Speaker Bios
J.
Carlton Collins, CPA
Geni Whitehouse, CPA
Susan Sheridan
Dana R. (Rick) Richardson, CPA, CDF
Doug Meyer
Carolyn Sechler
Jim Metzler, CPA
Donna L. Greer
Taylor Macdonald
Jennifer Wilson
Bob Sywolski
Sue Bennett, CPA
Rob
Blake
Patrick
Fitzhenry
David R. Harris
Kent
Hollrah
Shawna Van Buskirk
Rick Sundahl
Peter
Kaufman
Bruce
Ciarleglio
Fred Coad,CPA
Brian Austin
Eric Cohen, CPA
David Colgren
Brad
Monterio
Jeff DeSchon
Jeff Justice
Peyton Burch
Shannon McKInney
Alan Cohen, CGA
Michael
Burns MBA, CA
Rob Augenstein, CPA
Wayne
Harding, CPA
pETER
fRAnk, CPA
In Order by First Name
Alan
Cohen, CGA
Bob
Sywolski
Brad
Monterio
Brian
Austin
Bruce
Ciarleglio
Carolyn
Sechler
Dana
R. (Rick) Richardson, CPA, CDF
David
Colgren
David
R. Harris
Donna
L. Greer
Doug
Meyer
Eric
Cohen, CPA
Fred
Coad,CPA
Geni
Whitehouse, CPA
J.
Carlton Collins, CPA
Jeff
DeSchon
Jeff
Justice
Jennifer
Wilson
Jim
Metzler, CPA
Kent
Hollrah
Michael
Burns MBA, CA
Patrick
Fitzhenry
PETER
FRank
Peter
Kaufman
Peyton
Burch
Rick
Sundahl
Rob
Augenstein, CPA
Rob
Blake
Shannon
McKInney
Shawna
Van Buskirk
Sue
Bennett, CPA
Susan
Sheridan
Taylor
Macdonald
Wayne
Harding, CPA
J.
Carlton
Collins, CPA
|

|
CEO, Founder
AdvisorCPE
|
J.
Carlton Collins
is President of Accounting Software Advisor, LLC. Since 1984, Carlton has
worked in the accounting software industry installing systems, consulting with
end users, lecturing to more than one hundred thousands businesses, consulting
to accounting software companies, publishing books, articles and web sites. He
is experienced with many of the top accounting software packages such as MAS 500, BusinessWorks,
Microsoft Dynamics & eEnterprise, Navision Attain, Navision Axapta, ACCPAC
Advantage Series, Platinum for Windows, E by Epicor, Open Systems Traverse, MAS
90, MAS 200, Exact's Macola ES, Peachtree Complete Accounting, Solomon IV, SAP
R/3, QuickBooks Pro, BusinessVision 32, and more.
Carlton’s diverse background is an asset in providing his specialized consulting
skills. He has six years of
accounting, auditing and tax experience in the areas of health care,
construction, distribution, automobile dealerships, insurance, manufacturing,
and general business. His tax
experience includes corporate, individual, partnership, fiduciary, and estate
tax planning work.
Carlton
also has been heavily involved in the other areas of financial forecasts, bond
financing, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, conventional financing, pension
and profit sharing plans, and business planning.
Geni
Whitehouse,
CPA
|

|
COO
AdvisorCPE
|
Geni Whitehouse, CPA, CITP is the Chief Operating Officer
of Accounting Software Advisor where she is responsible for publishing,
lecturing, and consulting on accounting software solutions. With experience
implementing solutions from Peachtree to PeopleSoft, Geni brings a broad
perspective to her evaluation of technical solutions.
She has spent the last 20 years finding new ways to apply her accounting
expertise to technology and her technical expertise to accounting.
- Served
as COO of Elliott Davis Technology Solutions, LLC – reseller of MAS90,
SalesLogix, Navision Attain
- Former Director, Product Marketing And Strategic Alliances, Navision
Software US
- PeopleSoft Hr/Payroll/Benefits Administration Instructor, National
Geographic Society
- Implementer/Trainer, Evans Technology, Inc – Primavera
Project Management Software
- Former Partner, Gross, Duke, And
Nelson
, CPAs,
Atlanta
,
GA
– Technology Practice
- Began her career with
Deloitte
Haskins
and Sells (now Deloitte Touche)
- Former member XBRL Steering Committee
- Speaker, Navision Passport 1999, 2000, 2001
- Speaker, Institute of Management Accountants, 82nd , 81st Annual
Convention
- Member, AICPA/ITA 2000 Technology Conference Planning Committee
- Speaker, NCEDBT, Augusta Technology Summit, May 2002
- Punchline Comedy Club, November, 2001
Geni’s background ranges from
Public Accounting to Industry, from software vendor to reseller, and from small
clients to Fortune 500 clients. Her
unusual exposure to many sides of technology and accounting make her an
informative speaker, while her comedy training helps to insure that her
audiences will be entertained.
Susan
Sheridan
|

