Not-For-Profit Conference 2023

Aisha Little, Director, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP (Bellevue)

Aisha is a director in CLA’s assurance practice, providing consulting services and technical assistance to internal teams and external clients. At the start of her single audit career circa 2015, she helped transition clients from A-133 audits to audits performed under Uniform Guidance. Now she helps organizations overcome challenges such as going through a first-time single audit and understanding the nuances of using COVID-specific federal funding. Aisha primarily works with tribal governments, nonprofits, and FQHCs. While single audits are her work passion, her personal passion is backpacking through national parks.

Andrew Prather, Audit Shareholder, Clark Nuber PS

Andrew Prather is an audit shareholder at Clark Nuber P.S. based in the Seattle metro area. He is a leader in the firm’s Not-for-Profit Services Group and provides a wide range of not-for-profit organizations with audit and consulting services.

Andrew is a current member of the AICPA’s Auditing Standards Board. He recently served as chair of the planning committee for the AICPA’s Not-for-Profit Industry Conference. He previously was a member of the FASB’s Not-for-Profit Advisory Committee, the AICPA’s Not-for-Profit Expert Panel and also served on the AICPA’s Not-for-Profit Entities Audit & Accounting Guide Revision Task Force. Andrew has served as the chair of the WSCPA Not-for-Profit Committee and co-chair of the WSCPA Not-for-Profit Conference. He is a frequent speaker at conferences, seminars, and webcasts for the AICPA, state CPA societies, and industry groups.

Andrew also serves as his firm’s Quality Control Director overseeing the firm’s audit quality assurance program and serving as a technical resource to the firm’s professional staff.

Contact information: aprather@clarknuber.com; 425.635.4571. https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-prather-cpa/

Annie Rose Favreau, Strategy & Operations Senior Manager, Moss Adams LLP

Annie Rose helps mission-driven organizations thrive. As an organizational development consultant, she brings positive energy, practical insights, and a collaborative approach to create clear solutions for complex problems. Her areas of expertise include organizational development, strategic planning, succession planning, governance initiatives, and leadership facilitation. Annie Rose has provided strategy, operations, and governance consulting services to not-for-profits and foundations; local, state, and Tribal governments; and K–12 and higher education clients.

Dan Durst, Managing Director, BDO (Virginia)

Dan Durst is a Managing Director in BDO’s Industry Specialty Services Group and has 15 years of experience in various accounting and compliance issues related to federal government contracts, grants and cooperative agreements. Dan’s areas of expertise include cost accounting standards (CAS), uniform administrative requirements, cost principles, and audit requirements for federal awards to nonfederal entities (Uniform Guidance), Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), and Defense Grant and Agreement Regulatory System (DGARS). Dan is also well-versed in various levels of audit support including business system reviews, single audit and Inspector General audits. Dan’s industry experience includes for-profit, nonprofit, and higher education. He has assisted clients with Business Systems Compliance, Policy and Procedure Development, In-House Training, Indirect Cost Rate Proposal Development, Indirect Rate Structure Assessment, Subrecipient Monitoring Support, Audit Support and Risk Assessment, Audit Findings Remediation, Procurement System Compliance, Internal Controls Assessment, Forensic Investigations, and other regulatory compliance matters. Prior to joining BDO, Dan was an audit supervisor and lead consultant for a member firm of the AICPA’s Government Audit Quality Center. He has previously held security clearances with the U.S. Department of Defense, including Secret Clearance. While contracted by the U.S. Department of State, Dan conducted audits and analysis at the U.S. Embassies in 19 foreign countries. He has supervised and performed several Single Audits under both OMB A-133 and the new Uniform Guidance, Subpart F.

Elizabeth Lehman, Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board

Elizabeth Lehman is a customer service and support manager in the licensing and regulation division at the Washington State Liquor Control Board.

