2026 Cypress Summit - IN PERSON: Medical, Not-for-Profit, Estate & Financial Planning, and Financial Institutions

Nathan Alvarez, Greater New Orleans Foundation

Nathan Alvarez serves as the Donor Relations Officer at the Greater New Orleans Foundation, where he works with individuals, families, and professional advisors to develop philanthropic strategies that strengthen communities across southeast Louisiana. In this role, he also leads the Foundation’s annual fundraising campaign to advance charitable giving, strengthen nonprofits, and lead transformative community projects. A native New Orleanian, he is passionate about the region’s civic, cultural, and philanthropic future. Nathan also serves on the boards of the Greater New Orleans Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and Secretary for RIDE New Orleans. He also serves on the advisory board of the New Orleans Opera Association and volunteers with his alma mater, Jesuit High School. Before joining the Foundation, he worked on the Development Team at Catholic Charities in Washington, D.C., where he supported the fundraising efforts of the $100M+ social services organization. A graduate of Tulane University, he holds a B.S.M. in Finance and a B.A. in Political Economy with honors. Outside of work, Nathan can be found anywhere there’s live music, with his book club at Caf? du Monde, or riding on a float during Mardi Gras, his favorite time of year.

Taylor Boudreaux, CPA, Manager, Tax Services, Mauldin & Jenkins, LLC

Taylor provides tax services to a wide variety of clients, including nonprofits, individuals, corporations, S-corporations, limited liability companies, and partnerships. Her nonprofit experience includes assisting organizations with IRS correspondence, supporting clients through the process of obtaining tax-exempt status, and advising on unrelated business income (UBI) matters, including related state filings. She also has experience with foreign investment-related tax filings. Taylor is a member of the LCPA Not-for-Profit Issues Committee and Secretary of the LCPA South Central Chapter.

Stephanie Bushart, Ochsner Health System

Stephanie Bushart, MBA is System Vice President and CFO of Operational Finance for Ochsner Health, where she leads systemwide financial planning, operational finance, budgeting, and performance improvement initiatives. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Centenary College and an MBA from Millsaps College. Stephanie is a GE Finance Fellow, AMGA CFO Council member, and Lean Six Sigma trained.

Prior to joining Ochsner Health in 2014, Stephanie held CFO and finance leadership roles with Health Management Associates, Community Health Systems, and Shands Health Care North Florida Community Hospitals, where she helped advance strategic growth and expand access to healthcare services across underserved communities.
 
Since joining Ochsner, Stephanie has served in several executive finance leadership roles, including CFO of the Baton Rouge Region, South Shore Region, Bayou Region, and Ochsner Medical Center. In her current role, she partners closely with operational, physician, and executive leaders to strengthen       financial performance, advance strategic initiatives, and support sustainable growth. Passionate about healthcare finance and leadership development, Stephanie is committed to ensuring financial decisions support high-quality patient care, improved access, and healthier communities throughout Louisiana and the Gulf South.

Jim Daniel, Hancock Daniel & Johnson LLC

For Jim Daniel, there has never been a more exciting time to practice health care law. "I cannot recall a time when health care providers of all types have faced such dramatic change in their core business," Jim says.

"Despite many of the challenges presented a shift to value based care by new regulations and forces in the market, I am committed to identifying opportunities provided by the Affordable Care Act and MACRA to help our clients succeed in the new health care marketplace." Since 2010, Jim has dedicated his practice to counseling clients in the development of new delivery models and alignment structures, including bundled payment, patient-centered medical homes, accountable care organizations (ACOs), and clinically integrated networks (CINs). Jim's expertise also includes advising hospitals on evaluating and structuring mergers, acquisitions, reorganizations, joint ventures, divestitures and member substitution arrangements. This work routinely includes advising hospitals on issues related to antitrust, corporate governance, fraud and abuse, and tax.

