CPA - Key Persons
As a partner in LSL's Audit & Assurance department, Adam works with clients in the automotive, manufacturing & distribution, entertainment venue, and professional service industries. He is especially skilled in transforming a business's financials from complete chaos to a clean and organized set, allowing him to help his clients focus on high-level, strategic objectives, such as profit and cash flow improvement strategies.
Adam's commitment to excellence, along with his easygoing nature and keen insight, makes him a trusted leader to both his clients and his team. He thrives on collaboration and creates an environment where creativity and support thrive. "Both my clients and LSL team members are like family to me, so working with them is incredibly enjoyable and fulfilling."
Great clients for Adam … From dealership accounting and supply chain management to nonprofits and churches, Adam's ability to assist clients with a high-level approach and creative insights has been invaluable to those seeking growth and profitability.
LSL candidate tip … Adam sets the bar for excellence while radiating his caring and witty nature. As a leader, he is always approachable and believes in creating an environment where both his clients and team can thrive.
Personal … Outside of work, Adam lives an active life! He cherishes quality time with his wife and enjoys playing soccer with his kids. When it's time to unwind, nothing beats his time on the golf course, especially when he's in the company of good friends. And as a devoted Chargers enthusiast, you'll find him with season tickets, putting him at the heart of all the action!
Amber is a problem solver and creative at heart. She has always excelled in math and English, and the combination of business and accounting was a great way to leverage both. For her, developing a new financial model for a specific challenge is exciting-like creating a work of art.
Amber was drawn to public accounting and consulting because it provides opportunities to help so many more local governments than just one at a time. With over a decade of experience in municipalities, Amber knows all too well the challenges our clients face, having literally walked in their shoes.
As LSL's Consulting Manager in Government Services, Amber brings a fresh and insightful perspective to tackling tough challenges. She loves helping clients optimize their fiscal processes and procedures for efficiency and compliance, taking into consideration limited resources. She thrives on leveraging resources and thinking outside the box.
Great clients for Amber … Anyone with a tough problem to solve can count on Amber to jump to their aid. She loves using her strategic mindset and creativity to develop innovative solutions and new financial models.
LSL candidate tip ... Not only does Amber serve as a close consulting partner, but she blends in well as an extension of your department to help meet all agency and intricate financial needs and goals.
Personal ... Amber is an outdoor enthusiast-whether snowboarding, snowshoeing, hiking, or paddleboarding-and she loves to travel and cross items off her bucket list. Her adventurous spirit leads her to high-energy live hockey games, new restaurants, and music shows, but her two favorite long-standing interests are hot dogs and the world of espresso.
Not many people know that Anita homeschooled her three children all the way through high school. Somewhere along the way, she achieved a Bachelor's and CPA. In 2016, she obtained an MS (Master of Science) degree in Accounting at Texas A & M University. Those accomplishments and her church and community involvement give you an idea of Anita's work ethic, and how she cares about building relationships. It spills over into her calling as an accountant-helping others.
Anita's career began with Price Waterhouse, where she spent four years in the audit services department. She subsequently enjoyed more than two decades of experience in the corporate sector providing accounting, financial, and tax support to business owners in a variety of industries. Particularly experienced in the oilfield services and manufacturing industries, she has served as both a Controller and Division CFO in prior roles. Her most recent role was as a Principal at Gray CPA Consulting, PC, which provided Caseware software training and support to government, industry, and CPA firms.
As a college athlete, Brandon loved being part of a team. This eased his transition from college to career when he joined the LSL team as a staff accountant in 2012. Now an assurance partner, Brandon provides consulting and oversees audit and accounting services for state and local governments and municipalities. In addition to being a team player, he often finds himself coaching new employees and clients as they tackle technical matters.
Brandon brings new ways to help his clients fill the day-to-day gaps in their finance department while adding value to their finance team. This could include interim staffing, process automation, and other creative solutions that can keep departments afloat during times of high turnover or recruiting challenges. He documents procedures to improve processes, solidify controls, and provide clarity and consistency to finance departments. Brandon is passionate about helping clients think outside the box to advance their department and forge a path forward that is consistent, sustainable, and leverages current resources.
Job Titles:
- Accountant
- Senior Manager
- MST
Brian is an accountant of the future! Serving industries like Real Estate, Private Equity, and Online e-commerce, he is constantly keeping up with the ever-changing, complex tax laws. Clients can count on him to guide them through these complexities in order to minimize their tax obligations.
Brian is committed to providing quality work with exceptional client service. His overall goal is to earn and keep the respect as a trusted advisor for clients, project after project.
With a Masters in Taxation, he currently works with various Partnerships, Corporations and High Net Worth Individuals. Being in the accounting industry for 15+ years has given Brian the knowledge and know-how ease a client's stress so that they can focus on other aspects of their business.
Bryan has been dedicated to LSL CPAs since 2004, and his loyalty to LSL has been deeply rooted because of the people, culture, and continued opportunities for growth and development. This eventually led Bryan to become LSL's Managing Partner in 2021.
Bryan began his career in accounting because of its reputation as the language of business. He became a CPA in 2008 when he found that public accounting could give him the opportunity to work with an even more diverse group of people and a wide range of clients. To this day, he still believes that a solid understanding of accounting can transform businesses in a multitude of ways.
As Managing Partner, his vision and passion are to focus on growing LSL's people, culture, and development to move forward and be the firm of the future, while bringing our best to our clients. Bryan believes that "it is the most exciting time in history to be at a CPA firm, and there is more opportunity than ever before because innovation and change have captured the profession to drive higher value." Creating opportunities for our clients and employees is what continues to drive him every day.
