KatzAbosch, one of the region’s leading certified public accounting, tax and consulting firms, is proud to announce that six more of our Certified Public Accountants: Michael Gentry, Terry Grant, Kent Thomas, Chris Clingerman, Anita Sheckells and Kristin Bailey have recently earned the Certified Construction Auditor (CCA) designation from the National Association of Construction Auditors (NACA), bringing the total number of CCAs employed with KatzAbosch to seven, including Claudia Wolter who earned her designation in 2011.

The National Association of Construction Auditors was created to enhance the control environment related to construction projects. Providing the professional Certified Construction Auditor (CCA) designation helps to instill confidence in employers and clients when they secure the services of a professional construction auditor.

In addition to the CCA designation, 6 of KatzAbosch’s Certified Public Accountants also hold the designation of Certified Construction Industry Financial Professional (CCIFP). This distinction shows an individual has met the highest standards of construction financial management. There are less than 20 CCIFPs in the state of Maryland and only 700 in the United States.

KatzAbosch is also the only member of The Construction Industry CPAs/Consultants Association (CICPAC) in the state of Maryland. CICPAC is a national association of CPA firms recognized by their respective markets for providing high quality financial and consulting services to over 6,000 construction entities. Each firm is the exclusive member in its area and must demonstrate proficiency in construction industry services and a reputation for high-quality work and integrity. Through CICPAC’s educational programs and the continuous exchange of ideas and information, members of CICPAC are able to stay at the forefront of the construction industry, allowing them to provide up-to-date services to their clients.

KatzAbosch is proud to announce that SmartCEO Magazine will be honoring our very own Arlene Ciroula as Smart COO of the Year at their SmartCXO Awards on March 22^nd.

Chief Operating Officers nominated for this award had to demonstrate the following:

• leadership by creating and communicating the strategy and mission of the company to all staff members
• implementation of coaching and recognition programs to align the staff with the company’s goals
• effective management of staff levels, expectations and knowledge
• prioritization of customer, employee and company requirements
• efficient oversight of an organization’s performance.

This is a huge honor for Arlene and our firm.

KatzAbosch is proud to announce that three of the firm’s managers, Andrew L. Bareham, CPA, MST, Kristin N. Hucht, CPA, and Josh A. Sutherland, CPA have been promoted to Principals.

Being promoted to Principal is a huge honor within the firm. The role of a Principal is a high-level technical position that includes managing several ongoing jobs while communicating with shareholders, as well as managers and supervisors. It is their responsibility to monitor budgets, oversee the job process, and complete final reviews.

This promotion rewards managers who go above and beyond standard expectations. It is another example of KatzAbosch’s commitment to its staff by encouraging upward movement within the firm. KatzAbosch has been recognized as a “Best Accounting Firm to Work For” by Accounting Today magazine for the past 3 years in a row, as well as having earned several regional “best employer” awards, including “Healthiest Employer” by the Baltimore Business Journal, and “Baltimore’s Top Workplaces” by the Baltimore Sun.

KatzAbosch was recently named as one of the 2011 Best Accounting Firms to Work For. The annual list of “Best Accounting Firms” was created by Accounting Today and Best Companies Group. This list is committed to identifying and recognizing the best accounting industry employers across the nation. This is the third consecutive year KatzAbosch has earned this distinction.

Accounting firms from across the country entered the two-part survey process to determine the Best Accounting Firms to Work For. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated firm’s workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. The combined scores determined the top firms and the final ranking. Best Companies Group managed the overall registration, survey and analysis process and determined the final rankings.

This survey and award program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in the accounting industry, benefiting the nation’s economy, its workforce and businesses. The Best Accounting Firms to Work For list is made up of a total of 100 companies, split into three groups: 50 small-sized companies (15-49 employees), 45 medium-sized companies (50-249 employees) and 5 large-sized companies (more than 250 employees). KatzAbosch has been named one of the Best Accounting Firms to Work For in the medium category.

