CTM CPAS & BUSINESS ADVISORS - Key Persons
Debra O'Malley brings more than a 15 years of marketing experience working for professional services firms to her role as marketing manager at CTM CPAs & Business Advisors.
She is responsible for coordinating CTM's business development and marketing-related initiatives, including strategic planning, marketing communications, client relations, media relations, brand management and messaging as well as market research/competitive intelligence. She also supports the firm's employee relations efforts and is heavily involved in CTM's recruiting efforts.
Ms. O'Malley helped develop and launch the firm's contemporary and social media friendly website. She is currently focusing on developing a stronger social media presence.
She earned an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management and a B.A. (Political Science) from Northern Illinois University.
Job Titles:
- Staff Accountant
- Staff Accountant Donna Williamson Has Managed to Keep the Important Things in Her Life Constant, Including Her 40 - Year Marriage to Her Husband.
CTM Staff Accountant Donna Williamson has managed to keep the important things in her life constant, including her 40-year marriage to her husband John, and her longstanding career in accounting. But when it comes to moving to a new community or redecorating her house, Donna has never shied away from mixing things up.
Donna was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and lived there until she was 13 years old. She is the oldest of three children. When her stepdad took a job in Chicago, the family packed up their things and moved to a north side community in the city. Chicago's cold weather didn't bother Donna. As a matter of fact, one of her favorite things to do was to go ice skating with her friends in the park.
While in high school, Donna met John, a boy from the south side of Chicago. Donna invited John to her prom, and 40 years later, they're still going strong! It was also during high school that Donna realized she was good at math.
Over the next few years, Donna worked in several accounts payable positions. She also welcomed her daughter Lisa. When Lisa turned 2 ½, Donna went back to work full time. By this time, the Williamson family left the city and moved to Highland Park, IL, a northern suburb of Chicago. At first Donna worked in an accounts payable position for Steve Foley Cadillac. However, there was a bookkeeper position that opened up at a tire store, and Donna decided to take the position even though it was located in the city.
Donna liked the bookkeeper work, but it was only after taking a position at a public accounting firm that she realized she preferred the variety of responsibilities and the opportunity to communicate directly with clients. It was then, Donna decided to go back to school, and she received her Bachelors of General Studies from Roosevelt University in Arlington Heights.
After raising their daughter in Palatine, Donna and her husband moved to Buffalo Grove, then to Lake in the Hills, which is where she lives today. In 2013, Donna applied for and accepted an accountant position at CTM's former office located in McHenry, IL. She really enjoys the different functions of her accounting role at CTM, and appreciates the flexibility of working part-time. Although, during tax season (January - April), she works full time.
In her spare time, Donna likes to decorate her house, which has been redecorated several times. Just ask her about the "furniture store" in her basement. Her favorite holiday is Christmas, and she loves dressing up the house with lots of festive trimmings and ornaments. She even has a collection of ornaments from the places where she has traveled. Although she has traveled all over the country, she frequently vacations in Hilton Head, SC, and loves to visit Savannah, Georgia, which is a short drive from Hilton Head. She recently renewed her 40 th wedding vows in Hilton Head.
Job Titles:
- President of Crystal Lake Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram
Ever since he was a young man, Gary Rosenberg, President of Crystal Lake Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram, has worked with cars in some professional capacity. He started out installing car stereos, but with his easy-going, friendly personality, selling cars on a showroom floor became a natural transition. Gary began working at Clark Maple Chevrolet in Chicago in 1976. He enjoyed everything there was to being a car salesman from getting to know the customers to helping them get a great deal on a car they loved. It wasn't long before Gary became the #1 salesman at the dealership.
In 1980, he couldn't pass up an opportunity to work as the manager at (Mark) Mancari's Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Oak Lawn, IL. After several years of successfully managing the dealership, Chrysler Corporation approached Gary with an opportunity to buy out the dealer at Crystal Lake Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram. Since 1988, Gary has been running his prosperous Crystal Lake store by instilling in his sales team the same values he utilized when he first started selling cars: Make the buying experience easy for people, treat them like they're your own family and don't pressure them.
