Adam Austin has been promoted to tax director at Lutz in Omaha. He has more than 12 years of tax and consulting experience. He is responsible for providing tax consulting and compliance services to individuals, partnerships, and corporations focusing on the healthcare, manufacturing, and agriculture industries. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Accounting and Finance from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is a member of both the Nebraska Society of CPAs and the AICPA.
Clarke Beller has been promoted to audit director at Lutz in Omaha. He has more than 11 years of experience. He specializes in providing auditing and consulting services to privately held companies and employee benefit plans with a focus on the construction industry. Beller holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He is a member of both the Nebraska Society of CPAs and the AICPA.
Ben Burton has been promoted to tax shareholder at Lutz in Omaha. He has more than nine years of experience in taxation. His primary focus is providing income and state and local tax services to corporations, partnerships, and individuals. In addition, he specializes in trust and estate consulting and compliance. Burton holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He is a member of both the Nebraska Society of CPAs and the AICPA.
Katelyn Byrd has been promoted to audit director at Lutz in Omaha. She has more than eight years of related experience. She provides assurance services to businesses focusing on the retail, service, manufacturing, nonprofit, and franchise industries. In addition, she assists with transaction advisory services and employee benefit plans. Byrd holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is a member of both the Nebraska Society of CPAs and the AICPA.
Kirk Delperdang has been promoted to healthcare director at Lutz in Omaha. He has more than 28 years of experience. He provides healthcare enrollment services to clients with a focus on Medicare providers and reimbursement analyses. In addition, he is responsible for leading Lutz’s cost report service line. Delperdang holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa. He is a member of the Nebraska Society of CPAs as well as the Nebraska Chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association.
Joseph Donovan has been promoted to tax shareholder at Lutz in Omaha. He has more than 10 years of experience in taxation. He primarily focuses his time on tax compliance, research, and consulting assistance to privately held companies in various industries, including real estate development and construction. Donovan holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Accounting and a Master of Science in Accountancy from the University of Notre Dame. He is a member of both the Nebraska Society of CPAs and the AICPA.
Doug Ewald has joined the University of Nebraska Athletic Department as executive associate athletic director and chief financial officer, after spending the past three years as the vice chancellor for business, finance, and business development at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the University of Nebraska Medical Center. His most public role involved serving as Nebraska’s tax commissioner under Gov. Dave Heineman from 2006 to 2013. In addition, Ewald spent 17 years with Union Pacific, ultimately serving as the company’s director of state tax compliance, audit, and financial reporting. His other employers have included Omaha-based KPMG, where he served as managing director of state and local tax compliance from 2013 to 2017, and Lincoln-based Ameritas, where he served as tax director from 2017 to 2018. Ewald holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from Buena Vista University (1985) and a master’s degree in professional accounting from UNO (1989). He has been a CPA within the state of Nebraska since 1987, a member of the Nebraska Society of CPAs for 33 years, and a member of the AICPA. Ewald has received recognition from his alma maters, earning the UNO College of Business Administration’s “Distinguished Alumnus” award in 2015 and Buena Vista University’s “John Fisher Alumni Award” in 2010.
Colin Fitzgerald has joined Seim Johnson in Elkhorn as an associate. Fitzgerald attended Creighton University, graduating in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Accounting. During his time in college, he joined Beta Gamma Sigma, an international business honor society, earned a 4.0 GPA, was named to the Dean’s List each semester, and was nominated for the 2018-2019 Heider College of Business Male Student of the Year award. He remains involved with his alma mater via the Heider College of Business Alumni Association. In addition, Fitzgerald has assisted the Nebraska Board of Public Accountancy Chapter 5 Task Force with investigating the implications of partial vs. complete adoption of the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct.
