Governance: July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025

Christine Cardinal is a Senior Vice President in the Nonprofit Banking Group at Atlantic Union Bank.  Christine has over 25 years of banking experience specializing working with tax-exempt organizations in Northern Virginia, DC and Maryland.  She is focused on partnering with nonprofits to deliver exceptional service, serve as a valued resource, and assist them with financing needs and improving efficiencies through the use of automation and technology.  She is active in the not-for-profit community and is a member of the Finance and Administration Roundtable (FAR), the American Society of Association Executives (Former Chair of the Finance and Business Operations Section Council), and the Greater Washington Society of CPA’s (GWSCPA).  Christine has a BBA in Accounting from St. Mary’s University and an MBA in Finance from Texas Tech University.   

Laurie is the Office Managing Partner for assurance services in the Greater Washington, D.C. market. She is also the Executive Director of BDO’s Institute for Nonprofit Excellence.

Laurie has more than 25 years of experience in public accounting. She is responsible for operations of the local audit practice, which serves clients across several industry segments including Technology, Life Sciences, Real Estate, Government Contractors, Healthcare and Nonprofit organizations. She is responsible for overseeing the growth and people strategies for the office with a particular focus on audit quality.  

Laurie is a regular speaker at internal and external seminars on topics including accounting practices and internal controls, mergers and acquisitions, governance issues, leadership development, and diversity and inclusion.

Laurie was awarded one of the 2013 Women to Watch Awards by the Greater Washington Society of CPAs for her contributions to the profession. She is a member of the firm’s Inclusion - Women National Strategy Team.

Contina Djaouga joined the U.S. Travel Association in 2014 eager to expand on her 15-plus years of leadership and management experience with nonprofit organizations. She manages the accounting department and ensures the timely and accurate preparation of monthly financial statements for the Association.

In addition to assisting in the coordination and management of the Association's annual audit and budget, she oversees the payroll and benefits accounting. She also provides advice to department managers to ensure compliance with the Association's financial and administrative policies to maintain fiduciary responsibility.  She supervises the daily operations of accounts payable functions, the accounts receivable billings and collections, and all other accounting related duties.

Prior to joining the U.S. Travel Association team, Djaouga served in the role of Controller at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC for five years.  She holds a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Virginia's McIntire School of Commerce and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipisicing elit. Eius voluptatem magnam, aliquam esse nihil velit non facilis praesentium rem laboriosam modi dolore reiciendis eveniet! Dolorum, suscipit? Non debitis eveniet excepturi?

Jen’s drive, attention to detail and technical background makes her the perfect fit to lead the internal accounting and finance responsibilities for Vault. She has a great ability to manage and execute multiple projects at once, and understands the importance of financial analysis to help the leadership team make thoughtful and strategic decisions.

Jen believes deeply in the importance of supporting every individual on the team and is looking forward to becoming invested in her fellow Vaulter’s personal and professional growth. Jen’s positive attitude and calm demeanor fosters a supportive environment making work both enjoyable and productive.

Prior to joining Vault, Jen spent six years in public accounting in consulting and assurance services. In her most recent role as transaction advisory services manager at RSM, she was responsible for performing financial due diligence for institutions engaging in mergers and acquisitions. During her time in public accounting, Jen provided oversight and coaching on various teams, led discussions with executives at various organizations, and analyzed financial statements in a range of industries.

In her personal time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, staying active and traveling.

Alex Galeano is ICBA's Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, based in our Washington, DC office. In this role, Alex will provide leadership to the association as a steward, strategist, and catalyst for the financial resources and activities of ICBA and its subsidiaries.

Alex started his career in the for-profit industry, serving in public accounting, consulting, and fortune 500 companies. Over time, Alex felt that he wanted to apply his accounting and financial management background to work for an organization with a social, charitable, or community mission.  In 2003, he accepted a role with AARP and went on to have a 9-year tenure there. 

After AARP, Alex held senior financial positions at the National Association of Broadcasters and recently served as Chief Financial Officer for ASIS International, a global membership organization for security management professionals.

Alex received both his Bachelor's degree in Accounting and MBA from Strayer University.  He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the Commonwealth of Virginia and recently obtained his Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation.

