2026 CONFERENCE SPEAKERS
We are excited to have you join us for Employee Owned 2026 (EO26) taking place November 1-4 at the ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. EO26 is designed to help you adapt to the ever-changing business landscape through insightful speakers, innovative ideas, the latest industry updates, technical content you trust, and a focus on current events.
2025 SPEAKERS
James F. Joyner, III, CPA, CVA/ABV, CPC, CRM
Managing Member
Integra Benefits Consulting LLC
Adrian R. Loud Sr.
Managing Director
Censeo Advisors, LLC
Alan H. Kandel
Partner
Husch Blackwell LLP
Alex C. Perry, ASA
Managing Director
Ventura Trust
Alex Moss
Founding Principal
Praxis Consulting Group, Inc.
Allison Wilkerson, JD
Attorney
McDermott Will & Emery
Amanda Giles
Employee Experience Partner
Henderson Companies
Amy Schuster
Managing Director, Co-Head – ESOP Solutions
PNC
Andrew Salek-Raham
Principal
Groom Law Group, Chtd.
Andy Manchir, ASA, CEPA, CMA
Partner
KSM (Katz Sapper & Miller)
Ashleigh Newlin
Managing Director
Chartwell
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Austin Evans
Account Director
5by5 Agency
Avery M. Chenin, JD
Trustee/General Counsel
SCJ Fiduciary Services
Barbara M. Clough, QPA, QKC, QKA
Vice President - ESOP Administration
Blue Ridge Associates
Becky Streff
Vice President of People Operations
Holden Industries, Inc.
Bill Frommelt
Principal
Strategic Talent Partners
Bill O'Brien
Managing Director
The ESOP Group at Morgan Stanley
Bob Gaffney
President & CEO
The Stark Group, Inc.
Brian Ippensen, CPA CMA
President
TI-Trust
Brian Sweeney
CPA, Partner, Client Manager
Redpath and Company
Bryan Busch, MA, LMHC
Learning & Development Manager
Folience
Caitlin Taylor
Director of Collections and Disbursements
Precision Electric Motor Sales
Caleb Brus
Partner
BrownWinick
Cara Benningfield, CPA
Partner
Forvis Mazars
Carlito Cabelin
Education Director
ESOP One
Chad Duke
Vice President - ESOP Advisory Practice
Scott Insurance
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Charlie Daugherty
VP of Finance/CFO
Precision, Inc.
Chelsea McCarthy
Partner
Professional/Attorney
Chris Wingard, MBA, JD
Attorney
Kleinbard LLC
Christa Miehe
President of Corporate Communications
VGM Group, Inc.
Christel Jimenez
VP - ESOP Consulting
Principal
Cindy Turcot
Retired CEO
Gardener's Supply Company
Clifford G. Canavera, CFP®, MBA
President
Canavera Financial Group, LLC
Curt Rubinas
Managing Director
RBC Wealth Management
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Dan Marcue
Vice President for Chapters and Educational Programs
The ESOP Association
Daniel Cooper
Managing Director
PCE
Danielle Foster, Juris Doctor
Attorney and Vice President
Atlas Legal Services, PLLC
Dave Graf, JD
Managing Director
Forvis Mazars
David A. Whaley, JD
Attorney
Thompson Hine
Desiree Garcia, GPHR
Vice President, Human Resources
Proponent, Inc.
Donny Springer
Partner - Valuation Services
Weaver
Drew Larson, JD
Founding Attorney
The Larson Firm
Dylan Rudolph
Of Counsel
Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP
Emily M. Rickard
Attorney
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
Erica Beck Spencer
Senior Director of Curriculum and Certificate Programs
The ESOP Association
Erica Clark, SHRM-CP
Director of Human Resources
Precision Electric Motor Sales
Erin K. Turley
Partner
McDermott Will & Schulte LLP
Eva Villasana
Training & Development Specialist
Pacific Steel and Recycling
Gary Irwin
President and COO
Creative Financial Staffing
Geoff Christian
Employee Benefits Captive Practice Leader
Gallagher
Greg Daugherty
Partner
Professional/Attorney
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Gregory R. Caruso, JD, CPA, ABV, CVA
Partner
Art of Business Valuation
Grenee Martacho
CEO
Concord General Contracting, Inc.
