Atlanta Business Radio

KSU Shrimp Tank with Jim McCarter from DocuTeam

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Jim McCarter / DocuTeam
President

Jim is a 32 year veteran of the industry. Before the creation of Docuteam in 1997, Jim was the president of two different Atlanta branch offices of major conglomerates in the office machine industry. These were big, successful operations with a huge turnover, lots of employees and, of course, lots of customers. But in the “Bigness” of it all, there seemed to be something missing… at least from Jim’s Perspective.

It is after having worked in this capacity for over 15 years that he came to realize – together with his partner, Ed Greco, who had worked as his Vice President of Sales through all this time – just how important independence is in keeping all of one’s customers happy and productive. This is something that was nearly impossible to do in the context of a large corporate structure. Docuteam was born from this desire for independence together with the entrepreneurial spirit that says… “We can get this right!”

Atlanta Business Radio

Craig Apatov with Ascension and Donna Peeples with Pypestream

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Craig Apatov / Ascension Growth & Innovation Strategies
Managing Partner

As founder of Ascension and leader of the firm’s strategic marketing and consultative sales practice Craig plays a hands-on role on many of Ascension’s major client engagements. His firm Ascension boasts 27 consultants and helps companies drive revenue growth, market share improvement, new product impact, and profitable geographic expansion. A three time Chief Marketing Officer Apatov possesses 20+ years of accomplishment in a variety of strategic marketing, general management, and consultative business development roles for multiple Fortune 100 companies. At Ascension he is often responsible for the development and implementation of game changing strategies for the firm’s clients around the world which range across industries including healthcare, financial services, industrial manufacturing + distribution, media entertainment, and retail. Craig’s professional experience includes executive roles with multi-national companies including Con Agra Foods, Citibank, GM, Mattel Toys, Time Warner, and The Walt Disney Company where he helped develop and grow some of the world’s largest and most iconic brands. In total Apatov has developed and managed strategic alliances valued at over $350 million. Apatov led major digital initiatives for Citibank in the e-commerce area, the development of AutoTrader.com, and the creation/growth of one of the nation’s largest and most successful pure play online banks — The GMAC Bank (later renamed the Ally Bank).

Donna Peeples / Pypestream
Chief Customer Officer

Donna Peeples is chief customer officer at Pypestream, which enables companies to deliver exceptional customer service using real-time mobile chatbot technology. She was previously chief customer experience officer at AIG.
She is an accomplished senior executive with extensive P&L responsibility and verifiable results in a variety of industries and global markets. Peeples is a versatile strategist who combines her keen market sense and strong orientation in top-line growth and negotiations with her experience, entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen to transform innovative ideas into profits. A master communicator, Peeples works to define business objectives and articulate the corporate vision in a way that inspires imagination and compels action throughout the organization. Whether managing cost, influencing the top line or creating vibrant and productive partnerships, her focus is on blending business strategy with creativity – touching the heart and moving the mind. The result is: true paradigm shifts, sustainable change and the achievement of overall business objectives.
What sets Peeples apart is that she has charted her path by rising through a variety of leadership, operational and revenue-generating roles in highly regulated and uniquely challenging industries. Time and again, in financial services, energy as well as original equipment manufacturing, she has introduced category-changing thinking while guiding purposeful and adaptable practices with positive results.

Twitter(PypeStream)      Twitter(Donna)     LinkedIn

Atlanta Business Radio

Special Edition: Georgia Society of CPA’s

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Lynne T. Riley / Georgia Department Of Revenue
State Revenue Commissioner

Lynne Riley was appointed by Governor Nathan Deal to serve as the State Revenue Commissioner in January, 2015. Lynne comes to the Department of Revenue most recently from the Georgia General Assembly, where she served four years in office as the House District 50 (Johns Creek) Representative. She served as one of Governor Deal’s floor leaders in 2014, and as a member of the Ways and Means, Natural Resources and Environment, Retirement and the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Oversight committees.

Commissioner Riley previously served as the Fulton County Commissioner for District 3 from July 2004 to December 2010. Riley served on the Fulton County Employees Retirement Board and the Fulton County Defined Contribution Retirement Plan Committee. She was a Board Member of the Atlanta/Fulton County Water Resources Commission, and the Chair of the Fulton County Building Authority. In 2008, she was appointed by Governor Perdue to the Georgia Public Defender Supervisory Council for the Atlanta Judicial Circuit. Lynne worked with the North Fulton Legislative Delegation in the creation of the new cities of Sandy Springs, Johns Creek and Milton.