Whether related to business strategy or complex legal issues, Jim's experience and involvement provides him with a unique insight that has enabled him to serve as a trusted advisor to health care providers across the country. "My service to the profession through membership in the American Health Lawyers Association ACO Task Force and the Business & Transactions Interest Group in the Health Law Section of the American Bar Association have been extremely rewarding allowing me to forge strong relationships and develop a shared perspective enhancing value to our clients."

Ashley Floyd, Greater New Orleans Foundation

Originally from New Orleans, La, Ashley Floyd is the Major Gifts Officer at the
Greater New Orleans Foundation. In this role, she cultivates and stewards
relationships with major donors, professional advisors, and community stakeholders
to advance the Foundation’s philanthropic priorities and long-term growth. She also
leads strategic outreach and development for the Dr. Norman C. Francis Endowment
for Racial Equity, the Foundation’s first permanent endowed fund dedicated
exclusively to advancing racial equity. The endowment strengthens community
partnerships, expands donor engagement, and builds sustainable philanthropic
support for equity-focused initiatives across the region. Prior to this role, she
served as Director of Development (Major Gifts) at the LSU Foundation, where she
led philanthropic priorities for the College of Business across North Texas. Ashley
spent 10 years in Chicago, raising funds for STEM education, arts and culture, and
leadership development programs. She was the Senior Associate Director of Major
Gifts at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, leading the school’s West
Coast Initiatives. Focusing on entrepreneurship, technology, and entertainment, she
worked with companies and law firm partners to create new philanthropic
opportunities for diverse student and alumni groups.
Before her career in fundraising, she earned a certificate in dance from The Ailey
School and danced with professional companies in New York and Chicago. Ashley
holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dance Performance/Choreography, a Master of Arts, and
a Master of Business Administration. She is also a proud graduate of Ursuline
Academy and the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts.
Since returning to New Orleans, Ashley has ingratiated herself within the
community, serving on the boards of the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts
(Foundation), the Ursuline Academy Alumni Association, the New Orleans Ballet
Association’s BRAVO Membership Group, and the Association of Fundraising
Professionals’ New Orleans Chapter’s Diversity and Engagement Committee. She is
also very active with organizations throughout the region, serving as a philanthropic
vehicle that connects donors to their highest-impact potential.

Edmund Giering IV, Baton Rouge Area Foundation

Edmund J. Giering IV serves as general counsel to the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, a community foundation which serves the needs and interests of South Louisiana by helping donors connect with nonprofit organizations to create a lasting legacy and fulfill their philanthropic goals and by leading and investing in civic leadership initiatives that build a more equitable community and address larger social outcomes. 

Licensed to practice law in Louisiana and Texas, Mr. Giering is a member of the American Bar Association, the Louisiana State Bar Association, the State Bar of Texas, the Baton Rouge Bar Association, the Association of Corporate Counsel, the American Bar Foundation, and the Louisiana Bar Foundation. His practice emphasizes corporate law & governance, corporate, real estate & complex gift transactions, risk management, and nonprofit & tax-exempt organizations. 

During his tenure with the Foundation, Mr. Giering has managed the development, award and administration of hundreds of grants totaling in excess of $175 million in the areas of disaster assistance, emergency relief, health and human services, wildlife, environment and conservation, and education. A frequent speaker on the topics of corporate governance, nonprofit management and duties and responsibilities of directors, Mr. Giering also serves as secretary and director of Civic Collaborative Foundation, as secretary and director of Employee Assistance Foundation, and as a director of the E.J. & Marjory B. Ourso Family Foundation and the Newton B. Thomas Support Foundation. Over the last decade, he has collaborated with key stakeholders to develop the Water Campus, a 35-acre collaborative interdisciplinary campus located near downtown Baton Rouge designed specifically for interaction between coastal, environmental, and water-related organizations such as state and federal agencies, educational and research institutions, and engineering, environmental, planning and consulting firms, as well as nonprofit advocates. 