Hannah Wiscaver, PHR, SHRM-CP
Vice President, People & Culture
TrueScripts
Heather G. Svahn
President
Mountain Hardware & Sports
Hillary L. Hughes, CFA
Managing Director
Prairie Capital Advisors
Holly E. Jones, Esq
Associate Attorney
Maselan & Jones
Ian Holloman, ASA
Managing DIrector
HDH Advisors
Ivy Wan-Beltejar, ASA, CFA
Director
Empire Valuation Consultants
Jackson Cooper
Human Resources Generalist
Ghilotti Construction Company
Jacob Cook, CPA
Director
BDO Capital Advisors
Jacquelyn Mosby
Sr. Vice President/CFO
Wiley|Wilson
Jake Cravens
Managing Director
Verit Advisors
James West
CEO
DariFill
Jamie Walrack
Executive Vice President
First American Bank
Jason Wellman
Director of Client Advocacy
ESOP Partners
Jeanette Stillwagner, CPA
Principal
CliftonLarsonAllen LLP
Jeffrey S. Tarbell, FASA, CFA
Director
Houlihan Lokey
Jenn Roberts, MBA
Accounting Manager
Pacific Steel and Recycling
Jennifer A. Pierce
Proposal & Communications Specialist
HdL Companies
Jeremy Waller
Vice President of Technology & Innovation
Phase 2
Jessica Richards, JD
Counsel
Baker & Hostetler LLP
Joe Faucher
Director
Trucker Huss, APC
Joe Yonadi, J.D., LL.M
Partner
BakerHostetler
Joel Davis
Vice President - ESOP Consulting
Principal
John Williams
President/Founder
Elucidate Resources
Jon Williams, QKA
Vice President, ESOP Administration
Blue Ridge Associates
Jordan W. Bergkamp, JD
Partner
Husch Blackwell LLP
Jose Martin Jara, JD
Counsel
Fox Rothschild
Joseph Labetti
Vice President, Co-Leader Capital Markets
Prairie Capital Advisors, Inc.
Juli Primeaux
Executive Vice President
GTS Technology Solutions, Inc
Julie A. Govreau, JD, LLM University of Illinois Chicago School of Law
Senior Vice-President and General Counsel
GreatBanc Trust Company
Justin King, ASA, MBA
Managing Director
Vista Peak
Karen D. Ng
Shareholder
N&G Legal Group, APC
Katelyn W. Harrell, JD
Partner
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP
Kathleen Scheidt
Partner
Ice Miller LLP
Katie Wilusz Long, ASA, CFA
Director
Value Management Inc.
Kenneth Keyser
Project Cost Analyst
CEPEDA Associates Inc
Kip Kuster
Director - ESOP Consulting
Blue Ridge Associates
Kjersti Cory
Independent Trustee
SCJ Fiduciary Services
Kyla Alterman
Senior Consultant
Prudent Fiduciary Services, LLC
Larry Goldberg
Partner
ESOP Law Group, LLP
Laura Isaacs, PHR, SHRM-CP
ESOP Administrator
Rosendin Electric
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Laurie-Leigh White, CPA/ABV, ASA
Partner, ESOP Advisory
BVA Group
Lindsay Shafer
Vice President, ESOP Communication Services
Blue Ridge Associates
Linshuang Lu, MSOD
Managing Principal
Praxis Consulting Group
Marcus R. Piquet, CPA
Senior Managing Director
AmbroseAdvisors
Mark Kingston
Area Senior Vice President
Gallagher
Matt Ewing
Director
Chartwell Financial Advisory
Matthew Drake
Partner
BaseRock Partners
Matthew Sullivan
CFO
Freedom Industries, Inc.
Melisa Gillis, M.ED, PCC
Principal
Gillis Consulting
Melissa Book
CFO
Kraft Fluid Systems, Inc.
