Deanna Sullivan, CPA, CIA, CFE, CGMA, CRMA
Principal
SullivanSolutions
LinkedIn
Deanna Sullivan is an internationally recognized speaker, author and trainer. Her most popular topics are in the areas of fraud, ethics, leadership and communications. She has a diverse background ranging from auditing and accounting to consulting and training. She was a partner in Arthur Andersen’s Risk Consulting Practice and earlier in her career, responsible for international and operational auditing at Enron Corp and Diamond Shamrock Corporation. Deanna is certified to teach ethics for Texas CPAs and is a Certified Ziglar Legacy Trainer, a certified DISC Behavioral Analyst and a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Speaking is a passion of Deanna's so when not traveling, she teaches a Bible Study class at Second Baptist and is on the Speakers Committee for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

Deanna Sullivan, CPA, CGMA

Stephen Webster, CPA
State and Local Tax Senior Manager
Crowe LLP
Stephen Webster has over 14 years of public accounting experience in state and local income and franchise tax with a specialty in Texas franchise tax. Stephen has managed businesses large and small and of all entity types assisting with minimizing their state and local income tax liabilities, along with experience in due diligence, audit assistance and representation, state compliance, and provisions.

Stephen Webster, CPA

Dana Garnett, MADR, MSA, CPA
Conflict Resolution Specialist
The Mindful Strategy LLC
LinkedIn
Dana Garnett helps you resolve conflict that is keeping you from successfully running, growing or selling your business. From her years of experience as mediator for court-ordered civil and family cases, she has developed and refined a unique conflict resolution process where you quickly achieve real resolution, so you can focus on profits and what matters most. Founder of The Mindful Strategy, Dana merges CPA Big 8 Accounting and her international career with The Coca-Cola Company with vast global life lessons from working and living for 22 years across diverse cultures on six continents – including seven years in Bangkok, Thailand, where she learned mindfulness directly from Eastern philosophical teachings. First-hand experience of litigation resulting in personal hardship and serious financial loss led Dana to her passion and commitment to helping you avoid the pitfalls of unnecessary conflict. Dana speaks to local, state and national audiences.

Dana Garnett, MADR, MSA, CPA

Jessica Malone
Life Design Strategist
Nacho Average Fro
Jessica Malone is the CEO of Nacho Average Fro, a lifestyle design company dedicated to helping employees and entrepreneurs reclaim their time and focus on what truly matters—both in and out of work. After experiencing burnout in her sales career in 2017, Jessica took a deep dive into redesigning her own life. Through this journey, she discovered that intentional time management starts with identifying and eliminating the distractions that steal your focus. Now, she empowers others to break free from being overwhelmed and create space for what’s most important.

Chuck Cummings, CPA/CFE
Charles C. Cummings, Jr. Certified Public Accountant
Owner
Chuck Cummings is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner. For over 50 years, Chuck has focused in the tax area of practice. Money magazine listed him as one of the four best tax practitioners in Houston. He has also practiced extensively in the tax controversy area, especially in the realm of criminal tax investigations where he has defended people being investigated for tax evasion. He has also testified in federal and state cases as an expert witness in accounting, duties of accountants in preparing financial statements and damages. As a CFE, Chuck has investigated and/or testified regarding embezzlement and bribery. In 2014, Chuck was awarded the “Fraud Fighter of the Year Award” by the Houston Chapter of Certified Fraud Examiners where he was a past president when he investigated a $15 million embezzlement. Five perpetrators were sentenced to a combined 85 years of jail time and a judgment of over $60,000,000.

Chuck Cummings, CPA/CFE

Scott E. Johnson, CPA, PMP
SAP Project Delivery Executive
LinkedIn
Scott has over 25 years of experience in the project management field dealing with small to very large SAP ERP projects with budgets up to $50 million and team sizes up to 150. He has worked with several large consulting firms and believes that delighting his IT stakeholders creates trust and goodwill.

Scott E. Johnson, CPA, PMP

Wade Holmes
Business Broker
Accounting Practice Sales
Wade Holmes is an independent agent of Accounting Practice Sales and is an accounting and tax practice acquisition specialist in the Houston and Southeast Texas market. He has almost 20 years of experience assisting both buyers and sellers in successfully transitioning practices. Accounting Practice Sales is the largest marketer of accounting and tax practices for sale in North America with more than $1.7 billion in practice sales. As a broker with Accounting Practice Sales, Wade has successfully negotiated hundreds of deals while also assisting buyers and sellers with the details involved in getting a loan to secure the sale. Wade resides in the Houston area, and he and his team are available to help answer questions regarding the buying or selling of a CPA practice. Additional helpful articles can be viewed on the Accounting Practice Sales website www.APS.net.

