46th Annual Conference - Speaker Bios

Thank you to our speakers for helping to communicate best practices and for sharing their experiences. We are so appreciative because we would be unable to provide quality CPE to our members without their dedicated time and effort.

                                                                                                         - AGFOA Board

John Albritton, CPA

Director of the Landmark’s Arbitrage and Compliance Services      

John Albritton, CPA is the director of the Landmark’s Arbitrage and Compliance Services Department. He is directly responsible for the planning, review of bond documents and working papers, and reporting related to our arbitrage engagements. For over fifteen years, he has served our public finance clients in the areas of arbitrage rebate calculations, accountants’ refunding verifications, parity calculations, and general arbitrage consultations. John joined the Firm in 2006 after graduating from the University of Central Arkansas with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Accountancy. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Arkansas Society of Certified Public Accountants and an associate member of the National Association of Bond Lawyers. John has been married to Allison for eighteen years. They have two wonderful daughters, Avery and Audrey.

Michael Yancey

DFA Revenue Assistant Administrator

Michael graduated from Arkansas State University with a degree in Finance in 2002.  In 2009, Michael moved to Little Rock and began his journey with the state as a DFA Accountant.  Michael obtained a second degree in Accounting through Arkansas State in 2010, he has been with DFA for over 15 years now and have served as an Accountant, Tax Auditor 1, Budget Analyst, Tax Auditor 2, Accounts Receivable Manager, Compliance Manager, Registration Manager, Auditor Supervisor, Revenue Tax Division Manager, and Assistant Administrator.

Janna Tischler

AVP, Merchant Operations Relationship Manager

After receiving her bachelor's degree in mathematics from the University of Central Arkansas, Janna's education and career path provided experience and knowledge that set the stage for her to thrive in the acquiring industry, where she uses her abilities to support revenue goals, strategic growth, customer experience, operations, risk, and service.  She also became ETA CPP certified in 2017 and is Lean Six Sigma green belt certified.  Janna is an avid reader, enjoys bowling, and not-so-secretly wants her pilot's license.  She calls central Arkansas home with her husband, daughter, and many animals

Beth Goins

IT Manager, ARVEST

Beth’s career has always been in the area of technology.  She worked for many years designing and implementing enterprise software solutions where she focused on process efficiency and effectiveness.  Over the past 7 years, she has worked in Information Security involved with identity and access governance, with the last 4 years also including PCI program management.  Currently, she is an IT Manager working on audit support and regulations for Arvest Bank, paying special attention to PCI compliance.

Paul Phillips

Senior Managing Director

Paul joined Crews & Associates in 1998. His background includes a dynamic and cross-functional career in the financial services industry including investment banking, commercial banking, and regulatory affairs. He has more than 35 years of experience in the financial services industry with specialized expertise in the area of fixed-income securities, commercial real estate development and analytics, and financial statement analysis. His activities include the development, structuring, origination, and sale of tax-exempt and taxable bond issues and/or other debt securities for the purpose of providing proceeds for capital improvements, the refunding/restructuring of existing indebtedness, and general corporate purposes. Additional responsibilities include serving as the Credit Administrator for the company’s Capital Markets Group, Chairman of the Credit Review Committee, and coordinating the municipal finance activities in Arkansas. Consequently, Paul is involved in every underwriting transaction at Crews. His clients include local governments, state governments, private and public universities, healthcare providers, utility providers, and various not-for-profit and for-profit entities. Paul has been involved in the structuring of various types of revenue bonds, general obligation bonds, sales tax bonds, limited tax general obligation bonds, tax increment bonds, credit enhanced bonds, fixed-rate bonds, and variable rate bonds. He has an extensive list of governmental and non-profit clients, particularly in the State of Arkansas. Paul has a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and holds various securities licenses.

Craig Johnson

Chief Technology Officer. Office of the Treasurer of State

Craig Johnson has served as Chief Technology Officer for the Arkansas Treasurer of State since 2018. Prior to joining state government, Craig was a senior consultant at a Boston-based firm for 20 years, where he managed projects for companies throughout the United States and Europe. Craig’s diverse 30+ years in the technology industry have spanned across government, finance, insurance, and healthcare. He has a broad range of skills in areas such as Cloud Services, Cybersecurity, AI/Machine Learning, User/Customer Experience, and Digital Transformation. Craig's digital transformation work at the Arkansas Treasury has significantly improved operations, which has directly benefited state agencies, counties, and cities throughout Arkansas. He is dedicated to staying up-to-date with the latest technologies and enjoys collaborating with diverse groups to generate innovative ideas. Outside of work, Craig enjoys spending quality time with his family and pursuing his hobbies of woodworking and kayak fishing.

Joseph D. Archer, CPA

Arkansas Legislative Audit

Joe joined Arkansas Legislative Audit in September of 1991 as a Field Auditor in the Southwest Region, auditing cities, counties, and educational institutions. In July of 2015, Joe became a Supervising Senior Auditor. He was promoted to Supervisor in August of 2016, to Audit Manager in April 2022, and to Deputy Legislative Auditor in April of 2024. Joe received a Bachelor’s in Business Administration (BBA), from Henderson State University in May of 1991. He became a Certified Public Accountant in November of 2016.  Joe is married to his wife, Shannon, and they have two grown daughters: Ashton and Jameson. The Archers reside in Prattsville.

