SMITH AND HOWARD - Key Persons

Andrew Hedrich

Job Titles:

Manager / Smith Howard Advisory LLC

Andrew joined Smith and Howard in 2014 as an intern and is a manager in the Tax practice. Andrew's main focus is with the firm's Professional Service and Nonprofit groups, specializing in law firms and private schools. Beyond his specializations, he also works with corporations, multi-state partnerships, and high-net-worth individuals all in an effort to provide comprehensive, value-added consulting to his clients' immediate and future needs.

Beth Margedant

Job Titles:

Manager
Manager / Smith Howard Advisory LLC

Beth joined Smith and Howard in 2015 and is a Manager in our Accounting and Advisory practice. She provides her clients with on-site accounting assistance, personal property and real property tax, payroll, as well as sales and use tax services.

Brandy Swanson

Job Titles:

Senior Business Advisor

Business Development is an area that most accountants try to avoid with all their might. In my role, I get to use my strength of opening doors and making connections to mentor and coach our people to become good business developers too. They find out for themselves that business development is actually not that scary and it helps our clients, prospects and our communities. Brandy joined Smith and Howard in 2015 and is a Senior Business Advisor, putting her deep experience to work helping better our firm, our clients and our local community.

Caleb Lloyd

Job Titles:

Member of the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants
Senior Manager / Smith Howard Advisory LLC

Caleb is a member of the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He serves on the board of Decatur Makers, a makerspace focused on being a welcoming, family-friendly community of inquisitive, motivated people who work together in a safe environment to discover, understand, design, and create interesting things.

Cas L. Pittman

Job Titles:

Partner / Smith Howard Advisory LLC

I find it incredibly fulfilling to be a trusted advisor and partner with my clients. I love providing solutions and opportunities to help them meet current business and personal goals, as well as being a part of their family team to bring all around long-term success. It's inspiring to see how the success of our clients provides success to their employees and communities.

Chris M. Conrad

Job Titles:

Partner / Smith Howard Advisory LLC

Claudia Perez

Job Titles:

Manager / Smith Howard Advisory LLC

D. Alan Najjar

Job Titles:

Director of Business Development

I've been most fortunate that many invested much in me by coaching, teaching and mentoring. My appreciation is in a commitment to share valuable life lessons with bright, motivated and purpose-driven people to help them to be all that they can be.

Dailey Dewling

Job Titles:

Manager / Smith Howard Advisory LLC

As someone who started here as an intern while still working on my undergraduate degree, I've really felt encouraged and supported in every step of my career. I'm passionate about helping my coworkers feel the same way, because without the best people we cannot be the best firm.

Dan Smith - COO

Job Titles:

Chief Operating Officer

Smith and Howard is successful because we want our team to progress and grow. We care about our team and desire to see growth professionally and personally.

Daniel Sage

Job Titles:

Senior Manager / Smith Howard Advisory LLC

David Lee

Job Titles:

Partner

Debbie R. Torrance

Job Titles:

PFS / Partner

Erin Sak

Job Titles:

Senior Manager
Member of the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants
Senior Manager / Smith Howard Advisory LLC

Erin is a Senior Manager in the Assurance practice. She began her career in public accounting through an internship with Smith and Howard's Assurance and Tax departments and joined the firm's Assurance practice in 2008. Erin is a member of our Nonprofit, Employee Benefit Plan and Manufacturing and Distribution groups. Erin is a member of the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Hans Nielsen

Job Titles:

Manager / Smith Howard Advisory LLC

J. Sean Spitzer - President

Job Titles:

President

Jason King

Job Titles:

Technology Operations Manager

Smarter, better every day has become my personal motto. I strive to learn something new every day, and I'm continuously working to improve my skill set and build better relationships.

Jonathan M. Haynes

Job Titles:

Manager / Smith Howard Advisory LLC

Jonathan joined the firm in November 2012 and is a manager in the Assurance practice. He has extensive experience with Smith and Howard's employee benefit plan and nonprofit clients as well as with Uniform Guidance audits.

Jordan Anderson

Job Titles:

Human Resources Manager

I believe that our people are our greatest asset, and I am committed to providing an environment that will help us grow stronger together.

Josh Rich

Job Titles:

Manager / Smith Howard Advisory LLC

Joshua Kirk - CTO

Job Titles:

Chief Technology Officer

Often times when looking at technology, the focus is on the software or the computer, but I focus on our people - both our internal staff and clients - and how we can help them succeed and excel. Our tools can help them work smarter and improve our everyday tasks to make their work easier and more impactful.

