Featured Speakers

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  Ms. Orumé Hays, CPA, CGMA, MST

  Bio

  • Orumé Hays, CPA, CGMA. Founder, HAYS CPA LLC, is a CPA in the State of New York and the Commonwealth of Virginia. She is also a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA). Her extensive finance and accounting experience includes working with small, medium, local, national, and international businesses. She has over a decade of business operations and financial expertise in various business sectors, including architecture, design, entertainment, event productions, food & beverage, healthcare, and hospitality. Orumé is a active member of the AICPA and the NYSSCPA. She is a member of the Financial Accounting Standards, Small Firms Practice Management (past-chair), Personal Financial Planning, and Not-for-Profit Organizations NYSSCPA Committees. She is an NYSSCPA Director-at-Large, and the immediate past president of the Manhattan/Bronx Chapter. Hays is also an executive committee member of AICPA’s
  • Private Companies Practice Section (PCPS). She is a past two-term Treasurer of the University of Benin Alumni Association North America. She is a Certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor and also an adjunct lecturer at the Lucille and Jay Chazanoff School of Business, College of Staten Island (CSI) of the City University of New York (CUNY).

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  Mr. Alexander Lee

  Bio

  Alexander Lee, CPA is a New York State–licensed CPA who focuses exclusively on the U.S. research credit under §41 and its interaction with §174 and related incentives. He works with CPA firms, CFOs, and privately held companies to scope, quantify, and document R&D credit claims, translating engineering, manufacturing, and software development activity into positions that can withstand IRS and state scrutiny. Alex often acts as a technical bridge between engineering teams and practitioners, helping firms identify qualifying activities, avoid “R&D mill” pitfalls, and integrate credits into broader tax and cash-flow planning. He is an active member of the New York State Society of CPAs, where he delivers CPE programs, and collaborates on practitioner education around credits and incentives. Across his work, Alex’s focus is simple: protect the CPA–client relationship while unlocking meaningful, recurring tax benefits for innovative businesses through clear, defensible R&D credit advice.

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  Ms. Aisha Jordan, CPA

  Bio

  Aisha Jordan, CPA, is a finance, operations, and AI transformation executive and advisor with more than 25 years of experience across global financial institutions, operating businesses, and investor-backed environments. Her career includes leading complex financial reporting initiatives, building finance and operating infrastructure as a CFO, and strengthening governance within regulated enterprises.

  As Principal of The Jordan Factor, she focuses on translating AI strategy into operating reality through practical adoption, clear accountability, and sound governance. She serves on NYCPA's Emerging Technologies Committee and is President-Elect of the Manhattan/Bronx Chapter.

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  Ms. Katelyn Kogan, CPA

  Bio

  Katelyn has more than 15 years of experience providing accounting, assurance, and advisory services to real estate companies. Her primary clients include real estate funds, real estate investment advisors, owners, operators, developers, and managers. Her clients are invested both in the United States and internationally, across all major asset classes including residential, commercial, industrial, and hospitality. Katelyn has deep experience with technical application of GAAP to real estate companies as well as fair value measurement of real estate investments. Katelyn also has experience evaluating operating agreements and providing assurance on the applicability of profit allocations and cash distributions. She is a member of the American Institute of CPAs. She is also active with the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA). She has served as a vice president and a director on the NYSSCPA’s statewide board. She chaired the NYSSCPA Real Estate Committee from 2017 to 2019 and remains active. As a former member of the steering committee for Women@Forvis Mazars, Katelyn helped to execute the firm’s strategic plan to enhance the development and retention of women leaders. Katelyn is a graduate of Hunter College, New York, New York, with a B.S. degree in accounting, and a graduate of Baruch College, New York, New York, with an M.S. degree in real estate.

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  Ms. Toby Ruth Kerslake

  Bio

  Toby is a senior manager in KPMG’s Metro New York Development and Exempt Organizations (DEO) practice, concentrating exclusively on the tax‑exempt sector. She has 10 years of experience providing tax consulting and compliance services to a wide range of exempt organizations, including colleges and universities, healthcare systems, cultural institutions, exempt trusts, membership associations, private foundations, religious organizations, and other not‑for‑profit entities.

  Within KPMG, Toby helps lead technology and standardization initiatives for the national DEO practice, regularly facilitates firm‑sponsored trainings, actively supports firm recruiting efforts, and is an active member of several Business Resource Groups (BRGs).

  Toby currently serves as a Director for the TEGE Exempt Organizations Council, where she also Co‑Chairs both the Logistics Committee and the Sector Growth Committee. She was formerly the Chair of the Exempt Organizations Committee for the New York State Society of CPAs and remains an active member of the Committee. Toby was selected as a 2025 Emerging Leader by the New York State Society of CPAs.

  Toby began her career in Chicago at a mid‑sized firm and relocated to New York in 2021. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a double specialization in Accounting and Management Information Systems (MIS) from The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business.

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  Mr. John D'Amico, CPA

  Bio

  John D'Amico, a Managing Director with CBIZ and Shareholder with CBIZ CPAs in the National Attest Office, has over 30 years of experience in providing audit, accounting, and consulting services to not-for-profit organizations and governmental agencies. Prior to joining CBIZ, John worked at a Big 4 firm, as well as other regional accounting firms. His areas of expertise include not-for-profit accounting, GASB, Single Audits, government auditing standards, cost allocations, and internal controls.

  John is the previous Chair of the NYCPA Not-for-profit committee. John is also an Instructor for the AICPA, a Subject Matter Expert for Single Audits for the AICPA Peer Review Oversight Program, and a member of the AICPA Peer Review Task Force. John was previously an executive committee memeber of the AICPA Governmental Audit Quality Center.

  John has authored articles, conducted workshops and seminars, and presented them at various conferences on topics Including Not-for-profit Accounting, Single Audits, Government Auditing Standards and Uniform Guidance requirements.