Brittney Gordon, CPA is Director of Business Development at The Alliance Group, through which she provides her professional network of Executive leaders with access to consulting, advisory, executive search, and interim staffing to tackle projects and talent challenges in Accounting, Finance, IT, and Financial Systems.  Brittney has led Alliance's nonprofit presence for the last 4 years, in addition to serving clients in the Fortune 500, private companies, and multinational firms.  As a result of her efforts and those of her team, Alliance has achieved a 3-year organic growth rate of 175% and has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing private companies in Greater Washington as a 5-time recipient of the Inc 5000 award and Moxie Award nominee. Prior to Alliance, Brittney spent several years in public accounting as part of EY's commercial Assurance practice in Greater Washington, where she worked with multinational clients and established her professional reputation for client service, transparency, and integrity. Brittney has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the College of William & Mary, is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and is a member of the AICPA and the Greater Washington Society of CPAs.

Michael Harris currently serves as Chief Operating Officer, at Gateway Homes, Inc. In this executive level role, he is responsible for leading all administrative functions and launching the organization’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Group. In prior roles, he has led large finance teams, human resources, operations and IT functions, with responsibility for payroll and benefits administration, performance management, onboarding, training and development.

Carl L. Hairston is Area Executive Vice President for First Citizens Bank where he is responsible for the local operations in Maryland, DC and Northern Virginia. In the DMV, First Citizens Bank manages almost $700 million in business and commercial loans and deposit portfolios with a primary focus on business and commercial clients throughout our six branch and corporate office locations. Total number of full-time equivalents is almost 60 that is anticipated to continue to grow with the recent announcement of FCB’s planned merger with CIT Group that is anticipated to be completed in the first half of 2021. Carl possesses over 31 years of financial services experience, holding various roles over the span of his banking career. Carl was formally-credit trained in Fleet Bank’s (now Bank of America) Corporate Credit Training Program over 20 years ago.

Carl completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration (Marketing and Human Resource Development) and Master’s of Business Administration degree at Medaille College in Buffalo, New York. In 2014 Carl completed M&T’s Senior Leadership Development Program at the University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business. He is a 2014 recipient of a Washington Business Journal Minority Business Leader Award, 2011 recipient of an Emerging Leader Award from Associated Black Charities, 2008 recipient of the Minority Business Summit’s Men of Influence Award, 2007 recipient of the Baltimore Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 Award, and 2003 recipient of the Rochester Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 Award and an Alum of Leadership Greater Washington’s Class of 2012.

Currently, Carl serves as Treasurer of the National Association for the Education of Young Children where he sits on the Executive Commitment and Chairs the Finance and Investment Committee. Carl is also a Past Board Chair of the DC Chamber of Commerce and Culture Capital (f/k/a The Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington). Carl’s other prior board experience includes serving Treasurer and Executive Committee member, Morgan State University Foundation; and board member of the Washington DC Economic Partnership. He is also a member of professional fraternity, Sigma Pi Phi and a Financial Literacy Facilitator for Wilderness Leadership and Learning, Inc. 

Jessica is currently the Chief Financial Officer for the Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital. Prior to this role Jessica served as the Controller for Brand USA, the destination marketing organization of the United States. Before transitioning to the not-for-profit industry, Jessica spent 11 years in public accounting performing and overseeing financial and information technology audits. Lastly, Jessica is an adjunct professor with Nichols College teaching as part of the college's Master of Science in Accounting Program.

Jessica is passionate about the accounting profession. She serves on several American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) volunteer committees such as the AICPA Foundation Board of Trustees and the AICPA Student Recruitment Committee. Jessica is a Council Member-At-Large with the AICPA and is a former AICPA Women's Initiatives Executive Committee member. Jessica serves on the Boards of the Maryland Association of CPAs Foundation and the Greater Washington Society of CPAs. Lastly, Jessica is a Board Member of the Towson University Accounting Advisory Board.

Jessica gives back to the community as an appointed Board Member of Maryland 529 (formerly the College Savings Plan of Maryland), where she serves on the Audit and Governance Committee. She is also a member of the community service organization Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.

