56th Annual Virginia Accounting & Auditing Virtual Conference

Jeffrey Lewis

Jeffrey Lewis, MBA, RR, CTP, CCM, is a frequent lecturer on economics, finance, international development, digital and financial technologies, sustainability and artificial intelligence from a transformational and business context.

Jeff’s practice areas include strategy development and implementation; corporate and global finance and treasury; financial institutions and markets; risk management and re-engineering; technology deployment and sustainability. He has worked worldwide for a variety of multinational companies.

Joseph Thornton

Joseph Thornton, CPA/ABV, CFF, PFS, CFP®, CVA, has over 30 years of experience in business valuation, public accounting, banking and financial consulting services. He is a former founder, director and commercial loan officer for Regency Bank in Richmond, and has many years of experience in all aspects of public accounting. Joe provides business valuation and related consulting services in the Richmond office of Brown Edwards & Company LLP. As a valuation expert, he has prepared valuation reports for a wide range of purposes including: business planning, business purchases and sales, gift and estate tax returns, planning for gifts, estates and trusts, and other valuation consulting services. He has been accepted as a qualified expert witness in various courts within Virginia in the area of business valuations and accounting. Joe has also been recognized as one of Virginia’s “Super CPAs” in the Business Valuation/Litigation category by the Virginia Business magazine and the Virginia Society of CPAs.

George Strudgeon

George D. Strudgeon, CPA, MBA, CISA, CGFM, is an Audit Director at the Virginia Auditor of Public Accounts where he leads the Single Audit of the Commonwealth.  Additionally, George serves on the AICPA's Government Audit Quality Center Executive Committee and is the vice chair for the National State Auditors Association Single Audit Committee.  He represents these entities twice a year at the Single Audit Roundtable and receives regular updates from OMB and other federal agencies impacting Single Audits.  George shares his insight and knowledge by presenting at national conferences and other events.

King Tower

King Tower assists employers with employment law litigation, labor-management relations, and
also offers counsel to businesses on employment-related matters. King’s experience includes
defending claims under the FLSA, the FMLA, the ADEA, the ADA, and Title VII. He has extensive experience providing strategic guidance to clients on conducting internal audits of corporate compliance, employment policies, and other critical decisions. King also assists federal contractors in preparing affirmative action programs and represents them during government audits. King has served as lead negotiator in collective bargaining and has represented employers in grievance and arbitration proceedings.

Duncan Will

Duncan Will, CPA/ABV/CFF, CFE, leverages his more than 40 years of experience in accounting, including public accounting, forensic accounting, consulting and audit and tax compliance, to deliver to policyholders the high-touch, high-quality CAMICO experience. He works closely with the Loss Prevention Specialists to manage the department’s efforts to deliver policyholder service. Duncan’s specialties are accounting and auditing and business valuation-related risk management. He advises policyholders through the CAMICO Loss Prevention Hotline, speaks to CPA groups, and writes articles on a wide range of accounting risk management and ethics topics. Topics of particular interest include complying with the AICPA’s Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services, doubts about an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern, cyber-security, and serving clients in the cannabis industry. 

Duncan began his accounting career in 1979 as a staff accountant in the Washington, D.C. area and spent most of his public accounting career in California and Florida. He earned a Bachelor of Science in accounting from the University of Maryland and is Accredited in Business Valuation and Certified in Financial Forensics. A Certified Fraud Examiner, Duncan is an active member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners; has supplemented his education with college courses at the University of Baltimore, Golden Gate University, and Florida Atlantic University; and welcomes opportunities to expand his knowledge over a broad spectrum of accounting-related curricula.

Sonya Waddell

Sonya Ravindranath Waddell joined the Research department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond in January 2008. She oversees the regional and community development research area within the department. Her responsibilities include running surveys of businesses and other organizations, directing and engaging in analysis on economic and community development issues, analyzing and providing information on regional and national economic trends, and directing the incorporation of regional information into the Richmond Fed monetary policymaking process. Prior to joining the Richmond Fed, Waddell worked as an economist in the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget and at ICF International in Washington, D.C.  She received a B.A. from Williams College in 2001 and an M.S. in Applied Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2006. She currently serves on the boards of the Virginia Association of Economists, the YWCA of Richmond, and the Virginia Opera. She is also a member of the Joint Advisory Board of Economists for the Commonwealth of Virginia and has served on the board of the Richmond Association of Business Economics.

King Tower

King Tower assists employers with employment law litigation, labor-management relations, and
also offers counsel to businesses on employment-related matters. King’s experience includes
defending claims under the FLSA, the FMLA, the ADEA, the ADA, and Title VII. He has extensive experience providing strategic guidance to clients on conducting internal audits of corporate compliance, employment policies, and other critical decisions. King also assists federal contractors in preparing affirmative action programs and represents them during government audits. King has served as lead negotiator in collective bargaining and has represented employers in grievance and arbitration proceedings.

