HANCOCK ASKEW & CO - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Assurance Partner
- Audit Partner
- CISA / Assurance Partner
Adam is an Audit Partner at Hancock Askew and has over 13 years of experience in public accounting including 4 years at a national accounting firm. In addition, Adam has 3 years of industry experience. He manages the firm's Risk Assurance & Advisory practice and serves as a technical accounting expert and training leader for the firm. Adam has consulted with multiple companies through their IPO process and helped with their risk assessment and development of policies and procedures.
Additionally, Adam specializes in providing financial statement audits, reviews and compilations for a variety of industries, including both publicly traded and privately held companies.
Adam received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Risk Management and Insurance from the University of Georgia and completed an accounting concentration at Georgia State University. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants (GSCPA), the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), and the Institute of Internal Audit (IIA). Adam is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Georgia and Florida.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Assurance Partner
Alfredo is a Partner at Hancock Askew and has over 11 years of experience in public accounting. His practice areas include financial statement audits, compliance audits, reviews, compilations, internal audits and merger and acquisition assistance. His industry expertise includes real estate, nonprofits, family offices, healthcare, manufacturing, wholesale, professional services, technology and a variety of other industries. He has worked with both publicly traded and privately held companies. As Partner, he leads the assurance practice in South Florida.
Alfredo is active in the community and is Past Chair of The WOW Center. He is also a member of Leadership Florida and a graduate of Leadership Florida's Connect Class X. Alfredo is also a graduate of Leadership Miami Class XXXIX of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce.
Alfredo graduated from Florida International University in Miami, FL, where he received a Bachelor of Accounting degree as well as a Master of Science in Taxation. He is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Florida and is a member of both the American and Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Job Titles:
- CVA / Jacksonville Office Managing Partner
- Jacksonville Office Managing Partner
Allen is the Office Managing Partner of Hancock Askew's Jacksonville office and has over 17 years of experience in public accounting. His primary focus lies in providing financial statement audits, reviews and compilations for a variety of industries, including both publicly traded and privately held companies. Allen also performs business valuation and transaction advisory services and has extensive experience with mergers and acquisitions, estate and gift tax, buy-sell agreements, purchase price allocations and impairment tests.
Before beginning his career at Hancock Askew, Allen graduated from Georgia Southern University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and a Master of Accounting. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Job Titles:
- Chief Operations Officer
- COO
Angela is the Chief Operations Officer (COO) for Hancock Askew. She manages the firm's current business procedures to ensure the systems, people and processes work in tandem to maximize the functionality of the firm. She manages the firm's operations and is also responsible for human resources, information technology, and firm administration. Angela also helps set up systems and operations to guide the firm to meet long-term strategic goals.
Prior to becoming COO, Angela served as Project Manager at Hancock Askew. She worked directly with the Managing Partner to help drive process improvements, and business intelligence and infrastructure projects which contributed to the Firm's $15M net revenue growth since she joined the firm in 2021.
Angela has more than 24 years of experience leading operational transformation and alignment initiatives at large, successful, growth-oriented companies such as Gulfstream, Verisign, and USBank. Angela uses this combination of external and internal knowledge and experience to help Hancock Askew execute its mission, streamline operations, and efficiently manage future growth.
Angela is an alumna of the University of South Carolina. She is a PMI Project Management Professional (PMP) and has a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt. She is recognized as a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist and also has her CompTIA Security+ Lifetime Certification.
Anna is a Partner at Hancock Askew and has over 20 years of experience in public accounting. In her role, she works primarily with high net worth individuals, executives, and retirees in providing tax compliance and planning services. She also manages tax compliance and consulting for many large real estate tax partnerships and non-profit organizations. Her areas of expertise include high net worth individual taxation, fiduciary and estate planning and tax compliance, real estate taxation, nonprofit organization tax compliance, and charitable planning.
Anna joined the Hancock Askew team in 2011 after merging in from a local firm. She is a graduate of Auburn University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and a Master of Science in Accounting. She holds memberships in both the Georgia and Alabama Society of Certified Public Accountants, as well as the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager
- Certified Public Accountant in Georgia
- Tax Senior Manager
Aya is a Tax Senior Manager and a leader of HAC's International Tax and Trust & Estate service lines with eight years of professional experience in public accounting. She has expertise in providing multinational companies, foreign nationals, and U.S. citizens abroad with tax consulting and compliance services and advising high-net-worth individuals on trust and estate planning and taxation.
She and her family relocated to the U.S. from Tokyo in 2013. In Japan, she obtained an Economics degree from Kyoto University. She worked at a British multinational bank for five years, specializing in anti-money laundering compliance, and served customers from more than 30 countries worldwide. She is fluent in both Japanese and English.