Great Clients for Bryan … Bryan is drawn to clients who are looking for answers to hard questions. He enjoys leveraging his team's expertise relating to new laws and regulations, evolving technology, and challenging business environments to foster not just survival but growth.
LSL candidate tip ... By combining resources from near and far, Bryan finds immediate solutions to his client's pressing problems and tries to anticipate and prevent future situations through intermediate and longer-range planning cycles.
Personal ... Bryan loves the ocean and the mountains, and especially enjoys hiking, camping, biking, swimming, running, golfing, and spending quality time with his family. He likes visiting the wine country and relaxes by cooking when he's at home.
Calvin's obsession with accounting sparked when he began pursuing his own investment ventures. He wanted to learn about financial statements to enhance his skills as an investor, eventually leading him to become a CPA.
As LSL's Assurance Manager in Government Services, Calvin brings insightful perspectives to tackling our client's toughest challenges. He loves helping clients recognize patterns and effectively apply analytic procedures, enabling him to assist clients in resolving their unique and complex obstacles.
Prior to LSL, Calvin served in the U.S. Air Force where he learned to solve problems, recognize patterns, and apply analytical procedures to tackle difficult challenges. He experienced firsthand how every component contributes to a mission's success. With his strong background in problem-solving through difficult challenges, he likewise understands the critical role a CPA plays in achieving an organization's missions and objectives-he enjoys the feeling of accomplishment when a "mission" is complete.
Great clients for Calvin … Anyone looking for a no-nonsense approach to knocking down obstacles. Calvin brings his meticulous approach to ensuring clean and accurate financial statements and a commitment to high standards of integrity and transparency.
LSL candidate tip … Calvin is known for his passion for learning and becoming the best at what he does. It shows in his strategic mindset applied to analytical procedures to solve the toughest problems.
Personal … Calvin loves the outdoors and embraces the simple pleasures of life, whether it's tending to his garden, grilling mouthwatering BBQ, walking his dog, or playing with his kids. He's a passionate supporter of all Chicago sports, but the White Sox hold a special place in his heart!
Chad has a way of putting clients at ease and making them feel valued and understood. He takes the time to listen and understand their unique needs and challenges. To him, "My client's challenges are my challenges, and I love collaborating with them to find solutions."
As a Senior Assurance Manager, Chad oversees audit engagements and completes technical reviews of financial statements. His passion for numbers and problem-solving fuels his love for accounting, viewing it as a puzzle just waiting to be solved.
Chad started his journey traveling all over the country to serve clients. This helped him learn and gain valuable insights across multiple industries from Manufacturing & Distribution, Non-Profits, and Employee Benefit Plans. He gets the greatest satisfaction from building strong relationships and supporting his clients on their path to success, and he is constantly in pursuit of personal and professional growth.
Great clients for Chad … Chad brings value to clients through his insights across multiple industries, allowing him to expand his knowledge and expertise.
LSL candidate tip … Chad is known for his down-to-earth advisory approach, making the accounting process for his clients more relatable and understandable. "Acting like an advanced accounting professor and using extremely technical language is not the way to go about it!"
Personal … Chad enjoys spending quality time with his wife and two kids, especially in Hawaii, their favorite travel spot. He is a devoted fan of the Angels, and often indulges in his love for coffee, playing the ukulele, watching The Office, or treating himself to delicious burritos.
"I originally became interested in becoming a CPA because my grandfather, aunt, and cousin are all CPAs," Cheryl says. "But now I realize that being a CPA is perfect for me because I love to help people and build relationships with my clients and my team members."
Cheryl has been at LSL CPAs since 2015 and her everyday goal is to help her clients, whether that is by savings them money in taxes, answering questions regarding their business, being an advocate for them with the IRS/FTB and other government agencies. She thrives on fixing the tough issues, answering the difficult questions, and explaining things to her clients in a way that they can understand.,
As Tax Manager, she handles a variety of tax-related services, including business tax preparation, plus quarterly & annual tax planning with her clients. She is always there to answer client questions (like why they might owe more from one year to the next) and walk them through complicated tax situations.
She's consulted with a variety of small businesses and their owners in resolving tax issues with the IRS and the FTB. She also works with her clients' bookkeepers to answer questions and solve bookkeeping issues like categorizing transactions, booking missed journal entries, etc. to ensure the company's books and accounts remain organized.
Chris has over 15 years of experience in public accounting. He joined the LSL team in 2002.
Chris has a broad range of industry experience including manufacturing, real estate, and service companies. His areas of expertise include complex audit, review, and financial reporting issues and ERISA employee benefit plan audits.
Chris manages the majority of the firms' review and audit engagements.
Christian has always loved problem-solving, and being a CPA allows her to work one-on-one with her clients to troubleshoot their difficulties and develop the best process that fits their needs. It's also a career that can be worked around family obligations when needed-a flexibility that helps a lot with her three school-aged boys.
She has been dedicated to the public accounting field since 2012, working continuously in governmental services and auditing, including federal grant compliance. She became a CPA in 2015.
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager
- Senior Manager in the Technology Consulting Team at LSL
Daria Weiss has a unique combination of talents. She has both accounting and technology backgrounds rolled into one! She says, "Combining accounting and technology makes working with LSL a perfect fit for me!"
At the beginning of her career, she worked as an auditor at Ernst & Young in Minneapolis, MN. She then moved up to the National level in Cleveland, OH. Of that part of her career, she says, "Although I liked the problem-solving part of accounting, I realized I enjoyed technology a lot more." Daria spent the last twelve years working at Caseware International, most recently as the Head of Product for the U.S. market.
