2025 COCPA Accounting Educators Conference

Alicia first joined the COCPA as a student member while attending the University of Denver. After years of volunteering at the Society, she stepped into the role of Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director of the COCPA Educational Foundation for five years. Alicia now serves as the Society's third President and CEO, where she daily demonstrates her passion for the accounting profession and leads the organization as it carries out the COCPA mission to help people thrive personally and professionally through service and connection.

Alicia’s professional background includes stints in public accounting, adjunct teaching, consulting, and coaching. This Midwest native enjoys spending time camping, boating, and traveling with her husband and their dog, Ally.

Jeff has 17 years of experience in various accounting and auditing roles within the oil and gas industry. As the director of operational accounting at SM Energy, he focuses on fostering a highly engaged and rewarding work environment through effective communication, employee development, and establishing robust cross-functional relationships. He feels lucky to work for an industry-leading company in the oil and gas sector that has challenged him professionally and has provided opportunities to support the growth of others. As a recurring guest lecturer for master’s-level accounting courses at Colorado State University and the University of Northern Colorado, Jeff knows the importance of maintaining a connection with those interested in pursuing accounting. A past member of the COCPA Audit Committee, he’s excited to join the Educational Foundation and sees the role as a new opportunity to advocate for the profession and those who are considering it as their career path.

Karen Osterheld is the Senior Director of the Center for Advancing Accounting Education at the American Accounting Association (AAA). In this role, she is responsible for the identification, development and dissemination of best practices and innovations in accounting education across the academy.

Prior to joining the AAA, Karen was a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Accountancy at Bentley University and was a full-time member of the faculty for 31 years. Karen was responsible for the academic internship program for undergraduate and graduate students in the department.

In 2003, Karen received the Joseph M. Cronin Award for Excellence in Academic Advising at Bentley. In 2008, she was nominated Faculty Member of the Year by the student body. She has also won two Bentley University Innovation in Teaching Awards and the Bentley University Service-Learning Award.

Karen started her professional career at Arthur Young in Boston and has eleven years of business experience, primarily as a manager in the financial services industry, with a strong background in the areas of internal controls analysis and accounting research and policy formulation. She earned her B.S. Degree in Mathematics from the State University of New York at Albany and her M.B.A. Degree from the University of Wisconsin. She is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Massachusetts. Karen has chaired the AAA Conference on Teaching and Learning in Accounting and served as the President of the Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Section of the AAA.

Jill E. Mitchell, MS, MEd, CIA, is a lecturer at the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce and a McIntire Teaching Fellow. She previously taught at Northern Virginia Community College and George Mason University. Jill began her career at EY and has held leadership roles including president of the Washington, D.C. Chapter of the Accounting and Financial Women’s Alliance (AFWA) and board member of the Virginia Society of CPAs (VSCPA). She has volunteered for the American Accounting Association (AAA) and currently serves on the leadership team of the Principles Working Group of the Future Accountant Sponsoring Organizations (FASO). Jill is a co-author of several accounting textbooks published by Wiley and a recipient of numerous state and national teaching awards, including the Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and the AAA/J. Michael and Mary Anne Cook/Deloitte Foundation Prize.

Sharrieff Hazim is an Account Manager with Becker Professional Education, where he partners with universities, firms, and individuals to support success in CPA exam preparation and continuing professional education. With a strong passion for helping others achieve their goals, Sharrieff brings both professional insight and personal dedication to every engagement.

He holds an MBA and is a proud alumnus of the University of Kansas. Prior to his career in education, Sharrieff was a standout athlete, once holding a state record in the high jump.

Outside of his professional life, he is a devoted father of five and grandfather of four. Sharrieff is also deeply committed to his faith and has participated in overseas church mission work in the Philippines. Through these missions, he has helped bring doctors, nurses, medicine, and prayer to communities in need, demonstrating his dedication to service and compassion on a global scale. 

Kimberly Swanson Church is the Forvis Mazars Leadership Professor & Director for the School of Accountancy at Missouri State University. Her primary teaching roles include accounting information systems with an emphasis in data analytics and emerging technologies. She is an award-winning educator for her many classroom innovations using experiential learning techniques that best reflect real-world application, including the 2024 AAA Cook (Deloitte) Prize, 2021 MOCPA [Missouri] Educator of the Year, 2019 George Krull/Grant Thornton Innovation in Junior/Senior Level Teaching, 2018 Jim Bulloch Award for Innovation in Management Accounting Education, 2017 Mark Chain/FSA Innovation in Graduate Teaching, and 2016 Bea Sanders/AICPA Introductory Teaching (honorable mention) national awards. She served as the CPA Evolution BAR taskforce co-chair to lead the integration of data analytics onto the professional certification exam. She has published many academic and practitioner articles and won several best paper awards. Her articles have appeared in Accounting Horizons, Journal of Information Systems, Issues in Accounting Education, Journal of Emerging Technologies in Accounting, and Journal of Accounting Education. Anyone that has met Kim knows her successes are attributed to the unconditional support of her family and collaborator friends.

