Live Stream: Tennessee Federal Tax Conference

Hale E. Sheppard is a Shareholder in the Tax Dispute Section and Chair of the International Tax Section of Chamberlain Hrdlicka. He defends individual and businesses with IRS problems, particularly those involving international issues.

Hale holds five college degrees. At the University of Kansas, he earned a B.S., with distinction, M.A., with honors, and J.D. He later received an LL.M. degree in international law, with highest distinction, from the University of Chile. Finally, he obtained an LL.M. degree in tax from the University of Florida, where he was a graduate tax scholar. During his studies, Hale served as a graduate editor of the Florida Tax Review and member of the Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy.

Hale ranks among the most active tax writers in the country, publishing over 150 major articles in some of the nation's top law reviews and tax journals, including Journal of Taxation, International Tax Journal, The Tax Adviser, Journal of International Taxation, Journal of Tax Practice and Procedure, Taxes Magazine, Practical Tax Lawyer, Journal of Passthrough Entities, Tax Management International Journal, Journal of Multi-State Tax & Incentives, Tax Notes International, Practical Tax Strategies, Journal of Real Estate Taxation, Journal of Taxation of Financial Products, and Corporate Business Taxation.

Hale has participated in over 120 cases before the U.S. Tax Court, with recent rulings including Landow v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo 2011-177 (Tax Court case regarding employee stock ownership plans and taxpayer rights in cases of involuntary conversations), Virginia Historic Tax Credit Fund v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo 2009-295, rev'd 639 F.3d 129 (case of first impression regarding federal tax treatment of state tax-credit partnerships), Topping v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo 2007-92 (hobby loss case in which the Tax Court ruled in favor of the taxpayer on all major issues), Vines v. Commissioner, 126 T.C. 279 (case of first impression involving use of mark-to-market accounting by securities traders).

Hale has also obtained over 20 favorable Private Letter Rulings for clients from the IRS National Office on assorted procedural, tax, and international issues.

Justin W. Follis, CPA, is a shareholder with the LBMC tax practice. Having more than 13 years of experience in taxation, Follis has diverse experience consulting multi-national corporations and partnerships in the areas of tax compliance, ASC 740 accounting, and tax transactional structuring. Follis understands at a deep level the importance of planning and execution. When he isn't diligently navigating his client's to their goals, he's at the controls of an airplane as a licensed pilot since 1998.

Follis brings to LBMC the experience of his prior role with Deloitte's National Federal Tax Services, Partnership Solutions Group, where he consulted corporate joint ventures, publicly traded partnerships, and financial services clients on partnership transaction and compliance matters.

As a shareholder in the firm's Tax Outsourcing Group, Follis serves clients ranging from global private equity groups, and private equity backed portfolio companies, to publicly traded corporations in industries such as financial services, healthcare, and manufacturing and distribution.

Follis earned a B.S. in business administration from the University of Alabama and a Master of Accountancy with a concentration in taxation from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. HE is active with TSCPA, AICPA and the Association for Corporate Growth.

Originally from Huntsville, Ala., Follis now makes his home in Knoxville, Tenn. with his wife and three young children. He has been a licensed pilot since 1998 and when not occupied at the office, he spends every justifiable moment flying for pleasure and travel.

Originally from the Chicago area, Larry began his career in public accounting in the tax department of a major CPA firm. He subsequently spent several years in the banking industry, where he served as president of two community banks and a university credit union. He also managed the investment portfolio for a life insurance company.

Larry obtained his MS in Taxation from DePaul University and BS in Accounting from Benedictine University. He received the Elijah Watts Sells Award for the successful completion of the CPA examination. He is a CPA, Personal Financial Specialist and a CFA Charterholder.

Larry and his wife, Debbie, enjoy spending time with their six children and grandchildren. He enjoys following capital markets, daily exercise, golf and is an avid Chicago Cubs and Tennessee Titans fan.