Aya is a Certified Public Accountant in Georgia and Washington and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Barry Coates has more than 25 years of experience in management consulting with a focus on the office of the CFO. He has worked extensively in mergers and acquisitions, sales operations and helping scale growth-oriented organizations.
Prior to joining Hancock Askew, Barry served as the CFO of a non-profit organization and as a CFO for a technology consulting company. He's a Certified Public Accountant and has a green belt in Lean Six Sigma.
Barry graduated from North Carolina State University where he received his undergraduate degree in accounting and from the University of Georgia where he received a master's degree in accounting.
Beth joined the firm's Savannah office in May of 2016 with over 25 years of experience in Human Resources, organizational effectiveness, and training & development. After receiving her BA in English from Armstrong State University, Beth spent 17 years in Human Resources at Southern Company before joining Ken Chapman & Associates as a leadership and cultural development consultant. Most recently, Beth was the Director, HR and Organizational Effectiveness with The Landings Association.
Bill Becker is a Partner at Hancock Askew, working out of the firm's Tampa office. He offers tax and business consulting to middle market companies. Bill specializes in tax planning and compliance for pass-through entities and high net worth individuals.
With more than 25 years of consulting and management experience, Bill guides his clients through all phases of business development and growth. He has extensive experience working with businesses in the real estate and professional services industries. Bill routinely represents clients in federal and state tax audits before the Internal Revenue Service and state taxing authorities.
In September 2022, Bill joined Hancock Askew. Previously, he was the Founder of Becker CPA, a Tampa-based tax advisory firm. Bill also was with Cherry Bekaert for nineteen years where he served as Partner.
Bill is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Florida and is an active member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants (FICPA). Additionally, he's a member of the Urban Land Institute and the NAIOP Commercial Real Estate Development Association. He also has several published articles and is a frequent presenter at real estate and business conferences and meetings.
Brad is a Tax Principal at Hancock Askew. He joined the firm in 2024. Brad has over 34 years of public accounting experience. He primarily works with closely held businesses in technology, automotive, construction and real estate. Brad helps clients minimize their overall tax burden, improve profitability and develop succession strategies.
Prior to joining Hancock Askew, Brad served as a tax advisor to closely held business and high net-worth individual clients. Represented business in healthcare, manufacturing, construction services, professional services and wholesale/retail.
Brad holds memberships in both the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants, as well as the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He is a graduate of Emory University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree.
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager
- Senior Manager / Sales and Use Tax Services
Brandon graduated cum laude from Georgia State College of Law in 1999 and received his MBA in the same year. Building on his experience with the Georgia Department of Revenue, Brandon was hired by Deloitte for the State and Local practice first in Atlanta and then in Tampa. He rose to the position of Manager before moving on to work with smaller specialty firms.
With 20 years of tax experience, Brandon has performed a wide variety of SALT functions in numerous state and local jurisdictions including sales and use tax audit defense, reverse sales tax audits, sales tax due diligence for mergers & acquisitions, certified audits, voluntary disclosures, revenue ruling requests, taxability analyses, tax position papers, nexus studies, and negotiated credits and incentives.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director / Economic Development & Business Incentives Services
- Director With the State and Local
C.J. Evans is a Director with the State and Local Tax (SALT) team at Hancock Askew. With more than 25 years of SALT experience, he combines his accounting experience and legal expertise to ensure his clients minimize state and local tax and maximize business incentives offered by federal, state, and local jurisdictions.
Job Titles:
- Director of Business Valuations
Camille Pacht is a Director of Business Valuation at Hancock Askew. She joined the firm's Atlanta office in 2023. With more than 25 years of financial services experience, Camille specializes in valuing business enterprises, legal entities, debt and equity securities, intangible assets and intellectual property for the purposes of tax planning and reporting, financial reporting (fair value accounting under ASC 820), merger and acquisition planning, strategic planning, tax reorganizations and restructurings.
Camille has led valuation assignments for clients across multiple industries including family-owned businesses, private equity backed companies, middle market businesses, law and accounting firms, and large publicly traded multinational companies, including Fortune 500 organizations.
Camille analyzes and values intangible assets and provides clients with advisory services related to transaction in accordance with ASC 805 (and IFRS 3) purchase price allocations; reporting units in connection with impairment testing pursuant to ASC 350 (and IAS 36) , and valuing equity securities issued as compensation pursuant to FASB ASC 718 / IRC 409A; legal entities for internal tax reorganizations, tax planning and reporting, equity securities for gift and estate tax and business planning purposes; complex preferred equity instruments; and general finance consulting.