Jessica's accomplishments include being named a Maryland Association of CPAs 2021 Women to Watch- Emerging Leader, a Black CPA Centennial's 40 Under 40 Black CPA Award Winner, a Maryland Daily Record 2021 VIP List Honoree, a 2021 AICPA Outstanding Young CPA Award recipient, a 2020 and 2021 CPA Practice Advisor 40 Under 40 Professional, Maryland Daily Record 2020 Leading Women Award winner, Maryland Daily Record 2021 VIP List Honoree, and a Practice Ignition's Top 50 Women in Accounting for 2020. Jessica is also a graduate of the highly competitive AICPA Leadership Academy.

Jessica earned her bachelor's degree in business administration from Towson University and her master's degree in accounting from George Washington University. Jessica is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in Virginia. She is also a Certified Information Systems Auditor, Project Management Professional, Certified Information Technology Professional, and Certified Government Financial Manager.

Omid Mohebbi, CPA is a manager with GRF CPAs & Advisors. He joined the firm in 2011 and specializes in audits of nonprofit organizations including foundations, associations and other charitable institutions, and audits of employee benefit plans.

In his role, Mr. Mohebbi is responsible for managing audit engagements and serving as a client liaison throughout the planning, fieldwork and post-fieldwork stages of each audit. In addition, he ensures the efficient, timely and accurate completion of fieldwork, audit report preparation, and presentation of the audit and other key deliverables to governance bodies of the firm’s clients.

Kathy, our President and Founder, created the firm in 1999 after serving as a senior manager in KPMG, LLP’s not-for-profit practice, where she found her passion for supporting not-for-profit organizations while developing her expertise in audit and outsourcing. Kathy’s goal in founding the firm was to create a unique firm focusing on supporting and solving the higher-level issues facing not-for-profits and forming long-term trusted advisor relationships with clients that promote on-going services and collaboration. Since the firm’s inception, Kathy has focused on building an incredibly skilled team that shares her passion for servicing the DC not-for- profit community. Her dedication to the not-for-profit industry spans over 30 years, serving not-for-profit organizations with revenues ranging from $1 million to $1.2 billion. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Villanova University and holds an active Certified Public Accountant license in the State of Maryland. Kathy has also served the community by serving on the Board and Audit committees for several not-for-profits, currently including the Greater Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants (GWSCPA) Board of Governors and Audit Committee Chair. In November 2014, Kathy received the AICPA Women to Watch - Experienced Leader Award from the GWSCPA and speaks at various local conferences on not-for-profit issues.

Jessica’s diverse background in nonprofit accounting spans nearly fifteen years. Her dedication and drive for excellence empower nonprofit organizations to meet their goals and succeed in their missions.

Her technical acumen includes managing and preparing financial statements, analysis of financial statement variances, compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, financial projections and cash management, federal and non-federal grant reporting and compliance, and tax compliance for our nonprofit clients.  

She assists tax-exempt organizations with their audit and tax preparation and provides general business consulting on designing and implementing accounting policies and procedures. She regularly helps Vault’s clients file for reimbursement and complies with private and federally funded grant requirements. She works with client executives to both prepare and present financial information to board and committee members. She is well-versed in the various accounting systems the nonprofit industry uses and thus helps clients with system selection, implementation, and training. 

Mentorship and personnel development are passions of hers. She constantly gives her time and energy to support junior-level Vaulters, their growth, and overall competency.    

When she is not supporting her clients and Vault, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two dogs. She is also attempting to learn golf.  

Evan Seward is an Executive Search Director for Cordia Resources by Cherry Bekaert, where he brings unique combination of direct accounting/finance understanding, executive search, and staffing experience to support all types, sizes, and of clients in the DC area and beyond. Based out of Arlington, VA, Evan helps to lead the direct-hire staffing practice focused on full-cycle search efforts for finance and accounting professionals. Prior to joining Cordia Resources, Evan worked for several years in the public accounting industry with KPMG and within corporate accounting at Navy Federal Credit Union. He has a Bachelor’s in Accounting, MBA, active CPA license in Virginia, and is proud to be a Certified Diversity Recruiter (CDR).