Gary has grown his dealership (currently, 70 people on staff) with the tax and accounting guidance of his lifelong friend, CTM Managing Partner Marty Magida, CPA. Gary has known Marty since the 1 st grade when he moved three doors down from him in Skokie, IL. They became the best of buddies, played sports together, and have remained great friends to this day. Naturally, Gary sold Marty his first sports car, a Z-28 Camaro, in 1978, and many cars thereafter.
Gary's easy connection with people also led him to become an active participant in his community. In 1999, a board member of the United Way of McHenry County bought a car from Gary. He was so impressed with Gary's business acumen, he asked Gary to serve on the appropriations committee for the United Way. It was through his work with the United Way that Gary became aware Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of McHenry County, a youth mentorship organization.
When Gary saw that BBBS was having financial issues, he and a friend put their savvy business skills to work and rolled out a charity golf event designed to help the charity raise money. Sixteen years later, the event "Swing for Kids Sake" is still going strong. Last year, they raised more than $700k at the golf outing.
And when Gary found out that a fallen police officer McHenry County Sheriff's Deputy Jacob Keltner had recently purchased a van from Gary's dealership, he and a few other donors, helped out the family by paying off their car loan.
Although, technology has changed the way he does business (Gary is focusing more of his marketing efforts online as opposed to print or radio) one thing has stayed the same - i.e, his belief that success is possible with hard work, integrity, compassion and perseverance.
Jason has more than 20 years of public accounting experience. As Client Services Manager, Jason is responsible for managing a portfolio of CTM clients, preparing financial statements, annual compilations, tax returns, depreciation schedules, etc. Drawing from his previous managerial experience at James Hamlin & Co., P.C. where he provided clients with vital tax and accounting services, supported other departments, such as Payroll, IT and Recruiting, Jason coaches and mentors CTM staff and provides training programs, where needed.
Jason received a B.S. in Accounting from St. Norbert College, De Pere, Wisconsin. He, his wife Heather, and their son Ryan and daughter Madison live in Lindenhurst, IL.
Job Titles:
- Staff Accountant
- Staff Accountant Jennifer Barton Has Found a New Home - Both Literally and Figuratively. Jen, a DePaul University Graduate With.
CTM Staff Accountant Jennifer Barton has found a new home - both literally and figuratively. Jen, a DePaul University graduate with a B.S. in Accounting and Management Information Systems, joined CTM as a part-time accountant a little more than a year ago after working downtown for a staffing and recruiting firm.
From the start, Jen felt an immediate connection with her CTM coworkers. She also quickly picked up her new job functions, welcoming the real life application of the accounting principles she learned at school.
CTM Partner Julie Babetch understands the unique challenges you and your business may face in the ever-changing landscape of federal and state tax...
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Chairman of the Illinois C.P.a. Society Estate
Karyl L. Mandel is a former named partner at CTM, with more than 35 years of experience working with entrepreneurs. Her client base included restaurant franchisees, manufacturers, athletic and tennis clubs, legal, medical and other professional practices, real estate developers and investors as well as the retail field.
She has lectured on financial statement issues as they relate to business operations and tax planning as well as most facets of individual, business and estate taxation. Other areas of her practice include restaurant valuation, litigation support, as well as estate planning. She has been a panelist and guest financial speaker at many McDonald's® financial and business seminars and owner/operator meetings.
Mrs. Mandel has served as the Chairman of the Illinois C.P.A. Society Estate and Gift Tax Committee and a member of the ICPAS Taxation Committee and the Board of Directors. She has published numerous tax related articles in professional journals and magazines and has frequently taught tax courses for a variety of organizations. She's a former president of Chicago Region of Women's American ORT and is a member of National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO). Mrs. Mandel is also a registered investment advisor and licensed life insurance provider. She is listed in five Who's Who publications including Who's Who of American Women and Who's Who in America.
Mrs. Mandel was educated at the University of Michigan, Roosevelt University and Oakton Community College. She received her C.P.A. certificate from the University of Illinois. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Illinois CPA Society as well as the Chicago and North Suburban Estate Planning Councils.