Prior to joining Hancock Askew, Camille provided valuation and financial advisory services at Ernst & Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, and Zyla Valuation Advisors LLC. She also served as Director of Business Management for ING's Investment Management Division (now Voya). She began her career with The Bank of New York as Assistant Treasurer and served AT&T as a manager in project financing.
Carlos Benitez is a Senior Manager at Hancock Askew in the Tax department and joined the firm's Miami office in June 2021. He is a Miami native with more than 9 years of experience providing tax planning, advisory and compliance services for high net worth individuals and families, sole proprietors, pass-through entities and corporations. He serves clients in a variety of industries including restaurants, personal service businesses, real estate investment companies and other local small businesses.
Carlos graduated from the University of Miami with a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences and earned a Master of Accounting from Nova Southeastern University. He is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Florida.
Job Titles:
- CVA, CGMA
- Partner - in Loving Memory
Carolyn is a Tax Manager at Hancock Askew and has been with the firm since 2012. She provides tax compliance and planning services for a variety of clients including individuals, trusts, estates, nonprofit organizations and businesses. Her specialties include high net worth individual taxation and planning, fiduciary and estate taxation and nonprofit organization tax compliance.
Carolyn graduated from Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville, GA, where she received both her Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Accountancy degrees. She is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Georgia and is a member of both the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Job Titles:
- Savannah Office Managing Partner
Carolyn is a Partner at Hancock Askew and is the Savannah Office Managing Partner. She has been serving clients for over 20 years in the areas of tax, financial planning and management services. Her clients include individuals, fiduciaries, partnerships and corporations. Carolyn specializes in high net worth individual tax, family-owned businesses, real estate, estate and gift tax, and fiduciary tax.
Carolyn is a graduate of the University of Alabama, Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Master of Tax Accounting. She began her career at Arthur Andersen's Atlanta office and then went on to work for Deloitte in their Private Client Advisors Group before joining Hancock Askew in 2004. Carolyn is a member of both the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
An active member of the community, Carolyn is a member of the Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church, the Savannah Estate Planning Council, Armstrong Planned Giving Council and the Rotary Club of Savannah. She has also taken on the role of the Rotarians Play it Forward Treasurer.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- CISA / Partner - Risk Assurance & Advisory Practice Leader
- Partner - Risk Assurance & Advisory Practice Leader
Chad is a Partner at Hancock Askew and has 20 years of experience in public accounting. As a Partner, he leads the firms risk assurance and advisory practice, serves as a technical accounting expert and helps fast growing private companies with best practices pertaining to accounting policies and procedures. His experience includes Sarbanes-Oxley consultation, advising on technical accounting issues and assisting companies through the initial public offering process. Chad routinely holds seminars for fast-growing private companies pertaining to the IPO preparation and SEC requirements, and also on the Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 compliance process. He has consulted with more than 10 companies over the past 5 years on Sarbanes-Oxley compliance.
Chad received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Georgia and his Master's in Accounting from the University of Virginia. Before joining Hancock Askew, he spent eight years at EY in their Atlanta office, where he coordinated audits for both public and private companies, and worked more than one year at a firm that Chad founded that focused on technical accounting issues and best practices as it relates to process improvement. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Georgia Institute of Certified Public Accountants (GSCPA), the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), and the Institute of Internal Audit (IIA). Chad's dual focus in both accounting and finance provides him a solid understanding of business and accounting fundamentals, which he uses to provide clients with value-added consultations in order to address their needs.
Job Titles:
- Miami Office Managing Partner
Craig is the Miami Office Managing Partner of Hancock Askew. He has over 25 years of public accounting experience, including serving clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to local or middle market companies, as well as high net worth family offices and individuals. His industry expertise includes manufacturing and retail, hospitality, construction, real estate and private wealth management, among others. For over a decade, Craig has also focused on providing services to high-net worth foreign families with investments in the US, as well as US taxpayers with investments abroad. His extensive tax and audit background has provided clients with meaningful insight to help navigate the increasingly complex business environment.
Craig co-founded CAPA, a certified public accounting firm in 2004 and merged with Hancock Askew in 2020. Craig's previous roles include Senior Manager of Corporate Accounting Special Projects with Ryder System, Inc., a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Miami, Florida, and five years with the global firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in Miami, Florida, where he also served two years as the South Florida Site Leader for audits of employee benefit plans. Craig began his career with the firm of Williams, Cox, Weidner, and Cox in Tallahassee, Florida. He has been involved in various community organizations and currently serves on the audit and finance committee of the Board of Directors for Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, as well as serving in an advisory role to other charitable organizations in the South Florida community. Craig has a B.S. Degree in Accounting from Florida State University. He is a licensed certified public accountant in the states of Florida and Georgia and is a member of both the FICPA and AICPA organizations.
