Damien Martin
is a partner in the Private Tax practice within the Financial Services
Organization at EY. He provides tax compliance, consulting, and planning
services to high-net-worth individuals, families, and fiduciaries with a focus
on serving private equity and hedge fund asset managers and family offices.
Damien hosts Elements of Private Tax, a podcast dedicated to breaking down the
intricate world of private tax into practical and actionable insights, and his
opinions and commentary on important tax issues have been quoted by Tax Notes®,
Bloomberg®, The Wall Street Journal® and other sources. Damien is a member of
the American Institute of CPAs, where he currently serves on the Tax Practice
Management Committee. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the CPA
Endowment Fund of Illinois and is a member of the Illinois CPA Society. Damien
is a member of the Chicago Estate Planning Council where he serves on the
Workshops Committee.
Mark Gallegos, CPA, MST, is a tax partner on Porte
Brown’s tax services team, based in the Elgin, Illinois, office. With over 20
years of experience, Mark has become a trusted advisor in the areas of taxation,
specializing in mergers & acquisitions, international tax, and tax credits
and incentives. His expertise is anchored in a deep understanding of complex tax
legislation and the evolving regulatory landscape. Mark is a prolific speaker
and writer, frequently hosting webinars and delivering presentations on tax
legislation and related topics. Mark is a frequently sought-after public
speaker, known for his insightful commentary and his deep understanding of our
complex tax legislation. He has served as an expert contributor to global media
outlets such as Wall Street Journal, CNN, USA Today, Washington Post, Bloomberg,
FOX News, Tax Advisor, as well as many local news publications, industry
podcasts, and news radio broadcasts.
Charlene Rhinehart, CPA, PMP is a
three-time author, personal finance editor at GoodRx, and founder of Chicago
Southsider, a news tech company backed by Facebook and selected for the
Northwestern Medill Local News Accelerator. With over 15 years as a CPA,
consultant, and coach, Charlene has learned firsthand how high-achievers can
balance career success with personal fulfillment. Through her books—Dividends
Are a Queen’s Best Friend, Debt-Free Before Graduation, and How to Find
Happiness Again—she helps people design meaningful careers and live with
purpose. Charlene’s career spans roles at a Big Four accounting firm, JPMorgan
Chase, and as an SEC consultant, where she navigated high-pressure environments
while building a career that aligned with her gifts and passions. She currently
serves on the Board of Directors for the CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois and is
Chair of the Illinois CPA Society (ICPAS) Taxation Executive Committee. Beyond
the numbers, Charlene is passionate about personal growth and transformation. In
2015, she won the title of Ms. Corporate America. She later traveled the world
on a 6-month leadership tour with Up with People, engaging in service projects
across countries like Mexico, Bermuda, Sweden, Denmark, and Belgium. Charlene
has received numerous honors, including the Lester H. McKeever Emerging Leader
Award in Advancing Diversity, Top 50 Women in Accounting by Ignition, CPA
Practice Advisor 40 Under 40, and Black CPA Centennial 40 Under 40. A proud
graduate of the 2019 AICPA Leadership Academy, Charlene holds dual Bachelor of
Science degrees in Accounting and Finance from DePaul University. She is
passionate about helping professionals design lives they love through mindset
shifts, daily habits, and intentional action.
Kenton (Kent ) Klaus, CPA is the Director of the Masters
of Science in Taxation and Analytics (MSTA) program at DePaul University. In
addition to his responsibilities as the director of the MSTA program,, Kent is a
full time instructor in the School of Accountancy and the assistant director of
the School's Office for Student Engagement. Kent has his undergraduate degree in
accounting from DePaul University and his MBA from the University of Chicago. He
serves on a number of non profit boards, including the CPA Endowment Fund of
Illinois. He is a retired tax partner of Deloitte.
Alex Brosseau is a Senior Manager in the Tax Policy Group
of Deloitte Tax LLP’s Washington National Tax office. In that capacity, he
monitors tax policy developments in Congress and the White House on behalf of
the firm and its clients. From 2012 to 2015, Alex served as Senior Analyst for
Tax Policy on the U.S. Senate Budget Committee where he was the primary tax
adviser two of the committee’s previous chairpersons, Senator Patty Murray of
Washington and Senate Finance Committee member Kent Conrad of North Dakota.
While on the Budget Committee, Alex led tax and revenue policy for the
committee’s majority during many negotiations including those related to tax
extenders, tax reform, and the Senate-passed fiscal year 2014 budget resolution.
He also played a significant role in the policy discussions that led to
enactment of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013. Prior to his time on Capitol
Hill, Alex worked in client service at Deloitte Tax LLP, focusing primarily on
clients in the financial services and real estate industries. Alex is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). He
received his Master of Science in taxation from American University (Washington, DC)
and his Bachelor of Arts in accounting and economics from the University of
Saint Thomas (Saint Paul, Minnesota).