KatzAbosch is extremely honored to have received this distinction for a third consecutive year. It is incredibly rewarding to know that our personnel spoke so highly of the firm in the voting process. This is truly a testament to our enduring commitment policy to provide the necessary support, resources and guidance that our staff needs to excel and succeed.

The ranking of the 4^th annual Best Accounting Firms to Work For was unveiled at an awards ceremony sponsored by ADP during Accounting Today’s 2^nd Annual Growth & Profitability Summit on October 25^th – October 27^th at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The list-making firms will also be published in the December issue of Accounting Today.

KatzAbosch recently received the 2011 Top 75 Workplaces Award. The annual recognition by The Baltimore Sun of Top Workplaces was created to showcase the very best organizations, evaluated purely on the responses to an employee survey. The surveys were evaluated by Workplace Dynamics LLC, a company that believes business can and should make a positive impact on the individuals, organizations and communities we work in. Top Workplaces leads the way in measuring the health of US companies based upon employee opinions.

Top Workplaces is all about a better way of doing business. Extensive research by Workplace Dynamics has shown that employees want to be part of something meaningful, where they can contribute and give their best. This means a Top Workplaces company can be more innovative, operate more ethically and serve clients better.

This tried and tested survey has been used by thousands of organizations to evaluate their workplace. The survey is used to elicit the opinions of employees on their workplace based on 24 extensively researched questions. Workplace Dynamics says that using those 24 questions provides them with in-depth results that they can compare across organizations and use to compile their rankings. The survey also asks for demographic information as well as comments. Companies automatically receive a summary results report, providing details on their strongest and weakest scoring areas.

KatzAbosch is extremely honored to have received this award. Top Workplaces is a vote of confidence and stamp of approval from our employees. This proves as a powerful indicator to shareholders, clients and the community that KatzAbosch has strong values along with good leadership and development opportunities for our staff.

The Baltimore Sun hosted a congratulatory event on November 30^th to celebrate the success of companies recognized as a Top Workplace and to commemorate them for creating positive work environments for their employees. On December 4^th, The Baltimore Sun published Baltimore’s Top Workplaces 2011 Magazine, which was distributed to 755,000 Sunday readers in the region. In addition to being listed in the print edition, companies that achieved the Top Workplaces standard also received their own company profile page online.

Timonium, MD — Regional certified public accounting, tax, and consulting firm KatzAbosch announces that Clem Mueller, CPA has been appointed to serve on the Maryland Peer Review Oversight Committee, established by the Maryland State Board of Public Accountancy to oversee the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants’ (MACPA) peer review program.
Mueller, a Shareholder with KatzAbosch, joined the firm in 1985. He oversees the firm’s Employee Benefit Audit and Not-For-Profit Audit Practices. Mueller is a member of the firm’s Auditing and Accounting Services Group where he serves as the Quality Control Director. He also serves as the designated representative for the firm’s membership with the AICPA Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center. With more than 30 years experience in public accounting, he has experience in a variety of industries and has worked with not-for-profit organizations, closely-held businesses, manufacturers and distributors, federal government contractors, and land developers, among others.
Mueller is an active member of several professional and civic organizations including the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants (MACPA), and serves as the community resource board member for the Junior League of Baltimore.