Emory is a Partner in the Tax Department of Hancock Askew at the firm's Savannah office. Emory's areas of expertise include flow-through entity taxation as well as individual and estate consulting and planning services. Previously, Emory worked for Ernst & Young in Atlanta.
A graduate of the University of Georgia, Emory holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting, as well as a Master's in Accountancy (Taxation). He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants. Emory is a member of Community Bible Church and Christian Business Men's Connection.
Job Titles:
- Certified Information Systems Auditor
- IT Risk Assurance & Advisory Partner
- Partner of IT Assurance Services
Greg is the Partner of IT Assurance Services at Hancock Askew and has over 10 years of experience working in various information technology environments. He leads the firm's IT-related internal audit, risk advisory and System Organization and Control (SOC) reporting service. In his role, he helps clients identify and evaluate IT risk, implement cost-effective controls and monitoring strategies, improve execution and performance, and provide assurance to their customers and other external parties. Greg specializes in International and Stateside IT security related audits, risk advisory and Service Organization Controls (SOC) reporting.
After graduating from Gordon College with a Bachelor's in Communication Arts, Greg began his career working in IT as a Senior Systems Engineer and was also responsible for managing software installation projects. This work involved both technical and non-technical talents, including policy, procedure, and creation of training documentation, as well as creation of operational and disaster recovery plans. Later with a national CPA firm, he focused on IT Assurance Services, leading engagement teams on IT and business process control projects, SOX 404 engagements, security assessments, IT internal audit co-sourcing arrangements, and led 150+ Service Organization Controls (SOC) examinations of third-party service organizations in a variety of industries in the United States, Canada and Europe.
Greg is a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA). He is a member of the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), the Institute of Internal Audit (IIA) and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG).
Job Titles:
- Partner - in Loving Memory
Job Titles:
- Partner
- CGMA / Partner - Assurance Practice Leader
- Partner - Assurance Practice Leader
Jodi is a Partner in Hancock Askew's Atlanta office and has over 35 years of public accounting experience. Jodi began her career in Chicago at Price Waterhouse after graduating from Indiana University, with highest distinction, with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. In her role, she oversees assurance and advisory services for numerous public and private companies and manages the firm's Employee Benefit Plan (EBP) Audit practice. Jodi specializes in audits, researching complex accounting and auditing issues, and SEC and financial reporting.
Jodi is deeply involved in the EBP community. She currently serves on the Expert Panel and served on the Executive Committee of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) EBP Audit Quality Center. She also currently is a member and Chair of the AICPA's Enforcement Committee - DOL Subgroup. Jodi holds two advanced AIPCA Certifications, Advanced Defined Contribution and Advanced Defined Pension Plans. Jodi was past Chair and committee member of the Georgia Society of CPAs EBP Conference. Jodi has presented at the AICPA Nation EBP and Engage Conferences, along with the Florida Mega Conference and the Massachusetts State Conference on EBP technical standards. She is a founding member and active participant of the BDO Alliance EBP community and past member of the Alliance Partners' Advisory Council (APAC).
Jodi is a Past President and Past Vice-President of WIPs (Women in Pensions) (currently called Women in Pensions Network - WiPN) in Georgia. She also holds memberships in the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA) and Pension Education Council of Atlanta (PECA). Jodi is a licensed CPA in GA, FL and MA. Jodi was on the Board of Directors and Co-Chair of the Finance Committee for Girls on the Run Atlanta.
Joel is a Tax Partner with Hancock Askew at the firm's Jacksonville office. He has 16 years of experience providing proactive business and tax advisory services for closely held businesses, partnerships, corporations and high-net worth individuals. He serves clients in a variety of industries including medical/dental practices, personal service businesses, commercial manufacturing contractors/subcontractors and home builders.
Joel graduated from Georgia State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and earned his Master of Business Administration in Accounting from Kennesaw State University. Joel is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Florida Institute of CPAs and the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Job Titles:
- Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Global Management Accountant
- CGMA / Tax Partner
- Tax Partner
John McElderry is a Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Global Management Accountant with over 25 years of professional experience, including tax compliance and planning, mergers and acquisitions, disposal and sell side assistance, initial public offerings, financial statement audits, and SEC filings.
As partner at Hancock Askew, John advises high net worth individuals, as well as small businesses and their owners on financial and tax matters. He assists small businesses and their owners with financial analysis and guidance on profitability and regulatory compliance as well as performing compilation, review and audit engagements for them.
Prior to joining our team, John started McElderry & Associates in 2005 and recently merged his company with Hancock Askew. Previously, John was a Senior Manager with Ernst & Young, where he served in the Transaction Advisory Services practice both in the Atlanta and London offices. He planned, supervised, and participated in numerous acquisition and disposal transactions involving entities located in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, France, Spain, Brazil, and China.
John holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting from the University of Georgia. He is an active member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Kate is a Partner at Hancock Askew and has been with the firm since 2012. Kate provides audit and assurance services for a variety of industries. She specializes in financial statement audits, employee benefit plan audits and internal controls for public, private and not-for-profit organizations.
A graduate of the University of Georgia, Kate holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting. She received her Master's in Accountancy from Georgia Southern University. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Kate was named one of Georgia Trend's 40 under 40 in 2022. She is a 2021 graduate of Leadership Savannah and was named to Savannah Magazine's 2018 New Guard. She serves as the Treasurer of the Board for both the Coastal Empire Habitat for Humanity and the 200 Club of the Coastal Empire. She is involved in many local non-profit organizations. Kate is also the proud mother of two young children.
Kate enjoys all the work she does at Hancock Askew but has particularly enjoyed the opportunities that she has had to develop relationships with clients and co-workers. She believes in working hard with a passion for what is best for her clients and upholding the Firm's mission of "You First".
Job Titles:
- PFS / Partner - Dental Practice Leader
Kate is a Partner and the Dental Practice Leader at Hancock Askew & Co. and has over 30 years of public accounting experience serving select, entrepreneurial dentists through a multi-disciplinary approach to accounting and profitability consulting. She is passionate about building quality of life success stories by teaching dentists how to keep what they make: increase profit, reduce taxes, and unlock their numbers. Kate's unique approach has helped dentists define and reach their goals of improved quality of life and the income needed to support it.
Kate led the Willeford Group, a dental advisory practice started by her father in 1975, for over 15 years before merging with Hancock Askew in 2024.
Kate has a B.A. in Religion from Furman University and has completed various graduate level courses in accounting at Georgia State University and Keller Graduate School of Management. She is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Georgia and is a member of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the Georgia Society of CPAs (GSCPA). She is also a Personal Financial Specialist (PFS), a designation in financial planning that can only be earned by CPAs.
Kate is the past Vice President of the Academy of Dental CPAs, an organization that represents over 10,000 dentists nationwide, www.adcpa.org. In addition, she is an active member of the Academy of Dental Management Consultants, the Speaking and Consulting Network and a contributing author for Dental Economics and many other industry publications.
Ken is a Tax Partner at Hancock Askew and has over 37 years of experience in public accounting. His area of expertise is accounting for income tax (ASC 740). Ken has served family-owned, privately held, publicly held and private-equity backed clients, with multistate and multinational operations.
Ken specializes in solving complex tax issues in a variety of business scenarios and providing value-added tax advice and tax-planning solutions. He consults with business leaders to help analyze their tax positions and apply the complex rules of accounting for income taxes under ASC 740. Ken has experience working with a variety of industries including manufacturing, distribution, retail, natural resources, technology, telecommunications, healthcare, and construction sectors.
Prior to joining Hancock Askew in 2023, Ken was retired from BDO after a ten-year career with the firm, most recently as a Tax Partner in the Atlanta office. He also served as Southeast Region ASC 740 Leader and Managing Tax Partner at the Atlanta Office.
Ken holds memberships in both the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants, as well as the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia with an A.B., Economics and a M.Acc., Accountancy.
Job Titles:
- CFST / Tampa Office Managing Partner
- Tax Partner
Kristen is Tax Partner at Hancock Askew and has over 18 years of public and private accounting experience. She received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from University of Florida and Master of Accountancy from University of South Florida.
Kristen began her career with Deloitte in Atlanta where she had the opportunity to service several Fortune 500 companies. Following her time at Deloitte, Kristen became the tax manager for a large, Atlanta based manufacturing company.
Kristen focuses on providing one stop solutions for small to mid-size companies and high net worth individuals. Her expertise includes accounting, bookkeeping, corporate income tax preparation and state and local tax consulting. Kristen's experience provides a unique insight for her clients, taking into consideration the appropriate accounting treatment for transactions as well as the tax implications that will come into play.
Kristen is a CPA in Florida and is also a Qualified Practitioner in Florida's Certified Audit Program for sales and use tax. This designation has allowed her to perform sales and use tax audits for several clients on behalf of the Florida Department of Revenue.
Kristen also sits on the board of directors for The Florida Wildlife Corridor, a member of the leadership council for Big Brothers Big Sisters and a member of the USF Accounting Advisory Council.
Job Titles:
- Member of Both the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants
- Tax Partner
Lindsey is a Tax Partner at Hancock Askew and has over 14 years of experience in public accounting. She provides tax consulting, compliance, and planning for multi-state corporations, partnerships, related party entities and high net worth individuals. She also leads financial statement compilation engagements and consults with business owners on the impact of selling their businesses. Lindsey works with clients in several industries, including manufacturing, retail, medical and service.
