2024-2025 Membership Webinar Bundle

Get this member benefit - Twelve, 1 hr courses at a huge discounted rate!

Webcasts Include:

1. Overview and Implementation of Quality Management Standard - July 18, 2024 – 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. (Eastern)

Description:
New quality management standards (QMS) made a big splash last year! Firms with A&A practices need to understand the new quality management standards and how to move from a quality control system to a quality management system. Uncover the keys to unlocking a successful transition and focus on your own risk assessment process.

Dave Arman, CPA, MBA, is the senior manager–Audit Quality at AICPA & CIMA, together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. He has worked with the AICPA for over 12 years and prior to that worked in the Raleigh, North Carolina office of KPMG.
 

2. Cyber Audit: Risks & IT Controls - August 22, 2024 – 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. (Eastern Time)

Description:

What does an auditor look for or review when conducting a cybersecurity audit and internal controls review? Discover what it takes to prepare for such an engagement while discussing and comparing two of the most popular cybersecurity frameworks created by the AICPA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) respectively.

Greg Soule has more than 16 years of public accounting experience and provides a broad range of auditing, consulting, and IT services for financial institutions, manufacturers, governmental organizations, insurance companies, and not-for-profit organizations.  He leads AHP’s System & Organization Controls (SOC) practice and has performed SOC 1 and SOC 2 engagements.​

Greg also serves as AHP’s executive-in-charge of both information technology and consulting, overseeing AHP’s internal IT department and AHP Consulting.  In addition to a CPA, he is a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), and a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE).​

3. Fundamentals of Internal Control - September 19, 2024 – 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. (Eastern Time)

Description:

Businesses have long faced the internal control struggle and the struggle is real. An organization’s structure, work processes, employees and information systems play a big part in how internal controls are formed. Discover who maintains responsibility for internal controls, methods to identify and document internal controls and even with the best laid plans why they are not infallible.

Robert Cheyne – Senior Manager, Advisory & Assurance, Clayton & McKervey

Part of the firm's advisory & assurance group, Rob manages financial and operational audits for closely held manufacturers and distributors.

4. Tax and Environmental, Social and Governance Disclosure  - October 17, 2024 – 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. (Eastern Time)

Description:

Companies are getting ready to disclose tax information related to environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives. Review the current best practices for ESG disclosures, including what qualitative and quantitative information should be included and how your clients can start getting prepared.

Marcelo Viera is a tax partner at PwC in Sao Paulo, Brazil focusing on international tax services – transfer pricing.

He is a tax attorney with more than 25 years of experience dealing with all aspects of the tax lifecycle from tax compliance, tax accounting, tax planning, tax auditing and disputes.

During this journey Marcelo had the opportunity to work on large transactions, developing considerable knowledge in international taxation, tax planning, negotiation of credits and incentives, international restructurings, mergers and acquisitions, supply chain planning, accounting for income taxes and tax operating models .

In his career, he lead the tax department of multinational companies in Latin America and Asia Pacific. Since 2019 Marcelo has led a large global tax operations team located in multiple regions.

He also lead and executed one of the largest tax transformation programs in the industry, achieving significant results for the company through efficiency, technology and the implementation of an agile operating model.

Marcelo Viera is passionate about tax, but also finance, mergers and acquisitions and legal, all areas he’s experimented with throughout his career.                                                                                                    

5. Love It or Lease It - Lessons in Implementation - November 21, 2024 – 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. (Eastern Time)

Description:

Are you falling head over heels for the ASC 842 Lease Accounting Standard? Avoid the most common trip-ups associated with its implementation by analyzing lessons learned and reviewing potential audit issues. 

Duane Reyhl, CPA, CGMA – Partner, AHP CPAs & Advisors, joined AHP as a senior manager in 1998 before becoming partner in 2014. He has more than 41 years of accounting, auditing, and consulting experience within a variety of industries including not-for-profits, government entities, and higher education. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Chartered Global Management Accountant® (CGMA®).

