AGA BOSTON CHAPTER/NEW ENGLAND INTERGOVERNMENTAL AUDIT FORUM 2024 VIRTUAL WINTER SEMINAR

James P. Kreiser, CISA, CRMA, CFSA Related Seminars and Products

Principal, IT & Business Risk Services

CliftonLarsonAllen LLP (CLA)

Jim is a Principal in the CliftonLarsonAllen LLP (CLA) Specialized Advisory Services group. He has over 25 years of experience, and is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University. Jim has held roles of Chief Risk Officer, General Auditor, and others. His focus has primarily been in the governmental sector and healthcare industries. He currently serves as CLA’s National Leader for IT & Risk Management Services within State & Local Government. He is a Certified Information Systems Auditor, Certified in Risk Management Assurance, and a Certified Financial Services Auditor.

James Lager Related Seminars and Products

Chief Ethics Adviser

US Government Accountability Office

Jim Lager is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, where he teaches ethics-related courses in its undergraduate and masters programs, a member of the Heterodox Academy, which advocates for viewpoint diversity and constructive disagreement in higher education, and a collaborator to Ethicalsystems.org, a nonprofit organization dedicated to using behavioral science to improve ethical culture and behavior. Jim is also the Chief Ethics Advisor at the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO), and advises GAO on conflicts of interest, ethics, personal and organizational independence, and manages GAO’s ethics and financial disclosure programs. Jim has substantial experience as a labor and employment lawyer, representing private and government clients in trial and appellate courts, and as an investigator in various contexts, including serving as a lead congressional investigator examining violation of federal campaign laws. 

Jim received a Juris Doctorate from the Washington College of Law/American University, and a Masters of Science in Organization Development from American University/NTL Institute for Applied Behavioral Science. A frequent speaker on behavioral ethics, his publications include "Beyond Compliance," in the Ethical Leadership: Global Challenges and Perspectives (C. Millar and E. Poole, eds. 2011), "Governments Demand Compliance, Ethics Demands Leadership," Journal of Public Affairs 10(216-224) (2010), and "Overcoming Cultures of Compliance to Reduce Corruption and Achieve Ethics in Government," 41 McGeorge L. Rev. 63 (2009). His 2009 essay: "Have a Problem with Compliance?" was awarded the H. George Frederickson Best Article Award by the American Society for Public Administration. His recent article “Toward a More Perfect Objectivity,” co-authored with Professor Tammy Waymire, is pending publication in the IIA’s Internal Auditor magazine. 

Bryn Harari, Ph.D. Related Seminars and Products

Director of Organizational Development

Eide Bailly LLP

Based in Huntington Beach, CA, Bryn brings more than 30 years of experience in Leadership and Organizational Development, with expertise in Continuous Improvement (CI) and Change Management. She promotes organizational transformation by empowering business leaders to bridge the gap between strategy and action. As an executive coach, expert in adult learning, and certified change management specialist, she equips principals and managers with effective leadership skills and practices that unlock motivation and innovation.

Well versed in navigating the complexities of matrixed organizations, Bryn has spearheaded numerous successful change initiatives, implementing the latest and best industry standard practices. She develops impactful training and meticulous program evaluation that drives ongoing improvement. She has contributed to state-funded initiatives ranging from $10M-$470M and spearheaded an award-winning alternative learning initiative for a top achieving school district.

When you work with Bryn, you will quickly discover that she finds joy in helping individuals grow and attain their goals. She is dedicated to understanding the unique and individual experiences of her clients, meticulously crafting practical, customized strategies that can be implemented with fidelity. Her success stems from her commitment to understanding the needs of each client - no two clients are the same and every business requires a unique strategy to resolve challenges. Her work fosters enduring and systemic changes that help teams and individuals realize their greatest collective potential, cultivating mastery, collaborative learning, efficacy, and fulfillment

John Connaughton, MSOD Related Seminars and Products

Certified Executive Coach

BerryDunn

John Connaughton is an Organization Development Manager with BerryDunn’s Consulting Services Team and holds a master’s degree in Organization Development from American University and an Executive Coaching Certification from William James College. John has over 20 years or experience and demonstrated skills in launching and leading talent management, leadership development, executive coaching, diversity and inclusion, employee engagement, strategic planning, team effectiveness, and performance management initiatives in a variety of industries including Financial Services, Health Insurance, Utility, Technology, and Government. A particular fascination of John’s is in diagnosing, designing, and intervening on culture issues to optimize, individual, team and organization performance and experiences. Of particular interest is how to align and infuse practices and behaviors that bolster the organization’s purpose.