Job Titles:
- Information Technology Manager
- Manager
- Member of the Institute of Electrical
Ken Root is the information technology manager at CTM CPAs & Business Advisors. He is responsible for the installation and maintenance of the firm's entire technology infrastructure as well as driving the firm's strategic and operational objectives.
He also provides clients with a variety of information technology and computer consulting services, including accounting software selection and implementation; computer hardware consulting; network design and implementation; Internet service provider consultation; data and system security design; implementation and testing; paperless office design and implementation; and diagnostic and repair.
Mr. Root has over 20 years of experience assisting businesses leverage technology to improve their operations. He believes technology, when implemented and used properly, enhances everyone's work experience as well as enables employees to better focus on their individual objectives. His goal is to create a value based technology environment that is easy to manage and understand by all users. He believes that helping people understand how technology can improve their business performance takes away the mystery that often surrounds it.
Mr. Root is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and IEEE Computer Society. He was educated at DeVry University, majoring in Computer Information Systems with a minor in Accounting.
Lorena Berndt is the business manager of the firm. She is responsible for managing all areas of CTM's administration, including human resources, payroll, facilities management and more. Ms. Berndt joined the firm in 1996, and has become an integral component of running the firm's day-to-day operations.
Luis Ortiz is a manager specializing in quick service restaurant franchisee Accounting. He manages all monthly financial statement preparation for clients, including final submission to corporate franchisors. Additionally, he processes business tax returns for many franchised organizations as well as generates year-end tax planning strategies.
Luis has a naturally mild demeanor and manages to stay calm, cool and collected despite the numerous pressures and deadlines surrounding him. He is a member of CTM's accounting software training team and regularly attends offsite educational programs so he can help train CTM staff internally.
He obtained a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater.
Former CTM Partner Martin Magida never minced words when providing clients with tax planning advice or recommending ways to grow their businesses. With more than 45 years of experience, Marty developed a special knack for quickly identifying potential financial issues, uncovering obscure tax saving opportunities and offering savvy solutions to help clients reach and sustain their economic goals. As a result, he has become a trusted business advisor to many individuals and companies throughout the country.
Although he works with clients in a variety of industries, he developed a specialized practice with franchise owner/operators in the quick-service restaurant industry. From start to finish, he helps newly registered applicants transition into the business, advises established clients on how to remain profitable and develops succession plans for clients hoping to pass their business on to the next generation.
Michael S. Teitelbaum was a founding partner at CTM. His practice focused on providing accounting and financial services to numerous McDonald's® franchisees and other quick service restaurants, hotel industry franchisees as well as business owners in the janitorial, construction, professional and distribution industries.
He also provided business consulting, income and estate tax planning, valuations for the purchase, sale of businesses or gifting and litigation support services. He has been a panelist at many regional McDonald's® owner /operators meetings and lectured on financial statements presentations, income taxes and preservation of wealth.
He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and his C.P.A. certificate from the University of Illinois. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Illinois CPA Society. He has served as a member of the ICPAS Board of Directors and was past Vice-President. He has served as past Chairman of Illinois CPA Society CPE Council, member of the Operations Committee and Representative of Councils to the AICPA. He was a past President of the North Shore Chapter of ICPAS and has been a volunteer fundraiser for Foundation of Ileitis & Colitis and the American Cancer Fund.
Nicki Moschiano is a senior tax manager, specializing in tax planning, compliance, audit resolution and advisory services to family owned businesses, closely held...
Robert (Bobby) Webber is a manager assisting small to mid-sized business clients with compilation and review engagements as may be required by their lenders, investors or buyers. He also prepares individual, partnership, corporation and trust tax returns. Bobby is an excellent listener, and when clients ask any number of questions related to their financial reports or tax returns, he calmly breaks down the information into digestible pieces to help them better understand. He also uses the same approach when training CTM staff on new processes and procedures.
Throughout his career, CTM Bill Pay Specialist Robert Mortell has been immersed in financial transactions.
After graduating Niles North High School in 2003, Robert's godfather gave him an opportunity to work at the Chicago Board of Trade (now CME Group). He started out as a runner, working in the "grain room" (i.e., soybean, soybean oil, soybean meal, corn, wheat, etc.), and then as a clerk, writing up orders for two brokers trading futures contracts. This fast-paced, intense scene gave him a crash course in the unpredictable world of money.