Timonium, MD — Mark R. Cissell, CEO & President of KatzAbosch, has been selected for Leadership Maryland’s Class of 2011. Leadership Maryland, a non-profit organization whose program informs top-level executives about challenges and opportunities facing the state, annually selects 50 leaders based upon their career accomplishments, volunteer activities and personal commitment to help shape the future of Maryland. Cissell is the first executive from KatzAbosch invited to participate in this forum, marking yet another milestone for himself and the firm since he became CEO & President in 2009.
“I’m honored to have been selected. It will be a wonderful learning experience,” says Cissell. “The takeaway from this will not only benefit me, but also KatzAbsoch and ultimately our clientele.”
Class members will attend several intense sessions over the course of an 8 month program. Each session is focused on one of many critical issues affecting the state, such as economic development, education, health and human services, criminal and juvenile justice, environment, and multi-culturalism/diversity. More than 100 experts representing business, government, education, and the non-profit community will serve as panelists and guest speakers.
“The participants represent a broad spectrum of highly qualified executives from an extraordinary group of statewide applicants,” according to Nancy Minieri, president of Leadership Maryland. “After participating in a comprehensive range of experiences over the next year, these leaders will serve as important participants in the unified effort to shape Maryland’s future.” Leadership Maryland is one of 34 state leadership programs nationwide and has graduated over 800 statewide leaders.

Timonium, MD — Regional certified public accounting, tax and consulting firm KatzAbosch has been named a “2010 Best Accounting Firms to Work For” winner by Accounting Today Magazine. This annual recognition program, created by Accounting Today and Best Companies Group, is dedicated to finding and recognizing the best employers in the accounting industry across the nation. This is the second consecutive year KatzAbosch has earned this distinction.

One hundred public or privately held U.S. accounting firms in three different categories were recognized – 20 small-sized companies (15-24 employees), 65 medium-sized companies (25-249 employees), and 15 large-sized companies (more than 250 employees). KatzAbosch has been named one of the Best Accounting Firms to Work For in the medium-sized category.

“We are incredibly proud to have received this award for the second year in a row as a result of the glowing responses KatzAbosch received from our personnel who spoke so highly of the firm during the voting process,” said Mark Cissell, KatzAbosch president and CEO. “The fact that our shareholders average an impressive 22 years with the firm is testament to our enduring commitment to providing the necessary support, resources and guidance that our staff needs to excel and succeed.”

Companies from across the country entered the two-part survey process to determine the Best Accounting Firms to Work For. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company’s workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure employee engagement and satisfaction. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking. Best Companies Group managed the overall registration, survey and analysis process and determined the final rankings.

Regional accounting and consulting firm KatzAbosch announced that Michael J. Agetstein, CPA, PFS, has joined the firm as Chair of the Tax Department.

Timonium, MD— Certified public accounting and consulting firm KatzAbosch today announced Mark R. Cissell has taken the helm as President and CEO, several staff promotions and the naming of new members to the firm’s Board of Directors, all effective July 1, 2009.

Cissell, a Shareholder with the firm, becomes the third CEO in KatzAbosch’s nearly 40-year history. Cissell joined the firm in 1985 and has over 20 years of experience in auditing, accounting, and taxation. Katz will continue to play a key strategic role with KatzAbosch moving forward.

“We are honored to have such a talented and dedicated team at KatzAbosch and I am excited to work with Alvin, and the entire KatzAbosch team, to continue to grow our firm, provide superior client services and move Alvin’s vision forward,” said Mark R. Cissell, President and CEO of KatzAbosch. “Challenging economic times will not deter the firm from our commitment to hiring, retaining, and recognizing the best-qualified and most-dedicated professionals while affording them opportunities for personal growth, professional development, and advancement. Our sincerest congratulations and thanks go out to those who are being recognized for their excellence in service and we wish them continued growth with the firm.”

Steve Gershman, Anita Sheckells, Mark Rapson, Alvin Katz and Mark Cissell have been elected by the firm’s shareholders to the KatzAbosch Board of Directors for the July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010 fiscal year.

The following individuals have been promoted to:

• Anita Sheckells – Chair of the Audit and Accounting Services Group

• Michael Gentry – Co-Chair of the Real Estate/Construction Services Group

• Kristin Hucht – Chair of the Not-for-Profit Services Group

• Krissie Kohler – Manager

• Phoebe Barger and Amie Stielper – Supervisor

• Yocheved Baumer, Augusta Boyce, Heather Boyer, Megan Souchak, and Angel Zollicoffer – Senior Accountant

Baltimore, MD — Regional accounting and consulting firm KatzAbosch, today announced it has named Melissa J. Pitchford, CPA, to Shareholder with the firm.