6. 7 Ways Franchising Helps Small Business Clients Diversify - December 19, 2024 – 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. (Eastern Time)

Description:

Small business owners that want to diversify often lack the bandwidth and runway required to create and launch another business from scratch. In this session, explore the seven different ways franchising can bridge the gap with existing systems, training, ongoing support, semi-absentee options and more!

Mark Cory has over 40 years of business management experience. He has been owner/operator of FranNet of Michigan since 2002, engaged in helping aspiring entrepreneurs select the right franchise business opportunity by strategically guiding them through the search and selection process. The many clients that he has placed over the years own and operate hundreds of franchise units and several are top performers in their systems.

Mark earned a BBA degree from the University of Michigan in 1979, and spent three years as a CPA with a “Big Eight” accounting firm. He then spent the next 20 years with Olympia Entertainment, Inc. in Detroit, where he attained the level of Senior Vice President.

In addition to owning the Michigan FranNet franchise, Mark also owned a second franchise, Little Caesars of Emporia, KS, from 2010-19, in partnership with his brother

7. What Are Triple Bottom-Line Strategies and How They Can Mitigate Business Risk - January 16, 2025 – 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. (Eastern Time)

Description:

Triple Bottom-Line Strategies (profits, people and planet) are the new business catchphrase, but what does it mean? Determine if this new phrase is more than a passing fad, or a practical strategy clients should cultivate in order to grow their business and reduce risk.

Leon LaBrecque

Robert Weins is a managing member at Insights3 in Detroit, Michigan.

8. Waning Mental Capacity - Empathetic Strategies - February 20, 2025 – 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. (Eastern Time)

Description:

When a client begins showing signs of waning mental capacity, it can be difficult to determine what the correct approach should be. Increase your understanding of mental impairments, from dementia to psychiatric issues, and discuss empathetic strategies for determining if a client has the necessary capacity to make important financial decisions.

Sandra D. Adams, CFP®, is a Partner and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional at Center for Financial Planning, Inc.®.

Having joined The Center team in 1996, Sandy has more than 20 years of financial planning industry experience. She was nationally recognized by Forbes as a Top Woman Wealth Advisor Best-in-State in 2023 for the fourth consecutive year, and recognized on Forbes’ 2022 Best-in-State Wealth Advisors list.

Sandy specializes in Elder Care Financial Planning and is a frequent speaker on related topics with the Michigan Association of CPAs, Wayne State University Institute of Gerontology (WSU IOG), SOAR (Society for Active Retirees), AICPA (Association of International Certified Professional Accountants) and other public and professional groups. In addition to making frequent contributions to The Center’s “Money Centered” blog, she serves as a trusted source for national publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Research Magazine, and Retirement Daily. She regularly contributes to the Journal for Financial Planning and Practical Compliance and Risk Management. She is also an instructor for the Schoolcraft College Continuing Education program on topics related to Long Life Planning and Following a Fiduciary Standard.

Sandy enjoys working with clients and their families to create customized and actionable financial plans that can be easily implemented with the assistance of a professional partner. She’s worked with generations of families—older adults, their children, and grandchildren—and is specially trained to work with those going through the death of a spouse, divorce, job loss, and other stressful life transitions.  

Dr. Peter Lichtenberg is the Director of both the Institute of Gerontology and the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute and the Founding Director of the Wayne State University Lifespan Alliance. Dr. Lichtenberg is also a Distinguished University Service Professor of Psychology. He is a national expert in financial capacity assessment and financial exploitation of older adults. Dr. Lichtenberg, one of the first board certified Clinical Geropsychologists in the nation, has made contributions to the practice of psychology across a variety of areas including in Alzheimer’s disease, medical rehabilitation and with those suffering from late life depression.

9. Cannabis Accounting & Attestation - March 20, 2025 – 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. (Eastern Time)

Description:

Cannabis companies are subject to increased scrutiny of accounting records by multiple taxing agencies and the Cannabis Regulatory Agency. Don’t miss this opportunity to extract some documentation and accounting best practices, updated for 2023, that span the length of your budding business (or professional practice). We’ll also concentrate on the 2023 updated Annual Financial Statement, processing its nuances and changes. We’ll also provide a brief overview of the peer review process applicable to practitioners providing attest services and how to select a firm for your Annual Financial Statement. 