Josh is a public and middle market partner for HORNE LLP and the firmwide director of HORNE Capital Strategies. He specializes in navigating the complexities of mergers and acquisitions including strategic, private equity and venture capital investments by working hand-in-hand with clients to transform strategic growth objectives into lasting M&A successes. He also provides assurance, internal audit and transaction related consulting services to clients in the manufacturing, distribution, technology and gaming industries.

As a licensed investment banker, he leverages his experience to identify and build value drivers as he leads HORNE's strategic response to the COVID-19 regulatory environment, particularly SBA Loan Programs. He guides individuals and businesses through the challenges of the Paycheck Protection Program to maximize opportunities for funding and forgiveness.

Josh joined HORNE in 2007 and has a Bachelor of Accountancy from Mississippi College.

Mark Patterson, a member (owner) with KraftCPAs and co- practice leader of the KraftCPAs manufacturing, wholesale, distribution (MWD) industry team, has been working in public accounting since 1985. Prior to joining KraftCPAs, he worked with local and national public accounting firms. Mark's responsibilities include tax research and planning, reviewing income tax returns and supervising tax professionals. He provides tax compliance and planning for middle- market companies and their owners.

Mark has experience with the manufacturing, transportation and service industries including tax consulting and compliance for American subsidiaries of foreign owned companies. His expertise has helped numerous clients reduce their tax burden through the identification of various state and federal tax credits, deductions and other incentives, including but not limited to the Tennessee Jobs Tax Credit, the federal research and development (R&D) credit, IC-DISC for exporters, the domestic manufacturing deduction and cost segregation studies.

As an alliantgroup trusted tax advisor and consultant, Mr. Guillot assists small and medium-sized businesses navigate America's tax system to secure incentives and credits that stimulate innovation and improve products and services. He also serves them as an expert resource resolving complex compliance and appellate controversies.

Mr. Guillot recently retired from IRS after 36 years with the agency. From 2019 - 2023 he served as Deputy Commissioner of the IRS' Small Business/Self Employed Division, overseeing all IRS domestic and international Collection Operations and its Operations Support functions. He also led the creation and oversight of IRS' Fraud Enforcement Office, providing support and coordination for all IRS efforts in detecting and deterring tax fraud - including leading the most expansive and innovative use of data and systems analytics to address virtual currency by the civil functions of the IRS. While designated Commissioner, SBSE (2021 - 2022) he led IRS' groundbreaking, successful effort using authenticated voice robotics, eliminating phone hold times for over 14 million taxpayers in less than two years.

Darren's extensive enforcement background at IRS was balanced by his 14 years' experience in IRS' Independent Office of Appeals, culminating in his creation, implementation, and top leadership of the Appeals Judicial Approach & Culture Project (2011 -2013) and its resulting policies and procedures in use to this day. He began his IRS career as a revenue officer and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Holy Cross, is a fellow of the Loyola University Institute of Politics and was awarded the Certificate in Public Leadership by the Brookings Institution.

Turney P. Berry concentrates his practice in the areas of estate planning, fiduciary matters, and charitable planning. Mr. Berry is Chair of Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs' Trusts, Estates & Personal Planning Service Team and a past member of the firm's Executive Committee.

Mr. Berry is active in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), and has served as President of the ACTEC Foundation, Regent of the College, State Chair for Kentucky, Chair of the Estate & Gift Committee, and Chair of the Charitable and Tax Exempt Committee. Currently he serves as Vice Chair of the State Laws Committee, and a member of the Long Range Planning Committee.

As a Uniform Law Commissioner, Mr. Berry currently serves as Co-Chair of the Drafting Committee on Economic Rights of Unmarried Cohabitants Act, Member of the Drafting Committee on Revised Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act, Vice-Chair of the Drafting Committee on Conflicts of Laws in Trusts and Estates, and Member of the Joint Editorial Board for Uniform Trust and Estate Acts. He has served as chair of the Uniform Fiduciary Income and Principal Act (UFIPA), chair of the Uniform Power of Appointment Act, Vice Chair of the Drafting Committee on Electronic Wills Act, and as a member of the drafting committees for the Directed Trust Act, the Revised Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act, the Trust Decanting Act, the Insurable Interests in Trusts Act, the Premarital and Marital Agreements Act, the Transfer on Death Deeds Act, and the Uniform Probate Code Artificial Reproductive Technology provisions, and an adjunct member of the Fundraising Through Public Appeals Act.

