Newslink — Winter 2007-2008

Message from the Chair

Dear JHI Colleagues,

I would like to take this opportunity to wish a Happy New Year to everyone in the Region of the Americas (RoA) and to our JHI friends throughout the world. The RoA has finished an exciting year and, as the snow continues to fall in the great city of Boston, my excitement for the 2008 year is even greater. I see a fantastic future for the Region and the members of this organization. Below are some of the great things to come in 2008.
Read the complete Message.
 

In Profile
Flores Konja y Asociados Contadores Públicos

Mission:  We at Flores Konja y Asociados Contadores Públicos S.C. work to meet the needs of our Peruvian and foreign clients from all production sectors. We help them find solutions to their business problems, attain excellence and gain competitive advantages; transforming knowledge into value to benefit our clients and our people. 
Read complete article.

JHI University Update  
Register now for New York in May and Minneapolis in October

JHI University will be back this Spring and Fall with opportunities for junior and more experienced staff at your firm to pursue professional development, network with their peers from across North America and share best practices and knowledge.

Early registration is strongly encouraged for the following sessions, based on the success of the first JHI University in Houston last October. You can find the Registration Form, curriculum outlines, brochures and hotel registration information on Jeffnet (under General Discussion/Conferences) and the website.
 Read the complete article.

How does your 1040 workflow compare with other firms?  Could it be more efficient?   

The answers to these questions and more are found in the Kirkland Albrecht & Fredrickson (KAF) 1040 Workflow Survey.

During 2007, KAF surveyed hundreds of CPA firms from across the country to learn about their individual tax return workflow. KAF asked them to show how they process tax returns and tell us how they use technology within their firm. The results have been complied in our workflow survey. KAF is pleased to share it with all JHI members.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                              Read the complete article.

In South America: Winning group advertisement

JHI congratulates the South American firms of Martinelli Advocacia Empresarial (Martinelli Tax Firm), Moratorio, Rodriguez Teodoro, Borrás & Asoc, Tax Advisors S.A. and Razzetto López Rodriguez Córdoba & Asociados for their joint advertising effort.

 Read the complete article.
 

Names in the News

RoA Annual Conference 2008

What do JHI and Condé Nast Traveler Magazine readers  have in common? 

They both think the Auberge Saint-Antoine in Québec City is fantastic!  

Read the complete article.
 

Conference Corner 2008
Circle these dates and watch for more details, as they become available, on Jeffnet, the website and via JHI e-mails.  

                                               June 11- 14, 2007                                                   
Region of the Americas Conference & AGM
Auberge St-Antoine Hotel
The Top Hotel in Canada
2007 Condé Nast Traveler Award
Québec City, Québec

See the complete Calendar.
 

News Notes
INSIDE Public Accounting Survey

U.S. firms are invited to participate in the 2008 INSIDE Public Accounting (IPA) Annual Analysis of Firms Survey, one of the longest running CPA firm benchmarking surveys in the U.S. If you want to participate, please notify IPA by e-mail or phone (317) 733-1920 The survey will be available to download from the IPA website in the near future.
Read the complete article.
 

Message from the Chair

Dear JHI Colleagues,

I would like to take this opportunity to wish a Happy New Year to everyone in the Region of the Americas (RoA) and to our JHI friends throughout the world. The RoA has finished an exciting year and, as the snow continues to fall in the great city of Boston, my excitement for the 2008 year is even greater. I see a fantastic future for the Region and the members of this organization. Below are some of the great things to come in 2008.

• JHI University: Levels One through Five have been scheduled for the calendar year 2008. We saw the University’s doors open in the Fall of 2007 in Houston, and within just three short months of our inaugural semester, thanks to the passion and desire of the JHI University Committee, new levels are now being introduced. A brochure with the curriculum outlines for each level will be sent to you very shortly. The Curriculum Outlines are also posted on the website and Jeffnet (General Discussion/Conferences). Levels Three and Five will be held May 4 to the 7 and May 7 to 9 respectively in New York City. Thanks to the generous offer from Marks Paneth & Shron, the classes will be held in their training facilities in their offices in Manhattan.

