Session Topic: Invite Only -- Should I Major in Accounting?
Day
Tuesday
Start Time
1:00 PM
Length
50
Location
CH 101
Accounting
Presenter(s)
Jake
Connor
Controller, Family Office Division
McAdams Homes
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-connor-cpa/
CSB Alum and UNCW Alumn
Jake Connor graduated from UNCW with an undergraduate degree in accounting in 2017 and an MSA degree in 2019. He completed an internship with DHG in Raleigh doing IT advisory work. He passed the CPA exam in 2019 and became licensed in 2020. He continued working for DHG for about a year, before returning to Wilmington where Jake took a project accountant position at Thomas Construction Group. In 2023, Jake boomeranged back into public accounting with a Senior Associate role with Mauldin & Jenkins doing local government audits. In 2021, Jake began hosting Airbnb’s, reaching “super-host” status. He also became a licensed real estate broker in 2021, associating for about two years with Keller Williams before moving to Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage. He sold more than $2 million of real estate in his first year as a licensed broker and $5 million in 2024. Jake continues to work full-time for Mauldin & Jenkins while working as a real estate agent and investor, flipping houses in his free time. He is excited to see what the future will hold and where his career will take him.
Dan
Lavelle
Partner
Sorren Inc
https://www.linkedin.com/in/danlavellecpa/
No
Dan Lavelle is a Partner at Sorren Inc (previously known as Williams Overman Pierce LLP). Based in the Raleigh office, he provides accounting, audit, and advisory (valuation, M&A) solutions to closely held businesses, nonprofit organizations, and startups. Dan also works with clients in various industries, including technology, healthcare, restaurants, and manufacturing. In addition to client work, Dan has held leadership positions in the firm and spent time recruiting top talent for the growing team. Before joining the firm, he spent six years with KPMG and four years in corporate accounting and financial reporting.
Stephen
O'Gara
Manager
PwC
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenogara/
CSB Alum and UNCW Alumn
Stephen is a Manager in PwC's Delivering Deal Value (DDV) practice with experience developing and implementing both Financial and Operational solutions for large scale international deals, with a focus on Business Process & System Separation (BPSS).
Prior to joining DDV, Stephen spent 2 years in PwC’s Assurance practice with a focus in the Technology (both Hardware and SaaS) and Biotech sectors. Stephen obtained his BS in Business Administration with a focus in Accountancy as well as his MS in Accountancy from UNCW, and is currently a licensed CPA in the state of North Carolina.
Haley
Perry
FAS Manager
Embark
https://www.linkedin.com/in/haleyeperry/
CSB Alum and UNCW Alumn
Haley attended the University of North Carolina Wilmington in 2016, where she earned a Bachelor’s and Master's degree in Accounting. After graduation, she began working at EY Raleigh in their public and private company auditing practice. She served on audit teams for various public and private companies in Raleigh including a telecommunications software company, an electrical co-op, and a pharmaceutical company. After two years at EY, she switched to a financial accounting and advisory services consulting firm called Embark. She has spent her time there serving clients in multiple different industries including insurance, crypto, SaaS, and real estate helping them with SEC reporting, audit facilitation, software implementations, team continuity, and compliance with new accounting standards. Outside of work you can find Haley hanging out with friends and family, cooking, or at a Pilates studio.