Adirondack Chapter Tax Conference

John started his career in New York working for Arthur Andersen & Co (three years) and International Paper Company (nine years). In 1989, John moved back to Lake Placid and joined his father’s accounting firm, Adirondack Audit Co, where he now practices as a CPA. John is on the board of several regional Non-Profit organizations. He is the 2017 recipient of the Michael Urbach CPA Community Builder Award from the New York Council on Non-Profits (NYCON.) John has been a member of the NYS Society of CPA’s since 1989. He has served on the Board of Directors for seven years, including one year as Vice-President. He currently serves as President of NYSSCPA’s Adirondack Chapter.

Jennifer’s practice focuses on corporate, tax and estate and business succession planning matters. She advises privately held companies and individuals on a wide range of corporate and tax matters, including mergers and acquisitions, real estate, financial transactions and complex trust and estate matters. Admitted to practice in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts, she serves a robust client base of privately held corporate clients and high-net worth individuals seeking corporate, tax and trust and estate planning services. She works closely with other attorneys, accountants, financial advisors and business owners, among others. Her extensive experience includes leading teams to advise clients on the sale and purchase of a wide variety of businesses, including manufacturing, data analytics, construction, wholesale distribution, retail, hospitality, professional services and consulting. In addition, Jennifer advises start up and mature businesses on all aspects of operations, including governance, capital raising, executive compensation and vendor contracts, along with extensive experience working with businesses with respect to MWBE and DBE program qualification and appeals. Jennifer also advises businesses and individuals in all areas of tax planning and controversy work, including with respect to partnerships, corporations, trusts and estates. In addition to her legal practice, Jennifer is the director of the M.S. in taxation program at the University at Albany, State University of New York, where she teaches courses on partnership tax, state and interstate taxation, tax planning and research. She is also an adjunct professor at Albany Law School, where she teaches various tax courses as well.

Orumé Hays, CPA, CGMA is the Founder and CEO of HAYS CPA LLC and currently serves as President-Elect of the New York State Society of CPAs (NYCPA). She has held numerous leadership positions within the NYCPA, including Director-at-Large, President of the Manhattan/Bronx Chapter, and Chair of several committees, including Small Firms Practice Management, Relations with the IRS, and Audit.

With more than a decade of experience in accounting, finance, and business operations, Orumé has advised organizations ranging from small businesses to national and international enterprises. Her expertise spans a variety of industries, including architecture, design, entertainment, event production, food and beverage, healthcare, and hospitality, with a focus on financial management, operational excellence, and strategic advisory services.

An active leader in the profession, Orumé is a member of both the AICPA and the NYCPA and serves on several NYCPA committees, including Financial Accounting Standards, Personal Financial Planning, Not-for-Profit Organizations, and Small Firms Practice Management, where she previously served as Chair. She is also actively involved with the AICPA's Private Companies Practice Section (PCPS).

In addition to her professional and volunteer leadership, Orumé is a former two-term Treasurer of the University of Benin Alumni Association North America, a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor, and an Adjunct Lecturer at the Lucille and Jay Chazanoff School of Business at the College of Staten Island (CUNY).

Recognized for her leadership, industry expertise, and dedication to advancing the profession, Orumé is a respected advisor, educator, and advocate for the accounting and finance community.

Irene Wachsler, CPA, MBA is the current owner of Wachsler CPA LLC, a niche public accounting firm focusing on the Entertainment Industry, Digital/Crypto Currency Compliance, and Tax Controversy. She is also a current Board Member and Virtual Chapter President of the National Conference of CPA Practitioners (NCCPAP). Prior to COVID, she also ran the Massachusetts Society of CPA’s South Shore Breakfast Networking Forum for over 15 years. Irene holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics with a concentration in Computer Science from the University of Lowell, and a Master’s in Business Administration from Babson College.

Sara Carlson leads the Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility, which regulates over 36,000 registered tax return preparers and facilitators. Her office is committed to holding tax preparers to the highest standards of quality service and holding the relatively few tax preparers who don’t meet those standards accountable. She coordinates every aspect of this program including annual registration and continuing educational training, tax preparer complaints, and enforcement. Sara has been with the Department for 13 years and started her career as a Corporation Tax Auditor in the Albany District Office. Ms. Carlson has a bachelor’s degree in business and accounting from Plattsburgh State University.

Zana’s practice encompasses a variety of corporate and business matters, including mergers and acquisitions, equity and asset transactions, business planning, and other general corporate matters. She has experience preparing and interpreting transactional documents, conducting due diligence analysis and drafting related disclosures. Zana’s practice also includes various not-for-profit representations. She assists with counseling clients in initial corporate structurings, securing and maintaining state and federal tax exemptions, as well as on issues of governance, ongoing operations and dissolutions.