• The city of Minneapolis will host Levels One, Two and Four. All three of these training sessions will be in the third week of October. The JHI University Committee is excited about the possibility that over 100 employees of JHI firms could receive training through JHI University over the course of the coming year. We can only achieve such a measure of success if all our member firms are committed to this initiative. Please take the time to learn about the University’s programs and call anyone on the committee if you have questions.

• Spanish Language Conference: The second Spanish Language Conference will be held in conjunction with the International Conference in Miami, FL this October. The Latin American firms will arrive the day before the International Conference to meet and discuss the issues important to their sub-region. I urge all the great members of this Region to participate in this special conference. Never underestimate what your group can do together. As a result of the first Spanish Language Conference, four of our South American member firms – Martinelli Advocacia Empresarial (Martinelli Tax Firm), Moratorio, Rodrguez Teodoro, Borrás & Asoc., Tax Advisors S.A., Razzetto López Rodriguez Córdoba & Asociados – have begun to work together and are now advertising in an onboard airline magazine of a local airline that travels between the countries of Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay. Not only did they advertise their firms' names, but they also used the JHI logo to begin branding our organization in the area. Congratulations to these firms.

• Annual Region of the Americas Conference: The conference is all prepared and ready to be held in Québec City, Canada June 11 to the 14. The program committee has worked hard to put together a great technical program for our Region. I am excited and I hope that many members plan to attend. Unique to this year’s conference will be a three-hour breakout session for each sub-region of the Americas (Canada, Latin America and the United States). Each session will be geared to the specific issues of these sub-regions. The United States session has been structured so that it will qualify for continuing education credits. Again, thank you to the program committee members for all their hard work and dedication to making this year’s conference successful, and a special thank you to Ruby Stein Wagner of Montréal for acting as host for this year’s conference.

• Disaster Planning: As part of the Québec City Conference, we will launch the discussion about how the Region of the Americas can put together a unified disaster plan for our Regional members, thus not only addressing the importance of a well thought-out disaster recovery plan for each firm, but how JHI and its member firms can assist each other in protecting our organizations. We hope that from this meeting we will begin to structure a comprehensive plan that can be of significant benefit not only to our current members, but also to our future members of JHI.

The JHI Region of the Americas is alive and well. We have member firms working together every day, making this a vibrant organization; I am seeing it and witnessing the success stories on a regular basis. Please stay involved by participating on a committee, providing an article for this newsletter, sending your staff to an upcoming JHI University semester, or just by attending the Annual Conference. Thank you all for allowing me the opportunity to be Chair of this great Region. I will try my best to continue to serve the organization to the best of my abilities.

Lastly, I wish to thank the Region of Americas Executive Committee members for their commitment to the success of this organization. Until I write to you again, I wish all of you the very best.

Ken Kirkland, CPA, MST
Chair, Region of the Americas

In Profile
Flores Konja y Asociados Contadores Públicos S.C.

Note: The full version of this article is posted on Jeffnet under "General Discussion/JHI Communications."

Mission:  We at Flores Konja y Asociados Contadores Públicos S.C. work to meet the needs of our Peruvian and foreign clients from all production sectors. We help them find solutions to their business problems, attain excellence and gain competitive advantages; transforming knowledge into value to benefit our clients and our people.

Vision: To be recognized by leading companies and institutions in Peru and abroad as one of the principal auditing, advisory and business consulting firms providing high quality professional services, taking into account the impact of new technologies, and our customers’ needs and changing expectations.

Background : Flores Konja has been providing companies with audits, advisory and consultancy services since 1979. Today we have both Peruvian and foreign clientele in all sectors. We have a staff of professionals qualified in relevant areas:  Accountants, Business Managers, Economists, Lawyers, and Systems Engineers, among others, all carefully selected and committed to a continuous learning process. 

