MSCPA Now+Next – Technical Insight and Strategic Foresight for our Profession

Featured Speakers

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  Jan Lewis, CPA

  Bio

  As a tax member of BMSS Advisors and CPA's (formerly Haddox Reid Eubank Betts), Jan's responsibilities include income and estate tax planning, research, and compliance for individual and business clients. Her areas of practice include healthcare, oil & gas, construction, real estate, and high-net-worth individuals. An avid and well-respected speaker, she has taught continuing education classes throughout Mississippi and nationwide in the areas of income tax planning, business tax matters, and S corporation tax issues and has given presentations on financial literacy, current tax policy, and other tax issues to various groups across the state. Jan has also authored articles on tax matters for the Tax Adviser publication of the AICPA's Tax Division and has been interviewed by Fox Business News, NPR, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and the Detroit Free Press for her insight on various policy and practice matters affecting taxpayers.
  
  Jan is active in the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants (MSCPA), previously serving as president of the Society, and as an officer of the Society's Central Chapter, as well as a trustee of the Mississippi Tax Institute. Jan is a member of the Long Range Planning Committee and the Young CPAs Liaison Committee.
  
  She is also an active member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), and has held many leadership roles within the AICPA throughout her career. She has served as the MSCPA's elected representative to the AICPA Council and on the AICPA Life Insurance and Disability Plans Committee. She was a member and chair of the AICPA's Tax Practice and Procedures Committee and is currently the immediate past chair of the AICPA's Tax Executive Committee (TEC), having previously served as a member, vice chair and chair of that committee. The TEC is the senior committee overseeing the work of all Tax Division committees and technical resource panels of the AICPA, and her work with that committee has been especially rewarding both personally and professionally.
  
  In May of 2023, Jan began a three-year term as one of 26 members of the Board of Directors of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (the Association), and one of 18 members of the AICPA's Board, while also serving on the AICPA Governing Council. In her role as a board member of both the Association and the AICPA, Jan is a part of the executive committee that directs the strategic vision of both organizations. The AICPA is the national professional organization for all CPAs, with over 420,000 members in the U.S. and worldwide. The Association is the global voice of the accounting and finance professional, with over 650,000 members globally, and was founded by the AICPA and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA). It is a distinct honor to be in this position of leadership in the profession.

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  Kassi Rushing

  Bio

  Kassi Rushing builds places people want to work. She specializes in connecting the people, processes, and resources necessary to make culture a company's competitive advantage. Since 2002, Kassi has been bridging the strategies between business and people, transforming workplace culture, building high performing teams, developing leaders and leadership pipelines with future ready skills, designing intentional employee experiences, improving talent experiences and pipelines, and crafting communication strategy to accelerate organizational success.
  
  Kassi specializes in accounting firms and finance organizations. Clients ranging from small firms to the Big 4, and private and public companies, including those in the Fortune 500, have worked with Kassi to transform for the future of work.
  
  Kassi previously served as the director of people growth and engagement for a Top 50 public accounting firm and as a corporate communicator at a large financial institution. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in communication from Mississippi State University and her Master of Science in corporate communication from Mississippi College. She holds her Certificate in Diversity & Inclusion from the Yale School of Management.
  
  Kassi is a working mom and owner of Kassi Rushing Consulting. You can follow her on Instagram at @momsmakegreatleaders.

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  Mark Peterson

  Bio

  Mark G. Peterson is the Executive Vice President - Advocacy at the Association of International CPAs (AICPA). In this position, he sets the direction for global advocacy for management and public accounting, CPA and CGMA issues. Peterson works closely with state CPA societies, national governments, US state governments, regulators, legislators and accounting bodies to influence and shape policy decisions impacting the profession. Peterson leads the Congressional & Political Affairs, and State Society Affairs, State Regulatory and Legislative Affairs and Tax Advocacy teams. Prior to joining the AICPA, Peterson served as Vice President with the Alpine Group, where he was responsible for individualized lobbying work on tax, trade, agricultural, environmental, energy and related issues. He served a diverse group of clients, including major international technology companies, energy companies, financial institutions, manufacturers and trade associations, as well as worked on several major policy coalitions on matters pending before the legislative and executive branches of government. Peterson has held several other positions in Washington that have included the role of Washington Representative for Toyota Motors North America, Director of Government and Regulatory Affairs for Andersen LLP in Washington and a Special Assistant to Speaker Newt Gingrich in the U.S. House of Representatives. He earned his bachelor of science degree in history from the University of North Dakota.

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  Kimberly Williams, CPA, MBA, CHFP

  Bio

  Kimberly Williams serves as Vice Chairman/Chair-Elect of the Mississippi Society of CPAs. She will take the reins as Chairman on July 1.

  Kimberly is the Chief Financial Officer for Medical Management Services. In her position, she oversees the accounting for MEA Medical Clinics as well as other medical practices. Kimberly is also a strategic leadership advisor with Conducere Group, helping executives cut through complexity, align their teams, and make better decisions. She brings real-world experience as both a CPA and healthcare provider. Kimberly received her Bachelor of Accountancy from Mississippi State University and MBA from Mississippi College.

  Kimberly has been active in the MSCPA since she received her CPA license in 2013. She is a past President of the MSCPA Young CPA Network where under her leadership the Network received the Mississippi Food Network's Volunteer of the Year Award for statewide participation in the MSCPA Annual Day of Service. Upon completion of her year as Young CPA Network President, Kimberly served on the Board of Governors for the MSCPA as the Young CPA Network representative, joined the Young CPA Liaison Committee, and has chaired the MSCPA Industry Committee. She was also elected Treasurer of the Society. In 2018, Kimberly received the MSCPA's Rising Star Award which is the highest honor given to a young professional member.

  She is also very active in the Mississippi Chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association and is a past President. She volunteers at local organizations and charities, always giving back to her community.

  Hot off the press, Kimberly was recently announced as one of only 5 in the nation to receive the 2026 Visionary Award given by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). This prestigious honor celebrates forward-thinking emerging young professionals whose innovation and entrepreneurial spirit are shaping the future of the accounting and finance professions.