Staff Highlights – Winter 2025

New Associates

We are excited to announce and welcome the following additions to our professional staff.

• Jeff German-Lortie is a Manager in our Audit department who started with us at the end of the summer. Jeff has over a decade of experience with corporate and public accounting including his latest role as a manager for a regional Cleveland firm. In his free time, he enjoys brewing his own beer, attending any game in Cleveland and traveling with his wife Ashley.
• Colette Hounshell joined BMF back in November as a Senior Manager in our Audit department. Colette brings over eight years of accounting experience from both regional and national CPA firms. In her free time, she enjoys cheering on the Cleveland Browns every week, riding her Peloton and cooking new recipes.
• John May was welcomed on as a Manager for our Tax department in early December. He brings nearly a decade of experience in public accounting, most recently as a manager at a local Cleveland firm. He lives in Solon with his wife and two sons. He enjoys hiking and would love to visit every national park one day.
• Emily Aerni has joined our Private Client Services practice as a Manager with over eight years of experience in public accounting. Recently moving over from a Big 4 firm, Emily is looking forward to working with BMF and our clients. As a Medina resident with her husband and two daughters, Emily enjoys cheering on Taylor Swift’s boyfriend during Chief’s games, riding her Peloton and reading.
• Teddy Durbak is a new staff member of our BAS group after spending two years in corporate accounting at a commercial real estate company. He resides in Stow and in his free time, he enjoys cheering on the Columbus Crew and spending time with his nine brothers and sisters.
• Spencer Foster is a Staff Accountant in our audit department after completing an internship with us during the 2024 busy season. Spencer is a graduate from Kent State and in his free time he enjoys lifting weights, cheering on the Cleveland Guardians and spending time with his five dogs.
• Hannah Horning also joined BMF at the end of summer as a Staff accountant for our BAS group. Hannah transitioned from National Interstate with over seven years of experience with corporate and public accounting. Her favorite past time is running and playing sand volleyball. She currently lives in Stow with her husband, son and daughter.
• Steve Madden joins us as a Supervisor in our Tax department with over six years of experience under his belt including a large national firm in Cleveland. He currently lives on the West side of Cleveland with his wife and two cats. He especially enjoys cheering on the Cleveland Cavaliers and watching any game he can.
• Nicholas Reimund graduated from Ashland University with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in international business and joined our Audit department back in September as a Staff Accountant. He is currently attending Liberty University to attain his accounting credits. He loves long distance running, spending time with his family and cheering on Ohio State football every Saturday.
• Ryan Repas also joined BMF in November as a Senior Accountant in our Tax department. Ryan has over seven years of accounting background, most notably from a regional firm in Cleveland. He lives in Elyria with his fiancée and their newborn son. Ryan is looking forward to joining the BMF tax sand volleyball team and hopes to help beat the audit team every now and then.
• Caroline Speer is our most recent arrival to the BAS group as a supervisor. She has spent the last seven years in accounting; two years in audit for a national firm and the last five years in corporate accounting. She lives in Hudson and loves to spend time with family – especially her nephew.

New Leadership Team Members

• Ciaccio & Miller Join Our Leadership Team – Nick Ciaccio, MBA and Stephanie Miller have joined our Business Advisory Services (BAS) practice. As Managing Director, Nick will lead our BAS practice, which functions as an extension of our client’s accounting or finance department, providing full and part-time accounting, financial and tax compliance, monthly performance reporting and strategic advisory services. As Controller, Stephanie will work closely with Nick to provide proactive accounting and consulting services, including financial management, budgeting and forecasting, and fractional controller services.

Staff, Community Updates and Recognitions

Help isn’t only defined in a business context. We encourage our teams to invest in our communities, each other, and ourselves. Here are some of the ways we’re enhancing our efforts to support local charities, continue our roles as nonprofit agency leaders, and invest in individual growth and development. In addition to these initiatives, we’re proud to recognize the achievements of our staff and teams. This winter, we celebrated:

• Jim Merklin has been elected Chair of the 2025 Levy Sub-Committee for the County of Summit Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Service Board (County of Summit ADM Board), which is responsible for planning, funding, monitoring, and evaluating treatment, prevention, and support services for people who experience Substance Use Disorder and/or Mental Health Disorder.
• Betsy Robb graduated from Akron Torchbearers Class of 2024 after completing the year-long leadership and development cohort program.
• Joe Blaha has been re-elected to Treasurer for the Neohio Region Sports Car Club of America, which fuels a safe, fun and exciting motorsports experience for auto enthusiasts.
• BMF Named Top 10 Firm – We are proud to have been ranked the 10th largest CPA firm in Northeast Ohio by Crain’s Cleveland Business. This recognition is a testament to our team’s dedication, expertise, and commitment to delivering exceptional service to our clients. As we continue to grow and innovate, we are focused on remaining independent while providing the highest quality accounting and advisory services to help our clients thrive.

Winter Wonderland!

As one year ended and another began, we had plenty to keep us busy! Check out what’s been keeping us connected these past couple months:

• 2024 Akron Marathon Corporate Challenge – BMF was invited to the Akron Marathon Corporate Challenge Award Presentation. Our distinguished County Executive, Ilene Shapiro, was there to personally present the awards, alongside representatives from the Akron Marathon. It was a wonderful opportunity to receive recognition for our team’s outstanding performance as well as showcasing our dedication and commitment to employee engagement and corporate wellness. The award was graciously accepted by two of our relay team members, Zach Bezon and Michael Dascenzo and is now proudly on display in our Akron office.
• Holiday Party – An annual tradition and one we look forward to every year. Our staff gathered in our Akron office to enjoy good food, cocktails and great conversation.
• North Pole Adventure – Several of our team members got to experience the CVSR North Pole Adventure this year. It’s a great opportunity to support such an amazing organization and it was heartwarming to see our employees and their families create lasting memories.