Laurie L. Burney, PhD, is an associate professor and holder of the J.E. Bush Professorship in Accounting. She recently completed a three-year term as the Institute of Management Accountants’ (IMA) Professor in Residence. In this role, she served as the liaison between IMA and the academic accounting community.

Burney is an associate editor for IMA Educational Case Journal and is on the editorial board for Behavioral Research in Accounting. She serves as vice president of the IMA Stuart Cameron McLeod Society, and a former president of the IMA Texas Regional Council. She also serves on the board for the Educational Foundation for Women in Accounting. In 2018, Burney was recognized with the IMA R. Lee Brummet Distinguished Award for Educators and the Lean Enterprise Institute’s Excellence in Lean Accounting Faculty Award. And in 2020 she received the Mark Chain/FSA Innovation in Graduate Teaching Award.

Burney teaches advanced managerial accounting courses. Her area of expertise takes a behavioral approach to investigate management control systems. She is also involved in the intersection of lean philosophy and accounting. Burney has published in highly recognized academic and practitioner journals such as Accounting, Organizations and Society, Behavioral Research in Accounting, Journal of Information Systems, and Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Journal of Emerging Technologies in Accounting, Issues in Accounting Education, Strategic Finance, and Management Accounting Quarterly.

Burney earned her BBA from Austin Peay State University, MBA from Middle Tennessee State University and PhD from the University of Kentucky. She has earned the Certified Management Accountant, Certified in Strategy and Competitive Analysis, and CPA (TN-inactive). Prior to joining academic, Burney worked in public accounting and for a job training government administration office as a fiscal officer.

Richard L. Wobbekind is Associate Dean for Businesss and Government Relations, Associate Professor of Business Economics and Finance, and Faculty Director of the Business Research Division at the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

He participates annually in the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank Regional Economic Roundtable and is a contributor to the Western Blue Chip forecast newsletter and the National Association for Business Economics (NABE) economic outlook and policy surveys. He is a member of the Boulder Economic Council. He serves as a board member for the Western Regional Science Association. Rich is past President of the NABE.

He is frequently interviewed by local and national broadcast and print media. He has received numerous awards for his teaching research and service including the University of Colorado Community Outreach Award (1997); member of Distinction by the Boulder Chamber of Commerce (2002); the Robert L. Stearns Award from the University of Colorado Alumni Association for career achievement in teaching, research and service(2006); the Thayne Robsen award from the Association for University Business and Economics Research for career achievement in applied regional economic analysis (2008); key contributor by the Boulder Chamber of Commerce(2010); and named a fellow by the National Association for Business Economics. (2011). In 2022 and 2023 he was been named to the top 50 list of influential business leaders in Northern Colorado by Bizwest.

Dr. Wobbekind teaches MBA students in macroeconomics and public policy. He has received four awards for teaching excellence from the students of the Leeds School of Business. Richard Wobbekind has lived in Colorado for over 43 years and has spent much of his time studying the development of the Colorado and regional economies. Dr. Wobbekind received a BA in Economics from Bucknell University and an MA and Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Colorado-Boulder.

Kevin began his career at Eide Bailly after graduating from Regis University with his bachelors and master’s degree in accounting and finance. Throughout the 10 years with Eide Bailly, Kevin has gained experience providing public accounting services in many industries, primarily in not-for-profits and financial institutions.

During his time at Eide Bailly, Kevin also gained experience in the Quality of Earnings Due Diligence department for mergers and acquisitions, and most recently managing Non-Profit Business Outsourcing & Strategy consulting engagements. He appreciates expanding his knowledge beyond auditing and believes in a balanced professional career.

He has been involved in multiple Eide Bailly pilot projects to incorporate artificial intelligence driven techniques into the audit processes in order to streamline and make them as efficient as possible. He is also involved in the community as part of Eide Bailly’s Colorado Philanthropy Committee, recruiting and training of incoming Eide Bailly staff.

Outside of the work, Kevin enjoys staying active through sports, hiking, camping, traveling, and is an admitted foodie. Standing still usually is not a normal occurrence. Any chance Kevin can get to explore something he hasn’t seen before he will take advantage of – new experiences are one thing he always looks forward to.

Clay helps his clients achieve their business goals, whether that's by providing a financial statement audit to help obtain a loan or connecting them with the right expertise to get the answers they need. He also serves on the firm’s recruiting committee and enjoys helping to grow the Eide Bailly team. 