Jeffrey Mechanick, Assistant Director, Financial Accounting Standards Board

Jeff Mechanick is Assistant Director for Nonpublic Entities at the FASB. In that role, he provides strategic and technical oversight of all activities involving not-for-profit (NFP) organizations and private companies, chairs the FASB’s Not-for-Profit Advisory Committee, oversees support of the Private Company Council, and participates in some of the FASB’s broader outreach activities. He is also a member of the Technical Advisory Group of the International Financial Reporting for Nonprofit Organizations initiative (#IFR4NPO). Jeff has also been the overall lead staff member for the Blue-Ribbon Panel on Standard Setting for Private Companies and the FASB/IASB Financial Crisis Advisory Group. Prior to joining the FASB staff in 2006, Jeff spent 20 years working in and with the not-for-profit sector, as the CFO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc., and before that, as a Senior Manager with KPMG, LLP, in the firm’s New York office. From 1992 to 1994, he served as the National Technical Senior Manager for the firm’s Higher Education, Research, and Other Not-for-Profit Organizations (HERON) practice. He is also a past member of the AICPA’s NFP Expert Panel. Jeff received his MBA from Rutgers University and his AB from the University of Chicago, and he is a member of the AICPA and the New York State Society of CPAs. He is also an adjunct instructor in Columbia University’s MS program in Nonprofit Management.

Kathy Ferguson, Partner, Armanino LLP (Dallas)

Kathy Ferguson is a Partner at Armanino with a background in the education industry, Kathy has valuable insights into the day-to-day operations of both public and private schools. Her education, prior expertise and dedication enable her to build relationships with nonprofit leaders, helping them address their most pressing challenges. Kathy helps lead the firm’s national private school practice, allowing her to share her knowledge and expertise. She leads a phenomenal team of experts focused on being trusted advisors for nonprofit clients as they seek excellence in financial reporting and maintaining a sound internal control environment. She also dedicates her time and attention to leaning into nonprofit and private school business officers through various speaking roles at local, regional and national conferences on topics that include current and upcoming accounting guidance as well as best practices and innovative solutions.

Katy Brown, Armanino LLP

Katy Brown, CPA, leads the firm’s Nonprofit Tax practice, a nationwide team of experts who work exclusively with tax-exempt organizations of all types. She works with hundreds of nonprofit leaders throughout the country to help them make smart business decisions that protect their organizations’ tax-exempt status and to present transparent and accurate annual public information returns.

Katy has over 15 years of experience in advisory services, which has given her a broad background in nonprofit management and great insight into the needs of the sector. She has clients in the areas of healthcare, social services, foundations and grantmakers, performing arts and museums, animal welfare, conservation, private education, higher education and membership associations.

She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the California Society of Certified Public Accountants, Washington Nonprofits and the Center for Volunteerism and Nonprofit Leadership. Katy earned a B.A. in Foreign Languages from George Mason University, an M.A. in French literature from the University of Arizona and an M.S. in taxation from Golden Gate University. She currently serves as a board member for the Armanino Foundation and for Family Paths in Oakland, California.

Kelly Rancourt, Audit Principal, Clark Nuber PS

Kelly Rancourt, CPA is a Principal in Clark Nuber’s Audit and Assurance Services Group. Kelly has over 15 years of experience performing audits for not-for-profit and healthcare organizations. She also performs federal compliance audits. She is a co-author of the annual Knowledge Based Audits of Health Care Entities published by CCH, a Wolters Kluwer Company. She is a member of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA), and the WSCPA. She is also a member of the AICPA Not-for-Profit Audit Risk Alert Subcommittee. She speaks locally and nationally on Not-for-Profit and Healthcare accounting topics, as wells as federal grant compliance.