Vivian Paige

Vivian J. Paige, CPA, CGMA, MBA, MS, has extensive experience in taxation and accounting. She was a successful sole practitioner until selling most of her firm 11 years ago and joining the faculty of her alma mater, Old Dominion University (ODU). During her nine years at ODU, she received numerous awards, including being bestowed the permanent title of ""University Distinguished Teacher"" and being named the ""Most Inspiring Faculty Member"" by the winner of the ODU Kaufman Scholar Award, given annually to the top student among ODU's 25,000+ students. She then spent two years as a member of the faculty at Christopher Newport University, where, in addition to teaching, she served as a mentor to the next generation of CPAs. She is currently taking a break from teaching.  

Vivian is a member of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the Virginia Society of CPAs (VSCPA). She is actively involved in the VSCPA, currently serving as a member and immediate past chair of the Tax Advisory Committee and as a member of the VSCPA Political Action Committee Board, the ad hoc Educators' Symposium Task Force, and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Council. She authored the VSCPA Legislators' Tax Guide and presented briefings to the legislature on taxation. She is the co-author of two current VSCPA ethics courses. She is the author of the VSCPA’s monthly Don Farmer Federal Tax newsletter, and authors and presents its annual Federal Tax Update.  She also is a presenter at several VSCPA conferences. Her longtime service to the VSCPA was recognized in 2019 when she was named the Outstanding Member.  

Vivian is also involved in her community. She serves as a member of the Audit and Finance Committee of the FoodBank of Southeastern Virginia, on the audit and finance committees of the ACLU of Virginia, and as a board member of the Hampton Roads Tax Forum. She was a member of the Mayor's Commission on Equity and Economic Opportunity and the Mayor's Committee on Gaming. For a number of years, she was a weekly guest opinion columnist for The Virginian-Pilot, covering state and local politics. She co-founded Norfolk United Facing Race and was a founding board member of the Hampton Roads Center for Civic Engagement. Her varied interests have led her to be a public speaker and a frequent guest on radio and television, both locally and nationally. For her work in the community, she has received numerous awards, including being a YWCA Women of Distinction honoree.

Lisa Germano

Lisa Germano, CPA, J.D., has spent her career at the intersection of business strategy, financial planning and employee empowerment — helping companies design retirement plans that do more than just check a compliance box. With a unique blend of legal and financial expertise, Lisa has guided organizations in using smart plan design as a tool to drive real behavioral change and long-term financial wellness for their employees. 

Now, with the wisdom that comes from decades of experience, Lisa reflects on the critical conversations that were often missing — the deeper discussions that truly engage plan participants and inspire them to envision and prepare for their future. Her mission today is clear — to help individuals and companies build a culture of planning that supports what she calls "simply the best time of your life" — a retirement that’s not just financially secure, but personally fulfilling.

Jeffrey Lewis

Jeffrey Lewis, MBA, RR, CTP, CCM, is a frequent lecturer on economics, finance, international development, digital and financial technologies, sustainability and artificial intelligence from a transformational and business context.

Jeff’s practice areas include strategy development and implementation; corporate and global finance and treasury; financial institutions and markets; risk management and re-engineering; technology deployment and sustainability. He has worked worldwide for a variety of multinational companies.

Ann Genova

Ann is a Senior Manager based in the Roanoke office. She has over 10 years of experience in public accounting and municipal auditing. Her experience includes a variety of accounting, tax, bookkeeping, and payroll engagements. In addition, she has over 10 years of experience teaching humanities courses at universities and colleges prior to joining the Brown Edwards team.

Ann specializes in providing training sessions to local government accounting staff. She teaches them not only the concepts and rules of government accounting, but also applies them to their workpapers, trial balances, and financial reports. 

Ann holds a Master of Accounting and Information Systems from the Graduate School of Virginia Tech, a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Frostburg State University, and a Doctorate and Master in History from the University of Texas at Austin.

Ann is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She is in compliance with all recent continuing professional education requirements required by the Government Auditing Standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United States.

John Aldridge

John Aldridge, CPA is a partner based in the Roanoke office of Brown Edwards with over 25 years of experience in public accounting.  He also serves as the area coordinator for our Roanoke, Lynchburg, and New River Valley offices and Blue Ridge Region Coordinator for the Firm. 

John’s concentration is related to municipalities, healthcare, and HUD entities; he has extensive experience performing organizational reviews as they relate to internal controls and operations.  

John holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from James Madison University. John is a member of the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Virginia Government Finance Officers’ Association.  

He is actively committed to serving the community through current memberships on the following community committees or boards including:? 

