2024 Four for Fall Seminar Series (Multi-Event Page)

Mary Jane Hourani, MM, EA, NTPI Fellow, Tax Accountant

Mary Jane has been practicing since 1993, working for a couple larger Tax, Accounting, & Audit Firms in before transitioning to her own practice in 2005.

Mary Jane has a Master of Management from Walsh College of Accountancy and Business Administration as well as a Bachelor of Science from Eastern Michigan University in Public Administration with a focus in Organizational Development and Governmental Accounting.

She is credentialed as an Internal Revenue Service Enrolled Agent, allowing her to practice before the IRS. With this credential, she has direct oversite by the IRS Office of Professional Responsibility. She is also a National Association of Enrolled Agents NTPI Fellow.

Mary Jane has been an Instructor of Tax for Michigan State University Tax School since 2008 as well as a speaker for several trade organizations since 2005.

Mary Jane has been a Contributing Editor and Contributing Author of the National Tax Workbook for the Land Grand University Tax Education Foundation since 2009. She writes and compiles tax course packs used by Michigan State University Tax School and other trade organizations. She is a former H&R Block Instructor/Trainer.

Mary Jane is a member of the National Association of Enrolled Agents, Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants, National Association of Tax Professionals, American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers, and is a QuickBooks ProAdvisor.

Bruce Shepard was most recently an assistant professor of accounting at George Fox University and an adjunct professor of accounting at the University of Oregon, prior to becoming an instructor for the AICPA in 2012. From 2006-2010, Mr. Shepard was the Chief Financial Officer of Las Vegas Gaming, Inc. in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he had full management responsibility for all financial affairs, daily business operations, administration and human resources. From 1985-2006, Mr. Shepard was in charge of the Middle Market Practice for PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP in Portland, Oregon, where he served as an Assurance Partner from 1989-2006 focusing on providing proactive business advisory services to fast-growing companies. At PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, Mr. Shepard spearheaded over 100 acquisitions and divestitures by leading in the financial structuring and negotiations. He worked with clients to develop strategic plans for short-term and long-term growth. He assisted both start-up companies and beyond start-up companies with attaining their needed growth capital. Mr. Shepard wrote an article, Financing Entrepreneurs, in 1999 for the Oregon Society of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Shepard was awarded “Beta Alpha Psi Professional of the Year” in 2006 for sustained involvement with the University of Oregon.

Arthur Joseph Werner, J.D., M.S. (Taxation)

Arthur Joseph Werner, JD, MS (Taxation), is the president and is a shareholder in the lecture firm of Werner-Rocca Seminars, Ltd. Mr. Werner’s lecture topic specialties include business, tax, financial and estate planning for high net worth individuals.

In addition, Mr. Werner is a former adjunct professor of taxation in the Master of Science in Taxation program at the Philadelphia University.

Mr. Werner received his B.S. in Accounting and his M.S. in Taxation from Widener University. He holds a J.D. in Law from the Delaware Law School. Mr. Werner lectures extensively in the areas of Estate Planning, Financial Planning, and Estate and Gift Taxation to Certified Public Accountants and Financial Planners and has presented more than 3000 eight-hour seminars over the past twenty-five years as well as numerous webinars and video presentations. Mr. Werner has been rated as having the highest speaker knowledge in his home state of Pennsylvania by the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants, was awarded the AICPA Outstanding Discussion Leader Award in the State of Nevada, the Florida Institute of CPAs Outstanding Discussion Leader Award, and the South Carolina Association of CPAs Outstanding Discussion Leader Award.