2025 Accounting Educators Exchange

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.

Dr. Jan L. Williams is an educator who takes pride in preparing the next generation of CPAs. She is an associate professor of accounting and director of the accounting honors program at the University of Baltimore. She holds the distinct honor of being awarded the first Doctor of Philosophy degree from the Graves School of Business and Management at Morgan State University. Since joining the faculty at the University of Baltimore in 2006, she has taught financial accounting courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Her research focuses on ethics, taxes, and financial reporting improprieties, and has been published in both academic and practitioner journals.

Her service to the academic and professional community has included, Education member of the Maryland State Board of Public Accountancy, President of the American Accounting Association (AAA) Mid-Atlantic Region, Secretary of the AAA Diversity Section, and sub-committee Education Chair of the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants (MACPA) Task Force on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. In her professional career as a Certified Public Accountant, prior to entering academia, she worked as an auditor for Price Waterhouse [now PricewaterhouseCoopers] and as an accounting manager for Kirschner Medical Corporation.

Dr. Williams' passion for mentoring and empowering students to reach their God given potential has led to numerous awards, including an esteemed Henry C. Welcome Fellowship from the Maryland Higher Education Commission; the Yale Gordon Chair for Distinguished Teaching Award, Hoffberger Ethics in Teaching Award, and Dean Daniel Costello Service Award from the Merrick School of Business; the MACPA Women to Watch Award; and the Outstanding Leader in Education Award by the National Association of Black Accountants-Baltimore chapter.

Committed to improving the lives of others, she has served as a financial literacy workshop presenter, mentor with Invest in Girls and Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Chesapeake, treasurer of the board of directors of Green Dollars Project, Inc. and the New Shiloh Community Development Corporation. Additionally, she is a member of The PhD Project Faculty Accounting Association and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, reading, golfing, and helping others obtain financial independence.

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.

As NCACPA Director of Advocacy, Robert works with our members to develop, implement, and communicate the association’s public policy agenda to legislators and regulators. He serves as staff liaison to several NCACPA Resource Groups, including Advocacy, Tax, Government, and Accounting & Attestation.

Robert has more than two decades of experience in government relations and executive management for professional associations. A native of Tennessee, he worked in Nashville and Atlanta before moving to Raleigh in 2013. He earned his Certified Association Executive credential in 2020, and he serves on the Board of Directors for Association Executives of North Carolina.

Emily Walker is vice president of advocacy & pipeline for the Virginia Society of CPAs (VSCPA). She has been with the VSCPA since 2003 and oversees and provides strategic direction for VSCPA government relations programs, including VSCPA legislative and regulatory activities, grassroots initiatives and the VSCPA Political Action Committee (VSCPA PAC). In addition, she provides oversight to the VSCPA’s CPA pipeline and academic relations activities.

Emily served as a member of the National Pipeline Advisory Group. She is a past chair of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Public Policy Committee and the Virginia Society of Association Executives (VSAE) Government Affairs Committee. She also previously served on the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) State Policy Priorities Task Force and the Tax Policy Committee of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce. Emily is a Certified Association Executive (CAE) and a graduate of Nonprofit Learning Point’s Emerging Nonprofit Leaders Program. She also volunteers her time to provide administrative assistance to a local non-profit organization providing soccer training for female soccer players. Emily earned her B.S. in molecular biology from Juniata College and attended law school at the University of Richmond.

Chris Word, CPA, is a seasoned finance and accounting professional with extensive experience in financial transformation, transaction advisory, controllership, and process optimization. With a career spanning public and private companies—including publicly traded firms, private equity-backed businesses, and startups—Chris has developed a strong expertise in mergers & acquisitions, financial restructuring, and strategic leadership.

Chris has led financial transformation initiatives that improve operational efficiency, streamline reporting, and enhance compliance. As a former Controller and Finance Transformation Director, he has successfully reduced month-end close timelines, integrated financial systems post-merger, and implemented best practices for ASC 606 revenue recognition, ASC 842 lease accounting, and financial compliance.