Pitchford joined the firm in 2002 and provides auditing, accounting, and taxation services. She serves as Co-Chair of the firm’s Medical Practice Services Group working directly with medical practices and physicians throughout the state of Maryland and specializes in business advice and assistance to medical services institutions and providers, business advice and assistance to closely-held businesses, and tax planning and preparation.

“Since joining our firm, Melissa has been instrumental in leading our Medical Practice Services Group, along with John Abosch, and expanding our services to the medical community in Maryland,” said Alvin D. Katz, President and CEO of KatzAbosch. “Melissa’s new role as Shareholder continues our goal of rewarding highly-qualified, dedicated and experienced professionals.”

“It’s been a pleasure working with the talented team of KatzAbosch and I’m honored to be named a Shareholder with the firm,” said Pitchford. “I look forward to continuing the growth and success of the firm’s Medical Practice Services Group by delivering superior service to the medical community.”

Pitchford is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a member of several professional organizations including the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA); Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants (MACPA); National Medical Group Management Association; Maryland Medical Group Management Association, Board of Directors, Affiliated Healthcare Advisors and the National CPA Health Care Advisors Association.

Pitchford received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Salisbury State University.

Baltimore, MD — Regional accounting and consulting firm KatzAbosch announced the retirement of Alfred A. Windeshiem, CPA, and N. Mark Freedman, CPA, two senior Shareholders with the firm.

Effective January 1, 2009, Windesheim and Freedman will be retiring from their active roles as Shareholders with KatzAbosch. They both will continue supporting KatzAbosch’s staff and clients in an Of Counsel role with the firm.

“It is with a mixture of happiness and sadness that we announce the retirements of Al and Mark,” said Alvin Katz, President and CEO of KatzAbosch. “They both will be sorely missed as they have played an integral role in the success of our firm over the past 35 years and we are thankful they will continue to provide their expertise and guidance in an Of Counsel role. We wish Al and Mark and their families many years of health, success and luck as they move into this next phase of their lives.”

Windesheim joined KatzAbosch in 1973 and became a shareholder in 1975. Over the past 35 years, Windsheim has brought not only leadership to the firm, specializing in income tax, estate and gift tax, valuation of closely-held businesses, and tax planning, but also as a personal and business advisor to the firm’s staff and clients. Windesheim plans to spend more time with his many interests.

“It has been a great pleasure to have participated in the success of KatzAbosch as it grew into one of the leading certified public accounting and consulting firms in the mid- Atlantic and I take much pride in being a part of these great accomplishments,” said Alfred Windesheim, Shareholder and Certified Public Accountant with KatzAbosch. Freedman joined KatzAbosch in 1974 and became a shareholder in 1977. During the 34 years he has been with the firm, Mark also has provided unique direction to the firm’s clients in both business and personal matters. His strong relationships with clients enabled him to provide expert direction when working through business, tax and planning issues. Mark relocated to Scottsdale, Arizona where he will continue his work for a number of clients in Arizona as well as spend more time with his family.

“It’s been an honor to have worked so closely with my clients and fellow colleagues at KatzAbosch,” said Mark Freedman, Shareholder and Certified Public Accountant with KatzAbosch. “Through their guidance and unwavering support, I am  excited to begin this new chapter of my life while still having the pleasure of working with each of them in an Of Counsel role with the firm.”

Windesheim and Freedman have both been deeply involved in the community volunteering their knowledge and expertise in numerous senior leadership roles. During their time at KatzAbosch, Windesheim has been involved with the Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce, Stevenson University (formerly Villa Julie College), Sheppard Pratt Health System, Towson Development Corporation and others. Additionally, Freedman has lent his expertise to Jewish Vocational Services, Merrick School of Business at the University of Baltimore, the University of Baltimore Education Foundation and more.