5 May 2026 CPAmerica Advantage Newsletter

News from your accounting association

More Focus, Better Meetings, Stronger Leadership: CPA Firms on EOS

According to their website, EOS Worldwide, Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) is a complete, proven operating system for entrepreneurial businesses that helps leadership teams clarify their vision, gain traction on it, and become a healthy, cohesive team. Within the EOS structure, more team members have their voices heard, there’s more accountability throughout all aspects of the business and communication can be improved exponentially.

May 2026 IN THIS ISSUE:

► More Focus, Better Meetings, Stronger Leadership: CPA Firms on EOS

► Preferred Provider Spotlight - Truss

► Annual Practice Management Leadership Retreat

► Member News

► CPAmerica InsightsGrace Horvath

To learn more about how EOS can be utilized at accounting firms, we spoke with partners from three CPAmerica member firms, Haefele Flanagan (HF), Cooper Norman (CN) and Baum, Smith & Clemens (BSC) about their experience. Each of these firms made the commitment to implement and take full advantage of everything EOS has to offer.

Businesses of all sizes can adopt EOS and find use in the tools. HF is headquartered in Maple Shade, N.J., and has roughly 60 team members, CN is headquartered in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and has about 150 team members, and BSC is headquartered in Harleysville, Penn., and has 25 employees.

When Ande Grubb’s previous employer, a business and consulting firm called Trilogy Partners, merged with HF in 2021, Grubb joined the new team already an EOS expert. During the merger, Grubb shared HF was not only looking to add a new service line, but they were also looking for some strength to build infrastructure at the firm. Since Trilogy already ran on EOS, it was a great fit.

As HF’s chief operating officer, Grubb shared that the firm is now five years into their EOS journey and have seen many positive changes.

“Since introducing EOS at HF, the culture has changed completely. Everyone here has a voice. Everyone is accountable for what they do. There’s a very clear structure of people knowing who they can go to for support. It also created a leadership team running the firm, rather than a sole leading partner. Therefore, we have more voices and different perspectives in the mix,” said Grubb.

When Blake Johnson, managing partner at CN, was selected as the next firm managing partner, he was acutely aware of how past leadership transitions have gone. He wanted to try to improve the process, and overall firm processes. During this time, he transitioned the firm to an EOS structure. Knowing it would be a lengthy process to integrate EOS into their firm and not wanting to make any other changes for a few years, they committed to utilizing it for at least 10 years. They are now about six years in and haven’t looked back.

“It’s hard to know exactly what EOS has done from a profitability standpoint, but I could boldly say we’ve had the best five years we’ve ever had in our 70-year history simultaneous to EOS. I think there are multiple factors as to why, but certainly all of our partners would say that EOS has helped us achieve more financial success because of prioritization and timing of when we do things,” said Johnson.

Making a 10-year commitment was extremely important for the CN team. Knowing they were in it for the long haul helped employees feel comfortable adopting the processes and adjusting their work styles, causing them not to have to worry that all their hard work will be for naught in a few years, explained Johnson.

In the summer of 2023, the team at BSC

was also looking towards their succession plan when bringing EOS to their firm. They knew that three partners would be retiring in the next five years. They were already in the process of moving forward with EOS when one of their partners suddenly passed away. They shared that it was extremely helpful to have the pieces already aligned to start the process and having a coach to walk alongside them during the planned and forced transitions.

“I think it was good to have an outside party guiding us through this process, so it wasn’t someone emotionally invested in our firm,” said BSC audit partner, Rose Hartle. “They came to the table with a clearer picture. They helped set guidelines and goals for us to move forward and held us accountable to those goals.”

A huge benefit all three firms have expressed from using EOS is the time saved during meetings. This could seem counterintuitive since their teams are actually meeting more frequently, but the meetings are much more focused, and each person leaves the meeting with their clear goals in mind.

“The number of meetings can seem overwhelming, especially for accountants, but because of the frequency of how often we’re meeting, people are definitely held more accountable,” said BSC partner, Tad Schantz.

Preferred Provider Spotlight Truss

Truss is an AI-native client collaboration platform built to automate the full tax workflow for CPA firms. It replaces outdated portals with a secure, link-based experience— eliminating usernames and passwords—and consistently drives up to 93% client adoption. The platform is compatible with major tax softwares and uses AI to automatically sort, rename, and organize documents, saving firms an estimated 20–40 minutes per return.

The Core Workflow Includes:

Intake

• Link-based document collection (no client logins required)

• AI-powered, adaptive checklists based on prior-year data

• Faster, more complete submissions with less back-and-forth

• Secure uploads via email or embedded links

Continued from EOS, on page 1

“Whether that’s good or bad and makes people angry sometimes, we’re getting a lot more accomplished in a shorter period of time.”

“If you follow the structure and the cadence of the meeting and stay on point, you get a lot accomplished and there is huge benefit to having those weekly meetings,” continued Schantz.

BSC managing partner, Jennifer Landis, shared how using the EOS tools have helped make their leadership team stronger and brought them closer as a group.