In 2020, Mr. Giering received the Outstanding In-House Counsel Award for distinguished service by a nonprofit in-house counsel by the Nonprofit Organizations Committee of the American Bar Association, Business Law Section.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Mr. Giering served as corporate counsel to The Powell Group, a privately held holding company with interests in rice farming and milling, electrical power generation, timber and forestry operations, oil and gas exploration, real estate development and construction, appliance sales and distribution, commercial property management and radio broadcasting.

He is actively involved in the community and serves on the boards of numerous professional, civic and charitable organizations, including: Louisiana Bar Foundation (Past President, Board of Directors & Executive Committee); Association of Corporate Counsel - Louisiana (Board of Directors); YMCA of the Capital Area (Past Chair, Board of Directors & Executive Committee), Shaw Center for the Arts (Chair, Board of Directors & Executive Committee), LSU Reilly Center for Media and Public Affairs (Advisory Council); LSU Laborde Energy Law Center (Advisory Council); Manship Theatre (Past Chair, Board of Directors); Nexus LA/Research Park Corporation (Past Chair, current Treasurer, Board of Directors, Executive Committee), University Laboratory School Foundation (Past Chair, Board of Directors; Past Chair, Annual Appeal), and the Cathedral Church of St. Joseph (Finance Council). For his civic engagement and volunteer efforts, Mr. Giering was honored as a Baton Rouge Area Volunteer Activist in 2018.
 
A native of Natchitoches, Louisiana, Mr. Giering received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in 1990, a Juris Doctor degree from the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 1994 and a Master of Business Administration degree from the LSU E.J. Ourso College of Business in 2005. He is married to Catherine Saba Giering, and they are the proud parents of two children, Jake and Cate. 

Ronald Gitz II, CGMA, 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.

Miriam Henry, JD, Jones Walker LLP

Miriam Wogan Henry is a partner in the Tax Practice Group and a member of the rm’s board of 
directors. She focuses on estate planning, including family wealth transfer plans, charitable 
planning, and business succession planning, along with advising clients regarding duciary 
litigation and transfer tax controversy matters.
Miriam advises on trust and estate planning matters such as drafting wills, trusts, powers of 
attorney, and marital property agreements. Advising clients in connection with gift and estate tax 
returns is part of Miriam’s practice, which includes representing clients before the Internal 
Revenue Service in connection with gift, estate, and generation-skipping tax audits. She works 
closely with members of the rm’s Litigation Practice Group in connection with duciary litigation 
and transfer tax controversies.

Miriam is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and currently serves as the 
Louisiana State Chair for ACTEC. She has been certi ed by the Louisiana Board of Legal 
Specialization as a Board-Certi ed Estate Planning and Administration Specialist. Prior to joining 
the rm, she served as a law clerk to Judge Frank J. Polozola of the US District Court for the 
Middle District of Louisiana from 1997 to 1998.
Committed to civic engagement and community service, Miriam has served on the boards of Trinity
Episcopal School and the Louisiana SPCA.

Cyrstal Jareske, CPA, CIA, Crowe LLP

Crystal Jareske is a partner in the consulting group at Crowe. She specializes in consulting, internal audit, enterprise risk management, and quality assessment reviews. Crystal has more than 22 years of experience providing services related to:

• Financial and operational risk assessments and related audit planning, including enterprise risk assessments
• FDIC Improvement Act consulting, documentation, and testing

