Advanced Not-for-Profit Conference (C71342)

 

 

 

Paula serves as general or lead counsel for many national associations that represent prominent economy-drivers, industries and professionals. A selection of her clients includes the American Architectural Manufacturers Association, American College of Surgeons, Bank Administration Institute, National PTA and the American Library Association. In representing a wide variety of nonprofits, she has developed the ability to focus on solutions when analyzing the problems, issues and challenges of her clients. Paula personally strives to consistently bring creativity and insight to structural and governance initiatives. Her guidance includes advising nonprofits on entity formation and tax issues, as well as strategic development and regulatory compliance. Paula is a frequent lecturer and has authored many articles on nonprofit and association topics including governance, antitrust, copyright issues, lobbying by exempt organizations, human resource issues, legal status of chapters and the unrelated business income tax. Regardless of the matter at hand, Paula is dedicated to rendering impactful and productive counsel for charitable organizations and associations. Given her decades of practice, Paula knows from hands-on and hard-earned practical experience what nonprofits need to remain viable and successful.

 

Jennifer Burke, CPA, MST is a Tax Partner in Crowe’s National Exempt Organization Tax Practice. She has been with Crowe her entire career, which includes over nineteen years providing professional tax compliance and consulting services. Ms. Burke’s clients include private foundations, higher education institutions, healthcare systems, trade associations, cultural arts organizations, and other not-for-profit organizations. She has deep expertise in the IRS Form 990 series, alternative investment reporting and compliance, disclosure of foreign activities, and unrelated business income tax issues. She also serves as a member of the Illinois CPA Society Not-For-Profit Committee.

Megan Angle, CPA has been with Porte Brown LLC for 13 years. Prior to joining the Porte Brown team upon her graduation from Judson University, Megan had 4 years of industry experience working for a Not-for-Profit organization while completing her college education. As such, she brings a unique perspective to her audit work. Megan serves as a board president for the Tri-Town YMCA as well as a board member of her local chamber of commerce. Megan also serves as a Chair of the Illinois CPA Society's Not for Profit Committee and a member of the Committee Structure & Volunteerism Task Force. Megan is also a member of the Association of Professional Fundraisers.

Mallory is a Partner in Crowe’s National Exempt Organization Tax Services practice. Boasting over 18 years of dedicated service, she has spent her entire career working with exempt organizations at Crowe. Her career has been marked by leadership in compliance and consulting for a diverse range of entities, including national and regional health systems, higher education and other not for profit organizations. Professional & Industry Experience Ms. Fairless oversees compliance efforts for several tax-exempt organizations, serves as a technical resource for the Exempt Organization Tax practice and consults on various tax matters unique to the nonprofit sector. Mallory leads Crowe’s Exempt Organization Learning and Thought Leadership team and is an esteemed Associate Member of the AICPA Exempt Organizations Tax Technical Resource Panel. Ms. Fairless is well versed in reporting issues faced by tax-exempt organizations, including Form 990 compliance, unrelated business income, compensation and fringe benefit issues, Section 4960, applications for exemption, disclosures of foreign activities, section 501(r), and the Inflation Reduction Act and related Energy Incentives. Community Involvement •Board Treasurer, Lincoln Land Down Syndrome Society | Springfield, Illinois •Instructor of Accounting, Illinois College | Jacksonville, Illinois

Kimberly has more than 20 years of audit and accounting experience, focusing on nonprofit and governmental organizations. She has worked with a variety of entities, including universities, community colleges, social service organizations, foundations, food banks, municipalities, villages, school districts, tollway authorities and water commission districts. She has helped plan and manage Uniform Guidance audits for student financial aid and other education department programs, social service programs, and highway planning and construction grants for governmental clients as well as agreed-upon procedures. She also has provided accounting, financial reporting, financial statement audit, and Uniform Guidance services for nonprofits, including universities, foundations, food banks, and social services organizations. Kimberly is a member of the America Institute of CPAs and Illinois CPA Society. Kimberly also is a board member for a local nonprofit and serves on the finance committee. She is a 2003 graduate of Benedictine University, Lisle, Illinois, with a B.B.A. degree in accounting.

Ray Beste is the Principal AI Strategist at Sikich, a leading professional services firm providing transformative technology and business solutions across diverse industries. With over 36 years of experience in IT consulting, system architecture, and AI strategy, Ray has dedicated his career to managing and optimizing information. Ray’s expertise in data modeling, solution architecture, and enterprise systems led him to Softbite, where he managed a team of developers and consultants to design database-driven solutions that empowered businesses to better utilize their data. As enterprise software evolved, his focus expanded to CRM, ERP integration, and data strategy, helping organizations unify their systems, improve efficiency, and make smarter business decisions. Now, at the forefront of AI innovation, Ray leads Sikich’s AI initiatives, guiding businesses through the responsible and strategic adoption of Generative AI, intelligent automation, and advanced analytics. His work spans a variety of cloud, AI, and enterprise technologies, including Microsoft, OpenAI, AWS, and other emerging AI platforms. As a sought-after speaker, Ray has presented at executive roundtables, industry conferences, and corporate events, sharing insights on AI in business, data strategy, and the evolving role of AI in enterprise applications. His career-long commitment to architecting and managing information systems has come full circle, as Generative AI represents the next evolution in how businesses can structure, interpret, and act on data. Beyond his technical expertise, Ray is a dedicated educator, mentor, and strategist, helping organizations cut through AI hype, identify real opportunities, and implement AI responsibly. His ability to translate complex AI concepts into practical, business-driven solutions has positioned him as a trusted leader in digital transformation across industries and technologies.

Kathleen DeStefani, CPA is a senior manager at Plante Moran with more than fifteen years of not-for-profit and public sector auditing experience. Her experience includes planning, performing, and supervising fieldwork of audit seniors and staff, evaluating internal control systems and operational processes, reviewing financial statements, and presenting audit results to audit committees and boards of directors. She serves as a single audit technical resource for Plante Moran and has assisted clients in updating their processes and recordkeeping to comply with federal compliance requirements.

 

I advise health systems, trade associations, major cultural institutions, nonprofit insurance providers, and pension trusts on maximizing tax benefits and minimizing tax risk. My concentration on exempt organization taxation provides me the opportunity to counsel tax-exempt entities in the not-for-profit and healthcare industries. I also work with pension trusts and voluntary employee benefit associations in our employee benefits practice as well as HMOs and other prepaid insurance plans in the insurance industry. I was attracted to this career because I enjoy problem-solving, working with numbers, and not having anyone refer to me as an attorney. It’s satisfying that I’ve been involved in several IRS audits that ended in very favorable outcomes for our clients. My clients love this. They also love that I provide them with specialized knowledge — culled from years of experience in this profession. I always enjoy speaking to boards and finance committees of our clients and feel a sense of accomplishment during and after every presentation. Recently, I spoke to the Illinois CPA Society, the American Health Lawyers Association, and the Association Forum of Greater Chicago on topics ranging from political organizations and entity-form conversions to Form 990. I belong to the AICPA, the Illinois CPA Society, the American Bar Association (tax section), the Chicago Bar Association (former chair of two committees), the American Health Lawyers Association, and the Association Forum of Greater Chicagoland. I’m currently a member of the Head of School Support and Evaluation Committee of Akiba Schechter Jewish Day School. I earned my B.A. in history at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, my J.D. from the University of Miami, and my LL.M. in tax from Georgetown University.