Mr. Berry is a Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel, a member of the American Law Institute, a member of The International Academy of Estate and Trust Law, a member of the Advisory Council of the Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning, a Member of the Advisory Board of Trusts and Estates Monthly, and a member of the Bloomberg BNA Tax Advisory Board (Estates, Gifts, and Trusts). He serves as Adjunct Professor at the University of Miami Estate Planning LLM Program (teaching Business Succession Planning), and has served as Adjunct Professor at Vanderbilt University, the University of Missouri, and the University of Louisville, and regularly speaks at the nation's leading estate planning conferences. Since 1996, Mr. Berry has served as Co-Chair of the Midwest/Midsouth Estate Planning Institute at the University of Kentucky (the longest continuously run CLE event in Kentucky).

Mr. Berry has been certified as an Accredited Estate Planner® (AEP®) by the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils and is a member of its Estate Planning Hall of Fame [Kentucky does not recognize legal specialties]. He is listed in Woodward/White's The Best Lawyers in America® and in the Kentucky Super Lawyer Magazine in the area of Trusts and Estates.

Mr. Berry is the author or co-author of three Tax Management Portfolios: Estate Tax Deductions - Sections 2053 and 2054; Private Foundations - Self Dealing - Section 4941; and Taxable Expenditures - Section 4945. In addition he is co-author of Trust Law in Kentucky (in progress) and his frequent articles have appeared in numerous journals and magazines. Mr. Berry received the Texas Bar Foundation Outstanding Law Review Article award for an article he co-authored with Paul Lee titled "Retaining, Sustaining and Obtaining Basis" which was published by the Texas Tech Estate Planning and Community Property Law Journal in January 2015

Mr. Berry has been an Articles Editor of The Tax Lawyer and a past chair of the Louisville Bar Association Probate and Estate Planning Section (1989 Section of the Year). He is a member of the Louisville Estate Planning Council, Kentuckiana Planned Giving Council, and an adjunct member of the American Association of Life Underwriters.

Mr. Berry is a member of the Civilian Review and Accountability Board, Chair of the Center for Interfaith Relations, and Earth School/Carbon Nation. He is a member of Louisville Downtown Rotary, and a Member of the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels. He is a past member of the Board of Directors for the Muhammad Ali Center, Kentucky Opera, Actors Theatre, the Filson Historical Society, the Louisville Science Center, among others, as well as past President of the Daily Bread Sunday School Class at Christ Church United Methodist. Mr. Berry is the recipient of the National Philanthropy Day Baylor Landrum Award and has been recognized as a Distinguished Citizen of Louisville.

A native of Tennessee, Mr. Berry received his B.A. and B.L.S. in 1983 from the University of Memphis and his J.D. in 1986 from Vanderbilt University.

Bryan Howard is a founding member of Howard Mobley Hayes & Gontarek, PLLC. He assists high net worth families with wealth transfer planning, tax reduction planning, charitable giving and asset protection planning. He also advises the owners of closely-held businesses with respect to tax and business succession issues and represents fiduciaries and beneficiaries with regard to trust and estate administration and litigation issues. Bryan is an ACTEC Fellow, a certified Estate Planning Specialist in Tennessee and is listed in Best Lawyers in America.

Eileen Sherr is a Director – Tax Policy & Advocacy of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (the Association, also includes and referred to as AICPA) in Washington, DC.