Brandon Lagarde, CPA, JD, LLM, EisnerAmper

Brandon Lagarde is a Partner in the firm's Tax Services Group. Brandon concentrates his practice on tax planning and consulting for federal and state income taxes. Brandon works with clients of all sizes in a variety of industries and assists those businesses with navigating the tax complexities of today's highly regulated environment.
Brandon has extensive experience assisting clients with tax issues associated with the CARES Act, Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (aka "Federal Tax Reform") Louisiana income and sales taxation, tax planning for closely-held business, trusts and estates, multi-state planning and compliance, and mergers and acquisitions.
Prior to joining the firm, Brandon was a Director at Postlethwaite & Netterville (P&N), a leading full-service accounting and business advisory firm. Before this, Brandon practiced tax law at a national law firm. 
Brandon is a member of the AICPA (Tax Section), where he serves as the Chair of the Tax Practice Management Committee and Vice-Chair of the National Tax Conference Planning Committee, the LCPA, where he serves on the State and Local Tax Committee, as a member of the Legislative Committee , and as a member of the Baton Rouge Chapter of the LCPA, American Bar Association (Tax Section) and Louisiana Bar Association (Tax Section). Brandon graduated from Leadership Greater Baton Rouge, a year-long leadership program of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC), and was named to the Baton Rouge Business Report's Top 40 under 40.
Furthermore, Brandon is a frequent speaker on a variety of tax topics, including CARES Act, Federal Tax Reform, Louisiana taxes, and income and estate tax planning for closely held businesses and high-net worth individuals. 

Jason MacMorran, CVA,CFF,ABV, National Practice Leader, FLVS Team, EisnerAmper

Jason MacMorran is a Partner in the firm's Financial Advisory Services Group with more than 25 years of experience. He specializes in business valuation, transaction advisory services and commercial litigation across a range of industries.
Jason provides valuation and transaction consulting services to individuals, growing companies and private equity, including financial due diligence and transaction support, financial reporting valuations, and tax valuations. He also serves clients and attorneys in complex valuation and economic damage matters, serving as a court appointed neutral, and providing testimony in a range of venues, including federal district court, federal bankruptcy court, state court, and international arbitration.
Jason has been an active member in the profession, having served nationally on the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants' (AICPA) Business Valuation Committee, and as faculty for both the AICPA's ABV Exam Review Course and Expert Witness Skills Workshop. He has also served on AICPA conference planning committees, various technical task forces, and he speaks nationally and locally on technical valuation and litigation topics. Jason was honored as the AICPA's 2014 Business Valuation Volunteer of the Year and was in the AICPA's inaugural Standing Ovation class for forensic accounting and business valuation professionals. Locally, Jason has served on the Society of Louisiana CPA's board of directors, was its 2019-2020 chair, and has served on its Forensic and Valuation Services Committee since 2009, chairing that committee in 2013 and 2014.
Prior to joining the firm, Jason was a Director and shareholder at Postlethwaite & Netterville, APAC (P&N), a leading full-service accounting and business advisory firm, where he led P&N's forensic, valuation, and transaction practice.

Shelley Martin, MD, FAAP, Ochsner Health System

Shelley Martin, MD, FAAP, is Associate Chief Medical Information Officer for Ochsner Health, System Medical Director for Partner & Community Connect Experience, and a practicing pediatrician. A member of the Ochsner Children’s Executive Team, she connects clinical care with health information technology, leading informatics and innovation initiatives aimed at improving patient care and the provider experience. She brings more than 30 years of clinical experience and over 20 years of leadership in healthcare transformation. A native of Thibodaux, Louisiana, she earned her undergraduate degree from Nicholls State University and her medical degree from LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans

David Means Jr., DeNovo Advisory Group

David graduated with honors early from Austin College with a dual major in Economics and Finance while captaining both the football and baseball teams. David holds his FINRA Series 7, FINRA Series 66, FINRA Series 24 registrations, and State Insurance Licenses. He also obtained the designation of Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®).
 
With the success that the DeNovo Advisory Group has experienced, David speaks across the country to industry professionals regarding sophisticated risk management strategies. Much of his time is spent understanding the financial landscape and helping businesses or individuals understand how to best position themselves. He is committed to deepening his understanding of the industry through his memberships in the Top of the Table, Forum 400 and EARC.
 
