Staff Highlights – Winter/Spring 2021

Regional Leader

BMF has again been included on the list of 2021 Top Firms in the Great Lakes Region by Accounting Today, the premier publication of the CPA profession.

We are now BMF.CPA!

Our website and email addresses have changed. Please be sure to update your records and add BMF.CPA to your approved sender’s list.

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

• Craig Gaston joins our Akron office as a Staff Accountant in the Assurance & Advisory Department. Craig received a bachelor’s degree in Sports Administration from Kent State University before serving an internship in an accounts payable department. That role sparked an interest that led him to pursue his bachelor’s in accounting from Purdue University Global. Craig is an avid sports and country music fan and spent a lot of time on Netflix during the quarantine.
• Justin Groubert joins our Cleveland office as a Supervisor in the Tax Department. Justin graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a minor in mathematics from Walsh University. Justin brings five years of experience in public accounting with a mix of federal, international, state and local taxation. On nice days you can find him outdoors biking, running, hiking, golfing or walking his dog, Sushi. On not-so-nice days you can find him inside binge-watching Netflix or playing euchre.
• Isaiah Hershberger returns to our Akron office as a Staff Accountant in the Tax Department. Before graduating from Kent State University with an accounting degree, Isaiah served an internship within our tax department and is excited to begin his full-time career with BMF. Welcome back, Isaiah!
• Benjamin Sheers joins our Administrative “A-Team,” providing support to both our Akron and Cleveland offices. Ben graduated with a Bachelor’s in Philosophy from The University of Akron and earned his Master’s in Christian Education from The Dallas Theological Seminary. He has over nine years of office coordination experience, most recently as an office manager for a local construction company. Ben enjoys hiking in Hocking Hills with his family, gardening and outdoor projects and hopes to visit Ireland once things get back to normal.

• Tyler Chaplin has been elected to the Power of the Pen board which empowers young people to find and develop a creative voice and engages them in interscholastic writing tournaments and providing a platform for publication. Tyler also joined the Golf Outing Committee for the Northern Ohio Chapter of Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.
• Eileen Connor has been accepted as a board member at North Akron Community Development Corporation which is behind Akron’s NoHi Popup Restaurant, featuring a different food artist every weekend and many other community initiatives in the North Akron area. Eileen has also joined the subcommittee for Kent State University Accounting Advisory Board which partners with various groups including the KSU Career Services office to enhance accounting student and graduate preparation for entering the workforce.
• Mindy Marsden and Tod Wagner participated in a panel discussion for a joint presentation by Association for Corporate Growth and Financial Executives International Northeast Ohio Chapter.
• Jim Merklin was featured on an OSCPA podcast to discuss the challenges and opportunities of the minor league baseball industry. Read article >>
• Samantha Rathburn graduated from the master’s in taxation program at The University of Akron.
• Stephanie Smith presented to the Cuyahoga Falls Chamber of Commerce on How to Zoom Like a Pro and presented to the staff at Summit County Juvenile Court on Creating a Strong Virtual Presence. She also facilitated a discussion for Beta Alpha Psi at The University of Akron on Understanding and Leveraging Your Strengths for Growth.
• Tod Wagner has been elected to the executive committee and co-chair of the finance committee for Cleveland Zoological Society and has been appointed to board chair for The City Mission.