Our organization offers integrated service in auditing, accountancy, corporate tax consultancy and human resources.

Our Services:  We help our clients to take advantage of changing opportunities in response to external and internal factors in different activities and dimensions at the entrepreneurial and institutional levels, providing professional services of high quality where and when required. We have also designed our services to meet business challenges posed by our clients at the national and international levels through our network of highly qualified professionals. Our professionals, services and technology combine to offer a service of high aggregate value. Our excellent professionals work as a team to deliver value to our clients.

Our Partners
Julio Flores Konja
Leoncio Flores Konja
Víctor Hugo Villar Torres     

Contact Information
Calle Los Flamencos 145 Ofic. 206
San Isidro, Lima
Phone: (511) 422-7733
Phone: (511) 422-5864
E-mail: fkonja@speedy.com.pe , fkonja@terra.com.pe

In Profile
R.J. Gold & Company, P.C

Contact Information
R.J. Gold & Company, P.C.
Reservoir Place II
1601 Trapelo Road, Suite 202
Waltham, Massachusetts 02451
Phone:  (781) 890-1144
Fax: (781) 890-1154
E-mail: genedel@goldgrp.com
Website: www.rjgoldcpa.com

 

JHI University Update                  
JHI University in New York in May and Minneapolis in October

JHI University will be back this Spring and Fall with opportunities for junior and more experienced staff at your firm to pursue professional development, network with their peers from across North America and share best practices and knowledge.

Early registration is strongly encouraged for the following sessions, based on the success of the first JHI University in Houston last October. You can find the Registration Form, curriculum outlines, brochures and hotel registration information on Jeffnet and the website.

New York City
Accommodation: Grand Hyatt New York
Training Location: Offices of Marks Paneth & Shron LLP
May 4, 5 p.m.: Level Three Meet & Greet at Hotel
May 5-7: Beginning In-Charge Training (Level Three)
Topics include:  Role of In-Charge Auditor, the Audit Process & Plan, Supervision, Communication, Analytical Procedures

May 7, 5 p.m.:  Level Five Meet & Greet at Hotel
May 8-9: Management Skills Training (Level Five)
Topics include:  Leadership, Management Activities, Practice Management & Development, Presentation Skills

Minneapolis
The Westin Minneapolis  
Oct. 19, 6-9 p.m.:  Meet & Greet Reception (all levels)
Oct. 20-23: Basic Staff Training (Level One)
Topics include: Scope of Services, Basis of Audit Responsibilities, Introduction of the Audit Plan, Introduction of Internal Controls & Analytical Procedures
Oct. 20-22: Experienced Staff Training (Level Two)
Topics include: The Audit Process & Plan, Analytical Procedures, Sampling & Other Substantive Tests of Detail, Auditing Estimates & Accrualsm, Revenue
Oct. 20-22: Experienced In-Charge Training (Level Four)
Topics include:  Supervision, The Audit & Process Plan, Key Audit Procedures & Techniques, Testing at Interim Periods

Returning AuditWatch instructor
Highly commended by students at JHI University last October, AuditWatch, Inc. instructor Cindy Kottoor will return to lead the 2008 sessions.  

The JHI University Alumni Corner has been set up on Jeffnet with areas for discussion about Levels One through Five and related topics to support the program.

Questions?
Contact Marie Bordeleau, Executive Director, Region of the Americas, phone (416) 494-1440, ext. 232.
 

How does your 1040 workflow compare with other firms?  Could it be more efficient? 

The answers to these questions and more are found in the Kirkland Albrecht & Fredrickson (KAF) 1040 Workflow Survey.

During 2007, KAF surveyed hundreds of CPA firms from across the country to learn about their individual tax return workflow. KAF asked them to show how they process tax returns and describe how they use technology within their firm. The results have been complied in the workflow survey. KAF is pleased to share it with all JHI members.

