94th Annual Meeting and Convention

Gary Thomson, CPA, serves as an advisor to CPA Firms in the critical areas of, succession planning, partner compensation, leadership development and coaching, M & A, strategic planning, culture, profitability, and innovation.

After beginning his career with an international firm, Gary started his own practice. Over a 30-plus year period, through organic and M & A, Gary was in leadership as the firm scaled from a local to regional to national Top 15 firm.

Pursuing a passion to impact the future of the public accounting profession, Gary launched Thomson Consulting in 2019. Utilizing his range of public accounting knowledge and experience, Gary works with CPA Firms, CEOs/Managing Partners, and Leadership Teams to develop strategies required for CPA Firm success.

He has served as Chairman of the Virginia Society of CPAs and as a member of AICPA Council.

He also recently served as Chairman of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and is a thought leader on public policy issues including recent leadership in the areas of tax reform, Early Childhood education, tort reform, economic development, ethics in government, and public-private partnership efforts.

Don Minges, MBA, is the principal at The Knowledge Institute, LLC, www.theknowledgeinstitute.com, a leading CPE provider. Don also serves as a fractional CFO who works in diverse industries at various stages. His expertise is in profitability enhancement, strategic planning, venture capital, mergers & acquisitions, consulting, turnarounds, economic forecasting, cost accounting and financial analysis. Don has experience raising equity and has invested equity into promising businesses. He has served on the Board of Directors for several firms. Don graduated with highest honors from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke. Don's mission is to increase the value of the business.

Tommy Stephens received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree (Major in Accounting) from Auburn University in 1985. In 1992, he earned a Master of Science degree (Major in Finance) from Georgia State University in Atlanta. Presently, Tommy is a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Information Technology Professional, and a Chartered Global Management Accountant.

During his professional career, Tommy has gained valuable experience in a variety of positions, including:

Working as an auditor and technology consultant for an Atlanta-based public accounting firm; Leading an Internal Audit staff and managing a Cost Accounting team for a Fortune 500 company; Serving as a Chief Financial Officer for an international engineering organization; and Founding and managing his public accounting firm that provides accounting, tax, and consulting services to individuals and a variety of small and emerging businesses.

In 1995, Tommy began authoring and presenting continuing professional education courses to accounting and finance professionals. In 2003, he affiliated with K2 Enterprises, and in 2007, he joined the firm as a partner. Over the past twenty-seven years, Tommy has presented over 2,800 educational sessions to over 71,000 participants throughout the United States and Canada.

Tommy maintains professional memberships with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants. Additionally, he is a past member of the Institute of Internal Auditors.

Mr. Mackey has over thirty years of consulting experience covering solutions delivery, strategic consulting, corporate-wide training, coaching, executive search, and facilitation.

A visionary able to operate at executive through individual contributor levels. He has delivered to global teams with significant experience in the United States, India, Canada, and Europe in support of global organizations.

Before forming Sequoia Consultancy, Mr. Mackey served as a diversity, equity, and inclusion expert in a global human capital firm, a major retail organization, and has also led the consulting division of an India-based firm.

In his current role, he is a subject matter expert in global leadership, talent development, diversity, equity, and inclusion and its impact on engagement and culture.

His expertise includes global diversity strategies, organizational assessments and training as well as cultural competencies.

Mr. Mackey manages clients in a variety of industries, including professional services, consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, technology, petrochemicals, non-profit, and higher education. Mr. Mackey focuses on ensuring that solutions are cascaded from leadership through the employee value chain in a sustainable manner. Each solution is geared towards increasing the cultural dexterity of leaders and employees.

Mr. Mackey is certified in assessments, and competency development, which support his talent assessment, coaching, and development consulting.

Mr. Mackey earned his bachelor of arts degree from Pennsylvania State University and completed the Windhover Program for pharmaceutical and biotechnology at Wharton, and a Master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He is currently a doctoral candidate (ABD) at the University of Pennsylvania.

Kelly Crow, CPA, began her career as an intern with RBG and became one of the firm's first full-time tax staff hires after graduating from Christian Brothers University (CBU). Over her 15 years at RBG, she advanced through roles such as tax senior, manager, senior manager, and now partner. She focuses on compliance, consulting, and planning for various clients, including private clients, real estate partnerships, auto dealerships, nonprofits, private foundations, and employee benefit plans. She also has extensive experience with IRS and state representation.

Kelly is actively involved in TSCPA, serving as the 2024-25 TSCPA Chair. She has also served as President of the Memphis Chapter of TSCPA. At the national level, she is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and serves on the AICPA Council. In 2019, she was selected for the AICPA Leadership Academy. Locally, Kelly has volunteered with the CBU Alumni Association Board, the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis, and the Greater Memphis Chamber Young Professionals Council.

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. Amelia Hart is a distinguished educator and leader in the field of accounting. She is recognized as one of Poets & Quants' Top 50 Business Undergrad Professors. With a passion for teaching, Dr. Hart has built a reputation for transforming students' academic experiences through her innovative and engaging teaching methods. Her ability to connect with students has led many to consider her one of the most impactful professors they have encountered.

Dr. Hart's commitment to excellence extends beyond the classroom. She is known for her mentorship and her dedication to student success, fostering a supportive environment where students thrive academically and personally. Her innovative approaches to curriculum development, as well as her active participation in faculty development initiatives, have earned her numerous accolades, including the Richard C. Reizenstein Outstanding Commitment to Students Award, University of Tennessee President's Citation of Merit, Decosimo Faculty Leadership Award, Rhea and Ivy Excellence in Teaching Award, Volunteer Faculty Launchpad Mentor, and many more.

Her impact includes service for nonprofit boards, academic, and other organizations including Goodwill Industries, United Way, the American Accounting Association, Beta Alpha Psi International, and the Tennessee Society of CPAs. Dr. Hart's leadership roles in professional organizations and her contributions to the accounting field have solidified her as a respected voice in accounting education. She co-authors the bi-monthly articles Accounting and Auditing articles in the Tennessee CPA Journal.

In addition to her academic and professional achievements, Dr. Hart is a sought-after speaker, known for her ability to inspire and engage audiences across a variety of sectors. She has been invited to speak at academic conferences, government entities, and nonprofit organizations, where she advocates for innovation, inclusive practices, and the future of accounting education.

As a mentor, professor, and thought leader, Dr. Hart continues to shape the future of accounting education, instilling in her students not only technical knowledge but also the confidence to excel in their careers and make a lasting impact in the profession.