Julie H. Barnes - CMO

Job Titles:

Chief Marketing Officer

I embrace all of our values, but for me, integrity is the foundation for all of them. If I focus on doing the right thing every time, I'll succeed at helping our clients, growing with my colleagues and getting better every day. Among Smith and Howard's recognition for marketing activities during Julie's tenure are four Marketing Achievement Awards from the Association for Accounting Marketing, including Corporate Social Program of the Year. Julie is a member of the PEAK Community, a private group of marketers committed to getting 1% better every week. She is a past member of the Thomson Reuters Checkpoint Marketing Advisory Board, a former board member of the Corporate Volunteer Council of Atlanta and a member of the Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM), where she is a past board member of the Atlanta chapter.

Kaitlin Becker

Job Titles:

Manager / Smith Howard Advisory LLC

Kaitlin joined Smith and Howard back in 2015 as an intern and is now a Manager in our Assurance Practice. She is a member of the firm's nonprofit, real estate, construction, and manufacturing and distribution groups, focusing on financial statement audits and employee benefit plans.

Karl Briem

Job Titles:

Principal

Karl is a principal in our Assurance practice. Prior to joining the firm, he spent several years at a large regional accounting firm in their audit group.

Kerry Anne Eales - CHRO

Job Titles:

Chief Human Resources Officer
Strategic Human Resource Leader

'The whole is greater than the sum of its parts' could not be more relevant when referring to our PEOPLE value. I truly believe that the efforts and talents of all of us, combined, together make us a better firm. Our diversity in strengths and talents - working toward common goals - create the unique boutique environment for both our clients and employees. In my role, I strive to create, encourage and inspire this approach within my own team and all other teams within the firm. Kerry joined Smith and Howard in 2021 as the firm's Chief Human Resources Officer. She is responsible for developing and executing human resource strategy in support of the overall business plan and strategic direction of the firm, specifically in the areas of succession planning, talent management, change management, organizational and performance management, training and development, and compensation. Kerry is a strategic human resource leader with almost 20 years of experience leading human resource organizations and efforts in large global companies. She is specifically skilled in recruiting, training, labor relations, compliance and performance management.

Kimberly Bland

Job Titles:

Partner

Kimberly is a frequent speaker at the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants Southeastern Accounting Show, where she covers various assurance topics on the nonprofit industry.

Laurie Ann Tidwell

Job Titles:

Tax Administrative Manager, Smith Howard Advisory LLC

I am a strong believer in providing excellent client service, trying to consider each client's needs and looking for ways to exceed their expectations with a quick response time and thoroughness. I love the challenge of finding new ways to improve our processes to assist members of the firm in meeting their clients' expectations. Laurie Ann is responsible for oversight of the tax filing process, creating efficiencies with processes and technology. Laurie Ann joined Smith and Howard in 2010 and is an Administrative Manager for our Tax practice, overseeing the tax administrative group and the tax filing process. Laurie Ann has created many efficiencies with processes and technology during her time with the firm. Laurie Ann enjoys the family atmosphere and the camaraderie of her teammates who do whatever it takes to serve clients well. Education University of Alaska Anchorage - Associates Degree of Science in Office Management and Technology

Leslie Wright

Job Titles:

Principal / Smith Howard Advisory LLC

One of the reasons I joined Smith + Howard is because of their commitment to excellence. During the interview process, more than one person discussed the idea of 'smarter, better, every day' and I really wanted to join a team that looked for consistent improvement even when something was working well.

Lori G. Wagnon

Job Titles:

Partner

M. Christine Ratliff

Job Titles:

Partner / Smith Howard Advisory LLC

My guiding principle in life is to live with integrity. One of my favorite quotes from C.S. Lewis is ‘Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching.' With this thought always within me, I know that I will be able to serve my family, community and clients to the best of my abilities.

Marc A. Azar

Job Titles:

Partner / Smith Howard Advisory LLC

Mark E. Abrams

Job Titles:

Member and Former Treasurer of West Cobb Church
PFS, CFP® Partner

Mark joined Smith and Howard in 1998. He is a partner in the Tax practice, leads the real estate team, is a member of the construction team and also specializes in estate planning and personal financial planning. Outside of the office, Mark is a member and former treasurer of West Cobb Church. Additionally, he is a board member and on the finance committee at MUST Ministries, Inc.