23rd Annual Fall Two-Day Conference

Jim Pillen

Governor Jim Pillen was sworn in as Nebraska's 41st Governor on January 5, 2023.
He enters office with the goal of protecting, training, and keeping our kids in Nebraska, cutting taxes, growing agriculture, and defending our commonsense, conservative values.
Governor Pillen grew up on a farm in Platte County, Nebraska and raised pigs with his father, Dale. He graduated from Lakeview High School.
He earned a Bachelor's Degree in Animal Science from UNL, and married Suzanne Shreve. Governor Pillen then earned a doctor of veterinary medicine from Kansas State. In 1983, he returned to Nebraska and opened a small animal practice and swine consulting practice.
Governor Pillen and his father, Dale, partnered together, raising 60 sows and 1,200 market hogs on a dirt lot on their home farm. In 1993, Jim started Pillen Family Farms. In 2003, he added DNA Genetics.?In 2010, his two oldest children, Sarah and Brock, joined the business.
Pillen Family Farms and DNA Genetics are now a multigenerational family-run business, composed of over 1,100 team members.?The family business operates by some basic core beliefs—do what is right, do the best you can, and treat others the way you want to be treated. 
Jim and wife, Suzanne, have four children, Sarah, Brock, Polly and Izic, and seven grandchildren, William, Halle, Eloise, Henry, Harrison, Ava, and Thomas.

 

Dave Heineman

Dave Heineman is Nebraska's longest serving Governor. He was sworn-in as Nebraska's 39th Governor on January 21, 2005.   Governor Heineman was elected to his first full term on November 7, 2006, and re-elected on November 2, 2010.  He was elected by the largest margins in recent history.  Prior to becoming Governor, he served more than three years as Lieutenant Governor and nearly seven years as State Treasurer.
Governor Heineman served as the Chair of the National Governors Association from July of 2011 to July of 2012.
As Governor, he worked with the Nebraska Legislature to pass the two largest tax relief packages in Nebraska history at that time and the most comprehensive revision of Nebraska's economic development incentives since the 1980's.
A strong supporter of education, Governor Heineman worked with the State Board of Education to require all high school students to take four years of English and three years of math, science, and social studies, the first update to Nebraska's high school graduation requirements in twenty --five years.  He worked with the President of the University of Nebraska and the Legislature to secure funding for Innovation Campus in Lincoln and the Buffett Cancer Center in Omaha.
A leader for Nebraska's agricultural industry, Governor Heineman secured several trade agreements for Nebraska wheat, soybeans, corn, pork, and beef.  Under his watch, Nebraska opened its first ever international trade office in Tokyo, Japan.
The Governor is a native Nebraskan.  He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and served five years in the U.S. Army, rising to the rank of captain.  He is a graduate of the Army's Airborne and Ranger schools.
Governor Heineman's wife Sally Ganem is a former elementary school principal and teacher.  Sally is a graduate of Omaha South High School and earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Their son Sam has a bachelor's and master's degree in accounting from Midland University.  He is the owner of Dodge County Realty Group.  Sam and his wife Jessica have two children, Della who is six and Ben who is three.

Bob Lewis

Bob is one of Accounting Today's Top 100 Most Influential People. He speaks nationally on opportunities and obstacles impacting the CPA profession and collaborates with firms from the Top 10 to five or ten practices trying to either grow or determine an exit path. 

He manages the deal flow process of potential acquisition or merger candidates of both CPA firms and non-accounting businesses such as VARs, technology organizations and specialized consultants. Bob consults on the potential transaction, participates on the initial calls and asks the questions that can kill a potential transaction or set the framework in place to move forward in either a buy or sell-side representation including LOI development when needed. 

Key components of Bob's experience include succession assessments, helping firms expanding their capacity through outsourcing, culling clients, teaching value pricing, and helping firms set up or expand their advisory services. Bob collaborates with firms to review their operating agreements, partner compensation model, equity partner buy-in process, and helps construct solutions when partner disputes arise.

Anoop Mehta

Anoop Natwar Mehta, chief strategist at Analytical Mechanical Associates (AMA), is the past chairman of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), the world's largest member organization representing the Certified Professional Accountant (CPA) profession. He also will serve as chair of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, which combines the strengths of the AICPA and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).

As chief strategist, Anoop provides long-range planning for new projects and markets, performs business strategy, carries out strategic planning, and works with new and existing clients to create opportunities as AMA continues to grow in numbers and capabilities. 

Chuck Gallagher

Chuck Gallagher, Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), is a recognized authority in the speaking world, and an esteemed voice in the realm of artificial intelligence (AI). But he's not your average tech guru. With a knack for making complex subjects approachable, Gallagher brings a refreshing blend of insight and humor to his talks, making the future of AI not only understandable, but also exciting.
Whether he's unpacking the ins and outs of AI for business leaders or exploring the ethics of automated systems, Gallagher keeps his audiences hooked with his dynamic style and engaging anecdotes. Drawing from his rich background in business and ethical leadership, he brings a practical perspective that helps audiences connect the dots between technology and their daily lives.
So, if you're ready to delve into the world of AI with a speaker who keeps things lively and enlightening, Chuck Gallagher is your go-to expert. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!

 

Josie Schafer

Josie Schafer, joined the University of Nebraska at Omaha as the Director of the Center for Public Affairs Research in 2018.
 Schafer joined the Center for Public Affairs Research because of its strong history and positioning as the go-to source for expert data and analysis to inform state and local policy and public and non-profit management in Nebraska. 
Recent projects lead by Schafer include the Entrepreneurship in Nebraska report, data and analysis for the UNO Workforce Development Taskforce, the Nebraska Community Foundation Youth Survey, policy analyses for the Planning Committee of the Nebraska State Legislature and serves as principal investigator of the Nebraska Rural Transit Project for UNO.

Tom Groskopf

Tom Groskopf is a nationally recognized authority on accounting and auditing topics and has been named by Accounting Today as one of the top 100 most influential people in accounting.  Tom is service line leader for Barnes, Dennig & Co., Ltd. A&A practice.  He also serves as Technical Director for the AICPA's Center for Plain English Accounting, a national A&A resource center.  Tom is a past member of the Private Company Council and was the past representative from the U.S.A. on the International Financial Reporting Standards' Small- and Medium-sized Entity Implementation Group. Tom previously served on the advisory-only FASB Private Company Financial Reporting Committee, and he served a three-year term on the AICPA's Technical Issues Committee.

 

Brian Klintworth

Brian M. Klintworth, CPA, MT is a partner at HBE LLP in Lincoln.  He has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with an emphasis in accounting and finance.  In addition, he has a Master of Taxation from the University of Denver's Sturm College of Law.  Brian's practice in public accounting is primarily focused on taxation, with an emphasis in specialized tax consulting, M&A transactions, estate/succession planning, tax research, and other tax-related items.  He has experience in preparing all types of tax returns, including individuals, partnerships, corporations, estates/trusts, and more. 

Kristen Blankley

Kristen Blankley is the Henry M. Grether, Jr. Professor of Law at the University of Nebraska College of Law. She teaches Legal Ethics and ADR topics, including Mediation and Arbitration. Professor Blankley is also a practicing mediator and arbitrator and has worked on a variety of types of cases including workplace conflict, political conflict, and family conflict.