“The biggest improvement I would say is in our decision making, basically we have one hour-long meeting per week, but we’re making decisions quickly,” explained Landis. “We used to hold monthly 5-hour partner meetings where nothing would be accomplished, using the EOS platform and tools has helped keep priorities at the forefront and everything moving along.”

Workpapers

• Built-in workpaper environment for review and organization

• AI auto-sorts, renames, and bookmarks documents

• Real-time annotations, tick marks, and structured organization

• Eliminates manual prep steps and reduces reliance on separate tools

Prep

• AI organizes and surfaces relevant data for faster return preparation

• Streamlined transition from collected documents to ready-to-prep files

• Optional support for automated or assisted tax preparation workflows

• Improves team efficiency and visibility across engagements

Delivery

• Automated return assembly and delivery workflows

• Integrated e-signatures (including 8879s)

• Built-in invoicing and payment collection

• Clear client-facing summaries for a simple, guided experience

someone who will keep everyone on track and hold individuals accountable. It can be an option to self-implement, however typically that can draw out the process and bring up biases.

Truss connects intake, workpapers, prep, and delivery into a single, unified workflow— eliminating tool sprawl, reducing manual effort, and improving both firm efficiency and client experience.

The result is a faster, more organized tax process with higher client adoption, better visibility across engagements, and meaningful time savings at scale.

For more information, visit https://gettruss.io/ or email zach@gettruss.io

proved to be more than a management framework, it became a long-term operating mindset that reshaped leadership, succession, and accountability.

Implementing EOS can be a lengthy process and varies from firm to firm. A commonality among all three firms was hiring an outside implementor to lead the process. Bringing in

For HF, Grubb shared that they slowly rolled it out to their newly merged team. They knew it would be a lot of change all at once and wanted to be mindful that everyone is different when it comes to change. At CN, the implementation process was about three years working closely with an implementor. BSC also worked with an implementor for two years for their process.

Johnson is all-in with the “EOS Life,” sharing five key elements they use as a litmus test to see if it has been impacting the firm in the way they wanted. He will periodically ask partners to rank themselves on a scale of 1-to-10 in the following five categories: 1) are you doing what you love?; 2) are you working in more areas that you love?; 3) are you making a huge difference?; 4) are you being paid appropriately?; and 5) do you have time to do things outside of work? The goal being to move towards a 10 in each category.

“If they’re not seeing improvements in those five areas, something in the EOS is not working correctly,” said Johnson. Despite some growing pains, each firm has shared that they are better off after implementing EOS. For these firms, EOS

For those interested in exploring EOS further, we’ll be having an EOS-focused member sharing session during the Annual Practice Management Leadership Retreat this fall. Our members also listed some books that helped them in their EOS journey, “What the Heck is EOS?” by Gino Wickman & Tom Bouwer, “The EOS Life” by Gino Wickman, and “Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business” also by Gino Wickman.

To learn more about EOS at their firms, please contact Haefele Flanagan’s Ande Grubb at andrea.grubb@hfco.com, Cooper Norman’s Blake Johnson at bjohnson@coopernorman.com, or Baum, Smith & Clemens’ Tad Schantz at tschantz@BSCCPAS.com.

Upcoming Event Dates

Scan the below QR code for complete 2026 event agendas, a full list of events and to complete your registration.

chief financial officer

THF, headquartered in Tallahassee, Fla., is pleased to announce that Chuck Weeks, CPA, CGMA, SSBB, SSLP, has joined the firm as its new chief financial officer. Weeks brings more than two decades of experience in accounting, financial management, and strategic leadership across a broad range of industries, including construction, manufacturing, SaaS, logistics, and private equity–backed organizations. A Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Global Management Accountant with Six Sigma certifications, he offers extensive expertise in financial reporting, operational strategy, and developing high-performing teams. Over the course of his career, Weeks has led finance, IT, and HR operations while managing complex, multi-entity GAAP financial reporting, cash flow forecasting, and year-end audits. His background also includes significant experience in project accounting, work-in-progress reporting, and revenue recognition. “We’re excited about the experience, leadership, and perspective Chuck brings to THF, and we’re confident he’ll be a great partner to our team and to all of you as we continue to grow the firm,” said Jeff Barbacci, CPA, managing shareholder.

Frazier

while overseeing core financial functions and enhancing risk controls and processes. “Frazier & Deeter is at an important stage in its evolution,” said Cohn. “I’m looking forward to partnering with the leadership team to support the firm’s financial discipline and longterm strategic goals.”

Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. announces four new hires

& Deeter appoints Michael Cohn as chief financial officer

Frazier & DeeTer (FD), a top-50 professional services firm, has appointed Michael Cohn as its new chief financial officer. Cohn brings more than 15 years of financial leadership and investment experience, strengthening FD’s financial operations and supporting its continued strategic development. “Michael brings seasoned financial leadership and experience navigating growth,” said Jeremy Jones, FD’s Managing Partner and CEO. “His perspective will be invaluable as we continue to scale the firm and enhance the exceptional value we deliver to clients.” Cohn joins FD from Alvarez & Marsal, where he was part of the Private Equity Performance Improvement – CFO Services Group. Most recently, he served in an interim financial leadership role for a PE-backed technology company, leading the finance team through a period of transition

Meyers BroTHers KalicKa, P.c. (MBK), headquartered in Holyoke, Mass., is proud to announce four new hires. Anthony Casabianca has been hired as associate in the Audit and Accounting Department. Casabianca started his career in public accounting as an administrative intern during the 2025 tax season and recently transitioned into his new role. Laurel Williams has been hired as an associate. In addition to her experience in bookkeeping and taxation, Williams also brings expertise in operations, financial planning, and customer service. Ashlie Baker has been hired as a senior associate in the Audit and Accounting Department. She brings her Big 4 experience in the insurance field to her work in public accounting with MBK. Robert Knight, CPA, has been hired as a manager. Knight practiced public accounting from 20172021, in recent years his professional focus was in financial planning and tax advising for high net-worth individuals.

work places on a client’s team. Several administrative updates—common in an alternative practice structure—will occur as follows: Under this new model, Pease Bell CPAs will remain a licensed CPA firm and will continue to provide all attest services, including audits and reviews. They have established a new affiliated entity, Pease Bell Advisory LLC (Pease Bell Advisory), which will provide all tax, advisory, and other non-attest services. This structure allows them to further strengthen their service capabilities while maintaining a seamless client experience. As part of this transition, all current employees will become employees of Pease Bell Advisory. Certain partners will continue as partners of Pease Bell CPAs while also working with Pease Bell Advisory. In connection with attest engagements, Pease Bell CPAs will lease professional and administrative staff from Pease Bell Advisory. These individuals will be under the direct supervision and control of Pease Bell CPAs, which remains solely responsible for the performance and quality of all audit and attest services. As it will not perform audit or attestation services, Pease Bell Advisory will not be a licensed CPA firm. Any existing or previously executed engagement letters or service agreements related to non-attest services will be assigned from Pease Bell CPAs to Pease Bell Advisory. The firm is committed to their clients’ futures and to be the most trusted professional firm, driving innovation, expertise and lasting happiness through exceptional relationships and service.

GRF celebrates 45 years of advancing talent, clients & communities

Pease Bell partners with Modus Audit, Inc.

Pease Bell cPas, llc (Pease Bell), is pleased to share that they have partnered with Modus Audit, Inc. (Modus). This partnership will take Pease Bell to the leading edge of technology development and implementation. The ultimate goal is to use an AI-forward approach to delivering audit and tax services to their clients thereby minimizing as much as possible the burden that audit and tax

GrF cPas & aDvisors (GrF), a leading independent accounting and advisory firm, proudly celebrates its 45th anniversary, marking more than four decades of service rooted in integrity, expertise, and a deep commitment to clients and community. “Our longevity is a direct result of staying true to who we are,” said president and managing partner, Jackie Cardello, CPA. “GRF has intentionally chosen independence so we can put our clients first, invest in our people, and remain accountable to the communities we serve.” Today, GRF supports a diverse client base that includes nonprofit organizations, government contractors, middle-market businesses, and individuals and families. The firm is particularly recognized for its longstanding work with nonprofit organizations, helping mission-driven entities strengthen financial stewardship, governance, and longterm sustainability. Team members actively serve on nonprofit boards, volunteer their time and expertise, and support organizations that address critical needs across the region.

A Conversation Worth Having

Each year, our board of directors takes on a responsibility that is both simple in concept and powerful in impact: they personally call every member firm.

the association—its value, its gaps, and its opportunities.

Equally important is what these conversations allow us to understand.

Are there outliers that warrant a closer look? Are there firms at risk of disengagement?

This is where the real work begins.

Grace Horvath, President & CEO

These annual board calls are not a formality. They are one of the most important ways we stay connected to what is really happening across the association.

Over the coming months, beginning in June, you can expect to hear from a member of the CPAmerica board. The purpose is straightforward—to check in. What’s happening in your firm? What challenges are you navigating? Where are you investing? How has CPAmerica supported you over the

A core priority of the association is maintaining a clear view not only of what is happening across the profession, but within each individual member firm. We gain part of that insight through the Visitation Improvement Program. But by design, VIP is cyclical. At best, we are engaging directly with roughly a quarter of the membership in any given year. Even with the time invested by visiting teams, it does not provide a consistent opportunity to connect meaningfully with every firm.

These calls fill that gap.

They allow us to maintain a high level of awareness of real-time member needs across

When feedback raises concern, or signals an opportunity for deeper conversation, I follow up personally. Those discussions are often some of the most valuable we will have all year. They allow us to better understand individual firm needs and ensure that CPAmerica is responding in ways that are both relevant and impactful.

This process reflects something fundamental about how we operate.

CPAmerica is not driven by a centralized agenda. It is shaped by its members. At the same time, our effectiveness is directly tied to the strength of engagement across the community. The board calls give us a clear, unfiltered view into both.

They are, quite simply, a health check of the

So when you receive that call, I encourage you to take it. Be candid. Be specific. Share what’s working and what’s not. Those conversations directly influence where we focus our time, our resources, and our energy

We take that responsibility seriously. And we are at our best when the dialogue is open.

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