Currently, Chris serves as the Founder & Principal Consultant at Word & Co PLLC, where he specializes in helping businesses optimize financial operations, leverage AI-driven financial solutions, and navigate complex transactions. His deep understanding of technical accounting, process automation, and finance strategy makes him a sought-after advisor for organizations looking to scale and improve financial performance.

Beyond his professional career, Chris is actively engaged in leadership and mentorship, serving as the Chairman of the National Association of Black Golf Merchants (NABGM) and supporting various professional and community-driven initiatives.

Chris is passionate about empowering businesses through financial strategy and technology, helping them operate more efficiently, make data-driven decisions, and achieve long-term success.

Dr. Wendy T. Jewell is the Department Chair and Assistant Professor of Management at the Sydney Lewis School of Business at Virginia Union University (VUU), in Richmond, VA.  Dr. Jewell has a B.S. in Accounting, a MBA with an emphasis in Finance, and a Doctorate in Business Administration Leadership.  Her research interests include leadership, leadership development, enterprise risk management, organizational change, and continuous improvement.  She has built the Business Analytics program at VUU.  In the classroom, Dr. Jewell has taught graduate and undergraduate level courses in Business Analytics, Accounting, Finance & Banking, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship.

Dr. Jewell is a CPA (licensed in VA) and also an experienced management consultant.  She has partnered with clients for their success in resolving their financial, accounting, risk management, financial analysis, financial systems testing and implementation, process improvements, cybersecurity, budgeting, internal controls enhancement, financial reporting, and training needs.  She has a proven ability to see the big picture perspective as well as a deep dive into the details.  She also has improved the efficiency and controls of organizational processes, scope strategic value-added solutions that address current needs and future needs, teach, facilitate, develop, and assess outcomes, explain complex issues, problem resolution, work independently or on a team.

Amanda “Jo” Erven, CPA, CIA, CFE, is the President and Founder of Audit. Consulting. Education. LLC. After a successful career in external and internal audit, Jo is now an active Internal Audit Strategist, Ethics and Culture Consultant, Author, and Trainer/Speaker, providing CPE hours, live and virtually, to organizations across the globe. Jo is also a full-time faculty member and Director of a newly created “Risk Assurance and Advisory Center” at Metropolitan State University of Denver. As Director, Jo guides graduate students as they ARE the University’s Internal Auditors!

Dr. Sharon Jones, Ed.D is the founder and CEO of the dot Consulting and the non-profit Dottie Rose Foundation, where she leads and implements technology education and innovation. Dr. Jones has served as a computer science expert for the past 23 years, bridging the gap between everyday actions and the application of technology. She serves as a member of the National Small Business Leadership Council, where she represents North Carolina and a co-founder of Carolina Women in Tech. She was also named one of the 100 Women to KNOW in 2023 by JP Morgan for her work and impact with creating a pipeline for women in tech. When not running the technology-world, Dr. Jones spends her time with her husband Ricky, and two sons.

Dr. Todd White is an assistant professor of accounting at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. He holds a BBA in Finance from the University of Notre Dame, an MS in Accounting from the University of Akron, and a PhD in Accounting and Information Systems from Virginia Tech. His research expertise includes financial analyst herding and his work has been published in academic journals such as the Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting as well as prestigious professional publications such as the CFA Digest.

Dr. Dena Breece is an associate professor of accounting at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Furthermore, she is the interim department chair for accounting, finance, and information technology management. Dr. Breece holds a BS in Accounting from Methodist College (now University), an MBA from Campbell University, and a PhD in Business Administration with a Concentration in Accounting and Finance from Trident University International and is a NC licensed CPA with over 20 years of industry experience. Her research interest includes managerial accounting, information technology, and pedagogy. She published articles in the Journal of Accountancy, Human Systems Management, the North American Accounting Studies, Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy, Journal of Case Studies, Journal of Case Research and Inquiry, the Southeast Case Research Journal, and in various conference proceedings.