She assists in the development and implementation of the Association's tax policy and advocacy, including the formulation, review, and submission to Congress, Treasury, and the IRS of tax technical and policy recommendations. She also plays a key role in the development of the Association's testimony for tax-related Congressional hearings. She also represents the Association with various tax related organizations, including the American College of Trust and Estate Council (ACTEC), American Bankers Association Trust Tax Committee, and Tax Executives Institute.

Ms. Sherr staffs the Association's Tax Executive Committee and Trust, Estate, and Gift Tax Technical Resource Panel and its Foreign Trust Task Force; writes and presents on emerging tax legislative and regulatory issues; and interacts with government officials, other organizations, and the media.

Ms. Sherr obtained her Master of Taxation degree and Bachelors of Accountancy degree from The George Washington University. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and has earned her Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) designation.

Ms. Sherr is a frequent speaker at national and state CPA society tax conferences and webcasts. Ms. Sherr has authored articles in The Tax Adviser, Journal of Accountancy, Journal of Accountancy Online, CPA Letter Daily, Practicing CPA, and Practical Accountant; has written blogs for AICPA Insights; has recorded podcasts, webcasts, and videos for the AICPA website; has been interviewed on CNN, Fox Business News, and Scripps; and has been quoted in many publications, including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, Forbes, Reuters, CBS News, CNBC.com, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, Detroit Free Press, The Hill, Politico, Law360, Business Insider, CFODive.com, Checkpoint Newstand, Tax Notes Today, Bloomberg BNA, BNA Daily Tax Reports, CCH Tax Day, CCH Federal Tax Weekly, Accounting Today, WEBCPA, Marketwatch, NerdWallet, NYSSCPA Trusted Professional, and the Rockville Gazette.

James Bristol has more than 30 years of experience representing businesses, governmental entities and nonprofit organizations in all areas of executive compensation and benefits, including ESOPs and ERISA.

His vast experience includes advising healthcare companies, financial institutions and other entities on matters ranging from employment and separation agreements to complex ERISA litigation. Clients value his experienced and practical approach to resolving conflicts and complex issues.

From startup ventures to publicly traded companies, James advises clients on all types of compensation and benefits.

In his more than 35 years of practicing tax and business law, Leigh Griffith has helped clients grow their businesses from the start-up stage to billion-dollar corporations. Transaction-oriented businesses, healthcare companies, private equity firms, Limited Liability Companies (LLCs), and partnerships rely on Leigh's experience and counsel to structure their tax matters, which can range from a few million dollars to over $1 billion.

Colleagues and clients regularly turn to him for his deep knowledge of tax at the state, national and global levels as well as the intersection of non-profit tax law, for-profit tax law and healthcare regulatory law.

Leigh's background as a certified public accountant has contributed to groundbreaking legal work, including: creation of the first LLC in Tennessee; development of the Double Holdco LLC structure for the home healthcare industry; being named principal draftsman of the Tennessee LLC Act; participating in the first life insurance/annuity combination securitization, recognized by the rating agencies as a new security and a new asset class; American Bar Association Tax Section Advisor to National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws - Series of Unincorporated Business Entities Drafting Committee. One of approximately 650 Fellows of the American College of Tax Counsel, Leigh is also a sought-after seminar leader for continuing professional education programs. Leigh contributes a bimonthly column, "The Pass Through Partner," in Taxes Magazine, published by CCH Tax and Accounting.

Leigh has been recognized for his vast tax law experience in The Best Lawyers in America since 1995. A partner in the Nashville office of Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP, Leigh earned his J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School. He holds an LL.M. in Taxation from New York University and earned his B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Virginia.

John represents clients before the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) at all levels of tax controversies. He has assisted clients using a variety of dispute resolution tools and processes. John also works with clients on a wide range of procedural issues, such as statute of limitations, mitigation, penalty issues, and equitable doctrines. He is the Washington National Tax technical leader for the federal tax controversy group, which has primary responsibility for educating and supporting Deloitte practitioners on federal tax controversy matters.

