Charge of client accounting, a founding member of the technology committee and chairman of JM&Co. University. Co-workers, peers, and clients will miss his wit, wisdom and guidance.
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Kernutt Stokes Brandt & Co. , Eugene, OR, recently announced the addition of Bryce C. Wilberger, CPA, Angela Cao, CPA, Chris Palmer, Dana Johnson, Erik Parrish, Mark Collard, and Joshua M. Kinsley to its professional staff. The firm also announced the addition of a new marketing manager, Candice Brehm .
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The Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce has honored Lanigan, Ryan, Malcolm & Doyle, P.C. , Gaithersburg, MD, with the 2008 Corporate Social Responsibility Award in recognition of the firm's outstanding commitment to serve the community through charitable giving.
“The standard for the Corporate Responsibility Award is that the winner must demonstrate exemplary business practices and a dedicated commitment to community service and volunteer programs that enrich the lives of county residents,” said Trevor Garner, Chairman of the 2008 Business Awards. “Lanigan, Ryan, Malcolm & Doyle exceed these criteria every day through their annual charitable golf tournament and their tireless support for many community organizations.”
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Pender Newkirk , Tampa, FL, was recently named as 2008 Small Business of the Year Finalists in the 50-250 employee category by the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce. Organizations are judged on their financial success, community involvement and ethical business practices.
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As of January 5, 2009, the firm Robert R. Redwitz & Co., with three offices in California, will be moving its Irvine location to 5520 Trabuco Road, Irvine, CA 92620-5705 (phone and fax numbers remain the same). Along with Robert R. Redwitz & Co., the move includes The GDR Group, Redwitz Wealth Management Group and The Diamond Group .
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Rolfe, Benson Chartered Accountants, Vancouver, BC, is pleased to celebrate 50 years in business. The firm was started on 8 December 1958 with an average hourly billable rate of about $10. Times have changed and the firm has grown from 3 people to almost 50 in that time. In addition to the regular celebrations the firm will make donations to four local charities in Vancouver in December 2008. |
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Rothstein, Kass & Company, P.C., with nine offices in New York, New Jersey, California, Texas, Colorado, and Cayman Islands, is pleased to announce that the following individuals have been promoted to Principal: Steven J. Menna, CPA in the Dallas, TX office, and Joseph D. Zarkowski, CPA , in the New York, NY office. Stuart Smith, CPA in the Roseland, NJ office has been promoted to Senior Director.
The firm recently announced the opening of a new office location in Orange County, California. Luis M. Puncel, CPA , a 30-year industry veteran with extensive experience in SEC and regulatory matters, has been named Principal-in-Charge of the new office. Located in Irvine, the address is 2050 Main Street, Suite 200, Irvine, CA 92614. The phone number is (949) 833-8900, and the fax number is (949) 252-8500.
“On the Rise” is the latest research report sponsored by Rothstein, Kass and co-sponsored by G Capital. This white paper highlights the growing relationship between the alternative investment community and SFOs, entities established to serve the needs of individual high-net worth families. |
Schenck Business Solutions , with nine offices throughout Wisconsin, is pleased to announce that Lou D. Banach and James J. Gettel, JD have recently joined the firm as Managing Directors in the Milwaukee office. In their new roles, Banach and Gettel will build and expand upon Schenck's existing merger and acquisition practice, and will provide a full range of M&A-related services to clients. |
Sproles Woodard LLP , with three offices in Texas and New Mexico, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Shrode, Creech and Tabb, P.L.L.C. of Midland, TX. This acquisition strengthens Sproles Woodard's position as one of the leading privately held accounting firms in the Southwest, and provides additional expertise in the firm's oil and gas practice, while also expanding the firm's capabilities to include business valuation. |
Kristi Johnson, CPA has been promoted to Principal at Windham Brannon, P.C., CPAs , Atlanta, GA. Dave Peacos, CPA , Principal, has been elected to the board of the Georgia Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (GACFE) for a term of one year.
Heidi LaMarca, CPA , Principal, has been appointed to the Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center Executive Committee by the chairman of the AICPA Board of Directors and approved by the Board. She has worked in the area of employee benefit plan audits for 16 years and serves as partner for over 50 plan sponsors. Heidi currently serves on the Ethics Committee of the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants where she is the designated member to review all complaints relating to employee benefit plan audits.
In other news, the firm's financial group has created a new $2,500 scholarship at Georgia State University. The inaugural scholarship was recently awarded to Chuck Stalzer who is currently pursuing his MBA degree with a Personal Financial Planning (PFP) major. |
Accounting Today's Best Accounting Firms to Work For lists the following AGN-NA members:
Lanigan, Ryan, Malcolm & Doyle Rothstein, Kass & Company Sharrard, McGee & Co. Windham Brannon
Rothstein, Kass & Company and Schenck Business Solutions have been named in the July 2008 issue of CPA Practice Management Forum as two of 15 accounting firms in Best for Diversity.
Inside Public Accounting's 2008 Top 100 names the following AGN-NA members:
Listed as #3, Rothstein Kass in The 10 Fastest Growing Firms (more than 15% growth in each of the last five years)
Listed in The Largest Accounting Firms in the U.S.:
Rothstein Kass at #20 Schenck Business Solutions at #43 Clark, Schaefer, Hackett & Co. at #68 Blue & Co. at #90
Also in this publication's 2008 All-Stars, Rothstein Kass is listed at #7 in Growth and Leverage, while Blue & Co. is listed in Long-Range Planning (this category is not ranked).
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