Aaron Hoffman has been promoted to tax shareholder at Lutz in Omaha. He has more than 17 years of experience in taxation. He provides tax planning, research, compliance, and consulting services to privately held companies focusing on the real estate and construction industries. Hoffman holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Accounting and Finance from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. He is a member of both the Nebraska Society of CPAs and the AICPA.
Julianne Kipple has been promoted to healthcare shareholder at Lutz in Omaha. She has more than 12 years of professional experience in the healthcare industry. Her expertise is in accounting and consulting services for healthcare facilities, including outsourced CFO services, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, and Medicaid Disproportionate Share Surveys (DSH). She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Accounting, with high distinction, and a Master of Business Administration from Creighton University in Omaha. Kipple is a member of both the Nebraska Society of CPAs and the AICPA, as well as the Healthcare Financial Management Association.
Caleb Krohn of BKD LLP in Lincoln was one of 89 winners of the 2020 Elijah Watt Sells Award. To qualify for the award, CPA candidates must obtain a cumulative average score above 95.50 across all four sections of the Uniform CPA Examination, pass all four sections on their first attempt, and have completed testing in 2020. Nearly 75,000 individuals sat for the CPA Exam in 2020 with only 89 candidates meeting the criteria to receive the Elijah Watt Sells Award. Krohn is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Accounting and Finance.
Tonn Ostergard and his wife Holly were presented with the highest honor at the Aksarben Ball, the Most Honored Citizens of Aksarben for 2021. Ostergard is chairman and CEO of Crete Carrier. He also serves on the board of directors of Union Bank & Trust Co., Ameritas Mutual Holding Co., NEBCO Inc., and the American Trucking Association. He was inducted into the Halls of Fame of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry as well as the University of Nebraska School of Accountancy. In addition, he has been recognized by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with the Alumni Leadership Award and received the Perry W. Branch Award from the University of Nebraska Foundation for Distinguished Volunteer Service. Ostergard holds degrees from the University of Nebraska and Harvard Business School. He began his career in public accounting with KPMG before joining Crete Carrier as the CFO in 1986. He was promoted to CEO in 1992. Ostergard has been a member of the Nebraska Society of CPAs for 38 years. Read more about the Ostergards and the award at https://bit.ly/Ostergard-Aksarben.
Jonathan Patent has been promoted to tax director at Lutz in Lincoln. He has more than seven years of experience in taxation. He provides tax compliance and consulting services to clients with a focus on the construction and real estate industries. In addition, Patent provides tax research and multi-state tax compliance services. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Patent is a member of both the Nebraska Society of CPAs and the AICPA.
Dakota Schriner has joined McGill Restoration in Omaha as a finance executive. He is a native of Kearney and attended the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where he received two Bachelor of Science degrees in accounting and management information systems (MIS). Schriner started his career in public accounting with Lutz and recently served as IT/finance manager for a national exterior maintenance company. He is a member of both the Nebraska Society of CPAs and the AICPA.
S. Rourke Springer of Valentine helped sponsor the performance of Romeo and Juliet by Nebraska Shakespeare on Tour, held at the Valentine High School in October.
Elizabeth “Liz” Wood has been promoted to vice president of finance at TELCOR. Wood joined TELCOR in 2013 and has more than 15 years of experience in financial assurance and auditing. She graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a Master of Professional Accountancy (MPA) in 2004 and became a CPA in 2007. Wood is on the American Red Cross of Nebraska Board of Directors, serving as its chairman for six years.
Firms in the News
Seim Johnson recently launched a full-service boutique executive search firm, Seim Johnson Executive Search, which will specialize in recruiting healthcare executives and board members on a national basis. The practice will conduct national searches and offer executive interim services, succession planning, CEO performance evaluation, executive compensation guidance, and board governance advisory services to clients. They have worked with healthcare organizations for more than 40 years and currently have a staff of over 40 professionals who work exclusively with healthcare entities. Founded in 1975 and based in Omaha, Seim Johnson’s team of nearly 90 serves clients within the state, throughout the Midwest, and across the country.
