Employee Newsletter - May 29, 2014

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This week, John Carpentier and Tim Clancy recognize Rosalyn Falkner, who has received the PCAOB scholarship. The scholarship is merit-based and awarded to candidates who are enrolled in school for a degree in Accounting, demonstrate interest and aptitude in accounting, and demonstrate high ethical standards. An intern with our Tax Team 1, Rosalyn is currently enrolled at Georgia State University, where she is pursuing a BBA in Accounting.

Please join John and Tim in applauding this outstanding achievement!

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Melissa Bayley has proven to be a fantastic addition to Tax Team 3 since he joined the firm as an intern this past January. We are excited to announce that she has accepted a full-time position as a Tax Associate, which transition is effective in January 2015! She will remain on Team 3, and we know they are thrilled to retain her. Please join us in congratulating her for this achievement!

Cool fact about Melissa: She’s currently the VP of Finance for two student societies at Georgia Tech (MOVE and Rethink)!

A Couple Other HR Notes...

If you haven’t checked out the Careers tab on the WB website, you might want to take a look. We’ve revamped the page to include current openings and the ability for candidates to apply directly. Open positions were formerly only advertised on outside sites, so we are excited to offer this direct approach to anyone interested in joining our firm. Don’t forget that WB offers a really nice bonus for referrals at all levels, so definitely send any great candidates to our page. (And if you have any questions about the bonus scale, Kim Hensarling can tell you all about it.)

It’s time for everyone’s annual reviews, which begin on Monday, June 2nd. Be on the lookout for an email with procedural details and stay mindful of the schedule to get your information turned in on time. Stay tuned!

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Seung Hyun Kang is once again organizing the “WB Bombers”, which is our company softball team. In addition to him, here’s who’s committed to the defending-champion team so far: Amber McElduff, Andrew Blair, Anne Morris, Brandon Young, Chandler Rierson, Keith McWilliams, Kevin Lach, Maggie Wise, Megan Sliver, Micah Greenberger, Michael Dermer, Ryan Owens, Steve Saussy, Brooke Hodge, John Yeager, Matt Nguyen, Jonathan Preston, and Clay Ingalls. Want to join? Just see Seung Hyun. Games start in June!

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Greg Spangler has just reported a great win for WB. The firm will provide Drug Transport, Inc. with audit, corporate tax, and individual tax services. Based in Tucker, the company offers a full service menu of transportation and logistics services for hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics throughout the southeast. You can learn more about this new client here.

Our IT Advisory Services Leader Dean Flores also picked up a great new project with Alterra Payroll, which is a division of our current client, State Bank & Trust Company. Alterra Payroll is based in Macon, and provides complete payroll and human resource management to companies with 1 to 10,000 employees. Learn more about all they do here.

Cheryl Yarbrough has added yet another healthcare client to the WB roster: Eagles Landing Diabetes & Endocrinology, PC. She will be providing this Stockbridge-based medical group with accounting and compilation services. More about them can be learned here.

Congrats go out to and all who helped secure these opportunities for the firm!

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ship Valerie Barckhoff has shared a new post to the WB Blog titled “It May Be a

Question of When, But It’s Not a Question of If. The Time is Now to Put ICD-10 Plans In Place.” Be sure to check out her latest insight and pass it along to your clients and prospects who may benefit from the knowledge. Valerie is also doing a price transparency webinar for the Georgia HFMA on July 23rd. As we are closer to that date, we will share more details with you.

Three of our gang have new appointments to share! Donna Caruso has been appointed as Vice President and Matt Snow has been appointed as Treasurer of the North Georgia Chapter of the Georgia Society of CPAs. Carlye Dooley has been appointed as Treasurer of The Study Hall (a NFP organization that provides after school care to children in Peoplestown). Congrats to these leaders from WB!

WB is sponsoring a series of “Massage Days at Atlanta Tech Village “, which launched just yesterday and will continue into December. The firm is also sponsoring a small charity dinner hosted by our client, Jay Bird of Curtis Investments, next Monday. We have donated a golf basket for a silent auction that will benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Our HNW Practice Co-leader Barbara Coats is delivering a slew of speeches that started this month - we believe she has four on the radar! She has already presented at the Georgia 50 Conference, The Estate Planning Council of North Georgia, and next up is The Georgia Federal Tax Conference. Stay tuned for de-tails on the other pending presentations!

