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Rome/Utica, NY Partners

Managing Partner (Utica/Rome Office) - Mark D. Semo, CPA

Mr. Semo, a graduate of Utica College of Syracuse University, concentrates almost exclusively in governmental, nonprofit, college auditing, and audits of employee benefit plans with over twenty years of experience in this area. He has executive responsibilities for D'Arcangelo & Co., LLP's largest governmental and employee benefit plan audits and is proficient in all facets of each engagement. Mr. Semo has extensive experience with complex audit issues, such as GASB 34 implementation, fund balance planning, budget projections, implementation of reporting standards, and Single Audit Compliance requirements. Mr. Semo also has diverse employee benefits experience which includes attorney litigation support, forensic auditing, and streamlining contributing employee payroll audits for several clients.

Mr. Semo is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) of which he is the past President of the Utica Chapter. He is also a member of the Massachusetts State Society of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Semo is an active member of the National Association of College and University Business Officer's Association, New York State Association of School Business Officials (NYSASBO), the New York State Community College Business Officer's Association, and the AICPA Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center. He is the past Chairman of the Public School Accounting Committee for the NYSSCPA and lectures state-wide for the State Society and NYSASBO on accounting and auditing issues. Mr. Semo has received a commendation by the Chairman of the Government Accounting Standards Board for assisting a local municipality in the successful implementation of GASB No. 34. Mr. Semo continues to lecture state-wide for the NYSSCPA on relevant audit and accounting topics in his field.

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Audit and Tax Partner - Patrick J. Powers, CPA, PFS

Patrick J. Powers ("Pat") graduated Siena College in 1974. In 1977, Pat became a Certified Public Accountant licensed to practice in New York State, and in October 2000, he attained the designation of Personal Financial Specialist. Pat joined D'Arcangelo & Co., LLP in 1978 as a staff accountant. In 1987, he became a partner with the Firm.

Pat has extensive experience in governmental and not-for-profit auditing and is responsible for the Firm's audits performed for Federal, State, and local governmental agencies. He also provides accounting, audit, and tax services for not-for-profit organizations, as well as small business and individuals. As Managing Partner of the Rome/Utica offices, Pat devotes a good percentage of time to managing the affairs of the Firm.

Pat is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. In addition, Pat is a past member of the New York State Society's Committee on Public School Accounting and served as Chairman on that committee from 1983 through 1984. He presently is serving on the Board of Trustees of St. Agatha's Church and a volunteer and Board Member to the Madison Oneida Chapter of the American Red Cross.

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Audit and Tax Partner - Leonard P. Carissimo, CPA

Leonard P. Carissimo ("Len") graduated Utica College of Syracuse University in 1988. He began his accounting career with D'Arcangelo & Co., LLP in 1988 as a staff accountant. In 1990, he became a Certified Public Accountant licensed to practice in New York State. In 1999, he became a partner with the Firm in the Rome, New York, office.

Len has over eighteen years of experience in accounting and auditing of governmental, not-for-profit, school districts, and business entities. Len's specialization in these areas allows him to become proficient in many facets of not-for-profit and governmental accounting such as budget projections, fund balance/net asset management, and cash flows. He also provides tax advice and preparation services for individuals and small businesses.

Len is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, and New York State Association of School Business Officials. Currently, he is a member of the Public School Accounting Committee for the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. Formerly, Len served as Chairman of the Public Accounting Committee. Len lectures State wide on accounting and auditing issues. He serves as a Board Member to the American Red Cross of the Rome Area Chapter.

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Audit and Tax Partner - Michael J. Keenan, CPA

Michael J. Keenan ("Mike") graduated State University of New York at Buffalo in 1981. Upon his graduation, he joined D'Arcangelo & Co., LLP as a staff accountant. In 1983, he became a Certified Public Accountant licensed to practice in New York State. In 1989, he became a partner with the Firm.

Mike's specialization is in accounting and auditing of employee benefit plans. He also provides accounting and tax services for small businesses, individuals, and low-income housing projects.

Mike is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, and International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. He served on the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Employee Benefit Plans Committee for 1992 through 1994, and the Board of Directors for the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants for 1998 through 2001. In addition, he is a member and past president of the Rome Lions Club.

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Audit and Tax Partner - Scott E. Miller, CPA

Scott E. Miller graduated Utica College of Syracuse University in 1987. Prior to joining D'Arcangelo & Co., LLP in 1990 as a staff accountant, he worked as a Revenue Agent for the Internal Revenue Service. He became a Certified Public Accountant licensed to practice in New York State in 1992 and in 1997 became a partner in D'Arcangelo & Co., LLP located in Utica, New York.

Scott provides accounting, income tax, and consulting services to a broad spectrum of businesses, including manufacturers, physican groups, telecommunications companies, and retail and wholesale operations. In addition to business clientele, he also specializes in personal, estate, and fiduciary tax law, planning and return preparation. He also has an extensive knowledge and background in single employer and multi-employer union benefit plan audits and consulting.

Scott is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. He is a member of the finance committee of Zion Lutheran Church.

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Audit and Tax Partner - Robert R. Ritz, CPA, CVA

Robert R. Ritz (Bob), a graduate of SUNY - Utica/Rome, joined D'Arcangelo & Co., LLP in 1994. Bob passed the CPA exam in 1997 and became a partner with the Firm in 2004.

Bob specializes in performing compilations and reviews for a wide variety of small to medium sized businesses. Bob also provides auditing services and consultations to local labor unions and performs audits of employee benefit plans. Bob's main area of specialization is in the area of physician and medical related practices. His experience includes tax related services to the practice and the physicians, buy in calculations for group practice, hospital recruitment agreements, and various consulting services. Bob has successfully completed the certification process with the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts to earn his designation of Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA). This enables Bob to work with clients in the areas of succession planning, buy/sell agreements, purchase or sale of a business, and estate and gift taxes.

Bob is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA), and The National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts. Bob is a past president of the Utica Chapter of the NYSSCPA, treasurer of The Rome Community Foundation, and a board member for the St. Elizabeth Foundation.

Audit Partner - Tricia L. Lucas, CPA

Tricia L. Lucas graduated SUNY at Oswego in 1994. She began her accounting career with D'Arcangelo & Co., LLP in 1996 as a staff accountant. Tricia became a Certified Public Accountant licensed to practice in New York State in April 2000 and became a Partner of the firm in January 2006.

Tricia has over 10 years of experience in governmental audit engagements and nonprofit organizations including counties, cities, colleges, and school districts. In addition, she has extensive knowledge of telecommunications companies. Currently, she has executive responsibilities for some of the firm's largest governmental audits as well as a telecommunications audit and is proficient in all facets of each engagement.

She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, and is currently the Treasurer of the Utica Chapter. In addition, Tricia sits on the firm's continuing education committee.

Audit and Tax Partner - Christine A. Ross, CPA

Christine A. Ross graduated from Utica College of Syracuse University in 1993, and upon graduation joined D'Arcangelo & Co., LLP as a staff accountant. Christine became a Certified Public Accountant licensed to practice in New York State in 1995 and became a partner in the Firm in 2008. During this time frame, Christine also obtained experience as the former controller of an industrial firm and an accounting manager at a local hospital.

Christine specializes in audits of single and multi-employer employee benefit plans, audits and reviews of manufacturing companies, and federal and multi-state corporate tax return preparation. Christine has responsibility for some of the firm's most complex audit engagements including financial statement and tax return consolidation, international accounting issues, and pension and postretirement health care benefits.

She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants.

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