• Treasurer for the Better Business Bureau of Western Virginia
• Rescue Mission of Roanoke – Chapel Services
• Deacon and adult Sunday School teacher at his church
• Finance committee member CHIP of Roanoke Valley

Deborah Moeller

Debbie is a Director in the Roanoke office with over 30 years of experience in public accounting. She leads the client accounting and advisory services department for the Roanoke, Lynchburg and NRV offices.

Industry Expertise:
Construction
Taxation

Focus Areas
Small business and construction accounting and taxation; corporate, pass-through and individual taxation; small business consulting; and client accounting and advisory services.

Education, Certifications & Memberships

B.S. Accounting - Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University

Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)

Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants (VSCPA)

Bryant Harrison

Bryant Harrison is the founder and CEO of Seventh Wall, a cybersecurity and managed IT firm that helps professional services firms protect sensitive client data, maintain compliance, and avoid costly security failures. 

Over the past two decades, Bryant has worked on both sides of cybersecurity - preventing attacks and responding to them. 

He has firsthand experience helping businesses recover from ransomware incidents, data breaches, and operational failures, giving him a clear understanding of what actually goes wrong and how to stop it before it happens. 

Bryant is especially focused on the unique risks faced by CPAs and accountants. Where confidentiality, integrity, and due care are not just best practices, they are professional obligations. His team works closely with firms to implement practical safeguards that reduce liability, protect client trust, and support regulatory requirements without adding unnecessary complexity. 

His path into technology began in 2004 while finishing a degree in Cognitive Science at the University of Virginia. With no formal IT background, Bryant built his early business by explaining technology in plain language and making sure clients could call and talk to a real, caring person and get help promptly.  This is something that remains a core part of Seventh Wall’s culture today. 

Seventh Wall now serves clients nationwide, with a strong presence in Central Virginia, and is known for delivering responsive, thoughtful support to organizations that cannot afford downtime, data loss, or security failures. 

Michael Brand

Michael L. Brand is currently a member/partner in the firm of BMSS, LLC working out of their Huntsville, AL office with an emphasis in auditing and accounting services, peer review, litigation support, and quality management. He has been in the practice of public accounting for over 34 years. He also teaches continuing education classes across the country, for which he has received the AICPA and ASCPA Outstanding Discussion Leader Award multiple times; and has spoken at several conferences nationwide and overseas.  

Mike is a newly appointed member of the AICPAs Audit Standards Board and was formerly a member of the AICPA’s PCPS Technical Issues Committee, is a past chair of the Alabama Society of CPAs Board of Directors; current co-chair of the AICPA’s ENGAGE conference; and past chair and current member of the steering committee for National Advanced Accounting and Auditing Technical Symposium at ENGAGE. He serves as a committee member of the Partners in Peer Review of the ASCPA, the AICPAs Attestation Standards Task Force and PEECs Engagements Subject to the SSAEs Task Force .  He also serves on the Accounting Advisory Council for the University of North Alabama. Previously, he was chair of the Accounting and Review Services Committee, on the Professional Ethics Executive Committee, Peer Review Board, Joint Trial Board, and Quality Control Standards Task Force of the AICPA. 

Mike received his B.S. in accounting from the University of North Alabama and currently resides in Athens, AL with his wife and has two adult sons.  In his free time, he enjoys most outdoor sports including running and pickle ball and also loves to cook, travel and eat.

Melissa Sikes

Since beginning her career in 2000, Melissa has focused on providing audit and tax services to our not-for-profit clients in the Richmond area. Additionally, Melissa also serves as a partner in our employee benefit plan niche, and she works with many other business clients by providing assurance services. Melissa actively recruits talent to the firm and spear-headed a summer externship that focuses on drawing students to a career in public accounting. 

She is a member of the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and ChamberRVA. 
Melissa holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting and Finance from Bridgewater College.

Since 2007 Melissa has volunteered in various positions with Shineforth (formerly United Methodist Family Services (UMFS)), a long-standing not-for-profit providing a comprehensive array of programs to support children and their families in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Currently, Melissa sits on the Board of Directors and chairs the Finance Committee.

Randolph Johnston

Randolph (Randy) Johnston, MCS, has over 40 years of management and technology consulting experience and continues to be a top-rated speaker in the technology industry. Inducted into the Accounting Hall of Fame in 2011, Randy is listed as a Top 25 Thought Leader in Accounting from 2011–2021. His influence throughout the accounting profession is highlighted by being a recipient of the Accounting Today Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting award from 2004–2021. Among his many other awards, he holds the honor of being one of nine technology stars in the U.S. by Accounting Technology Magazine.

