2026 Business & Industry Conference - IN PERSON - BOTH DAYS

Lisa Benefield, State Board of CPAs of Louisiana

Lisa Benefield is the Executive Director of the State Board of CPAs of Louisiana. She has been employed by the Board since 2011, first as an Investigator, then as Deputy Director in 2016 and finally as Executive Director since April of 2021. Prior to working for the CPA Board, Ms. Benefield worked as an associate attorney for the Law Firm of Oats & Hudson from 2007-2011 and served as Law Clerk to Judge Lloyd J. Medley, Jr. (Retired) from 2004-2007 at Civil District Court in New Orleans, Louisiana. She graduated from the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now the University of Louisiana) in Lafayette, LA with a BA in Political Science, from the University of New Orleans with an MA in Political Science and from Loyola University College of Law with a JD in Civil Law. She is a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association, the New Orleans Bar Association and currently serves on NASBA’s Executive Directors’ Committee.  If not working, she’s either jogging or hanging out with her husband, two children and their Giant Schnauzer, Atticus.  

Michael Bertaut, Blue Cross Blue Shield of LA

Michael Bertaut (BURR-toe) is a Certified Health Consultant and Professional of the Academy of Healthcare Management. He has 30+ years of Analytical Experience in the Healthcare, Telecom, and Retail Industry Sectors. On the ground in DC when PPACA was written and intimately involved in analyzing healthcare legislation, Michael has engaged in over 1,100 public discussions on Healthcare Costs and the Impact of Reform since 2009. Invitations have come from groups ranging from healthcare policy makers in Washington DC to your local public service clubs. 

Mike is a Fellow of the Academy of Applied Politics at Louisiana State University, and author of the Hermes Award-Winning Healthcare Blog “Straight Talk” at www.straighttalkla.com which gives readers a weekly update on critical matters in healthcare costs and policy in plain English.   

He is a financial modeler and forecaster, currently responsible for predicting membership activity for over 1.6 million Louisianans who carry a Blue Cross Card.    

Michael earned his MBA and BA from Louisiana State University and is a cancer survivor. He’s been married to the very patient Marla for 32 years and they have three children. 

Michael is currently employed as the Healthcare Economist and Exchange Coordinator for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana.

Greg Booth Jr., EisnerAmper

Gregory Booth is a Partner in the firm’s Tax Services Group. With over 15 years of extensive public accounting experience, Greg primarily focuses on Federal tax compliance, planning and research.
Greg has cultivated strong relationships with clients throughout the Gulf South region, with particular emphasis on the real estate, restaurant, and professional service sectors. Greg’s dedication to his clients extends beyond day-to-day tax matters, as he provides invaluable advice and strategic insights to support their long-term tax planning goals.
Prior to joining the firm, Greg was a Director at Postlethwaite & Netterville (P&N), a leading full-service accounting and business advisory firm.
In addition to his exceptional contributions in the accounting industry, Greg generously shares his knowledge and passion as an adjunct professor at Loyola University in New Orleans, Louisiana. Every fall semester, he imparts invaluable insights to aspiring accounting professionals, shaping the future of the field.

Ronald Gitz II, Executive Director/CEO, Society of Louisiana CPAs

Ron Gitz, CPA, CGMA, serves as CEO of the Society of Louisiana CPAs (LCPA), a non-profit membership association representing more than 7000 CPAs and future CPAs. Prior to joining LCPA in 2012, Ron had a diverse career working both in public practice and industry. He owned and operated several businesses, including a successful CPA practice.  

At the national level, Ron currently serves on the Board of Trustees for AICPA’s Benevolent Fund which helps members through temporary periods of financial difficulties. He also serves on the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy’s State Society Relations Committee, the Accountancy Stakeholders Working Group, and is Vice Chair of AICPA’s Interchange Planning Executive Committee. Ron is Past President of the CPA Society Executives Association and remains very active in the organization.