Lindsey graduated Summa Cum Laude with her Bachelor of Science in Management and Accounting from Indiana Wesleyan University. Before moving to Georgia, she worked for a local CPA firm and received her CPA license by the state of Indiana.
Lindsey is a member of both the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Assurance Partner
Lisette Rodriguez, CPA, is a Partner in the Audit Department at Hancock Askew. She has been in the public accounting profession since 2008.
Lisette has been involved on numerous audits for entities in various industries including aviation, financial institutions, health care, higher education, manufacturing, non-profit, real estate and construction, and SEC public companies. She has extensive experience with audits of employee benefit plans, federal and state single audits, program specific audits and preparation of a non-profits tax returns, including Form 990 and Form 990T. Lisette also performs reviews, compilations and agreed upon procedures.
Serving as the key contact auditor on engagements, Lisette is responsible for all aspects of each engagement to ensure high quality work and client satisfaction. She has a thorough understanding of Government Auditing Standards (Yellow Book) issued by the Comptroller General of the United States and possesses the continuing education required by the AICPA and Government Auditing Standards.
Lisette is also active in her community. She currently serves as Treasurer of the Hispanic Unity of Florida, a nonprofit organization that she has volunteered with since 2020. In 2016, Lisette became a graduate of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Leadership of Miami Class of XXXVII.
Lisette earned her Bachelor of Accounting and Master of Accounting degrees from Florida International University. She is a Certified Public Accountant in Florida and is a member of the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Mark is a Tax Partner at Hancock Askew. He joined the firm in 2023 and has over 37 years of public accounting experience. He primarily works with owners of closely held family businesses to improve profitability, maximize tax benefits and plan for the transition of wealth to the next generation. He has special expertise in working with automobile dealerships, high net worth individuals, retail companies and wholesale entities.
Prior to joining HAC, Mark spent 25 years at MBAF - staff through Partner, then joined BDO Miami as Partner when the two firms merged in 2021.
His community involvement activities include a current position as Chairperson of the audit and finance committee of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami and past Chairperson and Board Member of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Miami.
Mark has a B.S. Degree in Accounting from the University of Florida and a M.S. in Taxation from Florida International University. He is a licensed certified public accountant in the state of Florida and is a member of both the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Michael is a Tax Partner at Hancock Askew & Co. He has over 19 years of public accounting experience serving both individuals and business clients. His industry expertise includes construction, healthcare, hospitality, professional services, manufacturers, and real estate.
Michael founded the Mason Advisory Group, a certified public accounting firm in 2019 and merged with Hancock Askew in 2022. Michael's previous roles include President and CEO of TrueWealth Management, a financial services firm in Atlanta, Georgia, and prior to that he was a Tax Principal at Windham Brannon, PC, a CPA firm also in Atlanta. Michael has a B.B.A. Degree in Accounting and Finance from Georgia State University and has a Certificate in Financial Planning (CFP®) form the University of Georgia. He is a licensed certified public accountant in the state of Georgia and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), a personal financial specialist credentials in Georgia (PFS), a Certified Financial Planner license (CFP®) in Georgia, Michael is a member of the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants (GSCPA), and the Financial Planning Association (FPA).
Michael is Managing Partner at Hancock Askew and has over 25 years of experience. He has coordinated audits for SEC registrants and privately held companies, including several Fortune 1,000 companies. His services include providing managed accounting and reporting for public equity and debt offerings, business combinations and dispositions; advising internal audit departments on plans and strategies to enhance corporate governance.
Before joining Hancock Askew, Michael spent 13 years with Ernst & Young and 2 years with Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation. He holds a Bachelor's degree from Auburn University in Accounting and is licensed to practice accounting in Georgia, Florida and South Carolina. Michael is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants. Michael is also licensed to determine the value of a business and other projects that need valuation techniques, he is a member of the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts.
Michael is passionate about his clients and focuses on helping them address issues and providing advice and consultations. He serves on the Board of the Union Mission of Savannah, Savannah Chamber of Commerce and St. Peter the Apostle Parish and School. He is also a member of the Savannah Executives Association, Savannah CFO Council, St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee and Legatus.
Job Titles:
- CITP / IT Risk Assurance & Advisory Partner
- IT Risk Assurance & Advisory Partner With
Nirav is an IT Risk Assurance & Advisory Partner with Hancock Askew at the firm's Atlanta office. He has more than 15 years of experience specializing in IT Audits/Attestations (e.g., SOC 1, SOC 2, SOC 3, HIPAA, ISO 27001/27701, Microsoft SSPA, NTIS DMF, etc.), Controls Optimizations, SOX, and Agreed Upon Procedures.
