Waseem Daher is a founder at Pilot.com, makers of Meridian, the AI accounting platform that completes the month-end close from start to finish. Prior to Pilot, Waseem cofounded Ksplice (acquired by Oracle) and Zulip (acquired by Dropbox). He studied computer science at MIT.
Rachel S. Ellis, CPA, CISA, is the Owner of Ellis CPA, LLC, a full – service CPA firm based in Hyattsville Maryland. Named a 2025 and 2026 Forbes Best In-State CPA Firm, Rachel has over 12 years of experience in financial statement audits across multiple sectors, including Technology, GovCon and Non- Profit. Ms. Ellis has developed a deep understanding of accounting and finance through her experience as a manager in Big Four Public Accounting and now as an entrepreneur. As a MACPA Champion and member of the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business Accounting Advisory Board, she stays at the forefront of industry trends and best practices in entrepreneurship. Ms. Ellis brings a wealth of knowledge and practical experience to help businesses successfully gain access to capital and scale.
Jonathan Priestley is IRIS’ General Manager for Global Accountancy Solutions and Transformation, where he drives market strategy, product positioning, and commercial enablement for our accountancy business.
Over the last seven years at IRIS, JP has held several leadership positions across product marketing, sales, and most recently as Interim Chief Marketing Officer. Before joining IRIS, Jonathan held senior marketing leadership roles at Sage, MultiTaction and HP, where he led brand repositioning, market expansion, and the development of high-performing go-to-market strategies. Prior to that, Jonathan served as Director of Corporate Strategy & Business Planning for BMC Software, where he developed multi-year strategic plans, led acquisition roadmaps and M&A integrations, and directed cross-functional teams across product development and solutions delivery.
Committed to supporting the evolution of the accountancy sector, Jonathan is focused on delivering solutions that empower firms to adapt, grow, and thrive in a rapidly changing market.
Michael is the Executive Director of BDO Alliance USA, the largest association of U.S.-based independent accounting, tax and advisory firms, comprised of over 260 US-based CPA firms and 150 advisory firms and vendors (Business Resource Network). Michael leads a team of 30 professionals dedicated to maximizing the value of collaboration between member firms, as well as with BDO in the USA and BDO Global. When national firm resources are deployed in local communities through entrepreneurial CPA firms, everybody wins.
Michael joined BDO’s Alliance team in 2002. He was previously a tax partner with a Big Four firm, where he helped to create an Alliance with independent accounting firms.
Kristen Rampe, CPA, managing partner of Rosenberg Associates, is a nationally recognized consultant to CPA firm leaders, known for her technical expertise and for helping firm owners navigate their futures.
Kristen works alongside CPA firm leaders to improve efficiency and support long-term scalability.
What distinguishes Kristen’s work from others is her consulting style, which focuses on translating complex issues into conversations firm leaders can have with confidence and helping them to identify better ways of operating and succeeding.
After spending a decade in public accounting with PwC and Frank Rimerman, she launched Rampe Consulting in 2011. In 2016, she began collaborating with Marc Rosenberg on practice management projects, and in 2022 they joined forces as Rosenberg Associates.
Kristen is a regular speaker at national industry conferences and podcasts, and author of articles and blogs. Kristen has written and co-authored six books on practice management topics.
In recognition of her thought leadership and commitment to elevating others in the profession, she has been named one of Accounting Today’s Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting multiple times, a CalCPA Women to Watch, and CPA Practice Advisor’s 40 Under 40.
Jamie Ellis is chief operating officer of KSM (Katz, Sapper & Miller), and the partner-in-charge of operations. In this role, Jamie leads a team of operations leaders whose purpose is to align and optimize KSM’s resources and capabilities with the firm’s strategic direction. Additionally, Jamie focuses on strategy and direction for the firm, using his experience to help move KSM forward.
Jamie is also a member of KSM’s executive committee, a six-person leadership team that sets and oversees the firm’s strategic direction. Jamie, who began his career as a public accounting auditor, previously served as corporate controller for a subsidiary of a national staffing firm, the chief financial officer of a regional CPA firm, and the chief operating officer of a regional law firm.
Jamie is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the Indiana CPA Society. He currently serves on the North America Regional Council for PrimeGlobal, is immediate past chair of the American Lung Association in Indiana, and a board member for the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest. Jamie also serves as board member and treasurer for Hoosier Fix, a not-for-profit organization focused on providing spay and neuter financial assistance for underprivileged families in and around Indianapolis.
Jamie received a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting, with a minor in economics, from The Pennsylvania State University. Additionally, he earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Loyola University of Maryland. Jamie is a Certified Public Accountant in the states of Indiana and Maryland.
Samantha Bowling CPA, CEPA, CFE, CGMA is the Managing Partner of GWCPA, a progressive public accounting firm recognized for its commitment to innovation and modernization. With over 30 years of experience, Samantha has played a transformative role in the firm’s success, particularly in the past decade. Known for her forward-thinking leadership, she has been at the forefront of integrating cutting-edge technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), to streamline operations and enhance client service.
Taking the helm as Managing Partner in 2023, Samantha led the firm through a significant period of transformation. She recognized early on the growing impact of technology in accounting and championed the adoption of AI across various areas, from audit processes to tax research and document management. Under her leadership, GWCPA became a trailblazer in using AI to optimize all aspects of the firm’s operations, positioning it as an industry leader in tech adoption.