In 2006, he clerked in the CME's eurodollar options pit, where open-outcry trading takes place using specific hand gestures to designate a trader's intentions. However, with the rise of electronic trading and fewer trades being conducted in the pit, Robert transitioned to DeVry University in Chicago to begin his degree in Business Management. It was there he took numerous accounting courses, ultimately graduating in 2012.
He later became the Head Teller at the Bank of America, handling more complicated customer bank transactions as well as monthly vault auditing responsibilities. As he took on more responsibilities, he was promoted to Relationship Banker.
In 2018, Robert became CTM's Bill Pay Specialist. Since rolling out our online billing platform, more and more clients have taken advantage of our bill pay services. Robert has adeptly filled this role within a short amount of time. He has built and maintained strong relationships with our clients, helping them save valuable time and money.
Robert is the oldest of four brothers (Jimmy, Brian and Randy), and he is from Skokie, Illinois. He was extremely athletic in high school, playing football and running varsity track as a freshman. He still enjoys sports, occasionally playing ball with his buddy Moe, and is a huge Chicago sports fan. He also loves movies and playing video games.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Member of the National Franchise Consultants & Accountants
- Partner Scott P. Weingart 's Competitive Nature Drives Him Both on and off the Tennis Court. Scott Strives to Win, and Helping His.
Scott is a member of the National Franchise Consultants & Accountants, an alliance of public accounting firms specializing in franchise accounting for McDonald's Owner/Operators. In addition, he is member of the Keshet Board of Trustees. Keshet is a nonprofit organization, serving individuals with developmental/intellectual disabilities. He is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Illinois CPA Society, American Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association and the Chicago Bar Association.
CTM Partner Scott P. Weingart's competitive nature drives him both on and off the tennis court. Scott strives to win, and helping his clients attain their financial goals is a challenge he is always ready to take on. His clients range from franchised business owners to real estate developers to venture capitalists. He provides many advisory services, such as structuring and setting up business entities, negotiating for the purchase/sale of a business or making financial forecasts, but he is at the top of his game when developing customized tax planning strategies for clients.
Job Titles:
- CVA
- Managing Partner Steven Edelheit Is a Devoted Family Man Who Takes Pride in His Family 's Accomplishments. Steve Brings the Same Enthusiasm and.
CTM Managing Partner Steven Edelheit is a devoted family man who takes pride in his family's accomplishments. Steve brings the same enthusiasm and...
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner Todd Coughlan Is at His Best When He Is Helping Others Achieve Their Goals. Whether Providing an Individual With Tax Planning.
CTM Partner Todd Coughlan is at his best when he is helping others achieve their goals. Whether providing an individual with tax planning strategies, reviewing a company's financial statements or helping a franchise owner/operator with ownership transfer, Todd conceives of solutions that facilitates the financial results desired by his clients. Over the years, he has developed a special aptitude working with quick-service restaurant franchise owner/operators with which he has a personal connection.
He started his first job at a McDonald's restaurant while in high school, and eventually ran store operations while obtaining an Accounting degree from Northern Illinois University. This first-hand experience gave him a greater understanding of the challenges faced by many of his clients as they manage and grow their businesses.
As Manager, Valerie prepares and reviews corporate and individual tax returns, as well as monthly, quarterly and year-end financial statements for small to mid-sized businesses.
Valerie is a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University, where she earned a BA in Accounting, Cum Laude. She earned her Illinois CPA license in May of 1995. She and her husband Sean, live in Indian Creek, Illinois, where they've raised 4 boys. She has a very athletic family and frequently travels to watch them play football, baseball and soccer on their college, high school, and club travel teams.
Valerie joined CTM in 2022, bringing with her a wide range of corporate and public accounting experience. As a result, she was able to immediately support both our tax/accounting and client services departments. Her versatility, decades of experience and strong leadership skills quickly led to a promotion as Manager.
William Chunowitz is a former founding partner of CTM. His practice focused on business planning and consulting with a strong emphasis in business...