Four outstanding business leaders have been chosen by the Maryland Association of CPAs as Maryland’s “Women to Watch” for 2024.

The honorees are:

• Molly McCafferty, CPA, a partner at CohnReznick, in the “Emerging Leader” category.


• Samantha Fisher, CPA, CVA, MAFF, a member at Paradigm Forensics, LLC, in the “Emerging Leader” category.


• Monica Dalwadi, CPA, CIA, CFE, MBA, a managing principal at Baker Tilly US, in the “Experienced Leader” category.


• Aileen Eskildsen, CPA, CEO and managing partner of Ellin & Tucker, in the “Experienced Leader” category.

Launched in 2014, the awards highlight the accomplishments and contributions of women in the accounting profession and demonstrate to emerging leaders that success is not out of reach.

“We are incredibly proud of this year’s winners — indeed, of all the honorees for this year’s awards,” said MACPA CEO Rebekah Brown, CPA. “They represent the best this profession has to offer, and they serve as role models not only for other women in the profession, but for every accounting and finance professional on the planet.”

“We had 30 nominees for this year’s awards,” said Thomas White, CPA, chair of the MACPA’s 2024-25 Board of Directors. “This symbolizes a commitment on the part of every person in this room and once again sets Maryland CPAs apart in a way that makes me proud.”

Here’s a closer look at the winners and honorees in each of the two “Women to Watch” categories:

Emerging Leader: Molly McCafferty, CPA

Molly McCafferty is a partner at CohnReznick. She has taken an active role in mentoring and developing the firm’s staff, fostering an environment of continuous learning and professional growth. Dedicated to community service, she empowers women and mentors young professionals in the public accounting and affordable housing industries, and serves as treasurer of WAHN DMV. She serves on the accounting advisory board of her alma mater, American University. 

Emerging Leader: Samantha Fisher, CPA, CVA, MAFF

Samantha Fisher is a Member at Paradigm Forensics, LLC. She’s a key leader in the accounting space and has held positions such as the Chair of the MACPA’s Forensic and Valuation Services Committee, the Chair of the NACVA’s Valuation Credentialing Board, and as an adjunct professor for Stevenson University. She is always looking to give back and consistently assists with the MACPA’s Leadership Academy. 

Other honorees in the Emerging Leader category are:

• Ashley Bell, CPA, senior manager at SC&H Group.
• Kelli Cobb, CPA, member and director of Accounting Services at SEK CPAs & Advisors.
• Oksana Fisher, CPA, assistant professor in the Business Administration Department at Anne Arundel Community College.
• Annemarie Heim, CPA, manager at HeimLantz.
• Keila Hill-Trawick, CPA, MBA, founder and CEO of Little Fish Accounting and Build to Enough.
• Monica Kempson, CPA, tax partner at Askey, Askey and Associates.
• Samantha Knickerbocker, CPA, audit senior manager for SC&H Group.
• Samantha Krall, CPA, senior tax manager at RSM US LLP.
• Eleanna Lee (Weissman), CPA candidate, senior auditor at EY.
• Kaitlyn Loughner, CPA, partner at Frost Law.
• Denise Lumpkins, CPA, director of Accounting at AIRtec, Inc.
• Tigress Morris, CPA candidate, CAAS chief financial officer at CLA Baltimore.
• Stefanie Ottenstein, CPA, chief financial officer of Aerolab LLC.
• Dani Schooley, CPA candidate, assurance senior auditor at Clearview Group, LLC.
• Allison Shin, CPA, director at Lanigan Ryan, P.C.
• Christie Stravino, CPA, MS, tax partner at Cohen & Company.
• Jaime Thompson, CPA candidate, founder and CFO of Nicholynn Advisors.
• Mia Thompson, CPA, assurance senior manager at CohnReznick.
• Chanel Trussell, CAAS chief financial officer at CLA Baltimore.
• Caroline Weirich, CPA, supervisor at Withum.
• Lindsey Welsh, CPA, audit managing director at KPMG.
• Lauren Zeigler, CPA, MS, director at Rosen, Sapperstein & Friedlander, LLC

Experienced Leader: Monica Dalwadi, CPA, CIA, CFE, MBA

Monica Dalwadi is a managing principal at Baker Tilly US. She exemplifies transformative leadership through her strategic oversight of a top 10 advisory, tax and assurance firm, her impactful mentorship, and her steadfast dedication to advancing diversity and inclusion within her organization and the broader DMV. Monica serves on the Executive Committee board for Junior Achievement of Greater Washington and on the Kennedy Center Capital Area Executives Committee.

Experienced Leader: Aileen Eskildsen, CPA

Aileen Eskildsen is CEO and managing partner at Ellin & Tucker. She is an integral member of the firm’s executive leadership team, focused on positioning the firm as a leader in the Mid-Atlantic accounting industry, and has been dedicated to advancing women in accounting. She serves on the Board of Trustees for Catholic Charities of Baltimore and the Board of Directors for First Fruits Farm, Inc., where she also chairs the Finance Committee. 

Other nominees in the Experienced Leader category are:

• Dara Castle, CPA, market leader of RSM US LLP’s Mid-Atlantic offices and national leader of RSM’s government contracting practice.
• Megan Lusby, MBA, PMP, director of Personal Property Tax for Clearview Group, LLC.
• Margaret Michael, CPA, principal, Audit & Assurance at Clearview Group, LLC.
• Salome Tinker, CPA, CGMA, partner at TSC Enterprise LLC. 

The 2024 MACPA “Women to Watch” awards were made possible by the MACPA Foundation, which is committed to building a diverse CPA talent pipeline to secure the future of our profession.

The awards also were made possible by the following strategic partners:

Premier Sponsors

• CLA
• CohnReznick
• Deloitte
• RSM

Event Sponsors

• Aon
• Aprio
• Askey Askey & Associates, CPA, LLC
• Bookminders
• Clearview Consulting
• Cohen & Co.
• Frost Law
• GWCPA
• KPMG
• SC&H Group
• Withum