As a Senior Manager in the Technology Consulting team at LSL, Daria works with clients on technology training, consulting, and implementation engagements. Her focus is on Caseware International's suite of products, including Working Papers and USGAAP Financials, and RPA (Robotic Process Automation) technologies, such as UiPath.
Great Clients for Daria … Daria's superpower is connecting the dots. When she worked at Caseware International, she was asked to help land a large U.S. Government contract. Of her role as the Product Manager for that project, she says, "I listened to the pain points the customer was experiencing. Through my product knowledge, I was able to identify solutions that would solve their problems within the product if adopted by the customer."
LSL Candidate Tip … In today's business world, it is exciting to find someone who knows accounting and technology. Daria works with clients to understand their requirements (pain points) as they embrace digital transformation in the accounting realm. Each company has unique needs. "I may play a project management role for clients who choose to incorporate applications on their own but need guidance in staying on track." For other companies, Daria works with LSL's teams to facilitate the implementation when clients choose to outsource all their accounting needs to LSL.
Personal … Daria loves to travel; her favorite place is the Scottish Highlands. She enjoys being outdoors. And summers will find her hiking and kayaking at her lake place. She prefers reading to watching television unless it's sports. She is a huge fan of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (part of the Canadian Football League-U.S. equivalent to the NFL) and the Winnipeg Jets (in the NHL).
Education:
Bachelor of Arts in Accounting - University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, ND, and Diplomas in Business Administration and Hotel & Restaurant Administration from Red River College in Winnipeg, MB Canada.
Since 1984, Dave has been a firm believer in treating clients and colleagues with respect and integrity. He joined Vilmure, Peeler & Boucher in 1992 and became a partner in 2000. The firm merged with LSL CPAs in October 2013.
Dave focuses on tax compliance and planning in the areas of income and estate tax. He is the tax partner for our automotive accounting group but he's also tapped for his expertise in real estate, manufacturing and professional services. He's a whiz at estate and gift taxation and can create a customized approach to designing and implementing a successful exit plan for business owners.
Whether it's assisting with the sale of a business to a publicly traded company or answering a simple question on California state tax, Dave's here to help. He wants to help take your business to the next level - whatever your goals.
Prior to joining LSL, Don worked in Las Vegas as a member of the Nevada Gaming Control Board where he audited various casinos to determine internal control, operational and reporting compliance with state regulations. After just a couple years, he decided to move back to California and joined LSL CPAs in 1983. Before the new millennium, he was named a partner.
For the bulk of his career at LSL, Don has focused his practice on auto dealerships. He now leads our automotive accounting group. Over many years of preparing financial statements and corporate tax returns, he has cultivated professional relationships and friendships with auto dealers. They call on Don regarding their personal tax issues, too, as well as real estate holdings and business transitions.
Don also notes a devotion to the LSL staff. If he could leave an impression on them, he hopes it's about trust and being available to them. He emphasizes details, which is evident in his work and also his genuine interest in people. In work and life, it's often the little things that count most. Just ask him about being a grandfather.
When you are personally interviewed by a future managing partner, it leads to good things. Erika joined LSL CPAs through an on-campus interview and was hired a couple weeks after graduation in 2002.
She has steadily moved up the career ladder to manager, providing accounting and assurance services primarily to municipal, commercial and automotive accounting clients. She describes herself as loyal, to the firm and to her clients. Her favorite time of day is digging into the financials of her clients and helping them put everything in proper order.
In fact, Erika's love of accounting expands into her personal life. She lends free time and expertise to her local church finance committee. She has also stayed active in her college sorority by helping a local chapter house maintain a safe and functional facility.
Job Titles:
- Director of People Operations
- LSL 's Director of People Operations
Fern loves to start every conversation and meeting with, "How can I help?". Her passion and dedication to improving employee experiences are evident in all she does. She is thoughtful, considerate, and a great listener, and she helps people find solutions to get where they want to go.
As LSL's Director of People Operations, Fern helps foster direct feedback and promotes effective communication across all departments. She is responsible for the overall employee experience including firmwide benefits, performance reviews, policies & procedures, and wellness. She ensures peace of mind for our team members by offering strategic advice and guidance on their career goals and also handles all HR best practices and critical compliance matters for LSL as a whole.
Fern began her career in Actuarial Science, but while she enjoyed the math-centric field, she realized her true joy came from human connections. Drawn to the challenge of unlocking personal and professional potential, she made the change to benefits administration and eventually to People Operations. Prior to LSL, Fern served as Senior Manager for accounting firms and managed the benefits program for over 2,000 employees at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia.
Personal … Outside of work, you can find Fern enjoying time "down the shore" on the front porch of her house in New Jersey-her "happy place". As a proud Philly native, she roots for the Eagles, Flyers, and Phillies. She is a foodie extraordinaire and a Food Network enthusiast. Her killer dishes include Dan Dan Noodles, sushi, mouthwatering grilled shrimp, shakshuka, and finger-licking jerk chicken wings!
There is something to be said for longevity, and Frank has not stopped learning and teaching since he joined LSL CPAs as a staff auditor in 1994. He attributes his tenure to the variety of clients and fun culture of the firm.
Given that he now works mainly with municipalities and government entities, that's saying a lot. But he enjoys the organization required to perform these audits while simultaneously mentoring audit team members to perform at their best. Frank also works with clients on financial reporting and accounting throughout the year.
To further demonstrate his flexibility, Frank recalls one client that was scheduled for an audit later than usual due to a system conversion. When the client wanted LSL to perform the audit at the usual time, Frank and the audit team mobilized to perform the audit in just one week. Frank wants to deliver that same reliability on every project…preferably with a nice balance between effort and rest.