When you work with Clay, you can expect a partner who strives to understand your business and figure out the best way to move forward. He can help you decide the level of audit service you truly need and get you the best information to make decisions about the future of your business. 

When Clay isn't working, he's probably doing whatever his kids are doing! He also enjoys running, hiking, biking, golf, watching football and college basketball, traveling and cooking with his family. 

Rachelle Moulton is an Assurance Parter with EY, based in Denver. She has over 16 years of experience, primarily devoted to serving clients in EY’s Health, Life Sciences, and Technology sectors. Rachelle’s clients have included large not-for-profit hospital systems, growth stage private equity-backed companies, and publicly traded technology and life sciences companies. Rachelle is a graduate of the University of Denver with a Bachelors in Business Administration and a Masters of Accountancy. Rachelle is a current board member of the Colorado chapter of the American Heart Association and co-Chair of the Executive Leadership Team for the American Heart Association’s CycleNation event. Her and her husband, Mickey, have three young children. Additionally, Rachelle enjoys running, cooking, and reading.

Donnie McLaughlin is the Co-Founder of Cornerstone Partners, where he applies nearly two decades of cybersecurity experience to help organizations identify vulnerabilities and strengthen their digital defenses. A seasoned penetration tester and threat intelligence analyst, Donnie brings a unique blend of military precision and private-sector innovation to every engagement.

Donnie began his career in the U.S. Air Force, serving as a Persian-Farsi Linguist and later as a Digital Network Exploitation Analyst supporting national security missions. After transitioning to the private sector in 2013, he worked as a Threat Intelligence Analyst focused on dark web surveillance and open-source intelligence (OSINT). He also held a role in business advisory services at Hein & Associates.

Donnie holds a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology Security from Colorado Technical University and remains passionate about staying ahead of evolving cyber threats to keep clients secure.

Bill Evert is a Partner at Cornerstone-Partners LLC, where he leads multiple teams delivering cybersecurity, governance, risk, and compliance services. With more than 25 years of experience, he specializes in cybersecurity assessments, penetration testing, and risk-based audits for organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to government agencies and small businesses.

Bill’s industry expertise spans financial services, manufacturing, telecommunications, oil & gas, alternative energy, mining, agriculture, and software. Prior to his current role, he served as an Audit and Business Advisory Partner at Hein & Associates and began his career as a Supervisor at KPMG LLP.

He earned his degree from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder and is highly regarded for his deep expertise in accounting and auditing.

Dr. Johnnie Bejarano is a Program Directorate Analyst for the Strategic Energy Analysis Center, with the Alliance for Sustainable Energy. Alliance is the management and operating contractor for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), in Golden, Colorado. NREL is owned by the U.S. Department of Energy and is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center. It is the nation’s primary research and development laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency. At Regis University, he teaches forensic and fraud audit, accounting ethics, governmental and non-profit accounting, financial communication, and other accounting courses. In the local community, he conducts public presentations on anti-fraud and ethics-related topics. In 2022, he earned the Professional Practice Achievement Award, Anderson College of Business and Computing, Regis University, and other numerous teaching excellence awards from other universities. His area of interest is in ethics and anti-fraud mitigation techniques. He holds DBA, MBA, and MA degrees.

He’s a combat veteran with 26 1/2 years of service in the U.S. Air Force, Arizona, and Colorado Air National Guard units. He spent three years as base comptroller at Buckley Air Force Base and was involved in inspector general investigations and reports of surveys as an assistant U.S. property fiscal officer. Over his part-time career, he spent multiple tours in Arizona, Alaska, Florida, New York, Georgia, New Mexico, Wisconsin, HQ/Washington DC, HQ/PACAF Hawaii, and HQ/USAFE Germany. He served a final tour of duty as deputy base commander for support in the Sultanate of Oman during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2002 under combat field conditions. He retired as a lieutenant colonel in 2003.

In 2011, Dr. Bejarano was elected to the Board of Regents of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), which is the largest anti-fraud-fighting organization in the world with over 90,000 members worldwide. At ACFE, he worked with Cynthia Cooper, author, and WorldCom whistleblower. He recently completed a four-year gubernatorial appointment with the State Board of Accountancy. He is also a member of the editorial advisory committee for Fraud Magazine, a board member for the ACFE’s Colorado Chapter, and involved with the American Institute of CPAs, the Colorado Society of CPAs, Association of Military Comptrollers, Government Finance Officers’ Association, and member of the U.S. Golf Association. For fun, he enjoys spending time with his family and two granddaughters, plays golf, loves sports, and is an avid semi-pro photographer. He studied professional photography at the New York Institute of Photography and Digital Photography at Cornell University (eCornell). He is a firm believer in continuous improvement and is an advocate for lifelong learning. “Never stop learning.”