|
Senior
Vice President of Marketing
ACCPAC
|
As Senior Vice President of Marketing at ACCPAC,
Susan
Sheridan
's responsibilities encompass the
complete marketing arena at ACCPAC, including product marketing, channel
marketing, business development, web services and customer care.
Ms.
Sheridan
joined ACCPAC in July 2000 upon ACCPAC's acquisition of SBT Accounting Systems,
where she was Executive Vice President. She previously worked at Autodesk, where
she served as marketing director and in product and channel-marketing positions.
Her background includes building and selling her own marketing agency and stints
at hardware and software companies, including Microsoft.
Susan
is a graduate of the
University
of
Maryland
and her work has been published in a variety of trade journals.
Dana
R. (
Rick
)
Richardson
,
CPA, CDF
|

|
President
Richardson
Media & Technologies
|
Dana
R.
"Rick"
Richardson
is president of Richardson Media & Technologies,
a multi-media and strategic technology consulting company. Prior to forming his
current company,
Mr.
Richardson
had a 28-year career in technology with Ernst &
Young, the last 12 years of which he served as National Director of Technology.
Mr.
Richardson
has been named to the "Technology 100" -
the annual honors list of the 100 key achievers in technology in
America
— and was honored by the American Institute of
Certified Public Accountants with a lifetime achievement award for technology.
He is a sought-after speaker around the world, providing his annual forecast of
future technology trends to thousands of business executives, professionals,
community leaders, educators and students.
Doug
Meyer
|

|
President
And Chief Operating Officer
Peachtree Software
|
In his role as president and COO,
Meyer
is charting the long-term strategic direction for Peachtree Software. To
accomplish this, he closely monitors the needs of accountant and small business
customers, the potential impact of new technologies on the small business
market, and how Peachtree can best improve upon and develop these solutions to
help customers continue to get the insight behind their numbers.
Doug
joined Peachtree in 1991 and quickly progressed from his role as product
manager to serve as senior vice president and chief operating officer. During
his tenure at Peachtree, he has been involved in virtually all of the company's
different operations and has a deep understanding of customers, markets and the
inner workings of the company.
Before joining Peachtree, he was
a product manager at NCR Corporation in
Duluth
,
GA
, where he handled PC-based hardware and software point-of-sales systems for the
hospitality industry.
He holds a M.S. degree in Management from the Georgia Institute of
Technology, and a B.S. in Engineering from the
University
of
Central Florida.
Carolyn
Sechler
|
|
Principal
Sechler, CPA, PC
|
Carolyn
Sechler
, CPA is the big honcho of the firm of Sechler CPA PC in
Phoenix
,
Arizona
. Her expertise is in tax and strategic planning, financial reporting, and
management consulting, primarily to nonprofit organizations and technology
entrepreneurs. She has been serving
clients in this capacity for approximately 20 years.
Her fully wired practice, which she calls a "virtual
accounting firm," demonstrates her belief in the liberating power of
technology and its endless opportunities.
The team all work from their homes and resides in several states and
Canada
. Likewise the client base includes
Organizations both domestic and international.
Carolyn
brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and perspective to her clients.
Before becoming a CPA, she held an executive position with
the
American
College
of Emergency Physicians, participating in the accreditation process.
Carolyn
is an animated and passionate public speaker on local and national levels, a
writer/editor, and Internet “surfer.”
-
Selected one of
the "Top 100 Most Influential People in the Profession" for the
third year running.
-
Featured in
Accounting Today's list of "Trailblazers in Technology."
-
Featured in the
following magazines within the last year:
- Journal
of Accountancy
- Tax
Advisor
- Practical
Accountant,
- Accounting
Technology
- Writes
for a number of professional publications
- Technology
editorial advisor for the Tax Advisor and Journal of Accountancy
Her topics include tax and financial issues, futurist and
visioning applications, non-profit organizations, and technology integration to
meet user and organizational needs. Systems
design; training and strategic alliance issues have become some of her latest
fun topics!
She and her team can be found online most any time of day.
Jim
Metzler
,
CPA
|

|
Partner
Convergence Coaching, LLC
|
Jim
is a Partner and co-founder of ConvergenceCoaching LLC, a consulting firm that
helps CPA and IT firms achieve greater success in the development of their
information technology practices.
Jim
is the former partner in charge of marketing and information technology for
Gaines Metzler Kriner & Company,LLP of Buffalo, New York. He is the founder
of GEMKO Information Group, Inc., a successful computer consulting organization.
- Named to the Accounting Today "100 Most
Influential People in Accounting," for each of seven years from 1994 to
2001.
- Past president of Information Technology Alliance.
- Chair of the Executive Committee of the AICPA
Information Technology Section.
- Member of the AICPA Technology Conference Steering
Committee.
- Frequent lecturer for AICPA, IBM, Microsoft and global
CPA professional associations
Jim
is the author of How to Build a Million Dollar Technology Consulting
Practice published by Harcourt Professional Publishing and has presented
numerous workshops and seminars on this topic.
Donna
L.
Greer
|

