In Person: Governmental Accounting and Auditing Conference

Thomas S. Chain

Tom is currently the Director of the Technical Assistance Division of the Office of the State Auditor responsible for providing technical assistance and training for state and local government officials. Prior to joining the Technical Assistance Division in 2009 he was employed in public and private industry. Tom holds a Bachelor of Accountancy degree from the University of Mississippi. He is a Certified Public Accountant and is a member of the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Brandi Conico

Brandi Conico is the Audit Manager at Bridgers, Goodman, Baird & Clarke, PLLC. She has been with the company over 7 years and has been instrumental in the growth and expansion of the firm. Prior to joining Bridgers, Goodman, Baird & Clarke, PLLC, she was in private law practice in Clinton, Mississippi. During her time with the firm, she has assisted clients with bookkeeping, tax and payroll issues as well as audit and attestation services. In recent years, she has primarily focused on audits of counties, municipalities and non-profit organizations. In her role as Audit Manager, Brandi oversees financial and compliance auditors as they navigate the intricacies of varying forms of governments. Brandi received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Mississippi College as well as her juris doctorate from Mississippi College School of Law. Additionally, she received an LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Alabama. She is licensed in Mississippi as an attorney and a certified public accountant. Brandi and her husband, Marshall reside in Gluckstadt with their two children, Madelyn and Caleb.

Melisa Galasso

Melisa F. Galasso, Charlotte, NC Melisa Galasso is the founder of Galasso Learning Solutions, LLC. She has nearly 15 years of experience in the accounting profession including in public accounting, education and industry. She specializes in creating custom training courses that promote genuine learning and drive improved outcomes. Melisa teaches courses in advanced technical accounting and auditing, including not for profit and governmental accounting, as well as courses dealing with essential professional and soft skills. Her goal is to customize each course to deliver exceptional return on investment by leaving each participant with actionable takeaways and clear means to apply what was learned. Melisa monitors regulatory bodies for changes in auditing and accounting guidance and serves as a subject matter expert in implementing the updated guidance. She is a member of and frequent instructor for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants (NCACPA), and the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants (VSCPA). Melisa served as Past-President of the Board of NCACPA's Charlotte Chapter and is Past-Chair of the A&A Committee for the NCACPA. She was appointed in 2016 to the AICPA's Technical Issues Committee (TIC) which is responsible for monitoring the activities of the various accounting and attestation standard setting boards and submitting comments and recommendations during the due process phase. She was recognized as a Super CPA by Virginia Business Magazine in 2007 and received the 2013 Women to Watch - Emerging Leader Award from the NCACPA and AICPA. She is also a graduate of the 2014 class of the AICPA's Leadership Academy. In 2016, Melisa was honored as one of the 50 Most Influential Women by the Mecklenburg Times and received the Top 5 Under 35 Award from the VSCPA. She received a 5.0 Speaker award from the NCACPA in 2015 and 2016. In 2016, Melisa received the Don Farmer Award from the NCACPA for the highest combined average scores on knowledge, skills, and materials from participant evaluations for all courses taught in a technical area. Melisa received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting and International Business from Georgetown University. Melisa has also completed the Association for Talent Development (ATD) Master Trainer™ Program.

Becky Hammond

As an audit and consulting partner in the New Orleans practice unit of Carr, Riggs & Ingram, LLC, Becky utilizes more than 25 years of experience to serve clients in the governmental area. Her audit, accounting, and consulting experience spans a variety of governmental entities, including municipalities, school boards, enterprise funds, special districts, and governmental employee benefit plans. She also has many years of experience serving not-for-profit entities and closely-held businesses. She has issued numerous financial and compliance reports in accordance with Government Auditing Standards and OMB Uniform Guidance for governmental, not-for-profit, and for profit entities, including funding from the Department of Education, Department of Housing and Urban Development, FEMA, COVID-19, and ARPA related funding. She serves as a Government & Public Sector Sub-Line Leader for her firm, currently in the top 25 largest firms in the United States.

Becky earned her Bachelor of Science in Management with an Accounting Major from Tulane University. She is a member of the AICPA and the Louisiana Society of Certified Public Accountants (LCPA). She serves on the LCPA Governmental Accounting & Auditing, Peer Review, and Women's Initiatives Committees. She is also a member of the AGA, the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), the Accounting and Finance Women's Alliance (AFWA), and the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA).

Jon McCormick

Jon McCormick is a seasoned professional with a robust background in both law and accountancy. He graduated with a Juris Doctor concentrating in Business Law from The University of Mississippi School of Law in December 2015. Prior to that, he earned a Master of Accountancy in May 2013 and a Bachelor of Accountancy with a minor in real estate in December 2011 from The University of Mississippi Patterson School of Accountancy. Jon currently serves in the Technical Assistance Division and the Director of Governmental Affairs at the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor, where he provides critical support to taxpayers and state authorities on governmental accounting procedures and public funds management as well as working with legislators on key issues that affect the taxpayer. He holds credentials as a Certified Public Accountant from the Mississippi Board of Public Accountancy and is licensed to practice law by The Mississippi Bar.

Misty Monroe

Misty Wakeland Monroe Misty is a graduate of Rhodes College and earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law where she was a member of the editorial board of the Mississippi Law Journal and a member of the Moot Court Board. More recently, she received her Master of Arts in English from Mississippi College. Upon graduation from law school, she clerked at the Mississippi Court of Appeals for Chief Judges Fraiser, Bridges, and McMillin. Prior to joining the Office of the Attorney General, she was in private practice. Misty and her husband, Clark, live in Jackson and are members of Galloway Memorial United Methodist Church. Their daughter and son-in-law live in South Carolina, and their son attends NYU's Grossman School of Medicine.

Leigh E. Taylor

Leigh is a Senior Manager with Forvis Mazars in the Assurance Practice. Leigh has more than 18 years of accounting experience, including more than 6 years in public accounting. Prior to working for Forvis Mazars, Leigh was the Director of Quality Assurance for a state audit agency. Leigh primarily serves nonprofit, education and public sector clients. Leigh has previously served public and large private companies in a variety of industries with assurance and consulting services but now primarily focuses on working with clients that fall under Governmental Accounting Standards. She has worked with firms and agencies throughout the state of Mississippi to assist in the implementation of and training on new accounting standards including speaking at conferences throughout the state. Leigh is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants where she serves on the Governmental Committee, the AGA, and the Government Finance Officers Association.
Leigh has previously served in various treasurer and finance roles for the First Presbyterian Day School Crusader Club and the Junior League of Jackson. She is also an active member of the Metro Jackson Chi Omega Alumni Association and her church, Highlands Presbyterian Church. She is a graduate of Mississippi State University with a bachelor's degree and master's degree in accounting.