Kimberly Lohr, Principal, Delap LLP

Kim specializes in providing state and local taxation advisory and compliance services to her clients. With more than 26 years of experience in state and local tax, she serves a diverse client base in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, financial institutions, transportation, and services to name a few. Kim focuses on multi-state income and franchise tax matters such as nexus, state tax base modifications, apportionment of income, business/non-business income, unitary taxation, gross receipt taxes, allocation of partnership items, state filing options, audit defense and voluntary disclosures. In addition to recommending strategies to minimize clients’ state and local tax liabilities, Kim consults on all aspects of state income tax, including participating in mergers and acquisition transactions, due diligence reviews, representation on state tax controversy matters, and assisting companies with state tax compliance and state tax accrual reviews. Prior to joining Delap, Kim was a managing director at BDO USA LLP’s state and local tax practice in Seattle. She has also worked for several multi-national companies, including several Fortune 500 companies, a small and mid-sized accounting firm, and a state tax authority. Outside the office, Kim enjoys spending time with her family and traveling, especially to the Disney parks.

Lawrence McClelland, Associate, K2 Enterprises, LLC

Mac McClelland, an attorney and accounting professional, is an associate of K2 Enterprises of Hammond, Louisiana, and Network Management Group of Hutchinson, Kansas. Mac was formerly the director of the Centre for Financial Studies at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, where he lived and worked for seven years from 1990 to 1997. He was also a member of the faculty of the Advanced Business Programme, ranked in the top 100 MBA programs in the world by The Economist, specializing in business strategy and strategic management accounting. He gained his practical experience in information systems with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and has an established practice in business and technology consulting. Mac has taught hundreds of continuing professional education seminars to accountants and business managers in the United States, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, and Southeast Asia. His presentations are highly rated, and he has won several awards for teaching excellence. Mac has been published in leading business and practitioner journals, including Tax Ideas, Computers in Accounting, Journal of Accounting Education, Chartered Accountants Journal of New Zealand, and the top-rated Journal of Accounting Research.

Leah Manuel, Training Supervisor

Leah has been with Labyrinth for over 6 years, working directly with charities to help them register to solicit in all required states. She is also currently a Training Supervisor at Labyrinth, teaching state charitable registration to new employees. She has a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Before she came to Labyrinth, she was an accountant and worked for American Funds and various smaller organizations. She lives with her family in San Diego, California.

Liz Swanson, Valtas Group LLC

Liz Swanson is a nonprofit professional, consultant, leader, and educator who has been serving and advancing mission-driven organizations for over 30 years. Her experiences as an Executive Director, Interim Executive Director, Development Director, Board President, and Non-Profit Consultant at a wide range of nonprofits has given her a unique perspective of the ins and outs of organizations and the challenges nonprofit leaders face.

Liz is passionate about all things nonprofit and helping organizations achieve their goals towards long-term success. Being optimistic, inquisitive, and trustworthy are part of her DNA. With business know-how, integrity, a steady style, and sensing ability, Liz takes a highly collaborative approach in partnering to help guide organizational development and build leadership capacity during times of change, transition, and growth.

Liz has been actively engaged in the community since moving to the Pacific Northwest with her family in 2000. She enjoys reading historical fiction and non-fiction, hiking and exploring our beautiful corner of the world, and enjoying good food, wine, and conversation with family and friends (as well as exercising so she can continue to enjoy good food and wine!).

Matthew Gard, Armanino LLP

Matt joined Armanino in 2006 and has over seventeen years of audit experience working predominately with nonprofit organizations in various niches including private education, foundations, social services and the arts. In addition, Matt leads the national Museums & Arts practice for Armanino, a practice that consists of 100+ organizations. Besides audit services, Matt has extensive experience providing nonprofits with various value-added initiatives, including industry best practices, key performance indicators, peer-to-peer benchmarking, and predictive analytics. Matt graduated from Saint Mary’s College with a B.S. in Accounting and is a CPA and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and California Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Michaela Kay, Partner, BDO USA LLP