|
Vice -
President, Business Development
Greer Information Services, Ltd.
|
With over ten years experience in the information technology arena, Donna
focuses on new business initiatives, establishes critical industry partnerships
and ensures that their comprehensive solutions meet the needs of our clients.
She also excels in finding & maintaining the strong network of professionals
that form the Greer Information Services team. In addition,
Donna
serves in a corporate role to assist in the development of overall strategic
direction for the company.
Taylor
Macdonald
|

|
Senior
Vice President, Business Partners
Best Software
U.S.
Operations
|
Taylor
Macdonald
is Senior Vice President, Business Partners for Best Software U.S. Operations.
Taylor
is responsible for designing and implementing programs that leverage all
US
operating companies partner channels across all
US
products, monitor and maximize performance of the channel, and provide
standardized best practice instruction for all channel partners.
- Frequent speaker for the AICPA and ITA
- Spoken at technology conferences including Comdex and
NetWorld.
- Frequent Contributor to Accounting Today magazine and
serves on their editorial advisory board
- Named “Top 100 Most Influential People” in the
accounting profession by Accounting Today magazine in 1998.
- Named “Technology Star” by Accounting Technology
magazine in 1997.
- Member Southeastern Software Association
Macdonald
joined Sage in February 1998 as vice president of partner development. He also
managed Sage's field-based regional account managers and was involved in partner
recruitment. Prior to joining Sage, he was founder and president of Macdonald
Consulting Group (MCG) in
Atlanta
, a business software-consulting firm he formed in 1990.
Jennifer
Wilson
|
|
Partner
Convergence Coaching, LLC
|
Jennifer
Wilson
is a co-founder of ConvergenceCoaching, LLC and a partner in Success
Strategists, a practice management and marketing consulting company.
Jennifer
’s primary mission is to help her clients grow their businesses and achieve
their goals.
- Named one of Accounting Technology magazine’s
Technology Stars
- Chairman of the American Institute of CPA's Tech 2002
Conference Steering Committee
- Member of the Information Technology
Alliance
Fall 2001 Conference Planning Committee
- Member American Marketing Association
-
Jennifer
is active in industry organizations advocating a market-oriented approach to
building business.
Jennifer
worked in both the public accounting
and IT sectors before founding Success Strategists. As a partner for the top ten
accounting firm, BDO Seidman, LLP,
Jennifer
ran the National Financial Solutions
Group practice with nearly 100 consultants providing software selection,
implementation and support services to clients ranging from $5 to $100 million
in size.
Prior to BDO Seidman, Jennifer was Vice President of Sales and Customer Services
for State Of The Art, Inc. (now known as Best Software, Inc.) where she was
responsible for the publicly-traded software publisher’s sales, marketing
communications, education and customer services functions. Instrumental in
implementing the company’s highly successful CPA marketing programs,
Jennifer
assisted in recruiting tens of
thousands of CPAs to State Of The Art.
Bob
Sywolski
|