We hope that you will use this information to see how your workflow compares with your peers and to gain insight into technologies that you can use to improve your firm’s business process. 

To request a copy of the KAF 1040 Workflow Survey, please contact  Barry MacQuarrie, CPA CITP, Director of IT at KAF, at bmacquarrie@kafgroup.com. If you would like Barry to analyze your workflow processes and provide recommendations to make your firm more efficient, increase productivity, or to find out other ways technology can benefit your firm, please contact him. 
 

JHI congratulates the South American firms of Martinelli Advocacia Empresarial (Martinelli Tax Firm), Moratorio, Rodrguez Teodoro, Borrás & Asoc, Tax Advisors S.A. and Razzetto López Rodriguez Córdoba & Asociados for their joint advertising effort.

JHI applauds and strongly encourages this kind of cooperation among firms at the local level. Firms are reminded to contact the JHI office, via communications@jhi.com, when planning these kinds of projects so staff can help ensure our association’s requirements for consistent use of the logo and other elements of successful branding are incorporated.
 

Names in the News 

Here is a sample of news from Region of the Americas' firms. Send news about your firm to Editor Becky Dowd, bdowd@kafgroup.com.

Mark S. Robinson, CPA, ABV of Kirkland Albrecht & Fredrickson, Braintree, MA, has been elected Secretary of the Massachusetts State Board of Public Accountancy. www.kafgroup.com/kafnews.html

Kirkland Albrecht & Fredrickson has also added the following staff over the last few months:  Lori Carr, David Ackerknecht, Megan Magill and Bianca Moccia as Staff Accountants, and Michael Hinchey as Tax Director. 

In December, Lipton, Wiseman, Altbaum & Partners LLP  proudly announced that all of its Chartered Accountant candidates -- Jonathan Biderman, Alex Ghani, Jonah Pearson, George Sabounji, Fei Yang and Emily Yiu -- had successfully passed the recent 2007 Uniform Evaluation (UFE). www.liptonca.com

Congratulations to Marks Paneth & Shron LLP and RBZ, LLP! Both firms are listed on the Inside Public Accounting Best of the Best Honorable Mention List for 2007. www.markspaneth.com, www.rbz.com

Marks Paneth & Shron LLP announces Arthur E. Cannata and Mark Levenfus as Co-Managing Partners to succeed retiring Co-Managing Partners Steven Baum and Arnold Gruber. The firm has also admitted Steven Goldberg in Woodbury, Long Island and Robert Lyons and Susan Nadler at the New York City office, as Partners.

Congratulations to Martinelli Law Firm! JHI’s member firm in Brazil put our association in the Number 1 spot on a November 2007 International Accounting Bulletin ranking of 13 Associations of Independent Firms in terms of fees and growth rate in Brazil.  www.martinelli.adv.br

McCrory & McDowell LLC is pleased to announce that the Institute of Certified Construction Industry Financial Professionals, based in Princeton, NJ, has awarded John M. Sveda, CPA, the prestigious designation of Certified Construction Industry Financial Professional (CCIFP). www.mccmcd.com/

Eleven accounting professionals from the Pittsburgh office of the Catanese Group are joining McCrory & McDowell LLC. 

McCrory & McDowell LLC has announced the addition of four new principals to its Downtown Pittsburgh office.  These appointments bring the firm’s partner group to a total of 17.  

• Marc L. Cosentino, CPA, an accounting professional with more than 20 years experience at both international and regional firms, is the former Managing Partner of the Catanese Group’s Pittsburgh office.  He is a graduate of Wake Forest University and the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh.  His areas of expertise include tax planning and business advisory services for professional service organizations.
   

• Thomas W. Lusk, PhD, AVA, CPM, provides specialty consulting in several areas, including strategic development and operations, business valuations, project management, and manufacturing. Most recently, he was a principal with a Johnstown CPA firm. He holds degrees from the University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, and received his PhD in Organizational Management – Manufacturing from Capella University.

