Accounting Exploration:
Unveiling Pathways & Possibilities

Catina Downey’s journey has taken her from the classroom at Virginia State University to the military, corporate accounting, and ultimately entrepreneurship. A proud Trojan, she graduated with honors in Accounting and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant through VSU’s ROTC program. She went on to serve in South Korea, Fort Jackson, and Fort Bragg before returning to Virginia to begin her career in public accounting.

After gaining experience in both audit and tax at a regional CPA firm, Catina decided to take the leap into business ownership. In 2005, she launched Catina Downey CPA PLLC, where she continues to serve clients today. Her passion for making accounting approachable has led her to branch out in new directions — in 2023, she opened the only known indoor cornhole and event facility in Williamsburg, VA, blending business with community and fun.

Catina is also an author, having written a children’s activity book to introduce financial literacy at an early age and recently publishing her first e-book for small business owners to help them overcome accounting anxiety. Beyond her professional roles, she is a proud mother and an active member of the Virginia Society of CPAs.

Aditya is responsible for a wide range of compliance activities within Google. This ranges from compliance program design, development and implementation, compliance process improvement, monitoring, testing and more. Aditya has led programs related to compliance culture, risk and maturity assessments. Aditya has experience building centralized controls, monitoring and assurance teams. He is also an experienced investigator and has leveraged technology and analytics to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of investigation programs. Aditya has experience leveraging data and analytics to drive efficiency and effectiveness in the identification and review of potentially high-risk payments. In addition, he has experience applying AI/ML to support anti-corruption compliance monitoring. Prior to Google, Aditya practiced in the Forensic Services group, of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, based in the Washington Metro market. While there, he assisted fortune 500 companies, across industries, in analyzing, identifying, and mitigating corruption risk in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America. Aditya has experience with conducting forensic investigations resulting from M&A activity, discrepancies in books & records, contractual disputes, M&A activity and federal regulatory enforcement actions. Aditya is a Certified Public Accountant registered in both Virginia and the District of Columbia. Aditya also holds a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and Certified Global Management Accountant (CGMA) credentials. Aditya was named as a "Top 5 CPA under 35" by the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants (VSCPA). Aditya holds a dual bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting from the Robert H. Smith School of Business, at the University of Maryland - College Park.

Herschel Frierson is a Principal and Strategic Networks Leader at Crowe LLP with nearly 30 years of consulting experience. He is the 27th Chairman of the Board of NABA, Inc. and was recognized by Accounting Today as one of the “Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting.” Herschel is a nationally recognized speaker and advisor, frequently engaging with CFOs, CEOs, and students on leadership, business, and DE&I. He serves on advisory councils for the University of Texas McCombs School of Business, Butler University, and the University of Tennessee, while mentoring future leaders and advancing opportunities for underrepresented professionals.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/herschel-frierson/

Khabiyrul Millah Gainey is an accomplished information security professional, decorated U.S. Marine Corps veteran, and dedicated community leader. He currently serves as an Information Security Engineer III at Wells Fargo, specializing in governance, risk, and data loss prevention, where he leads initiatives to safeguard sensitive financial data and ensure regulatory compliance. Previously, he worked as a Cybersecurity Business Execution Consultant at Wells Fargo and as a Technology Consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), delivering innovative governance and compliance solutions across multiple industries.

Khabiyrul earned dual Bachelor’s degrees in Accounting and Finance and dual Master’s degrees in Accounting and Data Science & Business Analytics from UNC Charlotte, where he now serves on the Alumni Board of Directors. He is also the Past President of the Charlotte Shabazz Ha Chapter of MALIK Fraternity, Inc., recognized with the Dave Nelson Award. His life reflects integrity, service, and a commitment to legacy.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khabiyrulgainey/

Jess Bankhead is the Director of the Master of Accounting Program and a lecturer at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. In his role, he also serves as the internship coordinator for the ACF department. Previously working as a tax manager at a Top 200 CPA Firm, Jess now teaches tax courses to graduate students. He is a licensed CPA in North Carolina and continues to provide tax consulting services to privately held businesses and individuals. Jess is also an active member of the Education Resource Group with the North Carolina Association of CPAs. Jess received UNC Greensboro’s 2024 Outstanding Graduate Program Director award.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jess-bankhead-cpa/

Tricia Katebini has spent her career in public accounting, specializing in the nonprofit sector since 2007. As an audit partner, she is in charge of and responsible for the planning and managing of financial statement audits and Single Audits, when applicable. Ms. Katebini has served a range of nonprofit clients including charities, foundations, private schools, and associations, and has presented results to management and the board of directors. Ms. Katebini also advises organizations on internal control best practices, as well as other accounting and operational areas critical to the organization’s financial health.

A seasoned speaker on technical accounting and tax topics affecting nonprofits, Ms. Katebini has presented at AICPA, MACPA, GWSCPA, and other accounting and nonprofit industry conferences. She has built a strong reputation for serving as a key advisor to nonprofit organizations in the Greater Washington, D.C. and Baltimore areas. Her nonprofit audit
experience includes proficiency in technical accounting issues and the requirements of Uniform Guidance. She also provides valued guidance to clients on new accounting pronouncements such as revenue recognition and the lease standards.

In addition to audit and assurance, Ms. Katebini’s background also includes knowledge of technical tax issues for nonprofit organizations including unrelated business income and state nexus issues. Her work across a wide range of accounting, tax, and compliance concerns allows Ms. Katebini to bring clients a holistic view of their operations.

Ms. Katebini currently serves on the AICPA’s Joint Trial Board, a well respected position within the CPA community. She is an active member of Women on the Move, GRF’s women’s leadership initiative. She is also named a 2021 Woman to Watch by the Maryland Association of CPAs.

Wait…he’s a CPA?!? Oh, you better believe it…and then some ;-) An entrepreneur, college professor, financial professional and author (EDYM, available early 2026!), this guy’s looking to start another Renaissance! Simply, whether in the boardroom, classroom, or locker room, his passion is to help others make better decisions by translating tedious technical topics into tangible intelligence useful for personal and professional success. And if you thought THAT was a mouthful, check out his personal formula for success: (Big 4 + Private equity + Franchising + Internet startups + Fraud Examiner + CFO Consulting + 18.5" Biceps) / (Humility + Faith + Family) = Accounting Badassery in motion. I mean, it's just math, right?!? Living his personal mantra of Integrate, Educate, Elevate...and Entertain, Dr. Tim Naddy abhors complacency and doesn’t believe in settling for less because a good day consists of helping folks understand their value (and yes, you're worth it). An alchemist of precision, professionalism, and panache, his secret sauce is using storytelling to mix all the things he loves…entertaining, speaking, writing, sumif functions, and jazz hands…into the wonderful world of Accounting and Phinance. Shadow Ops is his domain, but he ain’t shy of the spotlight either, so if you’re down to collab, he’s ready to rock n roll! Connect with him on LinkedIn and tune in to him on his Business Biceps & BS podcast