Samantha’s leadership has earned her numerous accolades. In 2025 and 2026, she was recognized by Forbes as one of the Best-in-State CPAs. In 2024, she was named one of the Most Powerful Women in Accounting for the second time by the AICPA and CPA Practice Advisor. Her dedication to mentorship and team development also earned her the MACPA Experienced Leaders Award in 2023.
Under her guidance, GWCPA has cultivated a culture of continuous improvement, where team members are encouraged to innovate and participate in the firm’s success. Samantha introduced initiatives like eliminating weekend work and limiting overtime hours to ensure a healthier work-life balance for her team, helping to remove the stress of busy season. The firm thrives on empowering employees to take initiative and contribute to its ongoing growth, creating an environment where people feel supported and valued.
Samantha has also served on multiple boards, including those of AICPA and MACPA, and has held the position of Past Chair of the MACPA.
Looking ahead, Samantha is committed to continuing her mission of transforming public accounting. She envisions a future where technology further alleviates the pressures of busy seasons, enhancing both the client experience and the professional lives of her team. She remains dedicated to elevating the profession, ensuring that GWCPA stays at the cutting edge of the industry’s evolution.
Lucia Valenzuela is the Chief Innovation Officer at James Moore & Co., where she leads firm-wide strategic transformation and turns emerging technologies into measurable outcomes. Her work sits at the intersection of vision and execution: she builds the governance foundations, automation workflows, and AI enablement programs that help professional services firms adopt new technology responsibly and at scale, and make it stick.
At James Moore, Lucia designs vendor-agnostic ecosystems rather than one-off tool deployments, guides leadership through change management, and creates standardized delivery models that close the gap between what firms say they want to do with technology and what they actually do. She treats the tech stack as a strategic asset where every tool earns its place by solving a real problem and integrating cleanly with the rest of the system.
Lucia leads two practices at James Moore: the firm’s R&D Tax Credit practice, where she guides companies through the complexities of claiming the credit, and an AI Transformation Consulting practice that advises middle-market firms on AI strategy, readiness, and change management. The two reinforce each other, her tax work keeps her close to how professional services actually get delivered, while her consulting work pressure-tests her frameworks across very different firm cultures.
Before stepping into the CINO role, Lucia spent more than a decade in tax consulting and legal services. She began her career at a top 50 accounting firm, where she became one of the youngest and most profitable partners and built the credits and incentives practice by creating an offshore delivery team, implementing transparent workflows, and architecting a service model that was both efficient and scalable.
Her practitioner roots keep her work grounded: she builds technology strategies that reflect how accounting work actually gets done, not how it looks on a vendor demo. She is a frequent voice on practical AI adoption in accounting, governance-first innovation, and building tech ecosystems that scale with a firm rather than against it.
Lucia holds a JD from Thomas Jefferson School of Law and maintains an active California bar license.
David Bundy is a seasoned accounting and advisory leader with more than three decades of experience guiding healthcare organizations, professional services firms, and growth‑oriented businesses through transformation.
He began his career with ten years at Big Four firms, serving as both an auditor and consultant to major healthcare clients. He then spent two years as CFO of a large healthcare provider, giving him firsthand operational and financial insight into the challenges facing the industry.
In 1999, David joined Dean Dorton—then a $5 million accounting firm—to launch its healthcare consulting practice. The practice’s rapid success led the firm to ask him to consolidate and build out all advisory services, including technology, outsourced accounting, valuation, and litigation support. Under his leadership, the advisory group quickly grew to represent more than 30% of firm revenue and became a core engine of innovation and differentiation.
In 2012, with the firm at $20 million, David was selected as Dean Dorton’s second CEO. Over the next decade, he led the firm through a period of significant expansion, growing revenue to more than $100 million, entering five new geographic markets, and broadening the firm’s service portfolio. During his tenure, the advisory practice scaled in step with the firm and continued to represent roughly 30% of total revenue. He also oversaw the launch of new offerings including cybersecurity, data analytics, wealth management, and medical billing.
David retired as CEO on January 1, 2026, and will continue to advise the firm through June 30. On July 1, he will join Thomson Consulting as a partner, where he brings deep experience in strategy, growth, and advisory services to clients navigating complex market and organizational challenges.
Rebekah (Brown) Olson, CPA, is the CEO of the Maryland Association of CPAs and an influential figure in the accounting profession, recognized as one of Accounting Today’s Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting for 2022.
Joining the MACPA in 2012 after three years in public accounting, Rebekah assumed the position of Manager of Membership Development and Engagement in 2014. In 2018, she was appointed Director of Development, where she served on the leadership team steering the association through the complex challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the departure of longstanding CEO Tom Hood.
Passionate about the future of the accounting profession, Rebekah is a sought-after speaker who frequently shares her insights on professional trends and opportunities. As a certified facilitator, she has guided numerous organizations, both in the United States and Canada, in the strategic planning process.
Rebekah’s contributions have garnered recognition from various prestigious entities. CPA Practice Advisor recognized her as a top thought leader under 40 in the CPA profession in 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2025. In 2019, she was honored with the President’s Award by the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) Baltimore Chapter for her community service. Additionally, Rebekah was named a Maryland Daily Record Leading Women Honoree in 2020.
Rebekah holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, dual specializing in Accounting and Sports Management, from The Max M. Fisher School of Business at The Ohio State University, which she earned in 2009. She obtained her CPA designation in 2011. After gaining invaluable experience at a Top 100 firm, Rebekah decided to leave public accounting and leverage her talents and experiences to work on behalf of the profession at the Maryland Association of CPAs.