Prior to entering client service, John served as a senior attorney in the Office of Chief Counsel, IRS, where he represented the IRS before the US Tax Court and provided advice to IRS personnel on all matters incident to the assessment and collection of taxes. He was also appointed a special assistant US attorney, which allowed him to represent the IRS in US bankruptcy courts.

John is a member of the Administrative Practice Committee of the American Bar Association, the IRS Advocacy and Relations Committee of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the advisory board for the CCH Journal of Tax Practice and Procedure, to which he frequently contributes. He leads the team that publishes Deloitte's IRS Insights and has co-authored numerous articles for the AICPA's Tax Adviser. In addition to his committee work and publishing, John is a recurring speaker at the AICPA National Tax Conference, national, regional, and local Tax Executive Institute events, and many state bar association conferences.

John holds a BA in economics from Rutgers University and a JD from the University of Memphis.

Dr. Chris Kuehl is a Managing Director of Armada Corporate Intelligence. He provides forecasts and strategic guidance for a wide variety of corporate clients around the world. He is the chief economist for several national and international organizations, Fabricators and Manufacturers Association, National Association of Credit Management, Finance, Credit and International Business and the Business Information Industry Association. He is also the economic analyst for several state accounting societies – Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee and Kansas.

Prior to starting Armada in 1999 he was a professor of economics and finance for 15 years – teaching in the US, Hungary, Russia, Estonia, Singapore and Taiwan. He holds advanced degrees in economics, Soviet studies and East Asian studies.

Chris is the author of Business Intelligence Briefs and Executive Intelligence Briefs - both publications from Armada. He is also responsible for the Credit Manager's Index from NACM and Fabrinomics from the FMA.

Dr. Marilyn Young is a Professor of Accounting at Belmont University. She joined the faculty in 2001. She has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Master of Tax Accounting from the University of Alabama, and a Ph.D. in Accounting from the University of Mississippi.

Her industry experience includes work as a Tax Accountant for Deloitte and Frasier, Dean, and Howard and as a Tax Specialist in Corporate Finance at Empire Berol Corporation. Before coming to Belmont University, she taught at Lipscomb University. Her teaching experience at Belmont includes both undergraduate and graduate classes in taxation and financial accounting. Dr. Young also helps non-accounting students prepare to enter the Master in Accountancy program by teaching in the Summer Accounting Institute. She has presented her research at various regional and national conferences and published articles in Tax Adviser, Journal of Accountancy, State Tax Notes, Strategic Finance, Issues in Accounting Education, Tennessee CPA Journal, Economics and Politics, and Journal of S Corporation Taxation.

Dr. Young holds membership in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants (TSCPA), American Accounting Association, and American Taxation Association. She is currently a member of the AICPA IRS Advocacy and Relations Committee and a member of the TSCPA Nashville Chapter Board. The AIPCA has twice awarded her honorable mention for the Bea Sanders/AICPA Innovation in Teaching Award. She received an Outstanding Teaching Award from Lipscomb University and Outstanding Teaching Award from the Jack C. Massey College of Business at Belmont University. Named multiple times as the Most Inspirational Professor of The Jack C. Massey Graduate School of Business and the Faculty Member of the Year by the Beta Alpha Psi chapter in the Jack C. Massey College of Business, Dr. Young was presented with Belmont's highest faculty honor, The Chaney Distinguished Professor Award, in 2005.

Paul Anglin, CPA, performs tax and consulting services and is currently a Principal at the firm. He is a graduate of Lipscomb University, where he received his Bachelor of Science with honors, and received his Master of Accountancy from the University of Georgia. He is a member of American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants. He has over twenty-three years of experience in a variety of industries and service sectors. He has fourteen years of experience with Deloitte and Crowe Horwath, a "Big 4" accounting firm and a top 10 accounting firm, respectively. During his previous public accounting experience, he has served a variety of industries, including manufacturing, health care, service professionals, construction, and not-for-profit, and performed many consulting projects, compliance projects, and accounting for income tax provisions.

