Not-for-Profit Conference - A Virtual Event

Jenifer Wyss

Jenifer Wyss is a Supervising Project Manager at the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). She serves as the coordinator for the FASB’s Not-for-Profit Advisory Committee (NAC) and the Private Company Council (PCC). She’s currently working on a pre-agenda research project on profits, interests and their interrelationship with partnership accounting and on the Disclosure Review’s Income Taxes project. She previously worked on FASB projects on simplifying the balance sheet classification of debt, statement of cash flows, employee benefit plans, disclosure framework, and several income tax projects. Prior to joining the FASB, Jenifer spent 18 years in public accounting. She has a broad background that includes working with manufacturing, distribution, professional service, technology and construction companies, as well as not-for-profit organizations and employee benefit plans. She is a certified public accountant in Missouri and Illinois.

Kate Smith

Controller | Logan Univeristy

Kate Smith, CPA, MAcc, is an experienced leader and financial professional, with expertise in private company financial reporting, project management and process improvement, and financial modeling. She currently works for Maryville University of St Louis as the Controller. Kate started her career as an auditor serving the non-profit, construction and real estate industries. After leaving public accounting, Kate has held various roles consulting for and working directly within higher education. In each of her roles, Kate has been a champion for transformative systems and process improvement working on new software implementations, building and sustaining predictive financial models, and partnering across departments to bring financial clarity. Kate is a life-long Midwesterner, born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but spending most of her childhood in St. Paul, MN. She moved to St. Louis, Missouri to attend Saint Louis University, where she graduated with her BSBA and MAcc. She currently lives in Kirkwood with her husband and three children and is an active volunteer for her local school district and several non profit boards.

Theresa Fleck

President | Association of Fundraising Professionals

Theresa L. Fleck, MA, CFRE, CAE currently serves as the Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Logan University. In this position she oversees the development, marketing and communications, alumni relations, university events, corporate relations, and continuing education departments. A fund development professional since 2001, Ms. Fleck has extensive experience developing strategy and executing fundraising and marketing and communications plans for a wide range of nonprofit organizations, including; universities, independent schools, social service agencies, international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the arts. She has a proven track record of designing and implementing comprehensive strategic and tactical campaigns for all levels of fundraising, and considerable training in planned giving, major gifts, capital campaigns, event planning, annual fund execution, donor stewardship and board development. A seasoned fundraising professional, Ms. Fleck has managed, mentored and collaborated with boards, volunteers and staff to focus on the identification and long-term cultivation of donors. Her career experience also includes strategic planning, admissions, board development, executive-level leadership, marketing, special events, public relations and communications.

Ms. Fleck is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), a Certified Association Executive (CAE), a Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP), a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and the St. Louis Council of Charitable Gift Planners. She has spoken regionally at professional development sessions for both the Rhode Island and Greater St. Louis Chapters of AFP and nationally for the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). She currently serves as the president of AFP St. Louis, and is a former board member of AFP Rhode Island. Ms. Fleck is presently working on her doctorate degree in Interdisciplinary Leadership at Creighton University, and holds a Master's Degree in Nonprofit Management from Washington University in St. Louis.

Karen Gries

Karen Gries, director in the exempt tax advisory group with Baker Tilly, has been active in many aspects of the tax-exempt sector for more than 25 years.

Karen has spent her career advising tax-exempt organizations with issues such as organizational structure, unrelated business income, alternative investments and other tax related complexities. Her experience has spanned a wide variety of organizations in the tax-exempt sector including colleges and universities, private foundations, independent schools and other charitable organizations.

David Rottkamp

David M. Rottkamp, CPA, is an Audit Partner, Not-for-Profit Practice Leader, at Grassi. David has over 35 years of experience providing audit and advisory services to the not-for-profit and health care industries. David focuses on organizations serving individuals with special needs, religious organizations, educational institutions, membership associations, social service providers, healthcare providers, foundations, and the arts and culture world. David's technical knowledge allows him to provide specific services, including Single Audits/Uniform Guidance compliance audits and retirement plan audits.

Since beginning his career, David has advised some of the area's most successful not-for-profit and health care organizations in areas such as: financial reporting systems, implementation of new FASB accounting standard updates, IRS Form 990 guidelines, sustainability and succession planning, internal control reviews, developing financial forecasts, and providing quality board education and governance advice. Through his focus on education and board awareness, he has improved the internal structure for many of his clients, demonstrating his industry leadership.

David is an active member of the New York State Society of CPAs (NYSSCPA), where he is a previous Chair of the Not-for-Profit Committee and several of its subcommittees, including government funding sources and cost reporting updates. David also chaired the statewide Not-for-Profit Conference for the NYSSCPA for four years. David is the chair of a NYSSCPA subcommittee, working with the New York State Consolidated Fiscal Reporting Interagency Committee, collaborating with NYS officials on possible revisions to Appendix AA, "Audit Guidelines" of the CFR instructional manual and the instruction manual itself.

An authority in the industry, David has presented on a variety of topics relating to organizations funded by Federal and New York State governments, including government grants and contracts, Medicaid, Medicare and other third-party insurance, and others funded with private funding and contributions. David has conducted educational seminars for clients, accounting industry groups, and Not-for-Profit member organizations.

He has presented to the Financial Managers Association (FMA) for over 25 years, Interagency Council of Developmental Disabilities Agencies, Inc. (IAC), the New York State Society of CPAs Foundation for Accounting Education (FAE), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountant (AICPA) and the New York Council of Nonprofits (NYCON) at their annual Camp Finance. David is also an adjunct professor at New York University (NYU) in Manhattan. Within Grassi, David leads internal education sessions, webinars and writes articles in the firm's external newsletter relating to the not-for-profit and health care industries.

To give back to the industry in which he serves, David is on the board and serves as Chair of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society -- Greater New York City/Long Island Chapter, and serves on several of its committees. Beyond his local work, David is a member of the National Board of Directors of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, is a member of the finance committee and is immediate past chair of National's audit committee, having a unique and even broader impact on the organization's well-being. David is a member of the board of directors of NYCON, a membership organization that services over 3,100 NFP members throughout New York State. David is also on the board of BoardStrong, Inc. He is also a member of the AICPA.

David is a graduate from Pace University, with a BBA in Accounting.

Brenda Kahler

Brenda Kahler is a director at Armanino LLP and leads our client engagement team for the nonprofit industry. She has 20+ years' accounting experience, primarily with nonprofits at Big 4 public accounting firms and inhouse as a controller. While at Armanino, she has participated in more than 200 nonprofit technology implementations and assessments and is part of Armanino's nonprofit industry leadership team.

Brenda has extensive knowledge of nonprofit accounting and compliance requirements, including US Single Audit and Form 990 requirements and is a frequent speaker at industry and technology events on trends in the nonprofit sector.

Jennifer Casacchia

Jennifer Casacchia, CPA, is a director with Sikich LLP’s not-for-profit and higher education practices team at the firm’s headquarters in Naperville, Illinois. She has more than 20 years of experience working extensively with a variety of not-for-profit organizations, including associations, cultural and social service organizations, educational institutions, and others. Jennifer is a member of the Illinois CPA Society and serves as a member of the Illinois CPA Society’s Not-for-Profit Content Advisory Group and Not-for-Profit Organizations Committee. Jennifer holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from North Central College. She is a licensed CPA in the state of Illinois.