|
Chief
Executive Officer
Blackbaud
|
Robert
J.
Sywolski
, brings more than twenty-five years of operations experience to his role as CEO
of Blackbaud. He is responsible for building on the company's success and
expanding its offerings to continue its role as the leading provider of
software, services and e-philanthropy solutions to the nonprofit community.
Prior to joining Blackbaud in March 2000, Bob spent 12 years as the Chairman and
CEO of the North American Operations of Cap Gemini, a systems integration,
management consulting and information technology services company, which he grew
to $250 million.
A member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, he is on the boards of
the ePhilanthropyFoundation.org, Changepoint Corporation, Transcentive, Inc.,
and METASeS.
Bob
holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and an MBA.
Sue
Bennett,
CPA
|
|
Co-Founder
Bennett/Porter & Associates, Inc.
|
Sue
has an extensive formal education and background in both
accounting and general business operations.
Prior to founding Bennett/Porter, she worked as a practical accountant in
multiple business environments and well as selling a variety of mid-sized
accounting software applications. In
her fourteen years of leadership at Bennett/Porter, she has been instrumental in
the success of many of the over 800 MAS90/MAS200 implementations that her team
has performed. She has been key in
defining the service based principles and practices that have won Bennett/Porter
client trust over the years, and she is a passionate proponent of the concept of
providing clients with a vital link between technology and business solutions.
- BPAC
(Best’s Business Partner’s Advisory Council) member since inception
- Instrumental
in achieving Bennett/Porter’s Customer Service Award for 3 years in a row
- Selected
speaker for multiple Successful Reseller panels
- Member
of Circle of Excellence for 5 years in a row
- Named
“Technology Pacesetter” by Accounting Today magazine
- Named
Strategic Alliance Partner for CPA’s in Portland Area
- BBA
in Finance from
Idaho
State
University
Sue
provides Bennett/Porter’s talented
team of employees with a clear vision of what is required to make the company
successful. Her daily
participation in the evolution of a positive team culture has been key to the
company’s ability to maintain a reputation for one of the finest employers in
the
Portland
,
Oregon
area.
Rob
Blake
|
|
Group
Program Manager
Finance and Administration IT
Microsoft Corp.
|
As group program manager of Finance
and Administration IT at Microsoft Corp.,
Rob
Blake
is responsible for identifying and implementing new technologies
and standards across the company and externally as they relate to financial
reporting and planning. He oversees
the company’s utilization and development of the Extensible Business Reporting
Language (XBRL) and works to publicize the benefits of the financial reporting
standard to partners, investors and other companies.
Blake
works closely with the Finance and
Administration IT development team at Microsoft to create and implement improved
processes for reporting financial results in XBRL. In addition,
Blake
collaborates with product development
teams across the company to ensure that Microsoft® products support and
incorporate XBRL functionality.
- Software and
Services Supply Chain representative on the XBRL International Steering
Committee
- Member of the
XBRL U.S. Executive Committee and is Domain Chair of the XBRL U.S.
jurisdiction.
- Director of
Product Strategies for FRx Software Corp., which is part of the Microsoft
Great Plains Business Solutions division.
- Public Sector
Solutions Inc., based in
Vienna
,
Va.
, publishing USL Financials, a
client/server-based midmarket accounting package for the
not-for-profit/governmental sector.
Blake
has more than 12 years of industry and
financial experience and is one of the most dynamic speakers in the industry
today.
Microsoft
and
Great
Plains
are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United
Statesand/or other countries.
The
names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of
their respective owners.
Patrick
Fitzhenry
|

|
Director
of Marketing Strategy for Business Solutions
MICROSOFT
|
Pat
began his career with Arthur Anderson
& Company in the Management Information Consulting Division. He was
later a Consulting Division Manager with Price Waterhouse. During this time he
authored more than a dozen articles for PC Magazine focusing on accounting
software products.
He joined Solomon Software
in 1987 and held numerous positions including – Regional VP of Sales, VP of
CPA Programs and Relations, VP Vertical Markets, VP Mergers and Acquisitions,
Senior VP Communications, Senior VP Sales & Marketing.
Solomon
Software
was acquired by Great Plains Software
in 1999 and Great Plains Software was acquired by Microsoft in 2000.
Pat
is now Director of Marketing Strategy
for Microsoft’s Business Solutions Division. He is a frequent speaker on
software technology and its impact on business processes.
David
R.
Harris
|

|
President
EC
INTERNET
|
Throughout his extensive career,
David
Harris
has remained at the forefront of companies delivering real
business solutions based on leading technology. As vice-president of Marketing
and Sales at SBT Accounting Systems,
David
led the movement to LAN-based
accounting systems. Then, as president of SBT Internet Systems, he spearheaded industry's turn
toward electronic commerce.
- Served as MIS
Director for two companies.
- Set up two multi-million-dollar customer
service operations.
- Developed the
first contact manager and mailing list applications for the
PC.
- Designed the
first e-commerce applications integrated to accounting systems.
- Created and
sold 1000-domain home page hosting service.
- Co Founder of
SofTech CEO Roundtable
David
heads up EC Internet, a company
dedicated to providing standardized solutions for electronic commerce. EC
Internet has integrated over 500 on-line stores with Pro Series, VisionPoint,
and AccountMate accounting systems. EC Internet's popular e-commerce packages
include the Web Pro Pack and EC Gateway. EC Internet provides end-to-end
integration and support for software resellers and mid-sized companies.
David
is a frequent speaker at key technology
industry events such as Internet and Electronic Commerce Conference, Online
Expo, Business Online, CPA and Business Expo. He has been a guest on numerous
television and radio shows across the country.
Kent
Hollrah
|

|
President
MIP software
|
Kent
Hollrah
joined MIP in 1997 from Open Systems Holdings Corp., a
commercial accounting software vendor, where he was vice president of sales and
services. Hollrah has 18 years of sales expertise in the accounting and
computing industries, as well as extensive experience developing channels and
distribution networks. Hollrah holds a BBA in marketing from the
University
of
Oklahoma
.
Shawna
Van
Buskirk
|