Great Clients for Frank… are municipalities and local governmental entities.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Principal of Gray CPA Consulting
At Gray CPA Consulting: Gail is the founding principal of Gray CPA Consulting. She works with our team to ensure we are providing a high quality of service to our clients. She is our Governmental Sector Subject Matter Expert for the Caseware GASB Template. She is the private sector subject matter expert for Caseware solutions for our Accounting and Corporate clients as well. She is the lead consultant and trainer for our Caseware Partnership Projects.
Personally: Gail values a strong work ethic and high-quality customer service. She believes this is what sets us apart in a very competitive workspace. If we take care of each of our clients like we would our family and become a part of their team, we will keep our clients successful and happy. Treating her team and her clients like family is a big deal to Gail because of her strong family values. She believes this is what empowers her team, and that her family empowers her.
Off the Clock: Gail has a strong commitment to her family and it is important to her to be an influential part of their lives. True to her word, Gail serves as the family matriarch both on and off the clock, as we have many family members as part of our team. She and her husband love to take their family and friends to Mexico and share the blessings God has provided them. She has a strong faith in God and believes he is the provider of all we have and accomplish. Her dog, Grayce is her therapist. Her husband, Bob, is such a blessing and she could not accomplish all that she does without him being as supportive as he is.
Gary Eder is an advocate for his clients. He is often the first person they call when they need help making business decisions and, even if it's not in his area of expertise, he is more than happy to point them in the right direction.
As a senior tax manager, Gary oversees client relationships, acting as the primary contact and helping to ensure the highest quality of work. He understands the importance of teamwork, and supports and mentors staff as they move along in their career.
Prior to joining LSL CPAs and Advisors in January 2018, Gary gained extensive experience in accounting for real estate and construction clients. He leans on his background to assist clients with complex issues that are unique to their industries. Count on Gary to apply his knowledge to your project for the best possible results.
James has always loved math and numbers. Combining business and accounting was a great way to use both. He says, "Accounting also provides many opportunities to help widely diverse industries and local governments in a variety of ways."
James became a CPA in New York State in 2015. He spent three years as Supervisor & Manager in a regional CPA firm and another three years as Director of Finance in a regional municipality in New York State before coming to LSL CPAs.
His experience encompasses financial audits, Single Audits, ACFR, and financial statement preparation, plus GASB implementation consulting, bookkeeping consulting, and other Director of Finance/Controller consulting services.
Great Clients for James… He specializes in Governmental and Not-for-Profit clients but is eager to ensure we meet the needs of every industry. Any clients needing expertise at the state and local government level, including a wide range of NYS Towns, Villages, Cities, Counties, School Districts, and Not-for-Profit Agencies, would benefit by working with James.
LSL Candidate Tip… James thrives on finding new ways to assist efficiencies within client operations and cultivating professional relationships into personal friendships. With his previous firm, he helped a client navigate an extended vacant City Controller position by stepping in and performing the City's desperately needed CFO duties. His tasks also included ARPA and other grant-filing consulting work.
Personal … He is recently married and lives in the Niagara Falls, NY area, so it's no surprise that James is a diehard Buffalo Bills and Sabres fan. When not in the office, James is either on a golf course, attending one of his favorite sports teams' games, or arranging for friends and family to join him at the beach or the lake. On that note, James is a music and sports trivia aficionado, and his favorite bands are The Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Bruce Springsteen. James works remotely out of Buffalo/Niagara Falls, NY.
Being a CPA runs in Allen James ‘Jayme' Lambert's family. His grandfather, the first Allen James Lambert, after whom he is named, was a CPA for 50 years and founded a firm that still bears his name. Although he has passed on, Jayme saw how much his grandfather enjoyed the accounting profession and he wants to spend his career doing the same.
Jayme has stayed on this path ever since, earning a B.S. in Accounting in 2013 and his CPA designation in 2016. Prior to joining LSL in 2022, Jayme was a Senior Accountant and then a Manager at a CPA firm in Alabama.
As a Manager in our Governmental Services department, Jayme oversees municipal, water districts, special districts and not-for-profit audits, as well as provides consulting for our clients.
Great Clients for Jayme… If you're looking for peace of mind, Jayme's your guy. He says, "I like providing clients with an extra feeling of confidence in my work by exceeding their expectations whenever possible."
For Jeff, being a CPA is more than crunching numbers; it's about being a trusted advisor and helping clients solve problems. "Every day brings new challenges, and the thrill of making a difference for my clients keeps the work interesting and fulfilling."
As a partner in LSL's Tax department, Jeff works with clients in manufacturing, real estate, construction, and professional services. His passion lies in unraveling complex financial challenges and providing tailor-made solutions that shape their success. Whether it's helping new businesses launch, assisting existing businesses entering new markets, helping clients pass on their business to the next generation, or guiding them through the sales process, he finds fulfillment in knowing that he plays a crucial role in their future.
Jeff's passion for accounting ignited in college, where he found himself excelling in accounting and business courses. Now, as a mentor, he guides and empowers his team to thrive by embracing their accounting journeys and discovering their unique niches.
Great clients for Jeff … Jeff's daily drive centers around the success of his clients. He enjoys handling complex challenges and unique situations, helping turn their goals into reality.
LSL candidate tip … Jeff empowers his team to embrace a growth mindset, always encouraging curiosity and continuous learning.
Personal … When he's not at work, Jeff can be found cheering on his kids at their sporting events or enjoying a UCLA football game. In his free time, he enjoys camping and going to the beach with his family. You can also find him savoring a delicious Italian dish!