Additionally, he served in industry for nine years at Fifth Third Bank, Nissan, O'Charley's, and Asurion. He gained valuable knowable serving in the tax departments of these various large companies, including leading the tax department at O'Charley's as Director of Tax. Because of his unique background, he has an understanding of the value of service needed by businesses and has a passion to help his clients exceed their needs.

Stephen Turner is a Shareholder in the LBMC Tax practice.

He primarily focuses on the issues facing partnerships and joint ventures.

Stephen has extensive experience serving venture capital, mezzanine debt, and private equity clients as well as clients in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, technology and real estate industries. He has served clients in all aspects of partnership and joint venture formations, operations, acquisitions, monetizations, compensation matters, use of Up-C structures and other exit strategies. He has significant experience in partnership structuring, partnership diligence and partnership tax compliance.

Stephen has also assisted many clients with the review of term sheets and letters of intent for acquisitions and joint ventures, the review of operating agreements and partnership agreements, and the review of private placement memorandums.

As a leader of Kennerly Montgomery's pension and employee benefits practice, Kathy D. Aslinger assists public and private employers, plan fiduciaries, trustees, third party administrators, and advisors maneuver through the complex world of employee benefit plan design, implementation, and compliance. Additionally, she uses her experience and knowledge to assist companies in the following areas: due diligence and benefit considerations during merger and acquisitions; controlled group and affiliated service group analysis; executive compensation; audits; fiduciary liability issues; multiple employer and multiemployer benefit plan issues; DOL and IRS compliance; HIPAA; COBRA; ERISA and state law obligations; and Affordable Care Act compliance.

For an ERISA attorney, Kathy has an unusual background. She spent the first 11 years of her career as a government attorney and prosecutor. During that time, she worked as a judicial clerk for judges on the Tennessee Court of Appeals and Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals, as an appellate attorney for the Tennessee Attorney General's Office, and as an Assistant District Attorney. She has tried cases before judges and juries and handled approximately 200 appeals before the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals, the Tennessee Supreme Court and the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. She credits the research, writing, and advocacy skills she gained during these years for her continued success in the realm of employee benefits, and while she works hard to keep her clients out of the courtroom, she is grateful that she has the experience and ability to assist them in the courtroom if needed.

In addition to her ERISA practice, Kathy serves as the Managing Shareholder of the Firm. This role enables her to lead, mentor and guide the Firm in a positive direction.

Bruce McGovern is a tenured member of the faculty at South Texas College of Law Houston, where he also serves as Director of the school's Low Income Taxpayer Clinic. Previously, he served for many years as the school's Vice President and Associate Dean for Academic Administration. He received his undergraduate degree from Columbia University and his law degree from Fordham University School of Law. After law school, he served as a judicial clerk for Judge Thomas Meskill on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York. He then practiced law with the law firm of Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C. He subsequently earned an LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where he taught as a visiting faculty member before joining the faculty at South Texas College of Law Houston.

Professor McGovern teaches and writes in the areas of business organizations and taxation. His courses include Federal Income Taxation, U.S. Taxation of International Transactions, Partnership and Subchapter S Taxation, and Federal Tax Procedure. He frequently speaks on recent developments in federal income taxation. Professor McGovern is a member of the Council of the State Bar of Texas Tax Section, a former Chair of the Houston Bar Association Section of Taxation, and a Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel.

Steve retired as a principal with Ernst & Young, LLP in July 2020 and served as a client serving contractor to EY until June 30, 2022.

He served as the State and Local Tax Leader for EY's Americas Tax Policy in Washington, DC. He previously worked in the EY Los Angeles and New York offices, was a state and local tax attorney for an international insurance company and an associate attorney with a major regional law firm. He previously worked in state government in New Jersey, including for the governor of the state.