On the state level, Ron serves on the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry’s Taxation & Finance Council and is a member of the Committee of 100, and RESET. Ron also is a member of Louisiana State University’s Accounting Advisory Board. He leads LCPA’s Advocacy Team which works year-round to help create a more favorable economic environment for CPAs and the businesses and individuals they serve.

He holds both the CPA and Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) designations.

Ron enjoys being outdoors and cooking competitively. He lives in Covington with his wife, Jennifer. Together they have three children, Audrey, Mary Grace, and Harrison.

Jennifer Lambert, Controller, Believe Grow Glow, LLC

With more than 16 years of professional experience, Jenn brings a broad and practical financial background shaped by public accounting and corporate leadership across engineering, manufacturing, and residential construction. Her work centers on building strong accounting foundations, improving financial visibility, and helping leadership teams use accurate information to drive sound business decisions.
Throughout her career, Jenn has led accounting teams, overseen multi-entity financial operations, and partnered closely with executive leadership to design systems and processes that support long-term growth. She has guided organizations through budgeting, forecasting, cash flow management, and performance analysis while strengthening internal controls and improving operational discipline. Her ability to see both the details and the bigger picture allows her to help leaders move from reactive decision-making to intentional, forward-looking planning.
A strong systems and reporting leader, Jenn has implemented and enhanced multiple ERP platforms and has designed KPI and dashboard reporting that translates financial data into insights leaders can act on. She understands that well-designed systems free leaders to focus on strategy rather than chasing information.
Well-versed in the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), Jenn uses the framework to help business owners identify and solve issues across the organization. Clients value her as a thought-partner who considers the full business—strategy, people, operations, and finances—rather than viewing accounting in isolation.
Outside of client advisory work, Jenn is a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member and regularly speaks on leadership and personal development. She shares practical insights drawn from her own leadership journey and her experience working with executive teams. Jenn has presented to human resources audiences, private companies, professional groups, conferences, and retreats. One of her most meaningful leadership experiences was traveling with John Maxwell to teach values-based leadership to business owners, government leaders, and students in Panama.
Outside of her professional work, Jenn enjoys spending time with her husband, Devon, and two bonus kiddos. She values time with family and friends and loves to host, whether that means gathering around a meal or creating space for meaningful connection. An avid reader since childhood, her love of books eventually led her to co-found a women’s book club in 2017, which continues to meet monthly and reflects her passion for building community and relationships with other women—one of the same reasons she became involved with the Junior League of Baton Rouge. Jenn’s other hobbies include fitness, baking, gardening, and photography. In the spring, you’ll often find her in the garden with her camera, delighting in the often-overlooked details of plants and insects.

Lauren Navarre, Arena Collective

Lauren Kaufmann Navarre is a Co-Founder and COO/CFO of Arena Collective. From international corporate business negotiations to pro bono legal services, Lauren simply enjoys adding value to her community and watching local businesses thrive.

Lauren serves on the boards of Girls on the Run, Slidell Memorial Hospital Foundation, and the St. Tammany Parish Chamber of Commerce. And she enjoys serving as a member of several local organizations, such as Louisiana Bar Association, 22nd JDC Bar Association, Steel Mimosas, East St. Tammany Habitat for Humanity, East St. Tammany Business Alliance, Northshore One Group 2, US Financial Executive Group, Professional Women of St. Tammany, Krewe of Titans, and the Marriage Preparation Ministry and Finance Committee at Our Lady of Lourdes Church.

Despite her dedication to her career and community, Lauren is always one to put faith and family first. She lives her proudest moments alongside her husband, Jason, watching their two daughters, Dyllan Rose and Jocelyn Rose, grow into strong lady leaders themselves.

Les Nettleton

Les Nettleton served as Bourgeois Bennett’s Director of Information Technology Services for 35 years. In that capacity, he managed the team of specialists that both supports the technological infrastructure of Bourgeois Bennett and provided individualized technology services to the firm’s diverse client base.