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Melissa Thomas, CPA
CEO
SCJ Fiduciary Services
Meredith Fiocchi, CEPA
Associate Vice President - Investments
Wells Fargo Advisors
Michael Ginnetti
CFO
NewAge Industries
Michael McGinley, ASA, CVA
Partner
Monarch Investment Partners
Michael Moyer
Client Service Officer
GreatBanc
Michael Zermeño, CPA
Shareholder
RP&B, Inc., A Professional Accountancy Corporation
Miguel Paredes
ESOP Trustee
Prudent Fiduciary Services, LLC
Mike Frommelt
Founder
Strategic Talent Partners
Mike Lenda
Chief Relationship Officer
5by5 Agency
Mike Mangiore
CFO
S.M. Wilson
Mike Perez, ASA, ABV
Director
Marshall & Stevens (Acuity Advisors)
Mindi M. Johnson, JD
Attorney
Foster Swift Collins & Smith, PC
Nichole Wheeler
CFO
Cisco-Eagle, Inc.
Nick Viner
Director
Prairie Capital Advisors
Patrick Russo
Director of Public Policy
The ESOP Association
Perry Walter, CFA ASA
Director of ESOP Transactions
SCJ
Peter Aliferis
Managing Director
Pendo Advisors
Peter Briggs
Managing Director
Shareholder Strategies, Inc.
Peter Jones
Partner
Tucker Ellis LLP
Randy R. Shrake, QKA
Vice President, ESOP Administration
Blue Ridge Associates
Rebecca Glasgow, CFP, CEPA
Managing Director
RBC Wealth Management
Renee Stadtmueller, CPA, QPA
Vice President, Administration
Blue Ridge Associates
Rick Mapp, UVa Law Degree. UVa Undergraduate.
Partner
Kaufman & Canoles
Rick Pearl
Partner
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
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Robert E. Brown, Esq.
Special Counsel
Stevens & Lee
Ruta Thomas, MA
Senior VP and Regional Director
Environmental Science Associates
Ryan Frederick
Principal
Transform Labs
Ryan Graham
Managing Director
Chartwell
Ryan J. Kuchta
Director of Administration
ESOP Partners, Inc.
Sandra Smith, CPA, CGMA, CVA
Managing Director
Chartwell
Scot Storjohann
Senior Vice-President
GreatBanc Trust Company
Scott Freund, QPA, QKC
Senior Vice President - ESOP
Blue Ridge Associates
Scott J. Stitt
Partner
Tucker Ellis LLP
Sean Power
Employee Stock Ownership Plans Chair
Polsinelli
Sean Sullivan, JD, LLM
Partner
Holland & Knight
Serena N. Amlie, CFA, ASA
Managing Director
GBQ Capital Advisors
Shane Kempton
President and Chief Technology Officer
Phase 2
Shelby R. Sledge, MBA
Managing Partner & Co-Founder
Strategic Mixtape
Sheryl Bayani-Alzona
Shareholder
Employee Benefits Law Group
Stacie Roberts
Accountant
Sentry Equipment
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Stephen C. James, CPA
Founder & Chairman
SCJ Fiduciary Services & SCJ Trust Company
Steve Baker
Vice President
The Great Game of Business
Steve Brum
Vice President & Regional Manager - Pacific Northwest
Recology
Steve Earle
Vice President of Kitchen Operations
Mid South Building Supply, Inc.
Summer Carroll
Office Coordinator
Concord General Contracting
Suzanne Newell, EdD
Chief Education Strategist
GTS Technology Solutions
Sydney Wickliffe
Senior Communications Specialist
Cerris
Theodore M. Becker
Partner, Co-Chair National ERISA Litigation Team
McDermott Will & Schulte
Thomas Dudley
Director
ButcherJoseph & Co.
Tina Langlois
Managing Director
Chartwell Financial Advisory
Todd Bransky
System Integration Specialist III
Folience
Todd D. Wozniak
Partner
Holland & Knight LLP
Todd Johnson
Principal
Strategic Talent Partners
Tracy Robinson
Senior ESOP Consultant
Principal
Trevor Dursky, CFA
Vice President
Prairie Capital Advisors
Trey Winthrop
Chief Executive Officer
Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods, Inc.
Tyson Hendrickson
Training & Development Manager
Pacific Steel & Recycling
Vincent Centofanti, ABV, MBA
Director
Brown, Edwards & Company, LLP
Wendy Lankes, QKA
Senior Manager, Client Services
Principal
