Staten Island Chapter Taxation Conference

Doreen M. Inserra, CPA, CGFM is President/Owner of a Staten Island-based taxation and accounting firm--Doreen M. Inserra, CPA, P.C.--since 1997, which focuses, year-round, on individual and business tax and accounting services (including QuickBooks® consultation, Individual, Business, Tax Exempt, Estate and Trust Tax Returns). She was awarded the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce Louis R. Miller Business Leadership Award on February 13, 2014 by City Council Citation. She is called on, each year, to participate in an annual Tax Update Seminar for the public and tax practitioners by SCORE Staten Island which awarded Ms. Inserra Honorary Membership in May 2013. In addition, Ms. Inserra was formerly Audit Manager for the NYC Comptroller’s Audit Office’s Bureau of Financial Audit that included, prior to 1997, managing audits that focused on evaluating leases and franchise agreements that the City maintained with private entities. Other audits that Ms. Inserra managed and participated in, at the NYC Comptroller’s Office, included evaluating the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's $60 million station maintenance bill to New York City; conducting internal control audits of NYC's Community Boards; and analyzing property damage claims filed by private citizens and businesses in the NYC area. In addition, Ms. Inserra participated, as an audit team member of the NYC Comptroller's Office Bureau of Management Audit, in a contract compliance audit of one of the largest business improvement districts in New York City as well as a management audit, issued on June 23, 1995, as Audit Supervisor (while taking on the Assistant Audit Manager role), on the effectiveness of the Department of Juvenile Justice's Aftercare Program (MH95-056A) which has been previously archived, online, in The Clinton Library and is listed in the NYC Comptroller’s Audit Library under reference #6431. She has been previously listed in the 1996/1997 Official Directory of the City of New York after providing almost 10 years (1987 to 1997) of service after receiving a Certificate of Excellence—Team Excellence Award—Finance Audits-- on February 4, 1993. In late February 2012, Ms. Inserra was appointed by the Governor of New York State as Observer to the NYS Financial Control Board for the NYS Senate Temporary President & Majority Leader. In addition, Ms. Inserra is an appointed Accountant with the NYS Unified Court System for Richmond County (Part 36). She is an audit committee member of the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Inserra is also an Investment Advisor Representative in New York State. For over 20 years, Ms. Inserra has been a CPA member of the NYS Society of CPA’s-Staten Island Chapter as well as its past Secretary (for two terms), President, President-Elect, and, currently, Immediate Past President, and, Chapter Board Member of the Chapter Executive Board. Additionally, Ms. Inserra is a long-time member of the Association of Government Accountants (AGA) from which she received the professional certification, Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM). The CGFM recognizes “…skills and specialized knowledge in governmental accounting, auditing, financial reporting, internal controls and budgeting at the federal, state and local levels.” In April 2018, Ms. Inserra received, from the AICPA, her Cybersecurity Advisory Services Certificate after completing 16 hours of extensive training in Durham, NC. In early October 2018, Ms. Inserra, became a trained arbitrator by the New York County Lawyers Association in the New York State Attorney-Client Fee Dispute Resolution Program at the request of the Richmond County Bar Association. In December 2018, she became a new member of both the Independent Association of Accountants of Staten Island and the Staten Island Economic Development Corp.’s Executive Women’s Council in addition to her long-time memberships with other tax and accounting societies/associations, and, professional membership groups. Formerly, Ms. Inserra attended St. John's University--Staten Island Campus, and, received a Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Accounting in May 1987 as well as becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in August 1994 while working at the NYC Comptroller’s Office.