Monday, June 2: Annual Review Process Begins (More Details to Follow)Friday, July 4: Office Closed in Observance of Independence DayMonday, September 1: Office Closed in Observance of Labor Day

We'd love your input! If you would like to contribute something to the WB newsletter, please email Heather Hess.

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New Associates CouncilNote from Christopher Nunn and Kim Hensarling

Windham Brannon has made great strides over the past 5 years. We have doubled in size. We have added many new faces. We have advanced a culture of expectations and accountability. We have adopted a streamlined governance structure in the form of our Executive Committee.

Our success is attributable to our people, strategic vision, and shared values. As we grow, we aspire to encourage continued individual contributions and to affirm our lasting commitment to our clients and our people.

Over the past year, we have had conversations with firms similar in size. To effectively engage associate (non-partner) input and feedback, one best practice was clear. We have adopted the concept of an Associate’s Council to serve as a sounding board and advocate for all staff.

The Associate’s Council is a representative body. It will never replace or circumvent the organic interpersonal relationships that are the fabric of our firm. However, it is another resource through which ideas, opinions, or questions about the business of the firm can be shared.

The Associate’s Council first met in April and will meet on a monthly basis to discuss a variety of topics that are important to of us … recruiting, morale, community engagement, social outings, and a host of other issues. The eight charter members were identified by their various teams and represent a broad cross-section of the firm.

We have many talented leaders at every level of our firm. Each of you who may be interested in serving will be encouraged to serve as a representative. Terms will last 2 years, with 4 members rotating off each year. Individuals are allowed to serve multiple terms, but not consecutively.

To allow a couple of months to get the Council started, initial nominations will take place in August 2015. You will be reminded at that point in time. Once the nomination process is complete, the Associate’s Council will make a selection, with every effort to balance individual interest and firm wide representation.

In the meanwhile, please do not hesitate to reach out to the current representatives below or the coordinator, Kim Hensarling.

Through Sept 2015: Seung Hyun Kang, Maggie Wise, John Bradley, Leah BendigThrough Sept 2016: Ian Trimble, Rebekah Judge, Mary Kathryn Whatley, Michael Dermer

connect with WB online

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Tax partner Michael Maiorano was looking to help a fast growing client when he asked Tom Leahey, Founding Partner of Latitude Growth Partners if he could help. The client was growing fast and uncertain as to how to optimize various strategic initiatives. Michael’s client needed help with the development of its capital structure, advanced budgeting and planning and presentation to the investment community. There was an opportunity to create significantly higher levels of liquidity, and to development and position a fast growing subsidiary.

For the past ten years, Latitude Growth Partners has helped companies such as Michael¹s client who are navigating episodic events; capital raising, acquisitions, integrations, global expansion, harnessing explosive growth, preparing for an exit, etc. Tom explains, ³there are key inflection points that a company faces as it develops. We first establish strategic priorities for clients which is no simple thing. High growth companies often feel that all activity translates to value. The key is to understand how strategic decisions translate to shareholder value and then execute in a deliberate and effective manner. We like to help the C Suite see around the next corner.² Headquartered in Atlanta, Latitude has almost a decade of international experience helping companies grow in South America, Eastern Europe, THE EU and Russia.

Deborah Priest is sponsoring next week’s Jeans for a Cause Day to benefit Camp Polly Poons (“CPP”). CPP is a summer day camp sponsored by the Forsyth West Service Unit of Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, and is held at Lake Lanier the second week of June each year. It’s attended by 180 girls, ages 4 to 17. At the camp, the girls participate in a variety of activities like archery, canoeing, swimming, and crafts. Deborah has been the camp director for the past 6 years, and donations will be used to provide camp scholarships for girls living in foster homes in Forsyth County. Deborah says, “for most of these girls, day camp is the highlight of their summer!”

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We appreciate your donation of $5 or more to support this cause. Remember if you would like to use your contributions to the WB Foundation as a tax deduction, please be sure to include your name with any cash donation. Please make checks out to “WB Foundation” and bring them to Shaneak at the reception desk on Friday. 6.6.14

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Monday, June 2: Annual Review Process Begins (More Details to Follow)Friday, July 4: Office Closed in Observance of Independence DayMonday, September 1: Office Closed in Observance of Labor Day

We'd love your input! If you would like to contribute something to the WB newsletter, please email Heather Hess.

If you would like to sponsor a Jeans Day for a Cause, please let Jennifer Singleton know.