Accounting for Ourselves

The following people have joined our firm:

Tax Department

Jackie J. Blais – February 2, 2009 – Jackie joins us as a Tax Coordinator, responsible for monitoring and communicating the flow of tax returns and extensions. She is a graduate of St. Cloud State University with a bachelor of arts degree in finance. Jackie also holds State Life and Health Licenses, Series 6 and 63. For the past several years she worked as a senior commission representative for Allianz Life Insurance.

The following people have joined our Tax department as interns during tax season:

Suraj P. Aryal – January 5, 2009 – Suraj is currently pursuing a degree in business accounting at St. Cloud State University. He serves as the chairperson of the Student Finance Committee for the SCSU Student Government and is a financial advisor for the Nepalese Student Association, where he provides budgeting, grant application, and event sponsorship guidance.

Debbie P. Nguyen – January 26, 2009 – Debbie currently attends the University of St. Thomas and expects to graduate in May 2009 with a bachelor of arts degree in finance and accounting. She also speaks fluent Vietnamese.

Andrew D. Reckard – January 26, 2009 – Andrew attends the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, where he serves as an academic outreach advisor at the Academic Success Center and is a captain of the cross country team. He expects to receive his bachelor of science degree in accounting and finance in May 2009.

Marilyn W. Schachter – January 19, 2009 – Marilyn obtained her bachelor of science degree in management from the University of Memphis, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude, and completed coursework at Cleveland State University to become a CPA. Previously, she served as a campaign administrator for Temple Israel and as a sales executive for Able Advertising.

Andrea D. Smilanich – January 26, 2009 – Andrea is currently working towards her bachelor of arts degree in accounting and management from Gustavus Adolphus College and expects to graduate in May 2009. For several years she worked as a finance department assistant for Scholarship America. She has also studied abroad in England and France.

Employee Benefits Department

Christopher D. Bjorling – January 12, 2009 – Christopher joins our firm as an intern in the Employee Benefits department. He is currently pursuing a degree in accounting and international business at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management. He also serves as a finance officer for PACO, an international business group, and is fluent in Italian.

Dylan K. Eastman – January 19, 2009 – Dylan also joins our Employee Benefits department as a seasonal intern. Currently, Dylan is pursuing an accounting and finance degree at Bethel University and expects to graduate in May 2009. His prior experience includes working as a tax preparer for AccountAbility Minnesota.

Leadership Group

Mary Elizabeth Griffin (M.E.G.) Roy – March 16, 2009 – Meg joins us as President of the Leadership Group. Meg received her Mini-MBA in nonprofit organizations from the University of St. Thomas and her master of arts degree in mass communications and business from the University of Wisconsin. In the past, she served as the Senior Manager of Marketing and Business Development at other consulting firms. She is also President of the Association for Accounting Marketing – Minnesota Chapter.

Professional Administrative Staff

Christy H. Piotrowski – March 16, 2009 – Christy joins us as the firm’s Marketing Coordinator. A graduate of the University of St. Thomas with a bachelor’s degree in marketing management, Christy has held marketing positions at Deluxe Corporation and HealthEast Care System. She also served as the Vice President of the American Marketing Association from May 2007 to 2008.

Congratulations to:

Neil N. Lapidus, CPA, CVA, who was recently elected for another one-year term as Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Minnesota State Board of Accountancy.

Michael Stead, CISSP, CISA, who recently passed the ITIL Foundations certification exam and the Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) exam. The ITILF certification indicates that Mike is knowledgeable in the IT Infrastructure Library Version 3 service management practices. This includes IT Service Strategy, IT Service Design, IT Service Transition, IT Service Operations, and IT Continual Service Improvement. Passing the CISA exam signifies knowledge and expertise in examining and attesting to information systems controls, security, and governance. The certification is awarded by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA).

Kathleen M. Baker, CGEIT, who recently became Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT). The IT Governance certification recognizes knowledge and application of IT governance principles and practices. It is designed for those who have management, advisory, and assurance responsibilities related to IT governance. This designation enables professionals to report on the growing business demand for comprehensive IT governance evaluations which define responsibility and accountability for IT enterprise-wide.

Robert H. Wadsten, CPA, CVA, CFE, for obtaining his Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) designation. The CFE is a professional credential awarded by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). The CFE credential denotes proven expertise in fraud prevention, detection and deterrence. CFEs are trained to identify the warning signs and red flags that indicate evidence of fraud and fraud risk. CFEs around the world help protect the global economy by uncovering fraud and implementing processes to prevent fraud from occurring in the first place.

Brian D. Axness, CPA, CVA, on becoming a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA). The CVA designation is credentialed through the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts (NACVA). The CVA designation requires a five-day course covering business valuation, litigation, and other related topics in preparation for a 425 question written exam, as well as completion of a business valuation case study.

Nathan F. Shubert, who recently passed the uniform CPA examination.

Erik R. Doerr, who recently became engaged to Laura Steffenson. The couple anticipates a July 2010 wedding date.

Kurt and Kim Fischer, on the birth of their son, Miles Dennis Fischer, who arrived December 15, 2008, weighing 7 lbs., .09 oz.

Geoff and Mary Wold, on the birth of their grandson, Lucas Geoffrey Wold, on March 11, 2009.

Professional Activities and speaking arrangements:

Our LBL Technology team are presenters at the following events:

Geoff H. Wold and Jacalyn L. Ragan presented “How to Audit a Business Continuity Program” to members of The Institute of Internal Auditors on March 26, 2009. They also presented “Business Continuity Planning Efficiency Techniques” at the Disaster Recovery Journal’s Spring World Conference in Orlando, Florida on March 29 – April 2, 2009.

Jeffrey S. Locketz and Geoff H. Wold will present the topic, “What is a SAS 70 and How to Prepare for One,” on April 15, 2009, to members from the Local AFCOM Chapter. The session will focus on what a SAS 70 (report on processing of transactions by a service organization) is and how to prepare and make use of it once it is complete.

MILESTONES

Congratulations to the following people who have recently celebrated significant anniversaries with our firm. We thank them for their contributions to the success of our firm.

Jennifer R. Gostovic, CPA
5 years on January 5

Jean H. LaPlante
5 years on January 19

Catherine A. Scardigli
10 years on February 1

Jeffrey W. Starbird, CPA
30 years on February 12

Jeffrey S. Locketz, CPA, CISA, CISM
15 years on February 16

Elisabeth J. Bishop, CPA
5 years on February 17

Jennifer J. Peitz
10 years on March 1