Michaela Kay, CPA, has more than 13 years of professional accounting experience, providing audit and tax services to the Greater Seattle area. Currently, she serves as the practice leader for the BDO Seattle office’s Government and Nonprofit practices. Michaela is able to bring a unique perspective to her clients as she spent two years working for World Vision as a lead senior accountant. This experience provides her with the ability to understand and relate to her clients on a practical level, including performing financial statement audits, internal control testing, single audits, program specific audits, and preparation of Form 990, while also being able to provide them with a superior client experience. One of Michaela’s strongest attributes and biggest value adds for her clients is her ability and desire to assist with complex audit or accounting challenges. Relying on her foundational commitment to build robust relationships with her clients and getting to know their business on an intimate level, she is able to be proactive in identifying business challenges and working with her clients to find a solution. Michaela is one of BDO’s Audit Quality Directors (AQD). As an AQD, Michaela is actively involved in staff training and the other quality control measures. In addition to internal training at BDO, she regularly teaches courses on single audits and other nonprofit accounting and auditing topics for the WSCPA and Thompson Grants. In her free time, Michaela spends time with her family, two dogs, baking, traveling the world, or relaxing with a good book.

Nancy Smith, CFO Selections

Nancy Smith is a partner with CFO Selections and is a leader of their not-for-profit practice. She has served a variety of not-for-profits as a consulting CFO, providing fractional, interim, and project-based financial expertise. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Seattle Pacific University and an MBA from the University of Washington.

Pooja Sund, Keynote Speaker, Microsoft

Pooja Sund is a globally recognized expert in the fields of AI, ML, data science, finance, and engineering. As a Hall of Fame inductee for Global Women in Tech 2023, Pooja’s influence and impact have extended far beyond her professional achievements. A Gold medalist and three-time CFO Award winner at a Fortune 50 company, Pooja’s credentials speak volumes about her dedication and excellence in her career. Her groundbreaking technology work has earned her invitations to present to CEO and leadership teams. With 18 years of experience, Pooja has consistently set visionary goals and demonstrated her ability to lead high-performing teams to success. Her passion for championing diversity and inclusion has been recognized through the Highest Award for Leadership in 2018.

Currently serving as the Director of Engineering (Principal PM) at a Fortune 50 company, Pooja’s expertise lies in technology, data analytics, and leadership. She also holds positions as a board member at Pacific Northwest University and CEO of 3PSkyConsulting LLC.

Pooja is an avid speaker, having delivered over 250 talks worldwide to inspire diversity in tech and collaborate with global organizations. Her speaking engagements include renowned organizations such as FBI, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, USPS, IIA National, and international customers. Pooja’s insights and expertise have garnered attention from various reputable publications, including LinkedIn news, Puget Sound Business Journal, and many others.

Randa Minkarah, President/COO, Resonance AI

Randa Minkarah is a dynamic executive leader advancing industries through her background as a senior executive in technology and media. She is an entrepreneur at heart having founded startups and enjoys building companies, implementing innovative solutions, fundraising, and scaling. She combines extensive sales, management, business development and operational experience with an exceptional ability to drive growth, revenue and profit. Ms. Minkarah has successfully led strategic planning, P&L management, and product development for startups and for established companies. Currently, Ms. Minkarah serves as Chief Operating Officer of MindRiot Entertainment, a Seattle based creative development company. She was co-founder, President and COO at Resonance AI. Resonance AI is a startup in machine learning/artificial intelligence delivering a cloud-based solution for media and entertainment companies. Its platform analyzes video for media and entertainment companies, combining audience data with critical elements in video to determine what engages audiences. RAI was accepted into the prestigious NVIDIA Inception Program in 2019 and chosen by TechCrunch’s Disrupt as a top three AI platform in 2020. Prior to RAI, Ms. Minkarah served as Senior Vice President of Revenue and Business Development for Fisher Communications (FSCI), Inc., an integrated media company, until its sale to Sinclair in 2013 where she had corporate responsibility for all revenues at Fisher television, radio and Internet properties and was responsible for developing and implementing its digital strategy including launching mobile applications and mobile viewing apps. Ms. Minkarah led sales teams for FOX, ABC and Univision broadcast stations in Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City and Seattle. Ms. Minkarah is active as a speaker at conferences, advisor to multiple media/technology companies and as an investor in emerging companies. She serves on the Washington Technology and Industry Association’s Health Plan board as a Trustee and is President and the chair of the board of the Girl Scouts of Western Washington. She earned a BFA from the University of Cincinnati, College Conservatory of Music in Broadcasting. Ms. Minkarah resides in Seattle with her husband and three German Shepherd rescue dogs.

