SPEAKER SUBMISSIONS

YVETTE AUBIN

CFO - EBSARY FOUNDATION COMPANY

Ms. Aubin serves as Ebsary Foundation Company's CFO and is responsible for overseeing the financial, accounting and administration strategies for the company. She has over 20 years of experience in construction accounting.  She served as an auditor of private and public sector entities involving construction projects, which included large General Contractors and government entities such as Miami Dade Transit and Miami International Airport. Subsequent to Public Accounting, she served as a Divisional Assistant Controller for the largest Homebuilder in the US.

She joined Ebsary in 2007 as the Corporate Controller, where she quickly took responsibility of Ebsary’s Accounting operations, insurance and risk management, banking relations, equipment financing and cash flow management.  In 2011, Yvette was named the Vice President of Finance and then CFO in 2018.  She received her Bachelor’s and Masters of Accounting from Florida International University. She is the current CFMA Miami-Dade chapter president, serves as one of the CFMA Florida Regional Conference Chairs, and sits on the CFMA National Heavy Highway committee.

MANNY CARMONA

COMMERCIAL INSURANCE ADVISOR - WALLACE, WELCH, AND WILLINGHAM

Manny Carmona is a seasoned Property and Casualty commercial insurance advisor for Wallace, Welch, and Willingham located in Saint Petersburg, FL. With a strong background in risk management and insurance, Manny is an expert in identifying and mitigating cyber risks for businesses of all sizes.

Prior to joining the team at Wallace, Welch, and Willingham, Manny graduated from Florida State University with an educational background in Finance and Computer Science. After receiving his RCLS designation from The National Registry of Cyber Liability Specialists, it was not long until Manny was spearheading his own Cyber Liability Department at the firm.

In addition to his day-to-day work, Manny is an active speaker on the topic of cyber liability insurance. He has delivered keynote speeches at industry events, conducted webinars for clients, and has provided continuing education training for other professionals.

MARK DEVERGES

SENIOR MANAGER/CONSULTING - FORVIS

Mark joined the Search practice unit in 2016, adding nationwide experience with C-suite recruiting to our construction and real estate practice. His background includes placing top executive, finance, operations, and project management talent with general contractors, developers/owners, EPC companies, and specialty contractors. He leads our advisory services and executive recruiting for construction and real estate companies from our Asheville location, working closely with team members in our other locations (as part of FORVIS, we can also draw on the industry knowledge and contacts of the firm’s construction and real estate practices).

He is a member of the Construction Financial Management Association and an Eagle Scout with Boy Scouts of America. He was honored as a “Top 40 Under Forty.”

Mark is a cum laude graduate of Elon University, North Carolina, with a B.S. degree in business and economics.

WILLIAM DORSA, CPA, CCIFP

PARTNER - GRASSI

Will Dorsa is an Audit Partner at Grassi and brings over ten years of accounting experience to the firm. Will works with clients primarily within the Construction, Architecture & Engineering industries and utilizes his expertise in financial statement audits & reviews, merger & acquisition due diligence, and construction project audits to help clients with their financial goals and objectives.

Will holds The Certified Construction Industry Financial Professional (CCIFP®) designation, which is the only accounting certification for construction financial professionals accredited by the American National Standards Institute. Will is also an active member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).

Prior to joining Grassi, Will worked for a global financial services firm as a Financial Advisor. In his role, Will assisted his clients with cash flow management, retirement planning, asset management, and insurance.

Will earned his Bachelors in Finance from Iona College, and his Masters in Accounting from Hofstra University.

ASHLIE FORUM, CPA

PARTNER - MARCUM LLP

Ashlie Forum is a Partner in the Firm’s Tax & Business Services Division. She also serves as the Firm’s Real Estate and Construction Industry Leader in the Southeast.

Mrs. Forum provides a wide range of tax services to privately held companies in a variety of industries with extensive experience serving family businesses as well as high net worth families. She has provided tax consulting, compliance, research, and tax planning services to privately held companies, as well as assisted with tax controversy issues.

Mrs. Forum has ample knowledge in partnership taxation with a focus on the business and compliance needs of limited liability companies.

Mrs. Forum also has experience in Family Office services, which includes a variety of services from bill paying, succession planning, and investment analysis.

ERIC HELITZER

FOUNDER/CEO - SUBBASE

A graduate of the University of Florida Rinker School of Building Construction (double gator) and a third-generation builder, Eric spent his early career working with Baker Concrete on many South Florida projects. In 2014, his family business, GRYCON, was calling and he came on board as an Executive Team Member and Senior PM leading the technology committee.

He has been involved in over $250,000,000 in construction operations and is responsible for shaping some of South Florida’s most iconic buildings. He is now the Founder/CEO of SubBase a centralized platform providing powerful workflow tools for specialty contractors and material distributors to transact and streamline the entire procurement process.

