Lexington, KY

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Professional Experience

With more than 30 years of executive management experience, Sherri brings a unique blend of operational leadership, financial expertise, and industry insight to her role as Dean Dorton’s Equine Industry Leader. Throughout her career, she has successfully guided diverse organizations through periods of growth and transformation, with a strong focus on optimizing financial performance and operational efficiency.

Since joining Dean Dorton in 2019, Sherri has specialized in serving equine clients, leveraging her CFO-level expertise to help farm owners, trainers, and equine businesses strengthen operations, improve profitability, and plan strategically for long-term success. As Equine Industry Leader, she works closely with clients to align financial strategies with the unique demands of the industry.

Her areas of expertise include business planning, financial analysis, forecasting, and outsourced accounting. Sherri is particularly skilled in implementing technology solutions, including Sage Intacct, to streamline financial processes, enhance reporting, and deliver actionable insights that support sustainable growth.

Industry Expertise

  • Equine
  • General Business

Education

  • Bachelor of Business Administration, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Kentucky

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Professional Experience

Since starting at Dean Dorton in 2009, Megan has provided audit accounting and various services for clients in multiple industries across the state of Kentucky, but her passion is higher education.

Megan leads the firm’s higher education industry team, which is recognized as one of the region’s leading experts in higher education consulting and compliance. She provides a wide range of services to colleges and universities, including, managing financial statement audits, single audits, internal audits, and consulting engagements, and also has expertise working in student financial aid. Her experience includes both public and private institutions and affiliated entities.

Professional Activities

  • Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Board of Trustees
  • American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
  • Kentucky Society of Certified Public Accountants
  • National Association of College and University Business Officers, Member
  • Kentucky Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Certifications

  • Certified Public Accountant

Community Involvement

  • Leadership Lexington Class of 2019
  • University of Kentucky Fayette County, Alumni Board Member
  • Junior League of Lexington, Member and Holly Day Market Treasurer, 2016
  • United Way of the Bluegrass, Audit Committee Member
  • Assumption High School, Class Ambassador

Education

  • Bachelor of Science in Accounting, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky
  • Bachelor of Business Administration, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky

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Professional Experience

Polina is a technology leader with extensive expertise advising and enabling the success of professional service firms, construction and engineering operations, diverse manufacturing and distribution verticals, specialized healthcare practices, local government agencies, and nonprofit organizations. Over 14 years of industry experience, strong work ethic, strong technical background, and business acumen fuel her unrelenting drive to solve complex business challenges and guide organizations through the effective adoption of new and emerging technologies to empower business success.

In her role, Polina is responsible for strategic planning, management, implementation, and support of server and network infrastructure, cybersecurity solutions, and business software, tailoring solutions and services to meet client needs, support business objectives, and optimize investment in technology. Polina serves as a virtual CIO for many organizations and leads Dean Dorton’s Managed IT Services technology division.

Polina is also a sought-after speaker. Examples of presentations she has given and panels on which she has recently participated follow.

  • I am Enough: Battling the Imposter Syndrome – NC Tech Women in Tech, Lean in Circles
  • Digital Transformation of Horse Farms – Dean Dorton Equine Financial, Operational & Tax Update, November 2023
  • Panel Discussion: To Buy, To Build, or To Partner? Answers to Gain a Competitive Advantage – Dean Dorton Accounting & Ethics Update, September 2022
  • Multi-Level Approach to Cybersecurity for PVA Offices – Kentucky Property Valuation Administrators Summer Conference, June 2022
  • Disruption or Devastation, IT Management for Law Firms – American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers of Kentucky (AAMLKY) Annual Conference, April 2022
  • Panel Discussion: Planning Your Cloud Migration – Dean Dorton Cloud Days Seminar, February 2022
  • Common Cybersecurity Frameworks Overview and Best Practices – Dean Dorton Cloud Days Seminar, February 2022
  • Data Protection and Cybersecurity – KY Society of CPAs (KyCPA) Business Valuation Conference, September 2021

Professional Activities

  • Microsoft Developers Network Academic Alliance (MSDNAA)
  • RSM Breakthrough Leaders Institute Graduate, 2015
  • RSM Breakthrough Leaders Institute Mentor, 2023

Certifications

  • VMware Certified Professional – Data Center Virtualization
  • Microsoft 365 Fundamentals (MS-900)
  • Microsoft Certified Professional
  • Veeam Availability Suite (VMTSP)

Community Involvement

  • Hearing & Speech Center of Kentucky Board of Directors
  • Frankel Cocktails & Casino Annual Fundraiser Committee Member
  • NCTech Women in Technology
  • Dean Dorton’s Women’s Initiative Committee Member
  • Hearing & Speech Center of Kentucky Sol & Glow Golf Committee Member

Education

  • Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, Sullivan University, Lexington, Kentucky

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Professional Experience

Elizabeth obtained her Master of Business Administration with a concentration in accounting from the University of Kentucky. She worked in KPMG’s audit group for six years and joined Dean Dorton in 2000. She has over 30 years of experience in public accounting and currently serves as the chair of the Dean Dorton Board of Directors.