Jocelyn is an up-and-coming leader who believes in coaching and inspiring others to greatness. She chose the accounting profession because it allows her to take a holistic approach to helping clients and their organizations while, in turn, making them feel that they are part of a bigger team accomplishing more together. She loves the sense of community in the accounting industry and being able to work with other professionals to provide our clients with the best service.
As a partner in our Assurance & Advisory department, Jocelyn assists privately held businesses with audit, internal controls, and implementing new systems, including workflow, user access, and gaps in internal controls. Because accounting regulations change rapidly, and the software that supports those guidelines rolls out at breakneck speed, Jocelyn's dual degrees in accounting and information systems & decision science serve any company with challenges keeping current with both.
Jocelyn is also a "professor" at LSL, serving on her department's committee to research, train, and implement new accounting standards. Most prevalent today has been the implementation of ASC (Accounting Standards Codification) Topic 842 for Leases, which was issued by FASB to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. She exudes passion and high energy in both her personal and professional life, thriving on meaningful interactions and fostering relationships with individuals across all levels, including both her employees and clients.
Great Clients for Jocelyn … clients with problems to solve: she recently helped a client having trouble with their fixed asset management software while implementing a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.
As a CPA with auditing and consulting experience, Kelly A. Telford is glad to be back at LSL CPAs after serving in Financial Director and City Treasurer positions at the Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA) and the cities of Costa Mesa and Seal Beach, California.
Kelly was originally a math major but decided to focus on accounting when she learned it was similar to conducting investigations. Her joy comes from searching for new ways to help clients achieve their goals. Plus, she comes from a long line of CPAs and obtaining her CPA in 2008 just made sense.
Through her experiences in local government agencies, she gained expertise in accounting, financial forecasting, budget development, public utilities, investment management, grant management, human resources, and information technology. She applies all she's learned to LSL clients' needs, which may include shifting from some conventional approaches to more innovative ways to achieve an organizations goals and objectives.
Great Clients for Kelly… Leveraging her experience in local government agencies-including large and small cities, redevelopment agencies, special districts, and Native American Tribes and Tribal casinos-she can serve as an extension of clients' Finance Departments to help with budgeting, planning, or whatever they require.
LSL Candidate Tip…For Kelly, consulting and auditing in government agencies have helped her better understand and appreciate the demands of these entities. She strives to achieve improved financial reporting, internal controls, and efficiencies while focusing on transparency, trust, and teamwork. "I like to have a collaborative relationship year-round, not just during audit season."
Personal … Kelly has two kids who love sports. "My favorite thing is watching my son run for a touchdown or get an interception in football and seeing my daughter learn to play t-ball."
Kim joined LSL CPAs in 1988 working as a staff auditor, she then obtained her CPA license, and hasn't looked back. She has evolved in her career to serve as a trusted consultant for unusual client tax issues such as the establishment and dissolution of business entities. She has also supported improvements to LSL audit processes to better serve clients. She aspires to keep long-term clients because they demand her best work.
Her clients are eclectic, ranging from business improvement districts to foundations. She has a particular focus on not-for-profits regarding tax and regulatory issues, registrations and audit engagements. She enjoys the opportunity to visit clients, meet the staff and see how they work. This supports a stronger base of knowledge when she and her team make recommendations.
Kiyomi Shiota has a green thumb. Her knack for growth, however, is with people and businesses.
As a senior assurance manager, Kiyomi oversees audit engagements and completes technical reviews of financial statements. She also assists with staff training and development. Kiyomi is known for being patient and flexible. She is proud to help others become successful, and is a high performer herself.
Kiyomi started her audit career at a Big Four firm and worked in the assurance department for 16 years, including an overseas tour to Japan. She joined ELLS Certified Public Accountants and Business Advisors in 2017 and continued with the firm after it merged with LSL CPAs and Advisors in January 2018. She primarily works with clients in construction, healthcare, distribution and not-for-profit. Clients have access to a wealth of resources and experience through Kiyomi and her colleagues.
Great Clients for Kiyomi… are open to new ideas that will benefit their business.
"I like to work on large puzzles," Krystal says of her reason for choosing accounting for a profession, so auditing seemed like the perfect fit. "l like to figure out where mistakes can happen, and fix them" she says. Krystal manages components of municipal assurance engagements, such as Financial and Single Audit engagements and CAFR preparation for Lance, Soll & Lunghard (LSL) CPAs and Advisors.
Krystal likes being a CPA because, "it's a constant learning process." She appreciates that all accountants are required to do CPE (Continuing Professional Education). She says, "I've always been really into school, so constantly getting to learn new things every day keeps the job interesting."
Of specializing in the auditing area, Krystal says, "My stepdad is an auditor for the postal service. He suggested I think about focusing on auditing, and here I am. He was right."
Great Clients for Krystal … "Pensions can be a problem for a lot of government agencies. We helped them work through that and made sure they knew how to book those entries." In fact, one of Krystal's superpowers is making sure her clients are booking their pensions correctly. She even sets up training with them to make sure they understand what they have to do.
Losing a loved one is one of the hardest experiences in life, and Laurie wants to be there for the surviving spouse or family members.
Overseeing trust and estate administration at LSL CPAs, Laurie has a soft touch when translating complex tax considerations into simple steps for her clients. She has worked in every aspect of public accounting as well as several years in private industry before rejoining Vilmure, Peeler & Boucher, which merged with LSL in 2013. Currently, her work includes court accountings and all related estate tax returns. As part of the firm's tax and small business section, Laurie has assisted clients involved with the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program and has successfully represented clients in federal, state and county tax disputes.
As a senior manager, Laurie assists leadership at LSL with firm administration and planning. She is also actively involved in the firm's "Doing What Counts!" program, which engages team members in a variety of charity and philanthropic activities throughout the year - from 5K fundraisers to donating blood.
