Not-for-Profit Organizations Conference (VIRTUAL)

Jeffrey Mechanick

Jeff Mechanick is Senior Project Advisor for Not-for-Profit Organizations at the FASB. In that role, he provides organization-wide technical and strategic advice on standard-setting activities affecting the not-for-profit sector, guides and facilitates stakeholder outreach with the sector, chairs the FASB’s Not-for-Profit Advisory Committee, and participates in some of the FASB’s broader educational activities. He is also a member of the Technical Advisory Group of the International Financial Reporting for Nonprofit Organizations initiative (#IFR4NPO).

Prior to joining the FASB staff in 2006, Jeff spent 20 years working in and with the not-for-profit sector, as the CFO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc., and before that, as a Senior Manager with KPMG, LLP, in the firm’s New York office. From 1992 to 1994, he served as the National Technical Senior Manager for the firm’s Higher Education, Research, and Other Not-for-Profit Organizations (HERON) practice. He is also a past member of the AICPA’s NFP Expert Panel. Jeff received his MBA from Rutgers University and his AB from the University of Chicago, and he is a member of the AICPA and the New York State Society of CPAs. He is also an adjunct instructor in Columbia University’s MS degree program in Nonprofit Management.

Jonathan Marks

Jonathan has over 35 years of experience collaborating with his clients, their boards, senior management, and law firms on global fraud and misconduct investigations, including bribery, corruption, compliance, and other matters requiring governance, risk, and compliance expertise.

Jonathan specializes in complex and high-stakes internal and regulatory investigations, governance matters, risk assessments, the design and implementation of compliance programs, internal audits, global fraud risk management programs, compliance coordination, monitoring, and technical accounting and disclosure matters for the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors. He assists his clients in mitigating potential issues by conducting root-cause analysis, developing remedial procedures, and designing or enhancing governance and compliance systems along with internal controls, policies, and procedures, continuous auditing and monitoring strategies, as well as customized training.

He has led high-profile financial, accounting, compliance, and regulatory investigations worldwide relating to allegations of accounting irregularities, improper financial disclosures, fraud, non-compliance, bribery, corruption, kickbacks, money laundering, price-fixing, terrorist financing, cyber-fraud incidents, and whistleblower matters.

Jonathan has provided expert testimony on accounting, economic damages and lost profits, financial and internal control issues in commercial litigation, and criminal matters. He has appeared before the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulation Authority (FINRA), and the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) to present his findings. Jonathan has also served as a neutral for business disputes and led global compliance initiatives, fraud (including money laundering) risk or vulnerability assessments, internal audits, third-party risk management initiatives, and due diligence teams.

He is a well-regarded author and speaker who has gained international recognition for developing thought leadership that has enhanced the profession, including the Fraud Pentagon, the Business Fraud Risk Framework, the Advanced Meta-Model of Fraud, and the Enterprise Resilient Ecosystem. He regularly presents on various fraud, ethics, compliance, governance, and forensic accounting topics. He was a candidate for the Innovator of the Year Award in 2021, according to Compliance Week.

Jonathan serves clients in many sectors, including manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, pharmaceutical, professional services, software, technology, and the telecommunications industry. He previously held leadership positions at a national accounting and global disputes and investigations professional services firm. He has educated and advised some of the world’s largest companies on highly complex issues.

Jessica Draper

Jessica Draper is a principal in the Hartford, Connecticut, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. She focuses her practice on employment litigation.

Jessica defends employers against claims of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and failure to accommodate before federal and state courts and administrative agencies.

In addition to handling employment litigation matters, Jessica assists higher education clients with a broad range of student related matters, including Title IX sexual misconduct investigations, student grievances, disability accommodations, and a host of other issues at the forefront of higher education law.

After graduating law school, Jessica was a law clerk for the Connecticut Superior Court.

While in law school, Jessica served as the president of the Labor and Employment Law Society and earned the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Employment Law. She also served as an articles editor for the Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies.

Joseph Fazzino

Joseph W. Fazzino is an associate in the Hartford, Connecticut, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. Jay’s practice focuses on representing employers in workplace law matters, including preventive advice and counseling.

Jay’s litigation practice includes defending employers against claims of discrimination, retaliation, disability accommodation and wage and hour violations. Additionally, he works closely with clients to provide on-going legal support and counsel, partnering with clients to provide training in all areas of employment law.

Prior to joining Jackson Lewis, Jay practiced as a civil defense attorney at a mid-sized law firm in Hartford. He defended the interests of clients in a wide variety of matters at mediation, arbitration and trial.

While in law school, he completed internships for the trial division of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut, and the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

Gian-Carl Casa

In July 2016 Gian-Carl Casa was selected as the first President and CEO of the CT Community Nonprofit Alliance (“The Alliance”), Connecticut’s statewide association of nonprofit organizations. He has led the effort to build The Alliance, so that it is now recognized as the voice of community nonprofits before the legislature, the state executive branch, the Congressional delegation and the media.

Before that he served for five and a half years as Undersecretary for Legislative Affairs at the state Office of Policy and Management. At OPM he was responsible for budget-related and other legislation, managed requests for state bond funding and was point person for public communications, working closely with the Governor’s office in all areas.

He also worked for over two decades at the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, most recently as Directory of Public Policy and Advocacy, where he worked on many association-related activities and helped build the organization’s grassroots lobbying capacity.

He has a BA and MA in Political Science from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. He has otherwise always lived in Connecticut.

