The Talent Discovery Series is your front-row seat to the next generation of thought leaders in accounting and finance. This virtual program features curated presentations from emerging voices bringing fresh perspectives, practical insights, and forward-thinking ideas to today’s most relevant topics. Beyond the live experience, the Talent Discovery Series also serves as a launchpad for new speakers and future programming.
Designed as a dynamic, fast-paced learning experience, each session includes a series of concise, 20-minute presentations grouped by topic or field of study. It’s an easy, engaging way to explore new ideas, discover rising talent, and walk away with insights you can actually use, without committing to a full-day program.
Offered at a special discounted rate for members, this series balances accessibility with value, providing CPE while supporting the development of new experts in the profession. It’s not just about learning, it’s about discovering what’s next.
Workplace Excellence: Skills, Growth, and Well-being. This June, we’re diving into the human side of accounting and finance—covering everything from feedback and burnout to culture, hiring, and time management. If it impacts your team, your growth, or your day-to-day sanity…we’re talking about it.
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Mr. Maginnis serves as an Independent Director and the Chair of the Audit Committee for the Cohen & Steers Mutual Fund Complex. He is also a board member and Chairs the Audit Committee of inTEST Corporation (INTT; NYSE), a publicly traded technology company.
Jerry also serves as the Senior Advisor, Strategy and Growth to the CEO and leadership team of Centri Consulting LLC, a professional services firm. The Firm specializes in providing financial reporting, internal controls, valuation, technical accounting research and CFO advisory services to clients in a variety of industries.
He is also an Executive in Residence at Rowan University, supporting the accounting program and coaching and mentoring students as they transition from academia to the business world.
Jerry spent 36 years with KPMG where he was an audit partner serving a variety of clients and specializing in emerging growth companies. He led KPMG’s audit practice in Pennsylvania for five years and served as the Firm’s Philadelphia Office Managing Partner for the last eight years of his career.
Jerry is the author of “Advice for a Successful Career in the Accounting Profession, How to Make Your Assets Greatly Exceed Your Liabilities” published by Wiley and released nationally in October of 2021. The book is a resource for college and university students studying accounting, early career professionals and accountants of all ages. The book is also a helpful tool for accounting educators, state CPA societies and others focused on ensuring a strong pipeline of talent into the Accounting Profession.
Jerry previously served as the President of the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA), a member of the Council of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), a member of the Board and Treasurer of the AICPA Foundation and the Chairman of the PICPA Foundation. He is also a past chair of the Rowan University Accounting Advisory Board. He served as a board member of Gwynedd-Mercy University, Saint Joseph’s Preparatory School and the Union League of Philadelphia and The Faith in the Future Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on preserving Catholic education at the secondary level in the Philadelphia region.Maginnis graduated from Saint Joseph’s University in 1977 with a BS in Accounting. He is a CPA, licensed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
As a professional speaker since 2012, Tyler has had the privilege to present at over 1000 live events. He is passionate about helping his audiences by sharing information in a way that is engaging, lively, and most of all, practical. This has enabled him to work with Fortune 500 companies, large organizations, and a wide variety of associations. In addition to owning his own business, Tyler has also served as a talent management consultant for Johns Hopkins University since 2015. He is excited to share his message with you today.
Creating a culture that embraces frequent candid feedback is essential to the growth of both individuals and organizations. Without it, productivity falls, communication becomes ineffective, and ultimately employee engagement and retention suffer. Although these facts are well known, many still avoid feedback because it can by nature be uncomfortable or even feel personal at times. In this highly interactive training participants will be equipped with specific skills to deliver even challenging feedback in a way that is both effective and empathetic. Also attendees of this program will learn specific techniques to receive feedback in a way that allows them to manage their internal and external responses, and as a result gain value from each exchange. While this topic is of particular interest to those in leadership roles, the concepts discussed in this training are essential for employees of all levels to implement.