What do butterflies, birds, and ballet have in common with accounting? Ask LSL CPAs partner, Lisa Favor, who has been a dancer since she was six years old. "Having a solid connection between the outdoors, classical music and dancing, especially during tax season, keeps my mind and spirits in good order." Plus, as in dancing, accounting is about striving to "hit the mark." Each discipline serves the other.
Lisa learned to love accounting from her dad, who used to take her with him to his medical clients each month, where she would busy herself with coloring books while he did the accounting. When she was 21, she started her accounting career in her father's CPA firm while still in college. Early on she became the business manager for a large hospital-based medical group, "from which I learned, first-hand, the internal business needs of that industry," she says.
In her care for her clients, she focuses on achieving financial security. One of Lisa's passions is working with business owners to eliminate debt, save taxes, and build savings through individualized cash-flow planning. "I tailor my financial and tax advice to each client's financial goals, which brings a unique and holistic approach to our service."
Great Clients for Lisa… Medical groups, hospital-based groups, and high-net-worth individuals are excellent fits for Lisa's talents and background. She orchestrates a service we call "Virtual Office," which acts as a back-office for hospital-based medical groups without their own office. We pay bills, run payroll, and produce financial statements with useful dashboards; all while intermingling tax-savings measures throughout the business structure.
LSL Candidate Tip … "I absolutely love unraveling tax law and making it work for my clients. Saving taxes builds wealth, so that is a big motivator for me." She also feels proud that the CPA code of ethics represents integrity, due care, and protection of the public.
Personal … Lisa loves to dance, but she and her CPA husband also enjoy swimming in the ocean, family -time, their awesome friends and watching birds together. They have two grown children, and it's her husband who grows the milkweed to attract the butterflies (and birds) to their garden. "God gives us free resources for our best living: nature, music, relationships, exercise. Now let's take the resources from your hard work and make them an enhancement to your life."
For Louis, learning to fly and accounting have something in common-they both offer exciting challenges. Louis likes finding solutions to a known accounting problem and then seeing how to fix the other glitches that arise from repairing that first thing.
Louis says of his interest in accounting, "Finding the missing link to make Assets = Liabilities + Equities gives me such a thrill and a feeling of accomplishment. I like the idea of balancing an equation. And I feel like I'm doing detective work on behalf of my clients."
One of his superpowers is helping clients find solutions for implementing completely new systems with new procedures. Frequently he's seen working with his clients who need to update various processes and procedures to adapt to a new financial system.
For over 30 years, Maria has served clients in a variety of areas including financial statement audits, reviews and compilations as well as business and individual taxation. Maria excels working with clients in the real estate, and healthcare industries, along with employee benefit plans.
Maria manages our not-for-profit and ERISA Pension Plan Audit Department. She has experience auditing labor unions, associations and 401(k) plans. Maria leads her department in staying up to date on the ever-changing trends, laws and Department of Labor regulations.
As an expert in the real estate industry Maria brings tax strategies such as Cost Segregation, 1031 exchanges, debt restructuring, capital financing and cash flow projections to the table. Maria manages LSL's Cost Segregation department and is responsible for the implementation and completion of all Cost Segregation studies. Maria is involved with Commercial Real Estate Women of Orange County (CREW-OC), one of the leading commercial real estate organizations for executive women in Orange County.
Maria's passion is to help run manufacturing and distribution businesses with specialization in international business entering the US market. Her focus is on overseas production including business expansions. Maria understands the complexities of manufacturing accounting and business advice in such a unique industry.
Being a CPA means constantly encountering new opportunities. Where some people might see a problem, Mark sees an opportunity get to the root of the issue and come up with a creative solution or process that will optimize his client's results. Mark's goal at the end of every project is a happy client who has the tools and information they need to take on their next challenge.
Mark relies on his broad background in public accounting and private industry to help him meet this goal. He has performed a variety of tax compliance and planning projects, including estate planning, for clients that have ranged from individuals with a small rental real estate portfolio, to businesses with sales of several hundred million dollars. In addition, Mark has structured business entities, created and installed accounting and information systems, obtained financing, and managed the attest process, both as auditor and client. In his over 30 years as a CPA, Mark has gained experience and expertise in diverse industries including real estate development, construction, property management, manufacturing, healthcare, and automotive dealership accounting.
Matthew Freitas, CPA Manager Matt.Freitas@lslcpas.com 936 828 4587 At Work: Matt manages our ongoing implementation and development projects. He also contributes to training materials and our Caseware library content. He is on our support team and offers governmental accounting as well as software specific support for our clients and our fellow team members. He also serves as a Caseware authorized trainer, consultant, and implementation specialist. Personally: Matt believes that a project is not successful until the client believes it to be so. Matt also thinks work-life balance is important for our whole team. We've had a tendency to overwork themselves - which is an awesome trait - but Matt has made it his mission to make sure everyone takes care of themselves. He also unofficially monitors the happiness and enrichment levels of our team and is the first to sound the alarm if someone needs a change of pace. Off the Clock: Matt truly values the power of play and participates every year in Extra Life to raise funds to provide enrichment to chronic illness patients at Texas Children's Hospital. Matt is passionate about all methods of gaming. Gaming is a way to provide education and healing to people as well as just for fun. Gaming is how we make connections and friends in our area and wherever we go. Matt also loves his family; including his wife, Natalie; their Dogs, Yuki and Vixen; their cats, Miss Kitty, Piwo, and Yotsuba. They almost always have a foster dog from the Texas Sled Dog Rescue as well. Favorite Quote: "To infinity and beyond." - Buzz Lightyear Funky Fact: Matt likes to build and assemble things like Legos, Gunpla, Models, and Miniatures LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-freitas-889194124/ Professional and Civic Involvement: Firm Member, Prime Global Education: BS in Accounting and Finance, University of California, Santa Barbara BS in Computer Science, University of Advancing Technology
Meagan takes pride in being her clients' go-to person for solving challenges and providing reliable knowledge and guidance for their financial and tax needs. Her clients often turn to her because of her ability to develop trust, facilitate open communication, and turn their worries into well-structured plans.
