Accounting Education Conference

Chris Jenkins is the Chief Executive Officer of the South Carolina Association of CPAs where he leads strategic direction, member services, and statewide initiatives. He joined SCACPA in 2015 after 17 years with the Ohio Society of CPAs as a network engineer, IT Director, and then Chief Information Officer, directing emerging technology strategies and solutions. More than simply an “IT Guy,” Chris is a leader and skillful communicator who provides a level of comfort that facilitates engagement and acceptance of change. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Devry University and professional credentials including CAE, CCNA, CISSP, MCSE.

Markus Ahrens is a Professor of Accounting and currently serves as the District Department Chair for the Accounting & Business Department at St. Louis Community College. Markus has received national and state awards for his teaching and his innovation in the classroom, including most recently, the 2019 Innovation in Accounting Education Award from the American Accounting Association and EY. Currently, Markus serves as the Chair-Elect for the Board of Directors for the Missouri Society of Certified Public Accountants (MOCPA), Chair for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Academic Executive Committee, and as the President for the Teaching, Learning & Curriculum Section of the American Accounting Association. Markus is a past Chair for the MOCPA Education Foundation Board and is a past Trustee for the AICPA Foundation Board. In addition, Markus served as the 2017-2018 Council Chair for the American Accounting Association. Markus is a past President for the Two-Year Section of the American Accounting Association, past Chair for the Conference on Teaching and Learning in Accounting, and past President for the Missouri Association of Accounting Educators.  Markus’ primary research interests are experiential learning in accounting education and student engagement utilizing technology. In addition, Markus co-founded TeachingandLearningToolbox.com, a free website dedicated to providing educators with up-to-date teaching and learning resources “where technology connects with pedagogy to raise the learning bar.”

Billy is a Professor of Accountancy, Director of Graduate Accounting programs, and

Director of THE CENTER for Faith, Service, and Ethics at Mississippi Christian University

(MC). In May, 2026, Billy received the Inaugural Parke Fellows Medallion from MC.

Billy repurposed his career in 2011 to teach at MC following 27-years of service with the

Mississippi Auditor’s Office, Department of Finance and Administration, Department of

Mental Health, and Delta State University, where he served as Chair of Accountancy, CIS

and Finance, Interim Dean for the College of Business, and Vice President for Finance and

Administration.

In April 2026, Billy was appointed to a five-year term on the Federal Accounting Standards

Advisory Board (the first Mississippian ever appointed to one of the three national

accounting standards boards). Billy was elected to serve as the Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect of

the MSCPA (Mississippi Society of CPAs) in June 2026. Previously, Billy has served the

MSCPA as Treasurer and as the current chair of the Governmental and member of the CPE

committees. Billy is one of five individuals approved by the Mississippi State Board of

Public Accountancy to teach Ethics for the CPA profession across the state.

Billy has served AGA (formerly the Association of Government Accountants) over 40 years

in numerous roles in the Jackson Chapter and at AGA national. These include the Chair of

the Journal Board and Higher Education Committee, National Treasurer, and National

President. Billy has received numerous awards from AGA, including three National

President’s Awards, three Author Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award, and AGA’s

highest honor, the Robert W. King Memorial Award.

Billy has been appointed by Governor Phil Bryant and Governor Tate Reeves to serve as

one of five members on the Mississippi Public Procurement Review Board since its

inception in 2018. Billy is a frequent speaker on Ethics, Fraud, Internal Controls, and

Leadership in the states and around the world. Billy is a member of the AGA, MSCPA,

AICPA, AAA, and GFOA.

Billy and his wife, Audrey, live in Madison, MS, and are members of First Baptist Church

Jackson.

Fun Facts: In February 2023, Billy was named an honorary citizen of Guam by Lt. Governor,

Josh Tenorio. Billy spent 4 hours in a casket one day – it was very relaxing.

Steven attended Mississippi State University, where he earned his Bachelor of Accountancy and his Master of Professional Accountancy. He currently serves as a manager at BMSS Advisors & CPAs and specializes in audit and review engagements for oil and gas, financial institutions, and government municipalities and other governmental agencies.

Steven is a leader in the MSCPA having dedicated several years of service to the Central Chapter as a board member and Treasurer. He was recently elected Secretary for the upcoming new year. He also currently represents the chapter on our MSCPA Board of Governors. Being on the “big” board can be intimidating for a young CPA (and some old ones too), but Steven actively participates in the discussions sharing his thoughts and insights. His service also extends to the MSCPA Awards, Education & Scholarships Committee as a member and Secretary. 