He serves clients ranging from Fortune 500 to start-ups to scope, assess and provide tailored and actionable recommendations to meet and enhance their compliance posture. Nirav joined Hancock Askew in 2021. Previously, he worked at Big 4 and national firms.
Nirav graduated from the University of Miami with a bachelor's degree in accounting. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) and Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP). He is a member of the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA).
Patricia is a Partner with over 25 years of experience in public accounting. She manages individual, entity, nonprofit and trust tax filings, as well as financial statement reviews and compilations. She also has experience with international taxation compliance and planning as it relates to inbound taxation of foreign investors with U.S. income or activities. Patricia's industry expertise includes real estate, manufacturing and distribution, restaurants and hospitality as well as entrepreneurial or privately-owned businesses.
Patricia has been involved in various civic and community organizations. She is a past Board Member and Treasurer for the Zoo Miami Foundation and a member of Chamber South.
Patricia graduated from Florida International University with a Masters of Accounting. She is a member of the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants and of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Assurance & Advisory Partner
Rachel Connor is a Partner at Hancock Askew and joined the firm's Tampa office in June 2019. Rachel has vast experience in asset & wealth management, including mutual funds, hedge funds, real estate funds, and private equity funds and has experience with multiple fund administrators. Since joining the firm, Rachel has specialized in financial due diligence for mergers & acquisitions transactions. Her industry experience for both audit and advisory includes real estate, construction, manufacturing, technology, franchisors/franchisees, medical, and transportation and logistics industries.
She graduated from University of South Florida with a Master of Accounting.
Prior to joining the firm, Rachel spent eight years at PricewaterhouseCoopers. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Assurance Partner
Rebecca is a Partner at Hancock Askew and has over 19 years of experience in audit, tax, accounting services and internal audit which provides an added benefit to the clients she serves. She has a focus on leading the firm's accounting services for small to mid-sized businesses along with continued contributions in audits, reviews and compilations for closely held businesses and nonprofits as well as SOX compliance for public companies.
She has been with Hancock Askew since 2011 and beyond her excellent service and leadership in client engagements, Rebecca also greatly contributes in the areas of staff training, mentorship and recruiting.
She is a graduate of Berry College with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and received her Master of Accountancy from Kennesaw State University. She holds memberships in both the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants as well as the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and is a Certified Internal Auditor.
Job Titles:
- Atlanta Office Managing Partner
- Organizer
- Tax Partner
Russell is a Tax Partner and the Atlanta Office Managing Partner at Hancock Askew. He specializes in providing accounting and tax advice to the firm's closely held business clients and the individuals who own them. He prides himself in consulting and coaching business owners in the day to day decisions of running their businesses in order to achieve both their business and personal goals.
Russell received his B.S. in Finance from Auburn University in 1984. While employed at Bank of America (formerly Bank South), he received his B.B.A. in Accounting from Georgia State University. Shortly thereafter, Russell joined the audit staff of Coopers & Lybrand (now PWC). Russell is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Russell is an Organizer and sat on the Board of Directors for KeyWorth Bank prior to merger with Renasant Bank. He has also served in various leadership roles in the Norcross and Johns Creek Communities where he lives.
Job Titles:
- MAFF, CVA / Tax Partner Litigation Services Practice Leader
Mark is a Tax Partner at Hancock Askew and has over 40 years of experience in accounting.
Mark worked with Arthur Andersen & Company from 1979 - 1987, then became a partner with KPMG, LLP from 1987 - 1998, before starting his CPA firm in 1998. While building his CPA practice, he worked with Heritage Capital Group and Business Valuations as a principal from 1998-2012. He has provided tax and financial consulting services to Fortune 500 companies, closely-held businesses, business owners, and high-wealth individuals. Mark has provided business valuation services to closely-held business and holding companies and mergers and acquisition consulting and business brokerage services to closely-held businesses throughout his career.
Mark has been published in "The Economic Impact of Taxes on S Corporation Valuations," with C. Donald Wiggins and Laura L. Coogan, Business Valuation Review, June 2000 and "Family Limited Partnerships in Florida," with Carla A. Green, Jonathan L. Hay, Robert S. Hightower and Timothy J. Warfel, National Business Institute, Inc., 1996.
Along with being a Certified Public Accountant, Mark is a Certified Valuation Analyst and Master Analyst in Financial Forensics. Mark is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants and National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts.
Sam is an Assurance Partner at Hancock Askew and has over 14 years of experience in accounting, 11 years in public, and 3 years in industry. His areas of expertise include financial statement audits, reviews, compilations, internal audit, technical accounting consultations, and interim Controller/CFO duties. He has served both publicly-traded and privately-held companies.