Steve is currently a columnist for Tax Analysts, writing a periodic column on state tax matters. He has written extensively on the state and local tax treatment of pass-through entities (e.g., partnerships, limited liability companies and S corporations). He recently published a series of comprehensive articles summarizing the enactment by the states of entity-level "pass-through entity" taxes in response to the federal state and local tax deduction limitation imposed by the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

He focused his practice on the state and local tax aspects of mergers and acquisitions and was involved in over 900 transactions affected by the tax laws in all 50 states.

A frequent speaker and writer on state and local tax developments, Bruce Ely of the multistate law firm of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP and Steve received the Bloomberg Tax & Accounting State Tax Co-Authors of the Year award in December 2017 for their work on Bloomberg Tax's Pass-through Entity Navigator (PTEN). EY also awarded Steve its first ever lifetime achievement award as tax educator of the year in 2017 and lifetime achievement award from its Indirect (State and Local) Tax practice.

He also is a guest lecturer on state and local tax matters for the LL.M. in taxation program at the Georgetown University School of Law.

Steve holds degrees from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, Seton Hall University School of Law and a master's degree in tax law from New York University School of Law. He is a member of the New York and District of Columbia Bar Associations and is admitted to practice in New Jersey as well.

Mark Burnette is the Shareholder-in-Charge of LBMC's Information Security practice. He possesses 22 years of experience in information security and risk management. Mark's background includes extensive experience in security program strategy and development, regulatory compliance, security policies and procedures, risk assessment and management, penetration testing, and security function design, development, and staffing. Mark is particularly passionate about cybersecurity leadership and growing the profession.

During his decorated career, Mark worked for several years in key leadership roles with two of the Big 6 (now Big 4) accounting firms, served as the President and Global Practice Leader for a national information security consulting company, and built and led information security functions for two major publicly-traded corporations, where he won numerous national awards for his leadership, including being named the 2005 Information Security Executive of the Year, one of Information Security Magazine's "Security 7" top seven security leaders, and being recognized by ComputerWorld Magazine as one of the Premier 100 IT Leaders for 2009. In January 2011, the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA), the international trade association for information security professionals, named Mark a Fellow. This prestigious honor, which has only been granted to a handful of individuals worldwide, is bestowed by the ISSA Fellow Program for distinguished accomplishments in the field of information security, leadership, and future service to the association and profession. Mark's unique background allows him to bring a "walk a mile in the shoes" perspective to all of LBMC's security engagements. His experience building and running information security functions allows him to develop solutions that are relevant, practical, and actionable.

Recognized as an IT security expert by technology think-tank Gartner, Mark has repeatedly been featured as a subject matter expert on ABC and CBS television affiliates, been published in print media such as CSO, Secure Enterprise, Information Security, and ComputerWorld magazines, and quoted by ABCnews.com, among many media appearances. Mark's engaging style has made him a popular and highly-requested speaker for international conferences and specialty groups around the world. Mark's book, published in 2019, "Risky Business: Cybersecurity Leadership The Right Way" provides practical insights on cybersecurity leadership.

Mark has been recognized as one of the cybersecurity industry's 75 "Pioneers", having been one of the first enterprise CISOs, and, in so doing, laying the groundwork for today's CISO role. In March 2019, Mark delivered a wildly-popular TED talk at TEDxNashville titled "The Humanity Behind Cybersecurity Attacks".

Mark earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Carson-Newman College, where he graduated summa cum laude while serving as a placekicker for C-N's nationally ranked NCAA Division II college football team. He earned his Master of Accountancy degree from the University of Tennessee, where he served as a graduate teaching assistant.

For his cumulative efforts as a security leader serving his community and his State, on September 11, 2008 Mark was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation from Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen in recognition of outstanding service in the best interests and highest traditions of the State of Tennessee.