Randy has started and owns multiple businesses, including K2 Enterprises in Hammond, La., and Network Management Group, Inc. (NMGI) in Hutchinson, Kan. NMGI has supported CPA firms for 30+ years and is the largest managed service provider serving the CPA profession in North America.

He has taught technology courses at Hutchingson Community College, James Madison University, Western Washington University and the University of Central Oklahoma.

Jason Daniel

Jason Daniel has over 20 years of experience specializing in IT and business strategy, working across government, commercial, nonprofit and education sectors. He is recognized for his ability to assess complex organizational challenges and develop strategic solutions that align technology with business objectives. Jason excels at identifying long-term IT needs and crafting practical, cost-effective strategies that account for constraints such as budget, technology and organizational capacity.

His expertise includes creating IT roadmaps, modernizing legacy systems, and optimizing processes to enhance efficiency and support future growth. Clients regularly seek his strategic advisory skills for both immediate and long-term planning. Jason’s ability to offer CIO-level insight ensures that the strategies he delivers are actionable, sustainable and tailored to each organization’s unique needs.

Michael Brand

Michael L. Brand is currently a member/partner in the firm of BMSS, LLC working out of their Huntsville, AL office with an emphasis in auditing and accounting services, peer review, litigation support, and quality management. He has been in the practice of public accounting for over 34 years. He also teaches continuing education classes across the country, for which he has received the AICPA and ASCPA Outstanding Discussion Leader Award multiple times; and has spoken at several conferences nationwide and overseas.  

Mike is a newly appointed member of the AICPAs Audit Standards Board and was formerly a member of the AICPA’s PCPS Technical Issues Committee, is a past chair of the Alabama Society of CPAs Board of Directors; current co-chair of the AICPA’s ENGAGE conference; and past chair and current member of the steering committee for National Advanced Accounting and Auditing Technical Symposium at ENGAGE. He serves as a committee member of the Partners in Peer Review of the ASCPA, the AICPAs Attestation Standards Task Force and PEECs Engagements Subject to the SSAEs Task Force .  He also serves on the Accounting Advisory Council for the University of North Alabama. Previously, he was chair of the Accounting and Review Services Committee, on the Professional Ethics Executive Committee, Peer Review Board, Joint Trial Board, and Quality Control Standards Task Force of the AICPA. 

Mike received his B.S. in accounting from the University of North Alabama and currently resides in Athens, AL with his wife and has two adult sons.  In his free time, he enjoys most outdoor sports including running and pickle ball and also loves to cook, travel and eat.

Randolph Johnston

Randolph (Randy) Johnston, MCS, has over 40 years of management and technology consulting experience and continues to be a top-rated speaker in the technology industry. Inducted into the Accounting Hall of Fame in 2011, Randy is listed as a Top 25 Thought Leader in Accounting from 2011–2021. His influence throughout the accounting profession is highlighted by being a recipient of the Accounting Today Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting award from 2004–2021. Among his many other awards, he holds the honor of being one of nine technology stars in the U.S. by Accounting Technology Magazine.

Randy has started and owns multiple businesses, including K2 Enterprises in Hammond, La., and Network Management Group, Inc. (NMGI) in Hutchinson, Kan. NMGI has supported CPA firms for 30+ years and is the largest managed service provider serving the CPA profession in North America.

He has taught technology courses at Hutchingson Community College, James Madison University, Western Washington University and the University of Central Oklahoma.

Mary Morris

Mary G. Morris is the Chief Executive Officer of Commonwealth Savers (formerly known as Virginia529), which provides the largest tax-advantaged education savings program in the country with the direct Invest529 and advisor CollegeAmerica programs; the tax-advantaged disability savings ABLEnow and ABLEAmerica programs; and RetirePath Virginia, a state-facilitated workplace private retirement program launched in June 2023. Commonwealth Savers also sponsors SOAR Virginia, which administers a variety of scholarship and access, affordability and attainment initiatives to foster inclusion in educational access and make postsecondary education more affordable and accessible to all.

Mary works with the executive team to develop the strategic vision and coordinates the operations, resources, outreach and investments of Commonwealth Savers. She is involved in state and federal legislative and governance issues relating to 529, ABLE and private retirement initiatives and policy. Mary is a private practice lawyer specialized in tax, public finance, securities and ESG matters. Earlier in her career in the public sector, she served as a Virginia Senior Assistant Attorney General for Tax and Finance and served a term as the Treasurer of Virginia.

Mary earned her Juris Doctor and Master of Law and Taxation from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law, College of William and Mary. She is active in both national 529 organizations, serving as Chair of the College Savings Plans Network and is a former Chair of the College Savings Foundation. Mary is a member of the boards of the Virginia Council on Economic Education (VCEE) and the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education (VFCCE) and a former board member of Junior Achievement of Central Virginia (JACV).