|
Product
Marketing Manager
Navision Software
US
|
Shawna
Van
Buskirk
is Product Marketing Manager at Navision Software
US.
She assists resellers in the CRM, Manufacturing and Distribution industries.
Shawna
worked as a pre-sales consultant to the reseller channel prior to her current
role. Her various responsibilities
in that capacity included pre-sales activities such as product demonstrations
with potential buyers. She has held
numerous roles at the former Damgaard organization including support
representative and software trainer.
Shawna
was with the Geac
Computer Corporation before joining Navision.
She graduated with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in
Management Information Systems from the
University
of
Georgia.
Rick
Sundahl
|
President
Grey
Wolf
Systems
|
Rick
Sundahl
has been President of Grey Wolf Systems since 1993.
With offices in
Colorado,
California,
Florida,
Massachusetts, and
New Jersey, Grey Wolf Systems is a technology
solution provider for distributors in the United States
and
Canada.
Grey
Wolf
’s supported technologies include SalesLogix, Best Software,
NxTrend, Microsoft and Eclipse.
Grey
Wolf
’s core areas of focus are CRM, ERP, EDI, eCommerce, and
Networking.
Mr.
Sundahl
’s previous employers include R&D Systems (NxTrend), IBM,
General Dynamics, and
Martin
Marietta
.
Education and Certifications:
- BS in
Electrical Engineering
University
of
Colorado
at
Boulder
- BS in
Marketing
University
of
Colorado
at
Boulder
- MBA in
Finance
University
of
Colorado
at
Boulder
- Certified
Management Accountant
- Certified
Computer Professional
- Microsoft
Certified System Engineer
Rick
has presented at the
University
of
Industrial Distribution
, NxTrend’s User Conferences and SHIMS
Wholesalers Association’s national and regional meetings.
Rick
has also been employed as an adjunct
professor at
Wichita
State
University
and
Kansas
Newman
College
.
Peter
Kaufman
|
|
President
Dynamic
Software Solutions
|
Peter
is President and founder of Dynamic
Software Solutions, located in
Miami
,
Florida
.
He holds a Bachelor of Science
in Business Administration from the
University
of
Florida
.
- Former
Marketing Manager, National Sales Manager, FIS Group.
- Named Top U.S.
ACCPAC reseller,1996.
- In 1996, he
expanded operations by adding professional services and international sales
- NamedTop U.S.
ACCPAC reseller in 1998 and 2000.
- Named
Accounting Technology Pacesetter, Accounting Today magazine in 1998,1999
& 2001.
- Named Killer
VAR by Accounting Technology magazine, 2001.
- Dynamic
Software Solutions was of only 2
US Resellers to reach MASTERS status in 2001.
Peter
currently is Vice Chairman of
ACCPAC’s business advisory counsel. He
has been featured in the Miami Daily Business Review and several trade
magazines.
Bruce
Ciarleglio
|
|
Vice
President of Marketing
Aston Group (
North America
) Inc.
|
Bruce
Ciarleglio, Vice President of Marketing, brings over 25 years of experience in selling and
servicing technical products, along with a wealth of knowledge in developing
successful IT strategies for the manufacturing and distribution industry, to his
position at Aston Group.
Mr.
Ciarleglio
manages and directs the company's customer relationships and oversees its
branding and highly targeted marketing strategies within
North America
.
- Founding member of Aston Group and is credited with
consolidating the individual marketing efforts of its 19 North American
offices into one centralized corporate operation.
- Lead the initiative to enhance the company's
traditional, paper-based marketing efforts by producing technology-driven,
multi-media tools, which have proven to be more effective and financially
beneficial.
- Heads the company's video production studio
department.
Prior to joining Aston Group,
Bruce
served as founder of a consumer electronics distribution company, where he
maintained a 35 percent profit margin, exceeding the industry average.
Bruce
founded Adventures In Automation, an internationally recognized firm that
helped companies select, train and implement software systems to run their
businesses. For more than ten years,
Adventures In Automation was viewed as a top-performing industry leader and
model for the Value Added Reseller.
Bruce
resides in
Southern California
and enjoys chasing his ball around the golf course, sampling fine wines and
just about anything you can do at a beach.
Fred
A. Coad,
CPA, CITP, MBA, MSA
|
|
Owner
Computerized
Business Associates, Inc.
|
Fred
A. Coad, CPA, CITP, MBA, MSA, is a sole practitioner and president of
Computerized Business Associates, Inc., an authorized Peachtree Resource Center
in Scottsdale, Arizona. He has over 25 years of experience assisting
clients with accounting systems solutions, management consulting, and financial
solutions, and has helped clients with Peachtree since 1984. Mr. Coad has
co-authored Peachtree Solutions - A Problem Guide for Accounting Professionals
since its inception. He provides a wealth of practical insight gained from
years of “hands-on” experience with Peachtree. Mr. Coad is certified
as a trainer and technician on all of the Peachtree products.
Brian
Austin
|
|
Vice
President of Marketing
Aston Group (
North
America
)
Inc.
|
As Director of
Softline Software’s public relations group,
Brian
Austin
’s range of responsibilities includes all aspects of internal
and external PR, including press relations, business partner channel relations,
and accounting industry relations.
Mr.
Austin
joined Softline in 2001 with a charter to build awareness of
Softline’s North American subsidiaries, BusinessVision and AccountMate. He
previously worked as Accpac’s director of press and analyst relations,
following a four-year stint advising SBT Accounting Systems on PR strategy.
Austin
is a graduate of
California
State
University
,
Fullerton
, where he earned a master’s degree in
American politics.
Eric
Cohen,
CPA
|
|
PricewaterhouseCoopers
|
Eric
Cohen’s position at PWC is to be involved in the XBRL initiative.
He is the chair of the US Jurisdiction of XBRL.org and is a frequent
contributor to technology publications and is a favorite lecturer on technology
topics.
- Author,
Accountant's Guide to the
Internet, from
John
Wiley
& Sons.
- Chair
AICPA Technology Conference 2000
- Lectured on
behalf of CICA,NYSSCPA, National Tax Institute
- Forum Editor
for CompuServe’s accounting forums, nysscpa.org’s “Ask An Expert”
-
Chair
New
York
State
Emerging Technologies Committee ,1999
- Frequent
lecturer on CPA firm automation, E-Commerce, Human Aspects of Computing,
Internet Research
- Frequent
Contributor to Infobytes, an AICPA publication
He is the former Technology Coach at Cohen Computer Consulting and a
former Manager of Computer Advisory Services for one of
Rochester,
New York
’s
largest local CPA firm. He holds an
MBA in Public Accounting and Marketing from the Simon School of Management in
Rochester
,
NY
and a B.A.
in Mathematics from the
University
of
Rochester,
Rochester,
NY.
David
Colgren
|