Scott McFadden, Senior Audit Manager, Armanino LLP

Scott McFadden is a Senior Manager at Armanino. His career has spanned more than two decades through a variety of roles in both public and private accounting, the last decade of which he has focused primarily on serving nonprofits of all shapes and sizes. Scott looks forward to working with organizations by helping them tell their story through financial reporting and achieve results in pursuing their missions. As a self-described “accounting nerd”, he relishes opportunities to take deep dives into the accounting literature and enjoys being able to communicate on various technical issues while contextualizing them for the nonprofits he works with. Scott looks to be a trusted advisor for an organization’s management and governance, always on the lookout to help them overcome challenges, strengthen internal control systems and refine business practices.

Shareen Corlett, Clark Nuber PS

As a principal in Clark Nuber’s Accounting and Consulting Services Group, Shareen enjoys working with a variety of clients, including privately held businesses and not-for-profit organizations. Shareen has over eleven years of experience in the not-for-profit sector and over 15 years of experience in public accounting. She finds that having close interactions with every client allows her to provide the best possible solutions and services based upon each of their needs.

Sly Atayee, Senior Manager, BDO USA

Sly Atayee is a Senior Manager in BDO’s Nonprofit and Federal Compliance Advisory practice, focused on assisting clients with various aspects of federal compliance and financial management. Examples include: fraud investigations and forensic analysis, grants management, general project management for grantees, internal control assessments, financial process redesign, complex cost recovery calculations, policy and procedure development and support.

Sonjia Barker, SALT Director, Perkins & Co PC

Adept at simplifying daunting tax situations, Sonjia draws on her Big 4 accounting firm and Washington Department of Revenue experiences to deliver actionable solutions to clients. With her impressive dossier and huge heart for helping others, she’s a powerhouse on any tax team and the leader of our SALT practice.

A military kid, Sonjia grew up in Illinois and California but now calls the beautiful Kitsap Peninsula in Washington state her home. Poised between Seattle and the Olympic National Forest, the area is the perfect playground for Sonjia’s outdoorsy family. An avid camper, Sonjia is on a quest to visit all the country’s national parks, though none may top her favorite—the Badlands.

When she’s not sleeping under the stars, you might find Sonjia enjoying a metal concert with thousands of her best friends. She’s been a huge Metallica fan since she was 12 and is surprised as anybody that she hasn’t outgrown her punk rock phase.

Steve Scranton, Senior VP, CIO, Washington Trust Bank

Steve is the Chief Investment Officer & Economist for Washington Trust Bank and holds a Chartered Financial Analyst designation with over 40 years of investment and economic experience.

In Steve’s role as the economist for Washington Trust Bank he participates in public speaking engagements, as well as authoring multiple communications, to keep clients and the public informed of economic and investment market conditions. Throughout the Pacific Northwest, Steve is a well-known speaker on economic conditions and world financial markets.

Thomas Dixon, Enforcement Captain, Northwest Region, Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board

Captain Tom Dixon holds a bachelor’s degree in Law and Justice from Central Washington University. He started in public service at the Washington State Department of Revenue in 1988 moved over to the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (Liquor Control Board) in 1990. He served as a Liquor Enforcement Officer for eight years, working directly with licensees, law enforcement, universities, tribes and community leaders in an assigned geographic area. In 1998 he was promoted to Lieutenant and continued working shoulder to shoulder with his Enforcement Officers in the field. He was promoted to the Captain of the Northwest Washington Region in 2006 and has held that position until today.