Lance E. Rothenberg, Founder and Principal at Rothenberg Tax Law, LLC in the Greater New York City Metropolitan Area. Rothenberg Tax Law is a boutique law firm located in Morristown, NJ, with a niche focus in tax controversy (federal and state) and multistate state and local tax consulting. Mr. Rothenberg has broad experience assisting a wide-range of businesses and business owners, from Fortune 100 companies and high networth individuals to small and mid-size businesses and individuals, facing a variety of federal, state, local, and multistate tax issues. He gained significant tax experience working at prominent, international law firms in both Washington, DC and New York, NY. Most recently, he was the former PracƟce Leader for Tax Controversy Services for a nationally recognized public accounting firm. Mr. Rothenberg regularly represents clients before the Internal Revenue Service and various state revenue departments, with special expertise in maƩers before the New York Department of Taxation and Finance, the New York City Finance Department, and the New Jersey Division of TaxaƟon. Among other areas, he specializes in residency taxation, sales and use taxation, responsible person assessment defense, remote worker taxation, multistate nexus analyses, unfiled tax returns, as well as tax audits and appeals and collection proceedings for businesses and business owners. Mr. Rothenberg genuinely enjoys his work assisting clients, from high-net-worth individuals to smaller mom/pop operations, with their federal and state tax entanglements. Presentations & Publications Mr. Rothenberg is a frequent author and lecturer on a variety of tax topics. He has published in such notable periodicals as Tax Notes, Law360, Bloomberg Tax, and The CPA Journal, among others, and he has been quoted by U.S. News and WalletHub. Education & Affiliations Mr. Rothenberg earned his B.A. degree from the George Washington University; his J.D. degree from the American University, Washington College of Law; and his LL.M. degree in Taxation from New York University School of Law. He has been recognized as a New York Metro Super Lawyer. He is a member of the American Bar Association’s Taxation Section, the New York State Bar, the New York City Bar, the New Jersey State Bar, the Washington, D.C. Bar, and the Virginia State Bar. Contact Information Lance E. Rothenberg Rothenberg Tax Law, LLC 13 1/2 James Street, 3rd Floor Morristown, NJ 07960 Office Phone: 646-693-3635 Office Fax: 646-626-6385 Email: lance@rothenbergtaxlaw.com Website: www.rothenbergtaxlaw.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lancerothenberg/

Elizabeth Forspan is a Partner with Forspan Klear LLP, a New York law firm. Elizabeth’s areas of practice include Elder Law, Trusts & Estates and Taxation. Elizabeth speaks throughout the United States on various aspects of Elder Care Planning, Tax Law and Estate Planning. She was the recipient of the prestigious Max Block Award for Outstanding Article in the Category of Technical Analysis, awarded by the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants’ CPA Journal for her article “Casualty Losses for Property Damaged by Hurricane Sandy”. Elizabeth has been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star in the areas of Estate Planning and Probate and Elder Law for every year from 2016 through 2023. Elizabeth has been featured in New York Magazine, MarketWatch, and she has been quoted in the New York Times. Elizabeth’s articles and contributions have been featured in the New York Law Journal. Prior to co-founding Forspan Klear LLP, Elizabeth was a Tax Manager with Ernst & Young LLP, where she focused on Mergers and Acquisitions and Executive Compensation. Elizabeth earned her Juris Doctor from Fordham University School of Law and her B.A. from Queens College of the City University of New York, where she graduated summa cum laude and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Christina started with the NJ Division of Taxation in 2007. During her first eight years in the Customer Service Center, she assisted taxpayers directly, as well as practitioners and the business community through the Practitioner Hotline. Christina joined Taxation University in 2015 where she became a key contributor to the employee training program and continued to assist practitioners and the business community by presenting at seminars and educational events. In April of 2020, Christina moved to the Office of Legislative Analysis to assist in navigating legislation that impacts the Division. Most recently, Christina began serving in the Office of the Taxpayer Advocate, assisting taxpayers with complicated issues that they have been unable to resolve through other means.

Christopher Meislahn is the Taxpayer Rights Advocate for the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. In his position, he oversees the Office of Taxpayer Rights Advocate, continuing a mission that began as a formal departmental function in 2009 to help New York State taxpayers by balancing taxpayer assistance with enforcement of NYS tax laws. The office helps promote taxpayer rights and responsibilities and identifies recurring issues that provide opportunities to enhance Department policies and procedures and improve compliance. Mr. Meislahn has been with the Department for 16 years, starting his career in the Audit Division as a tax auditor gaining experience in excise, sales, and many of the miscellaneous taxes. He was promoted in 2012 to work in Audit Management and in May 2018 he was promoted to the Director of the Office of Taxpayers Rights where he supervised the staff and day to day operations. Christopher holds a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Sage College of Albany school.