|
Principal,
President and CEO
Colcom Communications Group, Inc
|
T.
David Colgren
, principal and President/CEO, has been
engaged in media relations, marketing communications, public relations,
government relations, investor relations and crisis communications for more than
20 years.
- Educated in
political science and journalism at
Texas
Christian
University
with graduate classes at Southern
Methodist University
- Has worked in
the United States Senate as a legislative assistant to former
Senator
Alan
J.
Dixon
of
Illinois
.
- Held senior
positions in the corporate communications departments of Southwestern Bell
Telephone, Bank One Corporation, The Federal Home Loan Bank and Fidelity
Investments.
- Vice President
of Corporate Communications and Investor Relations for The BISYS Group, a
$350 million technology company based in
New Jersey
.
In
1997,
David
founded Colgren Communications Group,
Inc., a public relations and marketing communications firm specializing in
business communication solutions for companies in the financial services, real
estate, high-tech, consumer goods and beauty/fashion sectors.
He has been active in both
the Public Relations Society of America and the National Investment Relations
Institute, and is accredited by the PRSA.
COLCOMGROUP serves as public relations counsel to the AICPA as well as
such organizations as Revlon, AOL Time Warner,
Sonnenschein
Nath
Rosenthal
(One of the top 50 law firms in the
country) and Microsoft.
Brad
Monterio
|
|
Principal, Vice President
Colcom Communications Group, Inc
|
Brad J. Monterio, principal and Senior Vice President, has over 12 years of
marketing, marketing communications, public relations, product
management/development and design experience working with nationally recognized
companies.
- Graduate of
Dartmouth
College
with a degree in English and Economics
- Has served in senior corporate positions at Chase
Manhattan Bank as Global Marketing/Product Manager for International Private
Banking
- Former National Marketing Manager at the
Chase
Information
Center
for credit and deposit products
- Has managed international marketing, public relations,
advertising, special events, product management and product development
programs.
- Has specialty with start-up businesses, new product
launches, the high-end sector for consumer goods.
Mr.
Monterio
joined Colgren Communications Group/colcomgroup in
1997 as principal and senior vice president. His role with colcomgroup currently
focuses on strategic planning and image development, online communications,
marketing communications, product branding, media relations, government affairs,
special events planning, writing and research for clients.
In addition, he is responsible for developing new business opportunities,
programs and affiliations.
Jeff
DeSchon
|
Vice
President & Director of Sales Exact/Macola
IPro
|
Jeff
entered the accounting software
industry in 1997 when he took a position as an ERP implementation consultant,
coming from a manufacturing company where he was in senior management and had
just helped successfully implement a manufacturing ERP system. He has worked
with American Software, InMass, Exact Macola ES, Microsoft Dynamics, and
BusinessVision 32.
Jeff
says that he takes pride in watching
his client’s business grow and knowing that the software solution he
implemented provides the infrastructure to help facilitate the growth.
- Jeff
has led the Exact/Macola sales
efforts for iPro since 1997.
- iPro has been recognized as a
leader among it’s peers in the Southeast
- In 2002, iPro was recognized as a
member of Exact/Macola’s prestigious President’s Council.
This is the second year in a row iPro has been awarded this honor.
- iPro was also named Marketing
Partner of the Year in 2001
Jeff
worked in the private sector in
manufacturing and has extensive experience in product management, materials
management and shop supervision. He
has helped implement several ERP installations before becoming involved as an
Exact/Macola reseller.
Jeff
Justice
|