Sam is a graduate of Leadership Savannah - Class of 2019 and was a member of Savannah Magazine's 2020 New Guard. He also serves on the Tournament Advisory Board for the Club Car Championship at the Landing's Club and is a volunteer for the Stewardship Review Committee of the United Way of The Coastal Empire. He is a member of the Fine Gale Irish Heritage Society, a young men's group, active in the Savannah St.
Job Titles:
- Partner - Tax Practice Leader
Stephen is a Partner at Hancock Askew. He manages a diverse array of tax clients ranging from high wealth individuals, trusts and estates, partnerships and corporations. His extensive experience includes tax compliance and planning for individuals, partnerships, corporations, trusts and estates; tax and consulting services for small, mid-sized and large businesses; mergers and acquisitions; business succession planning; and federal and state campaign compliance. Stephen serves clients in a variety of industries including medical practices, professional service firms, insurance agencies, construction companies, logistics, warehousing, manufacturing and franchises.
Growing up in a large family of accountants, Stephen followed in his family's footsteps. He studied at the University of Georgia and graduated Summa Cum Laude, with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and a Master of Accountancy in Taxation. He joined Hancock Askew full-time in 2006, after completing a previous internship with the Firm. He is a member of both the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants. Additionally, Stephen serves on the Boards of the Savannah Community Foundation, GRACE Scholars, and is a founding member and past president of the Fine Gael Society.
Steve is a Tax Partner in the Orlando office of Hancock Askew. He has over 30 years of experience in public accounting. Steve specializes in federal and state income taxation, estate and gift taxation, and domestic and international taxation, with a primary focus on closely held businesses and their owners. He has worked with clients in numerous industries including real estate, manufacturing, technology, and professional services.
Before joining Hancock Askew, Steve spent over 20 years with the Orlando accounting firm of Graham, Cottrill, Jackson & Hostetter, LLP, starting as an intern and later becoming a partner of the firm. Steve subsequently spent over 10 years as a tax principal with CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP (CLA), after the acquisition of Graham, Cottrill, Jackson & Hostetter by CLA. He then joined Ferrell & Kelly, CPAs in 2021 and the firm merged with Hancock Askew in 2023. He holds both a Bachelor's degree in Accounting, as well as a Master's degree in Taxation from the University of Florida. Steve is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Florida Institute of Public Accountants (FICPA).
Job Titles:
- Member of Both the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
- Orlando Office Managing Partner
Tonya is the Orlando Office Managing Partner at Hancock Askew. She has over 25 years of experience in corporate, partnership, and individual taxation. As a partner of the firm, Tonya is dedicated to building lasting relationships and to ensuring clients receive exceptional service. She has extensive industry experience in construction, real estate and land development, multi-state companies, healthcare and professional services.
Tonya graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. She received her Master of Science degree in Taxation from the University of Central Florida. She began her career in public accounting in 1997 with Vestal & Wiler, CPAs where she continued to work for 13 years consulting with large, middle market firms in the Orlando area. In 2010, she went to work for one of her larger clients as their in-house Financial Officer; and she also formed her own CPA firm. In 2012 she founded Ferrell & Kelly, CPAs as Managing Partner & Director of Tax Services. In 2023, Ferrell & Kelly, CPAs merged with Hancock Askew.
Tonya is a member of both the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Florida Institute of Public Accountants (FICPA). She is also a Leadership Winter Park Alumni, graduate of the Leadership Winter Park Class 24, co-instructor for the Total Leadership Class 25, and participates in the Executive Women's functions within the community.
Eddie is a Tax Partner in the Atlanta office and provides tax services for high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts and estates. He specializes in proactive tax planning and compliance services for individuals and their families, particularly as it relates to asset transfers to the next generation. In addition, he has extensive experience working with executives with stock-based compensation including options, deferred compensation, restricted stock and performance stock awards.
Eddie is a graduate of the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and a Master of Accountancy in Tax. He began his career at Ernst & Young in their Tax Department/PFC Group and was a founding Partner of the firm Jackson, Reece and Scott.
He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants. Additionally, he holds a Personal Financial Specialist designation with the AICPA in recognition of his broad experience and expertise working with the financial needs of high wealth families.
Billy is a Partner at Hancock Askew and has 33 years of experience working in both public accounting and the private sector. Billy's areas of expertise are corporate and individual income tax planning, business consulting and transaction advice, succession planning and trusts and estates. His business clients include those in construction, manufacturing, retail and service industries.
Billy is a graduate of Georgia Southern University and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting. He has spent his entire career in the accounting profession, twenty-seven years in public accounting as well six years as a controller in the private sector. Billy is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountant. In addition, he is active in his church and serves on the Board of various community organizations.