JASON KEEN, CPA, CCIFP, CRIS

CFO - MILLS & NEBRASKA

JASON KEEN, CPA, CCIFP, CRIS, is CFO of Mills & Nebraska, a specialty door manufacturer and install company (www.millsnebraska.com) in Orlando, FL. He has been a construction financial professional for over 15 years and has worked in the heavy civil and site contractor markets. Across his education and experience, Jason has built expertise in technology, change management, forecasting/analysis, and leadership development. Within CFMA, Jason has been a member for over a decade, and he has been a part of and led many different committees and task forces. He has degrees in both technology and finance. He can be reached at jason.j.keen@gmail.com or on Twitter @thejasonkeen.

STEVEN LEMKE

AUDIT PARTNER - GRASSI

Steven Lemke is an Audit Partner at Grassi and brings over 18 years of accounting experience to the firm. Steve has experience in preparing financial reports and performing audit, attest and tax work for clients within the construction, professional services and real estate industries.

Steve’s technical skills, industry knowledge and business acumen have made him a rising star in Grassi’s Construction Practice. He has been instrumental in helping the firm’s construction clients weather the COVID-19 pandemic and has expanded his role to include even more areas of business advisory services, such as emergency loan consulting, to help clients secure and maximize relief.

Steve actively supports the construction industry outside the office as well, taking on leadership roles such as Chair of the NYSSCPA’s Construction Contractors Committee and sharing his knowledge and expertise as a speaker at industry events. He is a go-to resource on GAAP accounting, revenue recognition, cash flow projections, Paycheck Protection Program loans and other financial considerations for contractors and subcontractors.

He also goes the extra mile within Grassi, serving on the firm’s Audit & Accounting Committee, Construction Think Tank, and Construction Marketing and Business Development group. He mentors the up-and-coming Construction accounting professionals at Grassi and leads training programs to aid in their professional development and advancement.

Prior to joining Grassi, Steven was a manager at a private accounting firm where he led and managed a team of professionals who provided assurance and tax services for a diverse group of clients.

Steven is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) and Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA). Steven received his Bachelor of Accounting Degree from St. Joseph’s College.

MARIBEL SCARNECCHIA

DIRECTOR, CONSULTING DELTEK COMPUTEREASE

Maribel has been with Deltek ComputerEase for over 21 years. During her tenure, Maribel has been assisting and consulting with Deltek ComputerEase customers to fully utilize all the ComputerEase tools available to not only be competitive but profitable in their respective fields as well as managing the ComputerEase Services Team of 12 members for the last 4 years. Prior to Deltek ComputerEase, Maribel spent 9 years working for a General Contractor.

JESSICA VALDES

COO - FINANCIAL DESIGNS

Jessica Valdes brings over 5 years of employee benefits experience to the table. She has been a valued member of the Financial Designs team since 2009. Her experience in all facets of the company provides her with a well-rounded understanding of all the provisions of creating and maintaining a successful employee benefits package.

Valdes graduated from the University of Miami in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations and Minors in both Business and Marketing. Upon graduation, Valdes entered the Teach for America program and spent two years using her skills to serve the community she dearly loves. 

Valdes primarily focuses on helping employers realize the benefits of wellness—physical, mental, and financial—so they can keep their employees happy and healthy.

JENNIFER VALDES

CFP® AND CCO OF FINANCIAL DESIGNS WEALTH

Jennifer "Jenny" Valdes is a Principal of Financial Designs Wealth who focuses on analyzing clients' overall financial picture to develop and implement their long-term financial plan. In doing so, she acts as a liaison between FD Wealth and its clients' network of professionals including CPA's and attorneys to ensure all parties are working cohesively in the client's best interest. Jenny is also the CCO, ensuring employees comply with the federal rules and regulations along with the internal compliance program.

Jenny graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance from Florida International University. She also has a certificate in International Bank Management. Prior to FD Wealth, Jenny spent 6 years at GenTrust, an RIA with over one billion dollars in assets. She began her career as an intern but her ambition allowed her to quickly grow within the company and become involved in many different fields of the firm including operations, reporting and fund reconciliation for alternatives investments. She quickly realized her passion was providing a holistic approach to finance which shifted her focus to financial planning. In 2018, Jenny obtained her Certified Financial Planner designation.

LEE A. WEINTRAUB

SHAREHOLDER, VICE CHAIR - BECKER & POLIAKOFF

Lee A. Weintraub, a shareholder with Becker & Poliakoff, is Vice Chair of the firm’s Construction Law and Litigation departments, and chair of its Public Private Partnerships (P3) practice team. He is also a professor of construction law at Nova Southeastern University College of Law, where he serves on the adjunct faculty.

He has successfully prosecuted multi-million dollar defect and delay claims in litigation and arbitration in federal and state courts and arbitrations on behalf of developers, owners, contractors, subcontractors, engineers and performance bond sureties. He specializes in large multi-party defect and delay claims and construction lien claims. He has also successfully defended contractors, subcontractors, building inspectors and building officials in license grievance proceedings in front of various boards of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation and local licensing boards.

Mr. Weintraub is also experienced in public/private partnerships, representing both public and private sector participants.  Past matters include Mr. Weintraub being lead counsel for the Louisiana State University Property Foundation, representing LSU’s interests on the largest development in the University’s history, at an estimated value of approximately $400 million.