Liz is a partner in Citrin Cooperman’s Tax Practice
and is based out of the Chicago office. Liz is a skilled professional with over
20 years of experience in tax, accounting, and advisory for middle-market clients. Liz is
a CPA, providing a wide variety of accounting, tax, and advisory services to
clients in a number of specialized industries, including real estate,
construction, restaurants, and professional services. Liz specializes in tax planning
and compliance for closely held businesses and their owners. Liz is the
immediate past chair of the Taxation Flow-Through Entities Committee at the
Illinois CPA Society and has served as the conference
chair for the annual Advanced Topics in Flow-Through Taxation
Conference.
Larry J Wolfe, CPA is the owner of Larry j Wolfe, Ltd a
local CPA firm established in 1980 that concentrates on tax controversy at the
Federal and State level. The firms represents clients in front of the
Collection, Appeal and Exam Division of the Internal Revenue Service. The firms
IRS representation includes installment agreements, penalty relief, offer in
compromises, discharges and subordinations, uncollectible status, collection
statute reviews, innocent spouse, examinations, trust fund tax liabilities, and
taxpayers rights The firm also represent clients at the State level of
controversy. The firm concentrates in the area of taxation for individuals and business entities, all sizes. Larry is past chair of the AICPA Tax Practice
and Procedure Committee and is the past chair of the
Tax Practice and Procedure Committee and a member of the Individual Committee
for the Illinois CPA Society. Larry has service on
the liaison committee with Collection in the Chicagoland Area. Larry is the recipient
of the 2024 Illinois CPA Society Life Time Achievement Award
and named by Forbes Magazine as one of
the Best CPA's in Illinois. Larry has spoken
and conducted numerous webinars on a national level for the
AICPA. Larry has conducted numerous presentation for the Illinois CPA
Society, Local Chapters, other State Societies on IRS controversy issues
in Collection, Examination and Appeals areas including how to practice
in front of , best practices, taxpayers rights, how
to do prepare and request penalty relief, Examinations best practices and Appeals best
practices. Larry's focus is helping professionals practice in front of the Internal Revenue
Service. Larry has authored articles in various publication including The Tax
Advisor and has authored numerous tools to help practitioner's practice in the
area of controversy which appear on the website of the AICPA.
Adam Grais, JD, is a member of the Tax and Benefits
practice group at the law firm of McDonald Hopkins LLC. Mr. Grais has been a
transaction tax attorney for nearly 30 years, during which he has worked at
major international law firm, managed a smaller law firm in Chicago, and served
as general counsel in the family office of one of Chicago's wealthiest families.
Since joining McDonald Hopkins, Mr. Grais has regularly advised business owners
across industries on tax issues related to mergers and acquisiton, capital
raises and restructuring, with a particular focus on health care related
busineses. Mr. Grais also serves as outside general counsel to numerous family
office, adving them on both tax-related and other legal issues. When not
practicing law, Mr. Grais performs as a drummer with multiple bands in the
Chicagoland area and currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors of
the Grant Park Music Festival, a 10 week summer symphonic music festival in
Chicago's Millenium Park.
Deb is
a Risk Control Consulting Director for the Accountants Professional Liability Insurance
Program of Continental Casualty Company, a CNA company and the underwriter
of the AICPA Professional Liability Insurance Program. She previously
practiced public accounting for 19 years with regional public accounting
firms. As a state and local tax (SALT) practice leader with a regional
public accounting firm, Deb provided consulting and compliance services to
clients in a variety of industries including but not limited to manufacturing,
distribution, professional services and transportation. She has conducted
presentations at various AICPA and state CPA society conferences and has
authored numerous articles. Deb provides risk control consulting services for
CPA firms in the AICPA program. She participates in the development and delivery
of risk management training and education products including the live risk
management seminar and self-study programs. Education and Credentials : Northern
Illinois University, BS DePaul University, MST Certified Public Accounting,
licensed in IL Professional Affiliations: Member of American Institute
of Certified Public Accountants Member of Illinois CPA Society Illinois
CPA Society Board Immediate Past President CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois Board
Member and Former Chair 2021 and 2019 Illinois CP Society Distinguished Service
Award Winner 2016 Illinois CPA Society Women to Watch Award Winner Member and
former chair of the Illinois CPA Society Practice and Procedures Committee
Former member and chair of Illinois CPA Society Tax Executive Committee Former
Member and chair of Illinois CPA Society State and Local Tax Committee Former
member of AICPA State and Local Tax Technical Resource Panel.