Steven serves on the AICPA’s Foundation Scholarship Committee, as well as the Emerging Professionals Initiatives (EPIC) Committee. He was honored by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) as a member of the Leadership Academy’s 16th graduating class. Steven is a leader in the MSCPA having dedicated several years of service to the Central Chapter as a board member and Treasurer. He was recently elected Secretary for the upcoming new year. He also currently represents the chapter on our MSCPA Board of Governors. Being on the “big” board can be intimidating for a young CPA (and some old ones too), but Steven actively participates in the discussions sharing his thoughts and insights.

Micah Murphy, CPA, is a Manager at BMSS Advisors & CPAs, where he leads the firm’s AI Advisory practice. Based in Birmingham, Alabama, he works directly with business owners, CFOs and department leaders across operations, finance, HR and other areas to identify where AI fits into their daily work and measure the time savings that follow.

Micah began his career in assurance, serving construction and manufacturing clients before building BMSS’s AI Advisory practice from the ground up. He now works across industries to help organizations move beyond the “we should probably do something with AI” stage and into working pilots, trained teams and measurable productivity gains, department by department.

Micah is not a theorist. He takes a practical, hands-on approach to AI advisory work. He sits with the people doing the work, identifies points of friction and builds AI workflows they can use right away.

Peyton Gordon is a Certified Public Accountant with nearly a decade of experience providing tax compliance and strategic consulting services to privately held businesses across the Southeast. As a Senior Tax Manager at Carr, Riggs & Ingram (CRI), Peyton specializes in serving construction contractors, subcontractors, and related industries, helping clients navigate complex tax regulations while positioning their businesses for long-term growth.

Her expertise includes federal and state tax planning, pass-through entity structuring, multi-state taxation, advanced payment and sales tax considerations for contractors, mergers and acquisitions support, and strategic advisory services. Peyton is particularly passionate about proactive tax strategy — helping clients make informed decisions throughout the year rather than reacting at filing time.

Beyond client service, Peyton is deeply committed to strengthening the accounting profession. She is actively involved in the Mississippi Society of CPAs (MSCPA) and has served in leadership roles focused on developing young professionals. She also serves as Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair for The Little Light House of Central Mississippi, where she helps lead financial strategy for the organization’s capital campaign.

Peyton is driven by a desire to develop future leaders in the CPA profession while delivering exceptional value to clients. Her leadership style is hands-on, feedback-driven, and rooted in building long-term relationships based on trust and service.

Kyle is an Associate Professor in the Adkerson School of Accountancy at Mississippi State University.

Sharee Brewer was appointed as the Executive Director of the Mississippi State Board of Public Accountancy in January, 2024. Prior to this appointment, she served the Board as the Associate Director since June 30, 2017 where her primary duty was managing the Board’s investigations. Sharee’s background includes serving for 5 years as a Finance & Accounting Consultant with the University of Tennessee’s Institute for Public Service. In this capacity, she provided technical assistance to Tennessee municipal governing bodies and financial staff related to standards of practice, governing regulations, Tennessee and Federal law as well as serving as an instructor for the state-mandated certification program designed specifically for local government financial personnel. Sharee has also taught classes on financial fraud and other training topics of a technical nature when assigned. Before working for the University of Tennessee, she was employed for more than 22 years as a Financial & Compliance Auditor with the Tennessee State Comptroller’s Office of Local Government Audit where she conducted Yellow Book audits of county governments and their associated component units. Sharee graduated from Mississippi State University in 1987 with a Bachelor of Professional Accountancy degree and completed her MBA with a banking and finance emphasis with the University of Tennessee in 2016. In her personal time, Sharee enjoys cooking and traveling and has a list of European countries on her bucket list she is diligently working her way through. She makes her home in Brandon with a sassy little shih-tzu named Sasha.

Dr. Stephanie King has been teaching for over 25 years, beginning with teaching biology in 2-year colleges and most recently as a professor in the College of Education at Mississippi State University. She has taught undergraduate and graduate courses, from small classes to large lecture halls, both online and in-person. Her most recent teaching has focused on research design and on workforce development, and she has chaired over 60 dissertation committees related to education and leadership. Dr. King has also taught faculty through her work with MSU's Center for Innovation in Teaching Excellence, including the first course of their capstone program Maroon Academy: Intentional Course Design and Assessment.

Moses is a Technical Program Management executive with 17 years’ experience of leading complex hardware/software development programs, driving cross-functional teams, and delivering innovative products in the consumer electronics and technology industry. Expert in hardware/software architecture for embedded systems, databases, and DevOps. He is currently with Ergon in Flowood, MS.