CPE Catalog & Events

Society of Louisiana Certified Public Accountants2026 Energy ConferenceNovember 12-13One Acadiana- LafayetteDAY ONE: Thursday, November 128:00 am Registration & Breakfast Opens8:25 am Welcome/Opening Remarks8:30 – 9:25 amState of the IndustryMike Moncla • President – Louisiana Oil & Gas Association • Baton Rouge, LA9:25 – 10:25 amCarbon Capture: Where We Are and What's NextMark Dore, JD • The Dore Law Firm, LLC • Lafayette, LACarbon capture and storage (CCS) has evolved from an emerging concept into a critical component of the nation's energy and industrial strategy. As technology advances, regulatory frameworks mature, and investment continues to grow, energy professionals are increasingly called upon to understand the legal, commercial, and operational realities shaping this rapidly developing sector.This session provides a practical update on the current state of carbon capture, examining recent technological developments, federal and state policy changes, project activity, and the market forces driving continued investment. Particular attention will be given to Louisiana's unique position as a national leader in carbon management, including its geologic advantages, industrial infrastructure, and evolving regulatory environment.10:25 – 10:45 am Break10:45 am – 12:00 pmYour Digital Ambition Is Reality: The Only Limit Is Your ImaginationTrace Armstrong • Cherry Bekaert Advisory LLC • Birmingham, ALWhat do you want technology to do for your business? That is your digital ambition, and it is the starting point for every successful AI initiative. In this session, we will introduce a simple framework built on three pillars: Growth, Efficiency, and Resilience, with Innovation as the umbrella over all three.You will then see the framework in action through a real engagement with an energy company. We will walk through their ambition, how they connected operational and financial data on a modern data platform, and then demo the result live. You will leave with a practical way to define your own digital ambition and a clear first step, with no technical background required.Learning objectives (LSCPA usually asks for these)• Define digital ambition and describe the three pillars that organize it.• Identify how operational and financial data can be connected to support better decisions in an energy organization.• Recognize what a scoped, time-boxed first AI project looks like.• Apply the framework to draft a digital ambition for your own organization.12:00 – 1:00 pm Lunch (included)1:00 – 2:00 pmTwo Hinges of Leadership: Awareness and TrustLauren Navarre, JD • Arena Collective • Slidell, LAA leader who refuses to examine his/her own triggers, blind spots, and areas of growth will never be equipped to truly serve those he leads. This presentation unpacks the two foundational hinges that every effective leader must develop: the awareness to work on oneself, and the trust that binds a team together — trust in yourself, trust in the process, and trust in the people around you. Because at the end of the day, people don't follow titles or authority — they follow leaders who have earned their trust and proven they exist to serve, not to be served.2:00 – 3:00 pmGulf Coast Energy UpdateGreg Upton, PhD • Louisiana State University • Baton Rouge, LA3:00 – 3:20 pm Break3:20 – 4:50 pmEnergy UpdateDr. Mark Zappi, PE • Professor of Chemical Engineering - University of Louisiana Lafayette • Lafayette, LA

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Society of Louisiana Certified Public Accountants2026 Energy ConferenceNovember 12-13One Acadiana- LafayetteDAY ONE: Thursday, November 128:00 am Registration & Breakfast Opens8:25 am Welcome/Opening Remarks8:30 – 9:25 amState of the IndustryMike Moncla • President – Louisiana Oil & Gas Association • Baton Rouge, LA9:25 – 10:25 amCarbon Capture: Where We Are and What's NextMark Dore, JD • The Dore Law Firm, LLC • Lafayette, LACarbon capture and storage (CCS) has evolved from an emerging concept into a critical component of the nation's energy and industrial strategy. As technology advances, regulatory frameworks mature, and investment continues to grow, energy professionals are increasingly called upon to understand the legal, commercial, and operational realities shaping this rapidly developing sector.This session provides