Mike recently retired from RSM US where he served as a Tax Senior Director.  Prior to that, he was National Director of Nonprofit Tax Services for BDO USA for more that 15 years.   He has provided tax consulting services to a wide spectrum of tax-exempt organizations including colleges and universities, hospitals, national & international charities, trade associations, & private foundations.  He currently is providing tax compliance and consultation through EO Tax Services LLC. Mike's expertise and experience include:Federal and state compliance for nonprofits, Large, complex multi-entity organizations including related corporations, partnerships and PACs, Analysis, planning and calculation of unrelated business income including income from advertising, debt-financed property and alternative investments, lobbying and political activity, IRS examinations, exemption applications, reinstatements and exempt status issues, State and local tax consultation and compliance.

Mike frequently writes and speaks on a variety of issues affecting tax-exempt organizations.  He has been a regular presenter at nonprofit industry conferences such as the AICPA National Nonprofit Industry Conference, the GWSCPA Nonprofit Symposium, the Higher Education Tax Institute, the Washington Nonprofit Tax Institute, and many state CPA society meetings.  

Professional affiliations and credentials: Certified public accountant, Maryland and Virginia, GWSCPA, past president, nonprofit section member and emeritus board member, AICPA, former national council member

Education: Bachelor of Arts, history/government and politics, University of Maryland.

Bob Storz has served as Vice President of Finance and Operations & CFO for Manufacturers Alliance since 2019. He is an experienced Senior Director of Finance with exceptional expertise in Accounting, Budgeting, Financial Planning & Analysis, and Functional Management; all which have been proven through his history of working in the non-profit organization management industry. 

Bob has been a CPA for over 25 years working primarily with hospitals, large medical practices, and professional associations. He continues to remain very active in the Greater Washington Society of CPAs. Bob holds a BBA in Accounting from Loyola University Maryland and an MBA in Health Service Administration from The George Washington University. 

Mr. Thomas is a partner in KPMG’s audit practice in the Washington, DC office. He has more than 24 years of experience providing financial statement audits in the government and nonprofit sector. He also has experience in providing performance audit and attestation services to federal agencies and state and local governments.  

Professional and Industry Experience:

Mr. Thomas has significant experience managing large audit engagements primarily in the government sector. These audits require multi-location audit strategies, statistical sampling for substantive and control tests, various automated audit techniques, and testing for compliance with certain laws and regulations. Mr. Thomas has extensive experience providing professional audit services to state and local governments in accordance with U.S. GAAS, Government Auditing Standards; and OMB Circular No. A-133, Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations. In addition, Mr. Thomas’ federal financial statement audits are performed in accordance with the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) current audit requirements for federal financial statements, Government Auditing Standards, Government Accountability Office/President’s Council on Integrity and Efficiency (GAO/PCIE) Financial Audit Manual (FAM), and Federal Information System Controls Audit Manual (FISCAM). Federal financial statements are prepared in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-136, Financial Reporting Requirements (or its predecessors). Mr. Thomas has a thorough understanding of these requirements and government accounting standards.  

Venus Tuazon is a director in CLA's Arlington, Va office and has more than 15 years of audit and public accounting experience, serving the needs of the firm’s not-for-profit clients, including membership organizations, charitable organizations, independent schools, small businesses, and other service organizations. As a not-for-profit specialist, she is very knowledgeable with the accounting and tax complexities of not-for-profit organizations.

Venus has extensive experience with audits and tax return preparation of not-for-profit organizations of all sizes, with a diverse range of important missions. Venus assists clients in evaluating internal controls and policies to address deficiencies and advises clients on best practices and proper implementation; she prides herself on being a valued resource to her clients.

Sarah Tucker is a senior audit manager in the Washington, D.C. practice of Cherry Bekaert. She provides accounting and assurance services to government contractors, technology companies, and not-for-profit organizations. As a member of the Firm's Government Contractor Services Group, she works with clients to ensure appropriate contract revenue recognition policies, indirect rate reporting and general adherence to the Federal Acquisition Regulations. As an audit manager, Sarah performs planning procedures to obtain an in-depth understanding of her client's situation, including the internal control environment. In this role, Sarah works extensively with the partner to develop an overall risk assessment and the respective audit procedures. In addition, Sarah oversees all work performed by the audit staff. She plays a significant role in drafting the audit deliverables, including the financial statements and required audit communication. In addition to supervising the audit process, Sarah has extensive knowledge of cost allowability and performing indirect rate audits. She has an in-depth understanding of the Uniform Grant Guidance, as several of her clients receive federal funding.