Frank J. DeCandido, CPA/MBA, is the sole member of a professional limited liability company with a tax, accounting, college planning, and financial planning practice on Staten Island. Frank is a Certified Financial PlannerTM (CFP), is Series 7 Registered, and has his insurance licenses for New York and New Jersey. One of Frank’s expertise is integrating tax knowledge to better serve clients with their financial planning. Frank is also a Certified College Planning Specialist (CCPS) with the National Institute of Certified College Planners and a member of the National College Advocacy Group (NCAG). Frank is a former Adjunct Professor of Accounting at Wagner College. Frank taught Accounting 101, 102, Intermediate Accounting, Managerial Accounting, and a Graduate class Financial and Managerial Accounting starting in the Fall 2009 through the Spring 2018. Frank was formerly with Prudential Financial for 18 years, mainly in the Finance Division. Frank worked in Prudential's Financial Reporting department and also has had experience with the Securities and Exchange Commission's financial filings (10Q,10K, etc) in regard to Prudential's Limited Partnerships as well as the tax filings for these partnerships. Prior to Prudential, Frank worked with the audit group of Arthur Andersen & Co. in New York. After leaving Prudential, Frank worked for a local CPA on Staten Island, Gregg T. Iliceto & Associates for five years. Frank is a 1984 graduate of Fordham University and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New York Society of Certified Public Accountants. Frank also received his Master of Business Administration from Walden University in 2014. Within the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA), Frank is a former member of the NYSSCPA’s Technology Assurance and Personal Financial Planning (PFP) Committees as well as a former member of the PFP’s sub-committee on Financial Literacy. Frank is the President-Elect and the former Treasurer of the Staten Island Chapter of NYSSCPA. Frank is very involved with community work on Staten Island. He is a former Advisory Board Member of the GRACE Foundation of New York, a non-profit organization that provides services to children with Autism. Frank is a former member of the Board of Directors and Treasurer of Lifestyles for the Disabled, Inc. and a former Board member of the Staten Island CYO. Frank is also the former President of the Sports Council at the St. Joseph/St. Thomas/St. John Neumann Parish and former Director of the Parish’s Soccer Program. Frank is the Parish’s current Bowling Director and is also the former Treasurer and Board Member of the S I Y Soccer League on Staten Island

John Raspante, CPA, CDFA, works directly with clients, providing risk management services to top-tier accounts. He also is responsible for developing and delivering McGowan Professional’s National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) CPE programs. John is the former Director of Compliance and Risk Management and the Director of Education for Graf Repetti & Co. LLP, Certified Public Accountants & Business Advisors. Prior to joining Graf Repetti he was employed by CAMICO Mutual Insurance Company as a loss prevention specialist and large account national advisor. John’s professional affiliations include memberships in the AICPA and six state accounting societies. He also serves on NYSSCPA’s Compilation and Review Committee, NJSCPA’s Editorial Board and the Accounting and Auditing interest group, and the National Conference of CPAs’ Ethics Committee. John is a frequent author and speaker within the accounting profession on issues relating to risk management.

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.

With 36 years of industry experience, this seasoned financial advisor builds personalized financial plans centered around each client’s unique life goals and evolving priorities. Grounded in the belief that financial strategies must adapt as life changes, the practice partners closely with individuals, families, and business owners to define clear objectives, track ongoing progress, and make proactive, thoughtful adjustments over time. Clients benefit from a seamless blend of regular collaborative check-ins, modern and secure digital access, and tailored wealth management solutions designed to deliver clarity and long-term confidence at every life stage.

Core Practice Areas & Specializations

• Retirement & Income Planning: Retirement Income Strategies, Social Security Retirement Optimization, and Business Retirement Plans
• Wealth & Estate Advisory: Wealth Preservation Strategies, Estate Planning Strategies, and Family Finances
• Portfolio & Risk Management: Comprehensive Investment Management, Portfolio Construction, and Asset Protection/Insurance Strategies

Credentials, Education & Professional Standing

• Professional Certifications & Designations:
  CFP® (CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®)
  ChFC® (Chartered Financial Consultant®)
  CLU® (Chartered Life Underwriter®)
  APMA® (Accredited Portfolio Management Advisor™)
  LUTCF® (Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow℠)
• Securities & Insurance Registrations: Series 7, Series 6, Series 63, and Life, Accident & Health Insurance Licenses
• Academic Background:
  Bachelor of Liberal Studies, University of Maine at Presque Isle
  Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Business, Elizabeth Seton College (Yonkers, NY)
• Industry Honors:
  Ameriprise Circle of Success (2020–2025)
  Ameriprise Client Experience Award (2021, 2022, 2023, 2025)
• Professional Affiliations:
  Financial Planning Association (FPA)
  Society of Financial Service Professionals (FSP)
  National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA)

Community Leadership & Personal Life

Deeply committed to civic leadership and giving back, the practice actively participates in the Chamber of Commerce and provides ongoing philanthropic support to vital community initiatives across Staten Island, including Project Hospitality, Kids Connect, and the Emergency Children's Help Organization (ECHO).

Outside the office, personal time is spent with wife Jules and their three sons—Johnathan, Brandon, and Devin—at their vacation home in Connecticut, with shared passions for golfing and spending time on the water.