Sandy Joy Weston, M.Ed., is an international keynote speaker, TEDx presenter, and author who helps professionals strengthen their mental fitness and performance under pressure. With over 30 years in health and wellness, including owning top fitness clubs in Philadelphia, Sandy developed the Joy Jolt Method—quick, science-backed tools using movement, words, and laughter to shift energy in minutes. Her high-energy, interactive keynotes teach practical ways to reduce stress, boost focus, and create resilient, engaged teams.
Amy Capello is an award-winning Speaker, Author, and Strategist who partners with organizations and individuals to prioritize employee resilience. A Stage 3 Breast Cancer survivor, Amy brings deep authenticity and bold insights to everything she teaches — blending science-backed strategy with irreverent humor that leaves audiences ready to take action. Honored as a 2024 Remarkable Woman of the Year and a Leader of Impact, she speaks internationally and has traveled to all seven continents, proving you can build balance anywhere.
The endless deadlines, clients who needed you yesterday, the pressure to keep up with every regulatory change, all with the guilt of never feeling fully caught up — it adds up. Fast. In this session, Amy Capello gets straight to the point: what's actually burning you out, why pushing harder isn't the answer, and quick strategies you can start using today to improve your resilience without sacrificing your clients or your reputation.
James Rainwater, a distinguished graduate of the University of Baltimore, holds an MBA in Finance and Leveraged Information Systems. With over two decades of expertise in the Accounting and Tax industry, James has been the proud principal and owner of RainwaterCPA.com since 2001. This national CPA firm, headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, has enabled him to collaborate with some of the nation's most elite attorneys, financial advisors, and CPAs, developing cutting-edge strategies for tax reduction and wealth creation.
Since 2016, James has served as a Technical Instructor at Instead, specializing in tax compliance, tax planning, and tax advisory topics. His commitment to sharing his wealth of knowledge has positively impacted thousands of accounting firm owners across the United States. As an Expert Coach on Tax Planning & Wealth Management for Instead, James has become a highly sought-after instructor, equipping accountants and tax professionals with the advanced tools and strategies necessary to optimize their business operations.
Outside of his professional endeavors, James enjoys spending quality time in the great outdoors, hiking with his fiancée, or taking leisurely walks with his beloved rescue dog, Maggie.
Most things in life are far too important to take seriously—especially in the world of finance! Jenny Locklin, The Undercover Speaker, brings an unexpected twist to professional events, kicking off as an overenthusiastic client before revealing how humor helps professionals manage stress, build resilience, and thrive under pressure. With customized slides featuring the audience, interactive games, and engaging participation, Jenny’s sessions create connection, laughter, and high-energy fun. Whether opening the event with momentum or closing it with an unforgettable experience, she ensures attendees leave smiling, energized, and seeing the lighter side of accounting! Jenny will be the closing keynote speaker at the Arizona Society of CPAs in October 2025.
Dr. Lowell Wightman, often referred to as Coach, has dedicated over 30 years to the study of defining positive mindset mental wellness while applying practical methods to improve leadership style. Dr. Wightman works with all forms of business but focuses on sports and entertainment providing mental performance coaching. His PhD is in Educational Leadership & Human Development, and over the years, he established relationships with like-minded scholars such as Stephen Covey, Deepak Chopra, Mark Victor Hansen, and Dennis Waitley, discovering that a focus on positive processes is far more effective than just the end results.
Today, Coach Wightman uses his experience with elite athletes, talented entertainers, and producers of feature films as sources for performance strategies. Dr. Wightman is working on a book “Coach Me Up” to be released fall 2024. Dr. Wightman is an active board member for Bal Swan Children’s Center, Bal Swan Building Fund, Boys and Girls Clubs of Colorado, and past board member to Denver Film.
Currently Dr. Wightman produces and hosts his podcast 360 Performance which may be found on Spotify or your favorite streaming site.
Dr. Wightman’s favorite quote summarizes his philosophy and passion for discovering the best path to performance excellence, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” –Albert Einstein