John lives in Pembroke, Massachusetts with his husband and their dog Jack. John is an active member on the Pembroke School Committee DEI Working Group and enjoys the opportunity provided in his career to travel and experience different cultures.

Leslye Rollins-Smith Related Seminars and Products

Manager

BerryDunn

Dr. Leslye Rollins-Smith, PhD (She/Her/Hers), is a manager with BerryDunn’s Consulting Services Team. Leslye is a respected industrial and organizational (I-O) psychologist and professor with extensive experience leading transformation initiatives (e.g., cultural, diversity, inclusion, organizational development, technology) for multimillion-dollar global organizations and state health and human services agencies (i.e., Commonwealth of Massachusetts, State of New Hampshire, Information technology, healthcare, and financial institutions). She has a substantiated history of partnering on solutions to maximize human capital resources, operational efficiencies, and productivity through behavior analysis, communications, technology, workforce learning and development. Most of her work focuses on organizational change, design, and cultural transformations for national and global companies, and she enjoys Talent Management strategy, and Diversity, Equity, Belonging, and Inclusion (#BeADEBI) and always finds a way to incorporate learnings from those spaces into her professorial work. Dr. Leslye enjoys delivering creative solutions, devising numerous organizational strategies, and directing cross-functional project teams in the public and private sectors. 

Fun fact! Dr. Leslye lives in Dallas, Texas, and is originally from NY via the Caribbean, so she considers herself a CaribeNYTexan! In her free time, Leslye enjoys refurbishing vintage luxury leather items, listening to True Crime podcasts, spending time with her family (human and canine), cooking international cuisines, and watching college and professional football!

Shelly Ann Taleporos Related Seminars and Products

Director

Internal Audit, New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets

Shelly Taleporos, CPA, CIA has been a member of the AGA Albany Chapter for nearly 20 years, serving in various roles including President, Secretary, VP for Communications and Marketing and VP for Education. Shelly is currently serving as the NCC Rep for the Albany Chapter and on the National Governing Board as a Director for Chapters in Region 7.

Shelly has over 20 years’ experience working in New York State government accounting and auditing. In her current role as Director of Internal Audit for the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, Shelly is responsible for the overall operation of Internal Audit including planning and managing audits, acting as liaison for external audits, performing risk assessments, and other risk management activities. Shelly has a Bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University at Albany and a Master’s degree in accounting from the College of Saint Rose. Shelly is a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) and a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and has been appointed by the NYS Board of Regents to serve as a Board Member to the State Board for Public Accountancy.

Amanda Mom Related Seminars and Products

Statewide Risk Management Intern

Office of the Comptroller, Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Amanda Mom is the student representative for AGA. She is a junior at Southern New Hampshire University, pursuing a degree in Information Technology with a concentration in Cybersecurity. She has a strong interest in public service. Currently, she is working as a risk intern at the Office of the Comptroller. Outside of her academic and professional pursuits, she enjoys exploring different food places and cooking.

Eric S. Berman, MSA, CPA, CGMA Related Seminars and Products

Partner, Eide Bailly LLP

Eide Bailly LLP

Eric is a nationally recognized speaker, author, thought leader and auditor with a wealth of government client experience. He brings a unique perspective to the firm's clients as a former Deputy Comptroller of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a chief financial officer of a state agency and an audit partner with clients ranging from a well-known stadium to statewide pension systems.

Eric's unique background and decades of government accounting, auditing and controllership experience allows his clients to meet their standards and goals and achieve new success along the way. He's been recognized with several major awards for his public service and work, and his insight means he can help you solve problems before they happen.

In his free time, Eric enjoys spending time with family, especially his grandsons! He enjoys watching Boston sports—Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics and Bruins—but his grandchildren top them all.

Rene Johnston Related Seminars and Products

Employee Engagement Consultant, Trainer and Owner

Employee Engagement Solutions

Rene’ Johnston is the owner and founder of Employee Engagement Solutions. Her organization specializes in improving culture, retention and profitability by building more engaged teams and stronger leadership.

Rene´ spends much of her time working with organizations across the United States. She is an author and speaker whose work can be found in various print and online publications. Rene’ also serves as a regular columnist for The Spokane Journal of Business, Catalyst magazine and as a member of Gonzaga University's School of Business Administration, Dean's Business Forum Board. Rene´ was selected as a TEDx speaker and holds a Master’s Degree in Adult Education and Human Resource Development.

She works with businesses in the financial, retail and service industries as well as the nonprofit sector where she utilizes her business expertise and experience to develop and deliver custom programming that is highly motivational, fast-paced and interactive.