Commissioner Riley has long been involved with an extensive group of community and civic organizations. Riley is a member of the Class of 2005 of the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Regional Leadership Institute and an alumnus of the Coverdell Leadership Institute.  Riley is a Board member of the Johns Creek Economic Development Corporation, and is currently participating in the “Johns Creek Advantage” economic development initiative. Riley also serves on the Board of the Great Promise Partnership in Georgia.

Lynne Riley is a professional accountant and was Principal of Riley Accounting Services for over 30 years. Lynne is married to Mike Riley, Equipment Innovation Manager for The Coca-Cola Company. They have three adult children and one grand-daughter. The Riley family has lived in the Johns Creek community for 27 years.

Joel Pascaner/Jones and Kolb 

Joel L. Pascaner is a tax principal specializing in high net worth individuals, privately held entities, partnerships, S corporations, estates and trusts, not-for-profit organizations, and state and local tax matters. He also has extensive experience representing taxpayers before the IRS as well as numerous other taxing jurisdictions.

Joel is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, and The Leaderhship Team of the Tax Section of the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants. He has been an at-large member of the GSCPA Council. In addition, he has served as the Chairman of the Tax Section of the GSCPA as well as both the Federal Tax Legislation and the Georgia Tax Legislation Subcommittees of the GSCPA Tax Section, where he was involved in the drafting and introduction of proposed legislation. He is also a Past Chairman of the Depreciation Committee and the Tax Accounting Problems Committee of the NYSSCPA. Mr. Pascaner was a member of the GSCPA 2006 Tax Forum Planning Committee and served as Moderator at the Forum’s Luncheons with Georgia Tax Commissioner Bart Graham. He was awarded “2006 Distinguished Section Leader” by the GSCPA and served on their Task Force on Employment. Joel is a member of the Atlanta Tax Forum and the Atlanta Estate Planning Council. He is a graduate of the Philanthropic Advisor Leadership Institute and was awarded the “Best in Client Satisfaction Wealth Manager” by Atlanta Magazine for years 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2014.

Joel has authored numerous articles in professional and industry publications including the CPA Journal and the Taxation for Accountants.

He has served on the Board of Directors of the Interfaith Disabilities Network and the Board of Trustees of Georgia Shakespeare. He is currently on the Board of Trustees of the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Finance Committee of the Atlanta Film Festival.

Prior to joining Jones and Kolb, Joel practiced as a tax professional with Stephen M. Berman & Associates, L.L.C, Laventhol & Horwath and Peat Marwick.

Joel is a CPA and received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania as well as his Masters of Science in Taxation at the Long Island University.

John Masters, CPA, PC 

John Masters earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1969, followed by his Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business in 1975, and finally his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree in 1979. During this period he was employed eight years in the Computer, Aerospace, and Electronics industries. During 1979 he was admitted to the Georgia Bar and received his certificate to practice as a Certified Public Accountant in Georgia and Alabama.

John has been active in professional, civic, and political activities throughout his career. He presently serves on the Georgia Society of Certified Pubic Accountants Professional Ethics Committee, and recently completed his term as Chairman of the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants Tax Section. He has served as a SBA Score/Ace Volunteer Consultant, taught in the Junior Achievement Program and been a Future Business Leaders of America sponsor. He administered the “Call the Expert” on taxation program for 21 years at WGST News Radio where he also appeared as Tax Series Guest/Host. He has participated in various other radio and television tax related programs, testified at administrative hearings including the Georgia Special Council on Taxation, and held positions in other organizations.

John has taught courses at Oglethorpe University, Clayton Junior College (now Clayton State College) and the Becker CPA Review Course. For the last several years he has been an active member of the Dekalb Peachtree Squadron, Georgia Wing, of the Civil Air Patrol where he currently holds the rank of Major, and has been an active member of the Northside Atlanta Jaycees and the Decatur Dekalb Kiwanis Club. His is currently a member of the American Bar Association, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Georgia Bar Association, Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants.

John practices in Atlanta, Georgia principally in the areas of taxation and accounting, taxpayer representation before administrative bodies and tax tribunals, and related fields.