Weaver, the 35th largest public accounting and advisory firm in the United States, is pleased to announce the promotion of 16 team members, across five offices, to its partnership ranks. Effective June 1, the new partners are Jordan Baker, Greg Dean, Craig Epstein, Blake Fuqua, Trip Hillman, Tigran Hovsapyan, James Jones, Alexis Kennedy, Meredith McKeehan, Mayur Naik, David Nolan, Morgan Page, Tim Savage, Brian Teefey, Deanna Warren and Scott Winkler.
“We are thrilled to welcome this class of incredibly talented professionals to our partnership,” said Weaver CEO and Managing Partner, John Mackel, CPA. “Each is immensely skilled and has demonstrated outstanding dedication and leadership to our clients and employees. Reflecting the strength of the firm, they represent our many different practice groups, industry groups and locations. We thank them for their commitment to Weaver and know that each will be integral to the firm’s continued success.”
Jordan Baker, Austin, Texas
Partner, Energy Compliance Services
Jordan has more than nine years of experience performing engagements on all kinds of transportation fuels and the environmental credits surrounding them. This includes work under the federal Renewable Fuel Standard and Gasoline requirements, California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, Oregon’s Clean Fuels Program, and Quality Assurance Plans for Renewable Natural Gas and liquid fuels. A Certified Internal Auditor, Jordan received a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Southwestern University.
Greg Dean, Houston, Texas
Partner, Assurance Services
With more than ten years of experience, Greg performs financial statement audits and reviews for private companies. His background is in the oil and gas (upstream and midstream), oilfield services and manufacturing industries. He has experience with International Finance Reporting Standards, as well as auditing business combinations, asset acquisitions and divestitures, and various forms of investments accounted for as cost method, equity method or consolidation, including VIEs. Greg is an active member of Young Professionals in Energy, the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants (TXCPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He earned a Master of Accounting and a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from Texas Christian University.
Craig Epstein, Houston, Texas
Partner, International Tax Services
Craig has more than 12 years of experience in public accounting and offers extensive knowledge of complex tax issues, including tax planning and managing tax exposure for U.S. multinational and foreign-owned companies and individuals. His professional background encompasses numerous areas of international tax, including tax compliance, tax provision reviews and audit support, as well as cross-border restructuring and tax planning. A Certified Public Accountant, Craig received a Bachelor of Science in accounting with minors in management information systems and economics from the University of Delaware. He earned his Master of Taxation from Villanova University School of Law.
Blake Fuqua, Dallas, Texas
Partner, State and Local Tax Services
Blake has more than 14 years of experience in state and local tax matters. He navigates a broad range of state and local tax issues including sales tax recovery, audit defense, taxability consulting, voluntary disclosure agreements, tax process improvements and sales tax compliance. He works with clients across several industries including manufacturing, construction, oil and gas, retail and technology. Blake is a certified member (CMI) of the Institute of Professionals in Taxation, which recognizes professional achievement in sales and use taxation. He graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from Oklahoma State University.
Trip Hillman, Dallas, Texas
Partner, IT Advisory Services
Trip has more than a decade of hands-on experience evaluating cybersecurity in a broad range of IT environments. He has consulted with Fortune 100 companies, private equity groups, small enterprises and government entities on security and compliance, and has performed and led more than 200 substantial assessments across hundreds of unique IT environments. He also performs cyber risk assessments, cybersecurity compliance assessments, vulnerability assessments and penetration tests to help companies improve their cybersecurity posture. Trip’s certifications include Certified Information Security Auditor (CISA), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), GIAC Systems and Network Auditor (GSNA), GIAC Certified Penetration Tester (GPEN), GIAC Certified Forensic Examiner (GCFE), GIAC Certified Windows Security Administrator (GCWN), and the Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK). He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in management information systems from Baylor University.