Elizabeth is a leader on the firm’s Forensic and Valuation Services team, specializing in bankruptcy accounting matters, litigation support, and forensic accounting services. In addition to her Certification in Financial Forensics (CFF), Elizabeth is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). She has served in several fiduciary roles, including Chief Restructuring Officer, Receiver, and Fee Examiner. She has acted as a Compliance Ethics Monitor/Independent Monitor of a rural electric cooperative, reporting to two branches of the Federal government. Elizabeth has testified in state and federal courts and currently serves as a Subchapter V Bankruptcy Trustee.

Speaking Engagements

Elizabeth teaches professional ethics at Dean Dorton. She also speaks on fraud prevention and detection and forensic accounting for the AICPA and other professional organizations.

Professional Activities

  • Kentucky Society of CPAs (KyCPA)
    • Educational Foundation Board of Directors, 2022-24
    • Board of Directors, 2015-21
    • President, Board of Directors, 2019-20
    • Committee chair: Nominations & Awards, Finance, Professional Ethics
    • Elizabeth has served on seven different committees in her 28 years of membership at KyCPA.
  • American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
    • Forensic and Valuation Services Executive Committee, present
    • Chair, Forensic and Litigation Services Committee, 2016-23
    • Chair, Forensic and Valuations Services, Fraud Task Force Committee, 2016-20
    • Forensic and Valuation Services Section, Volunteer of the Year, 2019
    • Governing Council, 2018-19
    • CFF Champion of the Year, 2014
  • University of Kentucky School of Accountancy Advisory Board, 2019-present
  • Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, member
  • American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, member

Certifications

  • Certified Public Accountant
  • Certified in Financial Forensics
  • Certified Fraud Examiner

Community Involvement

  • Commerce Lexington Board of Directors, board member
  • Lexington Blue Grass Airport Board of Directors, former chair
  • Lexington and Fayette County Parking Authority, former commissioner
  • North Lexington Family YMCA, former chair
  • Eastern Little League, former board member and treasurer
  • Leadership Kentucky, Class of 2014
  • Leadership Bluegrass, Class of 1998

Education

  • Master of Business Administration with a Concentration in Accounting, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky
  • Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky

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Professional Experience

Joe has more than 13 years of experience in public accounting, providing tax compliance and planning services to privately-held businesses and high-net-worth individuals. Before public accounting, he spent three years in industry working for a large multinational corporation.

Joe leads Dean Dorton’s equine tax practice but also serves clients across a broad range of other industries, including manufacturing, mining, healthcare, and various service industries.

Professional Activities

  • American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
  • Kentucky Society of Certified Public Accountants

Certifications

  • Certified Public Accountant

Community Involvement

  • Lexington Humane Society, Past Treasurer
  • Lexington Young Professionals Association, Past Treasurer
  • Junior Achievement of the Bluegrass, Past Treasurer

Education

  • Master of Science in Accountancy, magna cum laude, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky
  • Bachelor of Science in Accounting, magna cum laude, Morehead State University, Morehead, Kentucky

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Professional Experience

As an Associate Director in Dean Dorton’s Accounting and Financial Outsourcing (AFO) group, Kaydee Ruppert can leverage more than 25 years of accounting, finance, and administrative experience. Her expertise includes financial and human resource management, strategic planning, budgeting, alignment of technology, and process coordination. Kaydee grew up working in a family-owned business and went on to manage the business functions of several small businesses before specializing in the nonprofit industry.

Kaydee’s career has focused almost exclusively on the nonprofit industry. Her experience includes senior leadership positions within various nonprofits focused on faith-based education, grant-funded basic needs programs, and the performing arts. Kaydee has also facilitated and led several multi-organizational projects and affiliations in the nonprofit sector and has received recognition as a servant leader.

Over the past eight years, Kaydee has championed outsourced accounting and advisory solutions for small and mid-sized nonprofit organizations, endeavoring to match their operational and strategic needs to robust but cost-effective solutions. Kaydee understands the scrutiny placed on nonprofit financial information and the importance of attracting and freeing resources to serve a mission.

Certifications

  • Certified Public Accountant
  • Certified Sage Intacct Accounting Specialist
  • Certified in Client Accounting Advisory Services, AICPA

Professional Activities

  • American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
  • Wisconsin Institute of Certified Public Accountants

Community Involvement

  • Greater Fox Cities Area Habitat for Humanity, Finance Committee Member

Board Involvement

  • St. Mary Catholic School System, Board Member, present
  • Tri-Country Community Dental Clinic, Secretary, Board Member, present

Education

  • Master of Science in Administrative Science, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Green Bay, WI
  • Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Viterbo College, La Crosse, WI

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