|
Humor
Resources Director
|
A dynamic keynote speaker
and emcee,
Jeff
brings his corporate brand of humor to
entertain and lighten the intense nature of business.
Jeff
is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP)
as recognized by the National Speaker's Association. Less than 400 speakers in
the known universe have achieved this earned recognition. His innovative
programs on appropriate humor in the workplace have been featured on CNN and
CNBC. From employee meetings to high-profile roasts, companies turn to
Jeff
to engage their employees and energize
their organizations.
Jeff
has an uncanny ability to help others
tap into humor as a resource for improving human interaction and individual
effectiveness in the workplace. Any way you serve him up,
Jeff
's brand of "applied humor"
is THE humor resource for any company looking to enhance the effectiveness of
its people.
Today, Fortune 500 companies across the country call on
Jeff
's caring brand of "applied
humor" to maximize their human resource: engaging their employees,
improving performance, and developing leaders. As HUMOR Resources Director,
Jeff
has spent the last decade applying his
unique brand of work-appropriate humor as a professional speaker, humor-skills
teacher, and humor coach to positively impact human interaction in the
workplace.
Peyton
Burch
|

|
President
Burch Consultants
|
Peyton
Burch
is President of Burch Consultants, in
Houston
,
Texas. Peyton obtained his BBA from Southern Methodist University in
Dallas
and his Masters in Professional
Accounting from the
University
of Texas
at
Austin. Prior
to joining Burch Consultants in 19986, Peyton was a senior consultant in the
Management Information Consulting Division at
Andersen
. He
became a CPA in 1989.
Burch
Consultants, a top accounting and business management software solution
provider, is a team of CPAs, MBAs, Best Certified Trainers, Microsoft Certified
System Engineers, and experienced consultants, dedicated to making organizations
more efficient, productive and profitable.
- Burch
Consultants has been awarded Best’s coveted Circle of Excellence award for
four out of the last five years.
- Operates the
only
Best
Authorized
Training
Center
serving the
Gulf
Coast.
- Best
board-level reseller, the company’s highest tier.
- Burch
Consultants was named a Technology Pacesetter for 1999,2000 and 2001 by Accounting
Today, a leading industry magazine.
Peyton is actively involved in a number of civic organizations including
the Rotary Club of
Houston
and the Galleria Chamber of Commerce
where he serves on the Board of Directors.
Shannon
McKinney
|
 |
Manager, Implementation
Bennett/Porter & Associates, Inc.
|
Shannon
McKinney
is an Implementation Manager at Bennett/Porter
& Associates, Inc. She provides
clients with a cross-functional approach to implementing enterprise level
systems; responding to the needs of the Accounting, Manufacturing, Distribution,
and Management areas of the organization. Her
skills include project planning, group training, one-on-one training, process
development, documentation, and custom reporting.
Before joining Bennett/Porter,
Shannon
worked in Public Accounting, providing combined
Auditing, Tax Preparation, and Consulting services for mid-sized Manufacturing
and Distribution companies.
- Best Software
Certified Trainer
- Editor for a
quarterly newsletter highlighting issues related to
Crystal
reporting
- Past auditor for
the Oregon Quality Award
- One of the
founding members of the American Society of Women Accountants – Portland
Chapter
- Has developed
training materials for a variety of course topics including, Crystal
Reports, F9-Financial Reporting, understanding data files, year-end
processing, and system navigation
- Has personally
implemented computerized business solutions in over 50 companies
- Has published
self-study materials for
Crystal
Report
writing using MAS 90/200 data
- Provided a variety
of consulting services, training, and process improvement in the areas of
financial reporting, management reporting, budgeting, data collection,
integration between software, and process improvement
- Delivered
presentations for organizations including the American Society of Women
Accountants,
Institute
of
Management Accountants
, Portland State School of
Business, and Oregon Women Entrepreneurs
Alan
Cohen,
CGA
|