Mary-Evelyn Antonetti

Mary Antonetti is a tax principal with Baker Tilly’s healthcare practice. She has more than 30 years of public accounting experience with national and international firms. Her extensive experience includes healthcare and other tax-exempt organizations and their for-profit affiliates, including higher education institutions, non-governmental organizations, hospital systems, title holding companies, Official Catholic Directory entities and private foundations.

Mary’s skillset includes consulting on the implications of tax reform, unrelated business income, alternative investments, foreign reporting, joint venture transactions, Section 501(r) of the Internal Revenue Code, restructuring, application for exempt status, IRS audit support, community benefit reporting, Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNA), tax-exempt bonds, HHS Provider Relief Funds, CARES Act, and private inurement issues.

She also has experience providing middle-market companies with general tax compliance and planning services focused on organizations and their owners. She assists her clients with tax compliance, year-end planning, entity structure reorganizations, and the implications of new legislation.

Mary is also a frequent speaker on various tax topics and has authored articles on topics in the healthcare and not-for-profit sectors.

Julia Eisenhaur

Julia Eisenhaur is responsible for the design of the audit approach, supervision of staff, the creation and maintenance of the engagement budget and the coordination of staff and management so that the audit is performed on a timely basis with as little intrusion to client operations as possible.

Julia has over 20 years of experience in accounting and has developed expertise in many areas of accounting and consulting. She serves numerous not-for profit organizations including voluntary health and welfare organizations and health care organizations. Most of these include Federal and State Single Audit Act compliance audits. Prior to joining the Firm, Julia was a Manager at a mid-sized accounting firm in Connecticut, a small business owner, and a Supervisor with a “Big Four” accounting firm in Hartford.

Rebecca Lyman

Rebecca W. Lyman, CPA, is a director with CohnReznick and a member of the Firm’s Not-for-Profit and Education Industry Practice. Rebecca takes a leadership role in managing, planning, and supervising various engagements. Across multiple industries, Rebecca works closely with management and clients to provide services such as accounting, auditing and financial reporting, including Federal and State Single Audits. Rebecca has audit experience with various sizes of not-for-profit organizations, including a number of arts and culture organizations.

Rebecca is a local instructor with CohnReznick’s Learning and Development Team and is involved with teaching a variety of staff programs. Rebecca has additional experience in construction, pension plan audits, and municipal engagements.

Jennifer Bull

Jennifer S. Bull has more than 20 years of experience serving manufacturing businesses and companies in the financial services industry, including mortgage service firms and registered investment advisors. In addition, she has significant experience serving charter schools, retail businesses and not-for-profit organizations, including college foundations.

Along with her experience in planning and managing assurance and advisory engagements for clients, Jennifer has significant experience in individual and business taxation, planning and consultation.

Mark Kovitch

Mark is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Connecticut and Massachusetts. His background includes over twenty-five years of experience providing accounting, auditing, consulting, technology implementation, and governmental interaction services for not-for-profits, housing projects, higher education and governmental entities.

At New Opportunities, Mark is responsible for managing all financial and accounting operations, including internal and external financial reporting, financial and administrative controls. Providing senior management with strategic guidance and presenting financial status and projection reports to the Board of Directors. The management of fiscal operations includes New Opportunities, Inc, its affiliate entities, and fiscal sponsorship of another non-for-profit.

Prior to joining New Opportunities in 2019, Mark was CFO of Geer Corporation, a non-for-profit, which provides a continuum of care for seniors. As CFO, Mark was responsible for providing direction and guidance to maintain the financial systems, audit activities, strategic objectives, information technology, human resources, financial policies, and control systems.

Prior to that, Mark was the CFO of Key Human Services, Inc. a non-for-profit, supporting individuals with intellectual disabilities. His responsibilities included financial management, technology implementation, monitoring internal accounting controls and compliance with financial, State, and Federal regulations.

Mark started his career in the public accounting firm environment for eight years specializing in providing accounting, auditing and consulting services to not-for-profit, higher education, and governmental entities.

Mark is a member of the American Institute of CPA’s, National Society of Accountants and Connecticut Society of CPA’s. Mark is an active member of Connecticut Society of CPA’s Not-for-profit Committee. Mark is a board member of Greater Hartford Legal Aid.

Mark was a member of the Connecticut Nonprofit Human Service Cabinet which was instrumental in developing of the Connecticut Cost Standards and Single Audit regulations implemented by the State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management. Mark graduated from Lyndon State College with a B.S. in Accounting and A.S. in Computer Science.

Mary-Evelyn Antonetti

Mary Antonetti is a tax principal with Baker Tilly’s healthcare practice. She has more than 30 years of public accounting experience with national and international firms. Her extensive experience includes healthcare and other tax-exempt organizations and their for-profit affiliates, including higher education institutions, non-governmental organizations, hospital systems, title holding companies, Official Catholic Directory entities and private foundations.

Mary’s skillset includes consulting on the implications of tax reform, unrelated business income, alternative investments, foreign reporting, joint venture transactions, Section 501(r) of the Internal Revenue Code, restructuring, application for exempt status, IRS audit support, community benefit reporting, Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNA), tax-exempt bonds, HHS Provider Relief Funds, CARES Act, and private inurement issues.

She also has experience providing middle-market companies with general tax compliance and planning services focused on organizations and their owners. She assists her clients with tax compliance, year-end planning, entity structure reorganizations, and the implications of new legislation.

Mary is also a frequent speaker on various tax topics and has authored articles on topics in the healthcare and not-for-profit sectors.