MACPA Town Hall (November 2024)

Rebekah (Brown) Olson, CPA, is the CEO of the Maryland Association of CPAs and an influential figure in the accounting profession, recognized as one of Accounting Today's Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting for 2022.

Joining the MACPA in 2012, Rebekah assumed the position of Manager of Membership Development and Engagement in 2014. In 2018, she was appointed Director of Development, where she served on the leadership team steering the association through the complex challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the departure of longstanding CEO Tom Hood.

Passionate about the future of the accounting profession, Rebekah is a sought-after speaker who frequently shares her insights on professional trends and opportunities. As a certified facilitator, she has guided numerous organizations, both in the United States and Canada, in the strategic planning process.

Rebekah's contributions have garnered recognition from various prestigious entities. CPA Practice Advisor recognized her as a top thought leader under 40 in the CPA profession in 2017, 2019, and 2020. In 2019, she was honored with the President's Award by the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) Baltimore Chapter for her community service. Additionally, Rebekah was named a Maryland Daily Record Leading Women Honoree in 2020.

Rebekah holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, dual specializing in Accounting and Sports Management, from The Max M. Fisher School of Business at The Ohio State University, which she earned in 2009. She obtained her CPA designation in 2011. After gaining invaluable experience at a Top 100 firm, Rebekah decided to leave public accounting and leverage her talents and experiences to work on behalf of the profession at the Maryland Association of CPAs.

Bill Sheridan is a knowledge hunter, content curator and lifelong learner.  As chief communications officer for the Maryland Association of CPAs, he created and co-authors the association’s acclaimed blog; he created and hosts the MACPA’s weekly “Future-Proof” podcast; and he manages the association’s member communications and numerous social networks. He was named one of Accounting Today’s “100 Most Influential People in Accounting” for 2016.

m Jody Padar, CPA, also known as The Radical CPA, began her radical journey after coming off a bad tax season in an old-school firm. With seven partners operating a seven separate practices, no one really knew what anyone else was doing. As a young staff member, Jody was working an insane number of hours a week and when she became a mother, Jody knew the culture of this firm was just not right for her.

Jody decided it was time to try another angle. That’s when she joined her dad’s firm. It was a side practice that he operated while working in corporate tax; its annual revenue was less than $100,000. One of the first things he said to Jody was, “This is my practice, and you’ll need to go find your own customers.” And that was the best advice he ever gave Jody. During the 13 years she operated New Vision CPA Group, she evolved her father’s traditional tax firm into a fast-growing firm that put customers first, embraced new thinking and utilized the newest tech available.

Today, Jody is one of the accounting profession’s foremost visionaries and pioneers. A well-known advocate for tech adoption and general forward-thinking behavior inside the profession, she has been consistently named one of the Top 100 Most Influential to the Profession by Accounting Today. She is the author of Radical Pricing which will be published in early 2024 as well as two other books, From Success to Significance: The Radical CPA Guide; and The Radical CPA: New Rules for the Future-Ready Firm. She is a regular contributor to a number of industry publications, including Accounting Today and CPA Trendlines, where she offers practical tips and advice on running a next-generation firm.

Since her days as a small firm owner, she has advocated for bringing the accounting profession into the digital age and leading the next generation of accounting professionals to a better life where they can go home on time, give more to their clients and foster their passion for the industry. Currently a senior tax advisor at april, Jody loves the idea of using AI and automation to transform taxes, and she’s excited to help develop, evolve and share a simplified and pleasurable tax experience.

Padar is married with two adult children and currently resides in Door County Wisconsin. She earned her BBA from Saint Mary’s College and MST from Northern Illinois University. Follow her on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.