|
Owner
Alan
Cohen
, CGA
|
Alan
owns and operates a computer consulting and accounting practice in
Ottawa
,
Canada
. He has been a Simply Accounting
Certified Consultant for over 12 years. In addition, his Simply Accounting
training centres in
Toronto
and
Ottawa
have been awarded Recognized Training
Centre status from ACCPAC International, Inc.
Alan
has just completed his fourth annual
tour of
Canada
, where he presented his seminars on
Consulting for Profit in more than 20 locations across the country.
Michael
Burns,
MBA,
CA
Michael
Burns
is President of 180 Systems, which provides an objective
and practical approach to technology planning, selection, implementation and
support. Prior to 180 Systems,
Michael
was the partner in charge of the IT practice at Mintz & Partners, a
medium-sized CA firm in
Toronto
.
Before Mintz & Partners,
Michael
was the director of the Canadian mid-market consulting practice for
PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Michael
has provided consulting services to a wide variety of industries including
manufacturing, distribution, retail, real estate, professional services and
not-for-profit organizations.
Michael
has also developed software for many companies including Minicom Data
Corporation (Financial and Real Estate), Eminex Corporation (Working Paper and
Fixed Assets), Faculty of Management Studies at U of T (Administration), and
Coopers & Lybrand (Audit).
Michael
has published articles on accounting and ERP systems for the CAmagazine,
Computing Canada, The Bottom Line and CMA Magazine, and has been a speaker at
various computer conferences including the CICA Microcomputer Conference, Small
Business & Technology Conference and The Bottom Line Conference.
Michael
obtained his PMP (Project Manager Professional) designation from the Project
Management Institute and MCP (Microsoft Certified Professional) designation for
Implementing a Database Design on Microsoft SQL Server.
Associations and Affiliations:
-
Canadian
Institute of Chartered Accountants
-
Institute
of
Chartered
Accountants
of
Ontario
-
Project
Management Institute
-
APICS
- The Educational Society for Resource Management
-
War
Child Canada
- Board of Directors
-
Second
Harvest - Board of Directors
Rob
Augenstein
,
CPA
|

|
Senior
Account Manager
Lighthouse Group
|
Rob
Augenstein, CPA is a Senior Account
Manager with Lighthouse Group, one of the premier North American business
partners focused on the Microsoft Business Solution products, and has worked
with the Solomon
IV
product in particular
for over 6 years.
-
Provided
consulting, accounting and tax services during his more than 7 years with
Frazier & Deeter
-
Chief
Financial Officer for two closely held companies where he was responsible
for managing the operations of the accounting, human resources and technology
departments.
Rob
is a CPA, and holds a
M.S. in Computer Information Systems from
Georgia
State
University
and a B.S. in Accounting
from the
University
of
Florida.
Wayne
Harding,
CPA
|

|
CEO
ACCTRAK21
|
Wayne
Harding
is the CEO of AccTrak21, a developer of accounting and business
intelligence software for Small to Medium sized Enterprises .
His responsibilities include overseeing the successful development,
sales, and implementation of their products in the United
States
.
He holds an active
CPA license in
Colorado
and is also a CITP (Certified
Information Technology Professional).
Prior to his
current position,
Mr.
Harding
served as senior director of product strategy for CPA2Biz from
2000 – 2002 and as a vice president of
Great Plains
from 1989 - 2000. At
Great Plains
he was instrumental in
Great Plains
’ development of their ASP strategy.
Before joining Great Plains Software in 1989,
Mr.
Harding
was president of his own CPA firm, which emphasized accounting
software for microcomputers. His
past employment includes KPMG and Deloitte & Touche.
He received a B.S. in Business Administration and an MBA from the University
of
Denver
.
Mr.
Harding
has lectured throughout the country on the impact of the Internet
on business, AICPA’s Top Technology List, and XBRL.
This includes sessions for the American Institute of CPAs and various
state CPA societies.
Highlights of his career include:
- Recipient
of the prestigious AICPA Special Recognition Award for his early involvement
in the XBRL project
- Labeled
the “Godfather of XBRL” by Accounting Today
- Serves
on the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) Council
- Immediate
past-President of the
Colorado
Society of CPAs
- Chair
of the AICPA High Tech Task Force
- Member
AICPA Group of 100
- AICPA
Technology Executive Committee
- XBRL
Working Group
- Vice
President and board member of the Colorado Society of CPAs
- Chair
of the
Colorado
Society of CPAs’ Strategic
Planning Committee
- President
of the
Colorado
Association of Computer Consultants
Mr.
Harding’s articles have been published in numerous professional
journals, magazines, and newspapers including the Journal
of Accountancy.
Peter
Frank, CPA, CITP
|
|
Partner
Cornick,
Garber & Sandler, LLP
CGSolutions, Inc.
|
Peter is a partner
with the accounting firm of Cornick, Garber & Sandler, LLP where he
specializes in accounting, tax and business technology issues for small,
mid-sized and emerging businesses. He has been using computers for the 22+ years
that he has been a practicing CPA and speaks to accountants and other
professionals about how to use technology to make their practices more
efficient, productive and enjoyable. He speaks and consults on a variety of
topics including: accounting and business software, using the Internet as a
business research tool as well as disaster recovery and business continuity
planning.
-
New
York State Society of CPA’s - Board of Directors, past chair of committees
and conferences (Emerging Technologies, Consulting Services)
-
National
Conference of CPA Practitioners (NCCPAP), Board of Directors, co-chair of
Technology Committee
-
The
CPA Journal – editorial board
-
Recipient
of the Foundation for Accounting Education’s Outstanding Discussion Leader
award in 1999
-
In
2001, Peter became one of the first CPA’s to earn the AICPA’s Certified
Information Technology Professional (CITP) designation.
Peter is also a
professional musician, writing and performing in the NYC area. He has been
known, on occasion, to play a song or 2 after a seminar presentation.