a practical update on the current state of carbon capture, examining recent technological developments, federal and state policy changes, project activity, and the market forces driving continued investment. Particular attention will be given to Louisiana's unique position as a national leader in carbon management, including its geologic advantages, industrial infrastructure, and evolving regulatory environment.10:25 – 10:45 am Break10:45 am – 12:00 pmYour Digital Ambition Is Reality: The Only Limit Is Your ImaginationTrace Armstrong • Cherry Bekaert Advisory LLC • Birmingham, ALWhat do you want technology to do for your business? That is your digital ambition, and it is the starting point for every successful AI initiative. In this session, we will introduce a simple framework built on three pillars: Growth, Efficiency, and Resilience, with Innovation as the umbrella over all three.You will then see the framework in action through a real engagement with an energy company. We will walk through their ambition, how they connected operational and financial data on a modern data platform, and then demo the result live. You will leave with a practical way to define your own digital ambition and a clear first step, with no technical background required.Learning objectives (LSCPA usually asks for these)• Define digital ambition and describe the three pillars that organize it.• Identify how operational and financial data can be connected to support better decisions in an energy organization.• Recognize what a scoped, time-boxed first AI project looks like.• Apply the framework to draft a digital ambition for your own organization.12:00 – 1:00 pm Lunch (included)1:00 – 2:00 pmTwo Hinges of Leadership: Awareness and TrustLauren Navarre, JD • Arena Collective • Slidell, LAA leader who refuses to examine his/her own triggers, blind spots, and areas of growth will never be equipped to truly serve those he leads. This presentation unpacks the two foundational hinges that every effective leader must develop: the awareness to work on oneself, and the trust that binds a team together — trust in yourself, trust in the process, and trust in the people around you. Because at the end of the day, people don't follow titles or authority — they follow leaders who have earned their trust and proven they exist to serve, not to be served.2:00 – 3:00 pmGulf Coast Energy UpdateGreg Upton, PhD • Louisiana State University • Baton Rouge, LA3:00 – 3:20 pm Break3:20 – 4:50 pmEvolving Energy-Based Technologies to Further Entrench Louisiana as the Energy State: A Peak into Our Bright FutureDr. Mark Zappi, PE • Professor of Chemical Engineering - University of Louisiana Lafayette • Lafayette, LADAY TWO: Friday, November 137:30 am Registration & Breakfast Opens7:55 am Opening Remarks8:00 – 9:00 amIt’s Been 65 Years of COPAS Auditing and Joint Interest Accounting: Where Have We Been, Where Are We, Where Are We Going?Mike Cougevan • Vice President – Martindale Consultants, Inc. • Denver, CO9:00 – 10:00 amLegislation and Litigation for Oil, Gas & EnergyChris Peyton, JD • Kean Miller • Lafayette, LAMattie Zepernick, JD  • Kean Miller • Lafayette, LA10:00 – 10:20 am Break10:20 –11:30 amCybersecurity Resilience in Accounting: Safeguarding Financial Data Les Nettleton • Retired- Bourgeois Bennett • New Orleans, LAThe accounting profession remains a primary target for sophisticated cyber threats due to the highly sensitive financial data it manages. This session delivers a critical update on the intersection of emerging technology, evolving regulatory compliance, and cybersecurity risks. We will analyze the modern threat landscape, focusing on business email compromise (BEC), ransomware attack vectors (attempts made to access your systems and/or data), and the unique data privacy liabilities facing accountants today.11:30 am – 12:30 pm Lunch12:30 – 1:20 pmDepartment of Conservation and Energy UpdateDustin Davidson • Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy • Baton Rouge, LA1:20 – 2:10 pm  Timber Industry UpdateBuck Vandersteen • Executive Director - Louisiana Forestry Association • Alexandria, LA 2:10 – 2:30 pm Break2:30 – 3:25 pm Tax UpdateJohn Schmidt, CGMA, CPA, MBA, PFS • Pelican Tax & Consulting CPA, LLC • Shreveport, LA 3:25– 4:20 pm  Economic UpdateSarah Delord • Vice President, Sr Portfolio Manager - Hancock Whitney Asset Management • New Orleans, LAGreg Kass Jr • Senior Trust Portfolio Manager  - Hancock Whitney Asset Management • New Orleans, LA

