VSCPA Ignite

Lexy Kessler, CPA, CGMA

is the 2025-2026 chair of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants.

A trusted advisor with 40 years of experience, Kessler helps organizations in the Mid-Atlantic region turn challenges into opportunities. She’s recognized as one of the “Most Powerful Women in Accounting” and serves as chair of the Board for AICPA. Kessler is passionate about mentoring professionals and driving innovation in the accounting industry.

Scott Wayne

supports Envoy Executives' clients in developing strategies, negotiating partnerships and navigating disputes.

In government diplomatic service and subsequently, in the private sector, Wayne has worked on some of the most nuanced issues at the intersection of government, business and nonprofit missions.  

He teaches executive leadership programs and speaks at conferences on combining negotiation theory, behavioral economics, and stagecraft to understand human behaviors, negotiate through conflict, and influence outcomes.

Dr. Tom Epperson

is the president of InnerWill Leadership Institute and has over 20 years of experience as a leadership coach, facilitator, and speaker, and regularly works with clients to help transform leaders and their organizations. He is a certified business coach and has a Doctorate in Leadership from The George Washington University. Epperson is currently an adjunct instructor in Virginia Commonwealth University's Executive MBA Program.

Stephanie Peters, CAE

is president & chief executive officer of the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants (VSCPA), a statewide professional association for CPAs. She has been with the VSCPA since 1997 and leads the organization on strategy; diversity, equity, and inclusion; national and external relations; and member engagement. As president & CEO, Peters is a member of the VSCPA Board of Directors and its Executive Committee. 

Marnette Myers, CPA, JD

is a partner at Prager Metis CPAs, a member of Prager Metis International Group. Myers is a CPA and an attorney licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Myers has over 20 years of experience in the accounting profession with an expertise in overseeing and supervising the preparation of nonprofit, corporate, partnership, fiduciary and individual tax returns. She works with closely-held businesses to develop strategies to reduce taxes for the business as well as the owners. She also gives regular presentations to local groups and organizations regarding tax planning and changes in tax laws and regulations.

Myers has been recognized by the Northern Virginia Magazine and the Washingtonian Magazine as a top tax advisor in the Metropolitan D.C. area for several years.

Dr. Kevin Matthews, CPA, Ed.D., SHRM-CP, MST, MBA, MAcc

has over 20 years of financial and accounting experience and 10 years of HR experience. He specializes in International Taxation, Real Estate transactions, Government Contractors, and other Small Businesses (corporations, partnerships, and sole proprietorships.) Matthews came to the accounting industry after over eight years of service in the U.S. Navy.

Lisa Chenofsky Singer

is a purpose-driven executive, leadership and team coach; mentor coach and supervisor; and change management practitioner who helps individuals, teams, and organizations grow through transformational coaching and change. She is the owner of Chenofsky Singer & Associates LLC.

Karen Benoy Preston

is a trailblazing executive and team coach, dedicated 
to empowering senior leaders and high-performing teams to achieve authentic alignment and sustainable success. As president of EMCC USA, she is passionate about advancing coaching excellence nationwide, fostering a community grounded in growth, innovation, and transformational leadership. 

Gary Thomson, CPA

is a CPA and advisor to CPA firms. After a 34-year career in public accounting, Thomson launched Thomson Consulting LLC as a platform to assist firms and their leaders to be future-ready. Thomson was recently recognized by Accounting Today as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting. He is a past chair of the VSCPA and past member of AICPA Council.  

Cecilia Dahl

is an award-winning business executive, author, and the founder of The Remote Leadership Lab. With decades of experience leading teams and scaling businesses, she understands the challenges that come with managing remote teams firsthand. As the co-founder of Smart Destinations, which she grew to a hundred-million-dollar enterprise, Dahl navigated the transition to a fully remote team, discovering that strong communication, intentional leadership, and building trust were key to success. 

Dr. Rachel Boehm

helps leaders predict and transform human behavior in the workplace, including their own, during times of change management and constant chaos. She solves people and process problems within and across teams. She helps transform reactive work environments and hustle cultures into ones that support sustainable high performance. 

Taylor Steffan, LCSW, JD

is a licensed clinical social worker and attorney. As a therapist in private practice, Steffan supports professionals in high-pressure careers as they navigate work-life balance and stress management. She has a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law, a master's in social work from Virginia Commonwealth University, and an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University. 

Brent McDaniel

is the chief digital officer at Aprio, where he leads a dynamic technology team focused on driving growth through intelligent automation, data activation, and creating the industry's best client experiences. With a passion for innovation and a relentless drive to shape the future, Brent partners with Aprio’s leadership and management to develop transformative solutions that enhance operations, empower team members, and deliver exceptional client results.

Bringing nearly 30 years of experience, Brent has a proven track record of aligning technology with business strategies to achieve measurable growth. His knowledge spans building organizations from the ground up, including scaling a startup into the world’s largest financial exchange, and implementing impactful, scalable solutions. At Aprio, Brent specializes in simplifying complexity and designing actionable roadmaps that fuel the firm’s strategic objectives.
 

Jaideep Singh

is the co-founder & CEO of Fly Fin AI, with 20 years of experience in building AI companies and a proven track record of creating successful startups that have created over $3 billion in value. He is passionate about combining AI/ML with CPAs to build a game-changing tax solution. He has a BS and MS in Computer Engineering from the University of Arizona and an MBA from the Wharton School.