Speakers – TPI
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Timothy Hobbs – Deputy District Director, US Small Business Administration’s Maine District Office
Tim was named Deputy District Director for the US Small Business Administration’s Maine District Office in April of 2022. Hobbs joins the agency after serving as State Director for USDA Rural development in Maine. Prior to his service with USDA Hobbs was the Director of Development and Grower Relations at the Maine Potato Board, a position he held for over 15 years. In this capacity, he was an advocate for over 250 potato growers, dealers, and processors in Maine, helping to give them a voice in Augusta and Washington DC. He has also held the position of Executive Director for the Central Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District and owned and operated a small family business with locations in Presque Isle and Caribou.
Echo Palmer – Principal, Palmer Accounting
With over 20 years of experience in accounting, payroll, and tax preparation, Echo is excited to bring her expertise to the mid coast and central Maine area. She specializes in all aspects of small business and individual tax and accounting and began her career at a CPA firm in Brookline, Massachusetts. As of 2015 she has returned to the area she grew up in, Central Maine, and has worked at a couple of local tax & accounting firms before starting her own practice. It is her goal to serve the community’s small business and individual needs and she loves to work with all types of people and industries. Some of the industries she has extensive experience with include, construction, restaurants, real estate and other professional services, fishing and agriculture, etc.
Richard Abbondanza – Partner, Hopkinson & Abbondanza
Richard is a founding partner in the Portland law firm of Hopkinson & Abbondanza. He received his undergraduate degree from Amherst College, cum laude, and his law degree from Catholic University of America. He is a member of the Maine Estate Planning Council, WealthCounsel, a national association of estate planning attorneys and advisors, and a graduate of the two-year Laureate Program of the Southern California Institute and is admitted to practice in all Maine courts. Mr. Abbondanza regularly speaks about estate planning, retirement planning and real estate and business succession planning.
He currently works on the Boards of North Yarmouth Academy and the Portland Symphony Orchestra. He also serves on steering committees for Capital Campaigns for Mercy Hospital and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Maine. He has served as an Adjunct Lecturer for Merrimack College’s CFP estate planning review course, and on the Boards of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Maine and Woodfords Family Services.
Mark Scholl – Consultant, Retired Partner, WIPFLI
With over 45 years of technology experience, Mark has specialized in all aspects of technology services, primarily in the financial institutions industry, including cybersecurity, IT risk management, and IT training. He is a frequent speaker at conferences, seminars, webinars, and podcasts on various information technology and cybersecurity topics. As a retired partner from Wipfli CPAs and Consultants, he formerly held a leadership role overseeing Wipfli’s IT audit teams for their financial institution practice. He is currently enjoying a semi-retired lifestyle serving as both a bank board director and the mayor of Polo, Illinois. Mark is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), and Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH).
Justin Freeman – Principal, Freeman & Co. CPAs
Justin brings sixteen years of experience as a CPA. He works with businesses in a variety of industries, including real estate development, retail companies, service providers, restaurants, and contractors. He earned his BS in Accounting in 2008 and his MS in Accounting in 2009, both from the University of Maine. Justin currently serves as treasurer for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Maine. Justin lives in Bangor with his wife Nicki, their two children Ben and Luke. In his off time, he enjoys traveling with his family, playing with the kiddos, as well as campfires in his backyard, game nights, and attempting to play golf.”
Jeff Hiatt – Director of Business Development, MS Consultants
Jeff, Director of Business Development, started with MS Consultants in 1999. He has helped clients reduce their income tax burden ever since. He began offering Cost Segregation Studies just in New England. Now the firm has a national footprint. Since then, MS Consultants has become New England’s leading independent provider of Cost Segregation Studies. Jeff has developed and fostered relationships with individual clients, accounting firms and CPA Societies. Also, he has organized and run a practice helping commercial and residential property owners accelerate depreciation on all types of properties. To date the firm has completed over 23,500 studies in forty-three states.
Mike Smith – Partner, MS Consultants
Mike brings more than 25 years of insight and experience in public accounting, working with Real Estate Developers and Construction Contractors. Mike’s responsibilities include managing cost segregation projects and overseeing engineers and accountants on staff. Mike provides oversight so that all team members are well versed in the most current areas of accounting, depreciation, tax, and engineering. He ensures that all reports are of the highest standards and updated accurately as the studies are being completed. Mike also ensures that the parties involved in the studies are updated on the status of the projects and also ensures delivery results and timing are communicated to appropriate parties in order to meet deadlines.
Mike has worked extensively with Real Estate Developers and Construction Contractors, assisting companies and owners with analyzing jobs and projects and tax reduction strategies including cost segregations and Section 1031 Exchanges for their properties and projects. Mike is proficient with construction contracts, AIA documents and pay applications, construction estimating and project analysis. He received his B.S. in Accounting from Siena College and is a member of the Construction Financial Management Association, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Brandon Miller – Director, Cohen & Co.
Brandon approaches client service with the idea that demonstrating technical expertise is the key to a successful relationship. He believes that communication and establishing a personal connection are certainly important as well, but that trust is ultimately built and maintained by providing the proper guidance during an engagement and throughout the client relationship. Brandon primarily works with hedge funds, cryptocurrency funds, commodity pools and other private vehicles. An integral part of the team overseeing tax engagements, he reviews funds’ income tax returns, coordinates federal and state tax compliance, and evaluates other tax needs to help proactively address client needs.
He is involved in training and technical development for the firm's Tax Practice; a member of the Maryland Association of CPAs; and a member of the American Institute of CPAs. He holds a B.S.B.A I accounting from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. Brandon resides in Sparks Glencoe, Maryland. Outside of work, he is a lifelong baseball fan on a quest to see a game in each of the 30 active MLB stadiums in the U.S. His summer vacation in 2017 took him on a cross-country adventure to experience games in Denver, Seattle, San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Diego and Phoenix (in addition to other amazing sights along the way). Brandon also enjoys reading, visiting friends and the open road.
Parker Towle – Partner, Leblance & Young
Parker is a partner at LeBlanc & Young, in Portland, Maine. He focuses his legal practice on estate planning, gift and estate tax issues, and trust and estate administration matters. He is a graduate of Bowdoin College and the University of Virginia School of Law and is admitted to practice in Maine and Massachusetts.
Dan Doiron, CPA, CVA – Principal, Albin, Randall & Bennett, CPAs
Dan is a Principal with Albin, Randall & Bennett in Portland, Maine. His career focus has been to provide financial accounting, income tax planning and compliance, and business advisory services to businesses, family offices, individuals, trusts, estates, and private foundations. Dan earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a focus in Accounting (summa cum laude) from the University of Southern Maine. He was the State of Maine Gold Medalist for earning the highest scores on all four parts of the May 1987 CPA Examination. Dan has written a number of published articles and has been a speaker on various tax related topics for a number of organizations.
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