Meagan found that she thrived in the accounting industry and developed a passion for it. Her goal has always been to be a trusted advisor that her clients can count on for financial, tax, and business strategies. She focuses on closely held businesses, high-net-worth individuals, real estate, and service industry businesses.
His clients include entrepreneurs and busy professionals who value an advisor to keep their taxes and financials in order. He might meet with a manufacturer one day and a real estate investor the next, but their goals center on minimizing tax impact and building a healthy balance sheet. For Michael's professional clients, this is especially important due to potentially complex compensation, risk management and succession issues.
Practicing since 1998, Michael decided to focus his practice on high net worth tax clients and closely held companies at LSL CPAs because of the complexity and multiple advisory needs. He not only provides tax planning and reporting, but he also consults on business strategic planning and has represented clients before tax authorities. He enjoys being available to clients for any business or personal financial questions.
Olivia got her start in HR accidentally. Originally hired as an Office Manager at a start-up food manufacturing company, she was "thrown in" to help start the company's HR department. She was a natural and joined LSL in March 2015.
As the Firm Administrator, Olivia provides professional HR guidance and coordinates the implementation of people-related services. She also develops policies and programs related to talent attraction and retention. Acting as the #1 fan of LSL, she drives the company culture and leads the corporate social responsibility initiative.
From making sure only the most qualified candidates come through the door to babysitting (in a pinch), Olivia is available to make life easier for the LSL team. She enjoys helping and building trust in others.
Great Clients for Olivia…those who appreciate the LSL culture and understand that she is there to help.
Pam brings with her over 30 years of taxation and consulting experience. Pam's areas of expertise include tax compliance for complex high net worth individuals and pass-through entities including partnerships, limited liability companies, S corporations and C corporations. She has extensive experience in providing tax planning for multi-state high net worth individuals and their closely held businesses. She also has significant experience in handling federal and state tax audits. Pam has worked with companies in a variety of industries including real estate, professional services and wholesale manufacturing.
Great Clients for Pam…entrepreneurial clients who do a little bit of everything. She likes the challenge of clients that need a variety of advice and services.
LSL candidate tip… Ask Pam about what she likes most about serving her clients or her latest favorite music. She really enjoys being more than just an advisor to her clients. She likes a wide variety of music types and often has something unexpected playing in her office.
Personal… Pam is married with adult children. In her free time, she likes to read, spend time with family & friends, and keep up on current news.
Peer Reviewer, AICPA Peer Review Program
Education:
B.A. degree in Business Administration with Accounting emphasis, University of San Diego
Job Titles:
- Manager
- Assurance Manager at LSL
Riley became interested in accounting after an entrepreneurship club in college. The group project was to create a start-up company, and Riley naturally fell into the accounting role due to his interest in economic planning and transactional tracking. From then on, he knew that there was nothing else he would rather do for a career.
As a CPA with over five years working at LSL, Riley finds great satisfaction in working with people at the top of the accounting profession. He says, "Being a CPA means constantly learning about the changing regulations and adapting them to the situation."
As an Assurance Manager at LSL, Riley has found satisfaction in helping some of LSL's clients implement an Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) award for the first time.
Great Clients for Riley … Government entities like cities, water districts, fire authorities, special districts, and nonprofits are all good fits for Riley's knowledge in assurance and attestation. He has assisted in consulting projects such as Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) implementations in previous roles, adding to his skills and expertise along the way.
LSL Candidate Tip … Riley's background has been primarily in government. He is also increasingly interested in leveraging technology in accounting and feels cyber-crime is one of the world's greatest threats. As a result, Riley was recently certified by the AICPA in cybersecurity advisory services.
Personal … When Riley is not at work, he's at the beach, outside playing sports, or traveling. He lived in London, England for a year and a half, but as a Southern Californian at heart, his favorite teams are the Angels and the Chargers. Indoor-wise, he takes cooking and wine very seriously.
With four decades in public accounting, Ron's area of expertise includes audits, reviews, compilations, mergers and acquisitions. His savvy business sense partnered with his knowledge of government regulations and tax law make him the perfect match for entrepreneurs and business owners.
Ron specializes in real estate tax strategies and founded our Cost Segregation department in 2005. Ron specializes in serving real estate investors and developers. For these clients, Ron structures 1031 exchanges, strategizes tax planning, advises on entity selection and business selection and facilitates buy/sell agreements. He is an expert in lease-buy analysis, cash flow management, strategic planning and debt restructuring.
Ron's dedication and expertise in assisting clients obtain financing has led him to serve on the Loan Committee of the Southland Economic Development Corporation (EDC) since its inception in 1992. He's been involved in Southland EDC's Executive Committee since 1997.
Ryan's passion for accounting began long before becoming a CPA. During college, he worked as an operations manager for a retail chain which required an attention to detail that has carried over into his career in public accounting. He started working at LSL in 2013 after graduation from California State University, Fullerton, and worked his way up in the firm.
As an assurance partner, Ryan oversees engagements for a variety of governmental clients, providing accounting guidance and other services, including audits, consulting, and ACFR preparation, with a high level of care and precision. He is also involved in training new staff members, and acts as a mentor and resource to both his clients and his team.