Wade Holmes

Luke MacDowall
Attorney
Littler Mendelson PC
Linkedin

Luke MacDowall is a shareholder with the law firm of Littler Mendelson P.C. After graduating from Trinity University in 2007, he earned his juris doctorate from Wake Forest University School of Law in 2011. Luke has successfully tried a diverse slate of employment cases before juries and arbitrators. He has represented employers in federal and state courts and before administrative agencies, handling an array of employment law matters. His practice focuses on representing and counseling employers in discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wage and hour issues. Luke is also board certified in labor and employment law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Luke MacDowall

Wade Egmon, CPA, CFP®
Senior Financial Advisor
Goodman Financial Corporation
LinkedIn

Wade Egmon is a Senior Financial Advisor at Goodman Financial Corporation. As a CPA and CFP®, he has over 17 years of experience as a financial advisor, working with clients to address their comprehensive financial planning needs. Additionally, Wade has six years of Big Four and small-firm tax experience, specializing in tax compliance and planning for high-net-worth individuals. Wade graduated from Texas Lutheran University with a B.A. in Accounting and received his Masters in Professional Accounting with a specialization in Taxation from the University of Texas in Austin. He is a member of the TXCPA Houston Board of Directors and also serves in that capacity at the state level. He is a member of the Houston Estate and Financial Forum. Goodman Financial Corporation is a fee-only registered investment advisory firm. GFC provides investment management and financial advisory services for clients who consist of individuals, businesses, trusts, retirement plans, and non-profit organizations. GFC structures individualized portfolios to suit each clients’ goals and provide targeted financial planning to meet their needs.

Wade Egmon, CPA, CFP

David Zander, CFP Board Emeritus®
Owner & Founder
Back Nine Financial, LLC

50 years ago this year, Dave started his career path in the financial services industry after graduating from the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. Now here we are 50 years later still in the same industry. What's changed and what hasn't!

David Zander

Chris A. Matlock, CPA, CFA
Chief Investment Officer
Goodman Financial Corporation
Linkedin

Chris serves as Chief Investment Officer for Goodman Financial Corporation, a Houston‐based SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Chris is a CPA and is a CFA Charter holder. Chris has been professionally managing money for 30 years.

Chris A. Matlock, CPA, CFA

Blaise C. Bender, JD, CPA
Attorney
Blaise C Bender, PC

Blaise C. Bender is President and Managing Shareholder of Blaise C. Bender, PC. This law firm concentrates on business and non-profit development, mergers and acquisitions, contractual and transactional analysis, tax planning for individuals and businesses, representation on tax issues and controversies impacting individuals and businesses, corporate legal counsel assistance, real estate, strategic planning, health care analysis, and estate and trust assessment.

Blaise Bender, CPA

Jan Taylor, Ph.D., CPA, CGMA
Senior Director – Academic in Residence
AICPA & CIMA
LinkedIn

Jan Taylor, Ph.D., MBA, CPA, CGMA, serves as Senior Director – Academic in Residence at AICPA & CIMA (together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants). In this role, Jan oversees the Association’s relationships with academics and academic institutions and supports both the CPA licensure and the CGMA certification pathways for students. Prior to joining the Association, Jan spent most of her career as an accounting professor but also worked in both public and private practice as a CPA. She has published on a variety of topics in multiple journals and served in numerous volunteer and leadership roles at various organizations. Jan is the recipient of many awards for teaching, research and service, including the Beta Alpha Psi Lifetime Service Award. She served as an external professor with KPMG 2005-2019, training new auditors and senior associates. She is a Court Appointed Special Advocate for children in protective services, is licensed as a CPA in Texas, and holds the Chartered Global Management Accountant certification.

Jan Taylor, Ph.D., CPA, CGMA

Edwin Harvey, Ph.D.
Director
Your Part-Time Controller, LLC
LinkedIn

Edwin Harvey, Ph.D., is Director of AI Solutions & Training at Your Part-Time Controller, LLC, where he champions effective, responsible adoption of emerging AI technologies. Edwin has consulted across the fields of analytics, automation and business strategy, especially in the nonprofit and financial management sectors. In his current role, he tinkers with emerging AI technologies and applies what he learns to help clients and colleagues navigate the overlap between digital tools and natural language. A passionate trainer, Edwin speaks frequently at conferences, events and webinars.

Edwin Harvey, Ph.D.

Patricia Bueso
Manager
Your Part-Time Controller, LLC

Patricia Bueso is a Manager at Your Part-Time Controller, LLC, serving the Houston market. Fluent in both Spanish and English, she holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in accountancy from the University of Notre Dame. With over 15 years of experience in finance, Patricia specializes in strategy, corporate accounting, financial planning, and systems implementation across various sectors, including non-profits, retail and logistics. A frequent presenter at nonprofit and educational events, Patricia also contributes to the development of automated reporting tools for clients nationwide. In 2024, Patricia was recognized as one of the Association of Latino Professionals for America's Latina Rising Stars.

Patricia Bueso