David and his wife, Mallory, were married in September 2017. In their free time, they love to travel, eat at new restaurants, spend time with family & friends, and be outdoors with their dog, Lambeau. They enjoy playing golf, watching binge-worthy TV shows and cheering for all Dallas sports teams. David and Mallory attend Watermark Church in Plano. 

Anne Oestriecher, CFP

Anne Oestriecher's career has spanned public accounting, banking, nonprofits, and financial services. In 2005, Anne started her own practice providing consulting services to small businesses and leading CPE for CPAs across the country. In 2009, she expanded her services to include financial planning for individuals and companies to help them reach their financial goals.

Anne is a graduate of Loyola University in New Orleans, with a BBA in accounting. In 2009, she was named LCPA's Discussion Leader of the Year.

Now retired and residing in Kinder, Anne is Partner Emeritus with Oestriecher Wealth Partners in Alexandria.

John Schmidt, CGMA,CPA,MBA,PFS, Tax Managing Director, Pelican CPAs & Advisors, LLC

John C. Schmidt, CPA, is a Tax Managing Director at Pelican CPAs and Advisors, LLC in Bossier City, LA. John has over 35 years of accounting experience handling complex tax compliance and consulting for high net worth individuals and their related business and charitable interests. John also holds the AICPA Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) Credential, a designation exclusive to CPAs signifying the powerful combination of extensive tax experience and comprehensive knowledge of financial planning. John's clients span a variety of industries including oil & gas, timber, construction, professional services, real estate, political campaigns, and other tax-exempt organizations. He also serves on the Board of Directors of several non-profit organizations. John received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Louisiana Tech University and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of New Orleans.

His professional/Community Associations and Memberships include:

• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
•  Louisiana Society of Certified Public Accountants (LCPA)
• Member of Estate & Financial Planning Committee
• Member of Oil & Gas Committee
• Tax & Estate Planning Council of Shreveport, Treasurer
• Council of Petroleum Accountants Societies (COPAS)
• United Way of Northwest Louisiana, Past Board Chair

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.

Brandon Smith, CPA, Partner, Mauldin & Jenkins

Brandon Smith, CPA, is a Partner and the Advisory Practice Leader at Mauldin & Jenkins, where he has been delivering capacity building, management consulting, and traditional accounting services since 2008. With a strong background in internal controls, cybersecurity, and risk management, he helps organizations implement established frameworks to meet their operational and compliance objectives. A recognized thought leader at the intersection of accounting and IT, Brandon chairs M&J’s innovation committee and is deeply enthusiastic about the impact of AI and transformative technologies on the profession.

Jeremy Thibodeaux, Partner - A&A Services, Ericksen Krentel, L.L.P.

Jeremy Thibodeaux is a partner in Ericksen Krentel's Accounting and Audit Services Section, where he oversees the quality and timeliness of services to many of the firm's audit clients with a focus on nonprofits. During his career, Jeremy has performed audits dealing with a variety of entities in industries such as governmental, construction, retail, hospitality, tourism and professional services. He also has extensive experience in auditing governmental and nonprofit entities in accordance with the Uniform Guidance.

Matt Thompson, CFA, Director, Asset Liability Management, Smith, Shellnut, Wilson

Matt joined Smith Shellnut Wilson in August 2022. Matt has 15 years of experience working with depository institutions with a focus on asset/liability management. Prior to joining SSW, Matt served as Director for Truist Securities' Fixed Income Strategies and Analytics group, managing the asset/liability management team. Matt has worked in balance sheet management and depository fixed income portfolios in the following capacities: conducting board, management, and banking school training on ALM topics; developing balance sheet and portfolio strategies; implementing and running ALM models for client institutions; and presenting ALM results and recommendations to boards, senior management, and asset/liability management committees. Additionally, he serves as a presenter on balance sheet and investment portfolio topics at community depository conferences and events.

Matt holds a BBA in Finance from Louisiana State University. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and serves as Vice President of the CFA Society of Memphis.

Allison Ward, CISA, CISSP, CISM, 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.