Nineteen emerging accounting and finance leaders learned the skills they’ll need to take their teams, their careers, and their profession to the next level during the Maryland Association of CPAs’ 2025 Leadership Academy.

Held June 10-11 in Towson, Md., the annual event is designed to help emerging leaders make the transition from individual contributors to leaders in their organizations.

“Our Leadership Academy is all about preparing the next generation of Maryland’s accounting and finance professionals to lead with integrity, empathy, and purpose,” said MACPA CEO Rebekah Olson, CPA. “I couldn’t be prouder of this year’s participants — their passion and commitment give me great confidence in the future of our profession.”

Held in collaboration with the Dr. Nancy Grasmick Leadership Institute, this year’s program offered attendees the Institute’s best-in-class, research-based leadership development program.

With Grasmick Institute lead facilitator Adam Bradley as a guide, participants learned the nuances of building values-driven leadership, how to distinguish between six distinct leadership styles (coach, autonomous, visionary, autocratic, servant, and collective), and how to identify which style best suits them. They also looked at leadership through the eyes of followers, studied the art of masterful communication, and examined emotional intelligence and why it sets high-performance organizations apart from the competition.

Participants also heard from accounting and finance leaders, learned about the trends impacting the profession, and grew their networks of peers and mentors. Olson was joined by a panel of volunteer MACPA leaders who offered leadership lessons related directly to accounting and finance. The panelists included:

• Maxene Bardwell, CPA, CIGA, CIA, CFE, CISA, CITP, CRMA, vice chair of the MACPA’s Board of Directors, a member of the MACPA Foundation’s Board of Directors, and acting Prince George's County Chief Administrative Officer.
  
  

• Tamara Bensky, CPA, managing partner of Myers & Stauffer, LC.
  
  

• Avonette Blanding, CPA, CGMA, a member of the MACPA Foundation’s Board of Directors, director of accounting of Maritime Systems Division of BlackSea Technologies, and managing member of Blanding Financial Solutions, LLC.
  
  

• Bo Fitzpatrick, CPA, a member of the MACPA’s Board of Directors and operations director for CliftonLarsonAllen LLP.

“This year’s Leadership Academy graduates represent the very best of what’s ahead for Maryland’s accounting community,” Olson said. “Their dedication to learning, growth, and values-driven leadership ensures our profession will continue to thrive and make a meaningful impact.”

Graduates of the MACPA’s 2025 Leadership Academy are:

• Tanyeka Alexander, Gaines 4 The Culture LLC
• Shannon Broderick, GWCPA
• Lupe Cervantes, KBST&M
• Katie Elliott, GWCPA
• Mary Fleming, Grandizio Wilkins Little & Matthews
• Julissa Garcia, P+G Built Solutions
• Sarah Glasgow, GWCPA
• Danielle Isenberg, P+G Built Solutions
• Peiyun Li, Grandizio Wilkins Little & Matthews
• Maribel Loza, MKS&H CPAs and Business Consultants
• Martin Murray, Bridgeway Community Church
• Jessica Reid, GWCPA
• Sonali Revankar, MKS&H CPAs and Business Consultants
• Aaliyah Roach, GWCPA
• Jasmine Royster, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
• Sam Ryan, KBST&M
• Kara Schuster, MKS&H CPAs and Business Consultants
• Rachel Wagner, Towson University Foundation
• David Wolford, LSWG CPAs & Business Advisors