Omid Rahmani

Associate Director with Fitch Ratings' U.S. Public Finance Tax-Supported group

Omid Rahmani is an associate director with Fitch Ratings' U.S. Public Finance Tax-Supported group, where he serves as the US Public Finance, International Public Finance, and Global Infrastructure & Project Finance cyber security lead. In addition, he serves as a representative in the company-wide cyber risk group and as a strategic cyber risk subject matter resource in the company's cross-practice ESG group. Omid has been recognized as one of the Bond Buyer 'Rising Stars' of 2021 and has been featured as a keynote speaker at national conferences on strategic cyber risk in public finance. Prior to joining Fitch Ratings, Omid worked as an analyst at S&P Global with a focus on public finance utilities and cyber risk. Omid is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma and subsequent to his schooling worked at the US House of Representatives. Omid is also a National Geographic featured field archeologist and generally spends vacations working on archaeological sites in South America. In addition, Omid is very active with several charities and community activities in the Dallas-Fort Worth and Washington DC areas.

Thomas Burchfield

Outreach Manager for the Great Arkansas Treasure Hunt

Thomas Burchfield serves as your Outreach Manager for the Great Arkansas Treasure Hunt in Auditor of State Milligan’s office where he helps return millions of dollars all over Arkansas. Prior to serving you in the Auditor's office, Thomas served in then Treasurer Milligan’s office as Manager of Financial Literacy and AR 529 College Savings plans.

Emily S. Brock

Director of GFOA’s Federal Liaison Center

As Director of GFOA’s Federal Liaison Center, Emily leads coalition and advocacy efforts of the Public Finance Network in Washington DC. Her advocacy includes anticipating and responding to federal legislative and regulatory activities that impact the finance functions of state and local governments and public sector entities including tax reform, municipal securities disclosure, and public pension and benefit issues. Emily also serves as staff on GFOA’s Debt Committee, working with committee members to develop best practices that promote sound financial practices for local, state and provincial governments. Prior to joining GFOA, Emily was a commercial bank relationship manager at a large national bank, serving as the sole bank liaison for government and university clients.

Chris Campolo

Professor of Philosophy, Hendrix College

Chris Campolo is a Professor of Philosophy at Hendrix College.  He has interests in Argumentation Theory, Ethics, Ancient Philosophy, and Political Philosophy.

David M. Coleman, CPA

Audit Partner, Forvis Mazars, LLP.

David is a professional in FORVIS’ Public Sector Practice. He has over 22 years of experience providing audit and consulting services to various governmental and nonprofit organizations, including municipalities and their component units, utilities, and other service-related entities that receive federal and state assistance. He is responsible for engagement oversight and review for numerous governmental and nonprofit organizations subject to Single Audit requirements.

He is a member of the American Institute of CPAs, Arkansas Society of Certified Public Accountants, and Government Finance Officers Association of Texas. He is licensed as a CPA in Arkansas and Texas.

David is a graduate of Henderson State University, Arkadelphia, Arkansas, with a B.B.A. degree in accounting.

Katherine (Katie) R. Flores, CPA

Audit Manager, Fovis Mazars, LLP.

Katie has over five years of experience providing audit services to governmental and nonprofit organizations, including Single Audits. She performs a variety of governmental and nonprofit audit engagements, including municipalities, private colleges, and other service-related entities that receive federal and state assistance. Katie is a member of the American Institute of CPAs, Arkansas Society of Certified Public Accountants, and Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada.Katie is a University of Central Arkansas, Conway graduate with a B.B.A. degree in accounting and business administration.

Richard E. Boer Jr.

Director, Forvis Mazars, LLP

Richard E. Boer Jr., is a Director at Forvis Mazars, LLP based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Rich specializes in State and Local Tax and has more than 30 years of experience. He has worked with multistate companies on various multijurisdictional compliance and consulting tax matters in the areas of income, franchise, sales and use, property, and payroll taxes as well as credits and incentives and unclaimed funds.  He currently leads the state tax credits and incentives practice at Forvis Mazars. In addition to focusing on identifying and securing state and local tax credits and incentives for his clients, Rich has also been involved with assisting clients with the federal clean energy tax credits provided for under the Inflation Reduction Act. In addition to working in the credits and incentives area, Rich’s state and local tax experience has included managing large refund studies, analyzing nexus issues, assisting with determining taxability decisions, negotiating voluntary disclosure agreements, managing state tax audits, developing tax savings ideas, and evaluating current compliance strategies. He also has experience providing consultation to his clients related to the state tax consequences of various business realignment projects. Rich’s clients have included large publicly traded, multistate manufacturing, retail, transportation, and oil and gas companies as well as privately held companies operating in various industries. Prior to joining Forvis Mazars, he worked with various international accounting firms providing similar services. Rich is a 1993 graduate of Indiana University, Bloomington, with a B.S. degree in accounting.

 John Wilkerson

General Counsel, Arkansas Municipal League

An Arkansas native through and through, John earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Central Arkansas before diving into law school at the William H. Bowen School of Law at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. In 2006, he joined the Arkansas Municipal League as a law clerk, and his hard work and legal skills earned him a position as staff litigator after he passed the bar. John's dedication to his clients and leadership within the League propelled him to senior legal counsel, and ultimately to General Counsel where he has served since 2018. Outside of work, John calls Little Rock home, where he lives with his wife, Zara, and their three kids: Razik, Amelia, and Merah. John enjoys attending UALR Trojans basketball games and traveling to Arkansas to highlight its hidden gems on his podcast: “There’s Something Here.”

Cindy Frizzell, CPA

Arkansas Municipal League

Cindy Frizzell is a CPA with the Arkansas Municipal League for 12 years. As CFO, Cindy directs the finance team responsible for IT and financial reporting, including network security, optional program software systems, financial statements, program ratings, audits, payroll, and accounts payable. She also works with the Investment Committee to oversee the League’s investment portfolio. Her team is always available to answer membership questions regarding finance and information technology issues. Cindy has been married to Tony for 36 years and has two children, Gracie and Anthony, and two grandchildren, Judson and Richie.