Les has specialized experience in the areas of systems analysis, technology management consulting, database management and information systems training. He regularly addresses academic, community and professional groups and organizations, both locally and nationally, on a variety of technology topics and provides technology training to the firm’s staff.  Les was awarded the 2020 Outstanding CPE Discussion Leader by the Louisiana State Society of CPAs after receiving the highest overall speaker rating for 2020.

Active in the community, Les is on the Board of Directors of Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans. He is a member of the St. Catherine of Siena Pastoral Council.  He is a member of the American Institute of CPAs Technology Sector. Les is also a member of Technology Section for AGN North America, an international association of 200 accounting and consulting firms.

Loren Scott, President, Loren C. Scott & Associates

Dr. Scott is the President of Loren C. Scott & Associates, Inc., a 40-year old economic consulting firm whose clients include such large national firms as BP, Capital One Financial, Entergy, ExxonMobil, J.P. Morgan Chase, Nucor, Sasol, Chesapeake Energy, and a diversity of others.  He is one of the 52-member National Business Economic Issues Council, which meets quarterly to discuss issues of state, national, and international interest. This group has experts who cover international trade, Washington economic policy, retail trade, trucking, steel, chemicals, etc.  Dr. Scott is an energy specialist on the NBEIC. He has been interviewed on CNBC, MSNBC, and Bloomberg TV, in addition to several local TV stations, and his work has been cited in such publications as the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, USA Today, and the Financial Times, to name a few. His career started at Louisiana State University in 1969 where he spent the next 33 years, rising through the ranks from assistant professor to the prestigious Freeport McMoran Endowed Chair of Economics and the Director of the Division of Economic Development and Forecasting.  Over the thirteen-year period from 1983-96, he was the chairman of the Economics Department at LSU.  During that time, the Department’s ranking among the 3,000 economics departments in the U.S. rose from 101st to 38th.  He is presently Professor Emeritus at LSU.    He received 7 awards at LSU for outstanding classroom teaching.   He gives 50-70 speeches a year on the state of the economy.

Allison Ward, Partner, CapinTech

Allison joined the firm in 2006 and served as an IT audit intern throughout high school and college. After graduating from Louisiana State University in 2011, she committed full-time to the firm. Throughout her time as an information systems auditor, manager, and partner, Allison has provided information security assessment and consulting services primarily for nonprofit organizations, financial institutions, and health facilities; however, she has served numerous other industries, including auto industry dealers, educational institutions, manufacturing and construction firms, professional service organizations, and other small businesses. In addition to these services, she has provided clients with consulting services in risk assessment and policy development engagements.

David Zoller, Society of Louisiana CPAs

David J. Zoller is a seasoned government affairs professional and political strategist with more than fifteen years of experience at the intersection of public policy, advocacy, and political campaigning in Louisiana. He currently serves as Director of Government and Political Affairs for the Society of Louisiana CPAs, where he represents the interests of the state’s accounting profession before the state legislature and other governing bodies.

Prior to joining the Society of Louisiana CPAs, Zoller served as Director of Government Affairs for the Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC), where he created and executed the organization’s legislative agenda and lobbied on a wide range of business-critical issues, including tax reform, carbon capture and sequestration, COVID-19 liability protection, and direct appropriations for infrastructure funding. In that role, he also staffed FuturePAC, leading candidate recruitment, fundraising, and the endorsement process, and played a key role in securing approval of a tax incentive package tied to a $250 million corporate investment in the Baton Rouge community.

Zoller also served for nearly seven years as District Director for State Representative Julie Stokes (R-Kenner), where he researched and drafted legislation on tax policy, healthcare, industrial and residential regulation, and human trafficking, while managing constituent engagement and media relations. His work in her office ran in parallel with his role as her campaign strategist, serving as Campaign Manager for her 2013 and 2015 State Representative races and as Political Director for her 2017 State Treasurer campaign.

Through his firm, Zoller Consulting, he has advised political candidates and nonprofit organizations across Louisiana on government affairs, campaign strategy, and events, working on more than 30 campaigns at the local, regional, and state levels.

Zoller holds a Bachelor’s in Political Science from Loyola University New Orleans.