Kaleb M. Grapp, CPA has over a decade of experience in public accounting and has been a featured, regular speaker for the MICPA and Cannabis Regulatory Agency on cannabis topics, specifically accounting and Annual Financial Statement (“AFS”) best practices.  Kaleb serves clients by creating a foundation for reporting accuracy through internal control and compliance. Financial reporting accuracy, financial analysis, and attention to detail are just a few of the passions that Kaleb brings to his audit, tax, and small business clients.

Kaleb specializes in small-medium sized, closely held businesses, not-for-profit entities, and cannabis enterprises, serving clients nationwide.  Past experience with a leading top 25 firm led to the development of substantial skill in compliance auditing, including Single Audit Act compliance under 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards.

Kaleb’s experience includes serving a breadth of organizations of every size.  From small businesses to multi-million-dollar, multi-state operations, and everything in between.  Kaleb is an active member of the Association of Nonprofit Accountants and Finance Professionals, currently serving the AICPA Peer Review program by way of an appointment to the Michigan Peer Review Acceptance Body, and an active consultant for other professional service practices.  

10.  How To Get Your Firm Highly Ranked on the Map and Search Pages in Your Area - April 17, 2025 – 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. (Eastern Time)

11. Not All Heroes Wear Capes - Cybercrime Edition - May 22, 2025 – 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. (Eastern Time)

Description:

Nonprofit organizations are a prime candidate for cybercrime, as sensitive information regarding staff, volunteers and donors are a valuable prize among criminals. Examine the current cybersecurity climate and review recent high-profile cases to gather insight into today’s top threats. Plus, determine best practices for preventing and responding to cyber incidents.

Robert Cote – President, Security Vitals

For the past 19 years, Rob Cote has dedicated his career to helping organizations protect against Cyber Attacks successfully. When Rob set out to build his own Cyber Security firm, he decided to bring enterprise-level Cyber Security consulting to mid-market organizations.

His technology career began 35 years ago with an operational background supporting, deploying, and managing a wide variety of IT systems for global outsourcing firms, including EDS, Perot Systems, and Cap Gemini.  This outsourcing experience provided critical insights that were the impetus for launching managed program offerings like Compliance as a Service (CaaS) and TARA at Security Vitals.  Under his stewardship, Security Vitals has successfully transitioned from a start-up to a recognized industry innovator, as evidenced by awards for Most Valuable Entrepreneur in 2021 and Best MichBusiness Technology Gurus in 2020.

As a two-time company founder, Rob revels in the entrepreneurial experience and building companies. However, his passion for creating doesn’t stop at the office. In his “downtime,” Rob is rev-ing the engines of the unique performance cars he constructs from scratch.

12. A CPA’s Guide To Preventing Financial Exploitation - June 19, 2025 – 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. (Eastern Time)

Description:
Unfortunately, adult financial abuse on the rise. Analyze the top types of elder financial abuse, including undue influence, exploitation, scams and identity theft, and discuss appropriate CPA roles and responses.

Christoper Smith concentrates his practice on special needs planning, elder law, and estate planning. Having a sister with Down Syndrome, Christopher has a lifelong passion for special needs issues and has extended that passion to elder advocacy. Christopher is the former Chair of the Elder Law and Disability Rights Section for the State Bar of Michigan and currently serves as Secretary of the Special Needs Alliance. He devotes considerable time to Michigan and U.S. legislative matters as the Public Policy Co-Chair for the Special Needs Alliance and as the former chair of the Legislative Committee for the Elder Law and Disability Rights Section. He is a frequent speaker and writer regarding elder and special needs issues and is licensed to practice law in both Michigan and Indiana (where he was a litigation attorney in Indianapolis before moving to Michigan). Christopher graduated from Indiana University Maurer School of Law (Magna Cum Laude, Order of the Coif) where he also served as managing editor of the Indiana Law Journal. Prior to law school, Christopher majored in business and history at the University of Virginia and worked in finance for Procter & Gamble.

Christopher and his wife have one son, Julian, who all love to travel in and around Metro Detroit searching for hidden gems.