Ryan has a strong technical focus and enjoys researching and learning about complex accounting requirements to the benefit of his clients. He is a regular speaker at LSL's annual GASB update on technical topics. His primary client base is local governments, but he also works closely with for-profit entities who receive federal funding. Ryan's expertise in the planning and execution of Single Audits of federal award programs in accordance with the Uniform Guidance earned him an advanced certification from the AICPA on the topic.
Ryan is an active member in a number of professional organizations, including CSMFO, CalCPA and AICPA, and is a member of GFOA's Special Review Committee for the Award for Excellence in Financial Reporting.
Scott was born with a knack for numbers and an analytical mind. That coupled with his passion for working hard and putting in the time for his clients - you might say he found his calling as a CPA.
Scott started his career as an intern and then worked full-time in the industry as Tax Staff while attending CPA classes, earning his CPA in 2021. The tax area made sense to him because of its complexity and because taxes affect everyone: businesses and individuals alike. "I enjoy being a CPA because of the skillsets we must have to be successful at our craft. I like the challenge of working on complex projects, meeting firm deadlines, and serving the public with integrity and honesty."
Manufacturing, real estate, professional services, and agriculture clients benefit from working with Scott to implement various tax planning strategies for individuals within these and other industries, including reducing or eliminating capital gains tax by selling unrealized loss positions in their investment portfolios to offset capital gains recognized during the year. His enjoyment of detecting patterns often leads to creative solutions-he might even suggest gifting stock or mutual funds to relatives in a lower income tax bracket if it would help.
Stephanie Joseph became interested in accounting while working as a Credit Analyst, where she analyzed tax returns and financial statements for commercial lending. She soon realized she wanted to prepare the returns she spent so much time analyzing and became an accountant. Sixteen years later, she is still enjoying that career choice.
With a double major in Mathematics (Concentration in Actuarial Science) and Statistics, Stephanie says, "It's no wonder accounting was a natural career path for me. And I have been working for a CPA firm from 2008 to my time here at LSL CPAs."
Adding value is very important to Stephanie. She takes each client's financial statement data and creates a meaningful analysis based on what the client will want to know about their business. These special reports accompany the monthly financial statements she delivers, and serve as a way to help her clients know where to focus their efforts and energy.
Stephanie also provides LSL clients with Virtual Office accounting, a back-office for hospital-based medical groups without their own office. In addition, she works closely with owners on cash flow planning, projections, tax planning and forecasting.
Great Clients for Stephanie… Most of her experience is in medical accounting, and some real estate, and her background supports working both at the corporate and individual tax returns level.
LSL Candidate Tip … You'd want Stephanie on your side of the accounting ledger in whatever she's working on for you. She has been doing CrossFit for almost ten years and likes to compete on occasion.
Personal … Beside CrossFit, Stephanie plays golf with her husband and spends much of her free time running their two boys to hockey practices and games. Stephanie played golf in college, so watch out if you join her on the "links" one day! She and her family spend part of their summers in Whitefish, Montana, where she was born and raised.
Job Titles:
- Partner at LSL CPAs
- Retired
Family has always been important to Susan, so when her brother suggested that she take an accounting course in college, she followed his advice. And she loved it.
Now a partner at LSL CPAs, Susan oversees the tax processes at the firm as well as serving individuals and business owners with their accounting and tax strategies. Her achievements were honored by Cal Poly's Accounting Department as an Outstanding Alumnus in 1998. She has also been twice named a Paul Harris Fellow for her contributions to Rotary. But accolades aside, she derives the greatest pleasure from helping clients gain peace of mind.
Some clients have come to Susan at the most critical times in their lives: the transition of a business, illnesses and leaving their loved ones in good hands. She celebrates with them, too. As a primary contact for the firm's wealth management affiliate, LSL Wealth Advisors, LLP, Susan helps patriarchs and family office managers plan ahead for their heirs and businesses. She helps clients navigate tax and estate issues in collaboration with affiliated asset protection attorneys and registered investment advisors. Visit our wealth management page to learn more.
Wesley loves fixing things. Whether it is troubleshooting and repairing cars, computers, or accounting problems, Wesley can work through almost any complicated issue. Attention to detail, focus, and dedication to the task come naturally to him. Being called a "numbers person" from an early age, and having an interest in both politics and business, Wesley seemed almost destined to be a CPA.
Wesley is a lifelong Southern California resident, and immediately after graduating from UC Irvine started working in the tax industry. Over the 9 years since obtaining his BA, he has helped his clients complete their Individual, business, and nonprofit organization tax returns, while at the same time earning his CPA designation. He has provided tax, business, and regulatory accounting guidance principally to real estate investors, construction firms, and manufacturing companies.
Regarding his specializing in the tax manager area, Wesley says, "CPAs are expected to keep up with the constantly changing tax regulations, and this is something that makes my job rewarding and exciting. The best feeling is seeing a client benefit from the advice that I offer them."
With over twenty years of experience in private and public accounting, Yana has extensive knowledge in many areas of taxation. She is serving clients in manufacturing, healthcare and real estate industries providing them with entity planning support, transaction structuring, practice entry and exit strategies, cross-border transactions and other important financial matters.
Yana's area of expertise is U.S. international taxation and compliance. She provides international tax consulting to the firm's foreign-owned corporate clients as well as US-resident clients doing business abroad.
Yana's background includes, among other services, revenue recognition for tax purposes, Section 382 issues (Net Operating Losses), preparation and review of provisions for current and deferred income taxes under ASC 740 (formerly FAS 109 and FIN 48), analysis of overhead allocations for the purpose of uniform inventory capitalization rules (Section 263A), and related party transactions.