• Kevin P. McQuillan, CPA, has over 15 years of experience in public accounting, including positions with both national and regional firms, where he was most recently a principal and Director of the firm’s construction practice. A graduate of Duquesne University, his areas of expertise also include manufacturing, business consulting, and operational analysis.

• Krista M. Salera, CPA, is the former Partner in charge of accounting and auditing for the Pittsburgh office of a regional firm based in Johnstown.  She has almost 20 years experience in public accounting, serving a range of clients and industries such as construction, governmental entities, and nonprofit organizations, and received her degree from Pennsylvania State University.

RoA Annual Conference explores An Ever-Changing World

The Auberge Saint-Antoine was awarded the title of  “The Top Hotel in Canada” by Condé Nast Traveler Magazine in October 2007.  This beautiful hotel will be the centre of the Region of the Americas Annual Conference June 11 – 14 in Québec City!  Take a look at the hotel at http://www.saint-antoine.com/  To make your stay even more perfect, plan other activities in this great city. Visit  http://www.quebecregion.com/e/ for ideas.

Register early
Use the Registration Form on the website and Jeffnet. Early Bird registration ends Feb. 29. The discounted registration fees will not be available after 5 p.m. ET Feb. 29.Your can also find the Hotel Reservation Fax Form, Conference Program and Social Program on the website and Jeffnet.

The 49th International Eucharistic Congress, taking place June 15 - 22, is one of these activities. Although the Pope will not attend personally, he is sending a Papal Legate in his stead. Some 15,000 pilgrims are expected to hit the city for this biennial event.  Most of us will be long gone by the time of the closing Mass on the Plains of Abraham on the June 22, but if you are planning to fly out on June 15, 16 or 17, be sure to make your travel arrangements ahead of time and allow for extra time to and from Jean Lesage Airport.

With this fantastic hotel, a great city, and our wonderful JHI members this conference is destined to be one of the best!  Don’t miss it!  Make your reservations today! For more information, contact Marie Bordeleau, RoA Executive Director.
 

Conferences: Coming up in 2008

Circle these dates and watch for more details on Jeffnet and the website and via JHI e-mails. 

News Notes

INSIDE Public Accounting Survey
U.S. firms are invited to participate in the 2008 INSIDE Public Accounting (IPA) Annual Analysis of Firms Survey, one of the longest running CPA firm benchmarking surveys in the U.S. If you want to participate, please notify IPA by e-mail or phone (317) 733-1920. The survey will be available to download from the IPA website in the near future.

IPA is offering the following to JHI firms that complete the survey:

• a free 20-page copy of the IPA Top 100 firms and analysis,
• a free electronic Executive Summary of the final 2008 National Benchmarking Report.

Participating firms will also be considered for naming to the IPA Best of the Best Managed firms list, the IPA Top 100 and the IPA All-Star firms in the nation. Firm size does not matter for being named an IPA Best of the Best or IPA All-Star firm. IPA will unveil their lists this fall. 

The survey deadline is June 20, 2008.  If you’d like to participate this year, but need an extension, contact IPA. There is no charge to participate.

Coming Soon…
Discounted Becker CPA exam prep courses 

If you have staff studying for the CPA exam, you will be interested to learn that Becker Professional Review, a new partner with the Member Benefits Program, will soon offer JHI firms the Becker CPA Review Program at discounted rates. 

These discounts will apply to Becker’s in-class, online and CD self-study options. JHI is in the final stages of setting up the logistics for this partnership. The Becker discounts are scheduled to be available to JHI firms by the end of this month. Watch for an e-mail announcing the launch. Registration and other information will be posted on the website and on Jeffnet, under “General Discussion/Member Benefits.”

Newslink
Winter 2007-2008

Published by JHI Region of the Americas