Supervisory Special Agent (SSA), Scott E. Augenbaum, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), started his career with the FBI in the New York Field Office in 1988 as a support employee in the Financial Management Section and became a Special Agent in 1994. He was first assigned to the Syracuse, New York Office, where he worked domestic terrorism, white collar and hate crimes, and all computer crime investigations. In October 2003, he was promoted to SSA at FBI Headquarters, Washington D.C in the Cyber Division, Cyber Task Force Unit and was responsible for managing the FBI's Cyber Task Force Program as well as the Cyber Crime and Intellectual Property Rights Program. In 2006, he was transferred to Nashville, TN and manages the FBI Memphis Division Computer Intrusion/Counterintelligence Squad and manages a staff of seven investigators.

Over the past seven years, he provided hundreds of computer intrusion threat briefings with the goal of educating the community on emerging computer intrusion threats and how to not to be the victim of a data breach.

Anna Falkenstein represents the IRS for Face-to-Face and Virtual taxpayer educational and outreach events working with tax professionals, payroll providers, industry and trade associations, small business owners, as well as in conjunction with other Federal, State and local government agencies.

Anna has been employed with the IRS since 1988. Prior to her work in Stakeholder Liaison Division, she held positions as a Field Revenue Officer and Offer-in-Compromise Specialist in the Collection Division. Anna regularly speaks at organization meetings, conferences, seminars and workshops, both face-to-face and via webcast, on tax related topics that are relevant to the given tax professional, payroll or small business audience.

CJ Blankenship is the Managing Partner at the firm and consults with clients and the BCPAG team on the most challenging tax, accounting, management and financial matters. He is a National Merit Scholar and received his Bachelor of Business Administration with honors in Accounting from Belmont University.

He has over twenty years of management experience in a variety of industries and service sectors and had worked at Crowe Chizek (currently Crowe Horwath, LLP) and RSM McGladrey, Inc. prior to joining the firm in 2007. CJ was admitted as a partner in the firm in February of 2009 and has served as the managing partner since.

Over his career CJ has performed a variety of consulting services for hundreds of clients, including serving in an outsourced CFO capacity for an international manufacturing and distribution company with operations and customers around the globe.

CJ spends his workdays on mergers and acquisitions, not-for-profit consulting and compliance matters, planning (particularly with tax favored investment strategy), management consulting, tax compliance, accounting systems and matters for businesses, not-for-profits and individuals, and manages the day to day processes and strategic direction of the firm.

CJ has a heart for Christian ministries and is the Founder and President of Christian Recovery Houses, Inc., and consults with several not for profit boards. He has also served the TSCPA Nashville Board and Federal Tax Committee, and has served as the Treasurer at the Tennessee Christian Chamber of Commerce. He used to spend a lot of hours with the guitar and Christian song-writing, playing golf, camping, hunting, fishing, writing and exercising. Now, he is blessed to have married up to his lovely wife Amanda, and spends most of his free time as a father of two wonderful sons and a sweet little girl to round out the brood.

Chris Wilson is a tax attorney in Holland & Knight's Nashville office. Mr. Wilson helps nonprofit organizations and companies in a wide range of industries such as manufacturing, retail, cable television, real estate, professional services, waste management and software, with a range of state tax planning and state tax litigation matters in both administrative and judicial forums.

Steve Jasper is a member at Bass, Berry & Sims in its Nashville office. He advises clients in a wide range of tax disputes regarding Tennessee's sales and use tax, franchise and excise taxes, business tax, and property taxes. Steve represents his clients in negotiations with taxing authorities and, as necessary, guides businesses through administrative proceedings or trials. As a reflection of his experience in state tax matters, on multiple occasions Steve has been selected by the Tennessee Department of Revenue to help draft major rewrites to significant portions of Tennessee's tax statutes. Steve also assists expanding or relocating businesses in Tennessee achieve the maximum value they can through state tax incentives, payments-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) agreements and state grant programs to help grow the state's overall economic base.

Steve is a graduate of the University of Missouri where he received a law degree and bachelor's degree. Prior to joining Bass, Berry & Sims, Steve produced the evening newscast for local ABC affiliate in Columbia, Missouri, KMIZ-ABC 17.