Tim Carradine, Founder and Owner, Sapient

Tim Carradine has 25 years of experience working in information technology, and 21 years as the owner and operator of Saepient, an IT consulting and management firm serving businesses and non-profits on the beautiful and remote Olympic Peninsula. Combining his expertise and extensive field experience with his personable, down-to-earth charm, he has helped a wide spectrum of organizations—from small city and Tribal governments to non-profits and everything in between—harness the power of technology to drive their missions forward. Striking a balance between the tight budget requirements of rural and non-profit clients and their crucial need to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of complex technology threats and challenges, he has learned to deliver strategic guidance and tailored solutions which allow his clients to better focus their energies on making a meaningful difference in the world. His passion is to help empower people to see through the veil of “wizardry” that so often obfuscates technology and explain complex topics in entertaining and congenial ways.

Tommy Conkling, Strategy and Operations Senior, Moss Adams Capital LLC

Tommy is a problem solver, capacity builder, and meticulous untangler of organizational knots. He is experienced at helping organizations improve efficiency, enhance effectiveness, and cultivate excellence. He collaborates with clients to identify, analyze, and leverage their unique wealth of quantitative and qualitative data, producing actionable insights to inform and improve strategy and operations. Tommy has experience in a wide range of financial, organizational, operational, and strategic assessments, plans, redesigns, and implementations. He particularly enjoys wicked problems at the intersection of finance and operations.

Troy Rector, Shareholder, Clark Nuber PS

Troy Rector, CPA, is a shareholder in the Not For Profit and Governmental Services Group at Clark Nuber and has spent his career serving tax exempt organizations. He serves a range of tax exempt organizations including low income housing, healthcare and others receiving governmental grant assistance. Troy regularly advises and presents on Uniform Guidance and Single Audit related topics. He is the past chair of the WSCPA Governmental Audit & Accounting Committee, a member of the AICPA’s Government Audit Quality Center’s Executive Committee and board member of a local school district foundation.

Veronica Cook, BDO USA LLP

Veronica is an audit director who has worked for more than 12 years in public accounting. She provides audit services to various nonprofit clients with valuable experience in financial statement audits and Single Audits. She leads the local office’s Single Audit niche and is a member of the firm’s Nonprofit team. 

Veronica also leads her office’s core value team, enhancing employee satisfaction and well-being through various appreciation initiatives. She is actively involved in staff training and other quality control measures. In addition to internal training at BDO, she regularly teaches external courses on Single Audits and other nonprofit accounting and auditing topics. She serves as the treasurer for Team Read.

Vicki Welter, Consultant, Owner, Welter Consulting LLC

Vicki Welter found her true calling as a teacher and implementation expert of accounting, grant management, fundraising and document management software solutions for non-profits. Starting her own business in 2013, Welter Consulting has helped many nonprofits optimize software technology so they can focus more resources on the programs and services they provide.

Vicki works closely with clients to craft comprehensive solutions that meet the unique needs of each organization. Providing implementation, training, documentation and expertise in accounting, she enables her clients the tools they need to report to internal management, boards, funders & auditors, making them self-sufficient. Vicki is a certified trainer and offers training throughout the Pacific Northwest helping nonprofit professionals reduce redundancy, manual work, and hassle, maximizing limited resources.

Vicki Welter also consults in the areas of internal control and related documentation, documentation management and in the preparation of financial statements, financial analyses and supporting schedules for audit and tax purposes. Before founding her own firm, Vicki held positions as accounting manager, assistant controller, controller, and everywhere else in accounting and finance, giving her hands-on experience in what it takes to support an organization.

Based in Seattle, Welter Consulting serves nonprofits throughout the Pacific Northwest and is a member of Washington Nonprofit Association, Oregon Nonprofit Association, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the WSCPA. Vicki holds a business degree from Gonzaga University, with a specialty in accounting and has been a CPA since 2002.