Non Profit CFO AwardTate and TryonWest, Lane and Schlager

Judges

About the Judges

Andrew LangChief Judge: Andrew Lang, CPA is President of Lang CPA Consulting, LLC, located in Potomac, Maryland. Andrew has a variety of specialties based on his unusual combination of a strong financial background, his expertise as a communicator, and his absolute dedication to ethical behavior. Best known for his ability to identify and implement additional revenue opportunities, including rationally raising dues and smoothly adjusting pricing, he is also widely recognized for assisting nonprofits in making difficult decisions when challenging financial or operational issues require a truly independent third party. Another specialty involves his ability to re-design financial communications so non-financial people can understand them.  Andrew has contributed to the nonprofit community throughout his thirty-five year career producing well over a hundred articles and texts, including his most recent text the Financial Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards for BoardSource, and the September cover article for Associations Now “When the Price Isn’t Right.”.  He has also taught thousands of nonprofit executives. His other volunteer work includes current service on the GWSCPA Board, 11 years on the American Institute of CPA’s (AICPA’s) Annual Not-for-Profit Industry Conference Planning Committee, the last three of which he served as chairman, as well as service on the AICPA Governmental and Not-for-Profit Expert Panel, and on ASAE’s Finance and Business Operations Section Council. ASAE honored Andrew’s service to the association community by making him their first Fellow in the field of association finance.

Harvey BergerHarvey Berger, CPA is a retired tax partner of Grant Thornton LLP. Mr. Berger served in the Washington, DC area offices of the firm and predecessors for more than 38 years and was the national partner-in-charge of not-for-profit tax services for 11 years prior to retirement. He has been a frequent outside speaker on tax aspects of exempt organizations, as well as instructing numerous firm training sessions. Mr. Berger has been responsible for a monthly column on tax issues for The Nonprofit Times since 1999. He received a Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in accounting from Johns Hopkins University. He is a Certified Public Accountant in Maryland, DC and Virginia and is a member of the Maryland and District of Columbia Bars. Mr. Berger is also a former Chair of the Exempt Organizations Tax Technical Resource Panel of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He also served on one of the work groups for the Panel on the Nonprofit Sector convened by Independent Sector.

Brenda S. HargettBrenda S. Hargett, CPA, CAE is Chief Operating Officer of American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery/Foundation, the world's largest organization representing specialists who treat the ear, nose, throat, and related structures of the head and neck, located in Alexandria, Virginia. Brenda is known for her strategic thinking and systems-oriented solutions to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of an organization. She has extensive experience implementing change and developing budgets, with a "can-do" customer-service orientation. Previously, Brenda worked for 17 years at American Petroleum Institute. When she left, Brenda was VP and CFO overseeing all financial activities for the $200 million organization and responsible for the $46 million non-dues activities that are run similar to a for-profit company. Brenda spent the first 10 years of her career with KPMG working on real estate and non-profit clients, after graduating with honors from the College of William & Mary. Brenda has been recognized many times for her achievements. She received the Washington Business Journal’s 2007 Award for Financial Excellence in the large association category. In 2006, she was the overall winner of the Best Practices and Exemplary Achievements in Not-For-Profit Financial Management Award (later renamed to the Nonprofit CFO of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award.  Brenda was the 2005 regional winner of the IMA Financial Executive of the Year award. Previously, she was a 1997 winner of the Vision Award for Excellence in Business Performance Reporting cosponsored by Controller Magazine and Hyperion Software. In 1996 Brenda won the ASAE Award of Excellence - Finance and Administration Section. Brenda is also an active volunteer. She currently serves on the GWCPA’s Board of Trustees and the College of William & Mary Business Partners Roundtable and is involved in many other community organizations.

Kathy McKinlessKathy McKinless, CPA is a senior advisor to the Archbishop of Washington. Prior to joining the Archdiocese, she was a partner with KPMG LLP, an international certified public accounting firm. She spent 28 years in public accounting, auditing various types of corporations including banks, real estate companies, college, universities and other nonprofit organizations.  Ms. McKinless has been a frequent speaker at venues such as the Diocesan Fiscal Managers Conference, FADICA Givers Symposium, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Not-for-Profit Conference and the Greater Washington Society of CPA’s Not-for-Profit Symposium. She serves on the Boards for American Institutes for Research, Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital, Diocese of Arlington, Home Care Partners, Leadership Washington, Nonprofit Roundtable, and Little Sisters of the Poor and Catholic Charities USA.

Richard NewmanRichard Newman, Esq. handles real estate, finance and tax matters for non-profit organizations on both a local and national level, with special emphasis on tax subsidy devices effecting the ownership and operation of real estate by nonprofits.  Mr. Newman handles both the real estate and financing needs of a range of clients, including public charities, social service agencies, universities, hospitals, trade associations, cultural institutions and foundations. Representative clients include The Smithsonian Institution, Georgetown University, The Corcoran Museum, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the National Geographic Society, The American College of Cardiology, the Association of American Medical Colleges, and AMBAC Assurance Corporation. Mr. Newman also acts as General Counsel for The Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts.

Don WilliamsonDonald Williamson, CPA, LLM is a professor at American University Kogod School of Business and Director of the Masters of Science Taxation Program. He is also Chair of the Accounting Department. His research and teaching interests focus on federal income taxation issues, specifically the taxation of U.S. persons conducting business abroad and non-U.S. persons conducting business in the United States. He is the author of more than 40 articles, including three Tax Management Portfolios (Bureau of National Affairs). Donald is a former senior manager for international taxation at the National Tax Practice Office of KPMG-Peat Marwick in Washington, DC. He has served as a technical consultant to major law and Big 4 accounting firms in addition to the National Office of the Internal Revenue Service. He has also been a member of the International Taxation Committee of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

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