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Society of Louisiana Certified Public Accountants2026 Energy ConferenceNovember 12-13One Acadiana- LafayetteDAY TWO: Friday, November 137:30 am Registration & Breakfast Opens7:55 am Opening Remarks8:00 – 9:00 amIt’s Been 65 Years of COPAS Auditing and Joint Interest Accounting: Where Have We Been, Where Are We, Where Are We Going?Mike Cougevan • Vice President – Martindale Consultants, Inc. • Denver, CO9:00 – 10:00 amLegislation and Litigation for Oil, Gas & EnergyChris Peyton, JD • Kean Miller • Lafayette, LAMatti Zepernick, JD  • Kean Miller • Lafayette, LA10:00 – 10:20 am Break10:20 –11:30 amCybersecurity Resilience in Accounting: Safeguarding Financial Data Les Nettleton • Retired- Bourgeois Bennett • New Orleans, LAThe accounting profession remains a primary target for sophisticated cyber threats due to the highly sensitive financial data it manages. This session delivers a critical update on the intersection of emerging technology, evolving regulatory compliance, and cybersecurity risks. We will analyze the modern threat landscape, focusing on business email compromise (BEC), ransomware attack vectors (attempts made to access your systems and/or data), and the unique data privacy liabilities facing accountants today.11:30 am – 12:30 pm Lunch12:30 – 1:20 pmDepartment of Conservation and Energy UpdateDustin Davidson • Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy • Baton Rouge, LA1:20 – 2:10 pm  Timber Industry UpdateBuck Vandersteen • Executive Director - Louisiana Forestry Association • Alexandria, LA2:10 – 2:30 pm Break2:30 – 3:25 pm Tax UpdateJohn Schmidt, CGMA, CPA, MBA, PFS • Pelican Tax & Consulting CPA, LLC • Shreveport, LA 3:25– 4:20 pm  Economic UpdateSarah Delord • Vice President, Sr Portfolio Manager - Hancock Whitney Asset Management • New Orleans, LAGreg Kass Jr • Senior Trust Portfolio Manager  - Hancock Whitney Asset Management • New Orleans, LA

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Get ready for another round of high-impact learning at the Winter Cluster, at a new location this year! This can't-miss event combines cutting-edge CPE with a premier destination, offering the perfect setting to sharpen your skills and recharge for the year ahead. Explore timely, relevant topics presented by some of the profession’s most respected and dynamic speakers. DAY 1: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19 7:30am - Registration & Breakfast 8:00am-9:40amAI and How It Affects Cybersecurity, and the Future of AccountingScott Pruitt, CISM, CDPSE, CISA • Warren Averett • Birmingham, ALAI is changing how finance professionals in public accounting and private industry work, make decisions, and manage risk. Discover the opportunities, challenges, and controls shaping the future of the accounting profession.9:40am-10:00am Break10:00-11:40A&A Update  Kurt Oestriecher, CPA • Oestriecher & Company • Alexandria, LA11:40am – 12:40pm Lunch (included)12:40pm – 2:20pmPractical Tips to Business Succession PlanningLauren Navarre, JD • Arena Collective • Slidell, LAAudrey DeAgano, JD • Arena Collective • Covington, LAFirst, this presentation delivers practical, actionable guidance on the five critical factors that determine a business's salability: building documented systems that can operate without the owner, strategically transferring key relationships, identifying and retaining the right people, thoughtfully structuring the seller's ongoing role post-transition, and preserving the core values and purpose that define the business's identity and culture.Second, the presentation will touch on the key steps of a successful acquisition — from business valuation and identifying the right buyer, to due diligence, deal structuring, and ultimately the documents to expect at closing — equipping advisors with a practical roadmap to navigate the process with confidence and clarity.2:20pm – 2:40pm  Break2:40pm – 3:30pm TOPIC TBA3:30pm – 4:20pmProfessional Issues UpdateRon Gitz, CPA, CGMA • Executive Director/CEO - Society of Louisiana CPAs • Metairie, LADAY 2: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 207:30am - Continental Breakfast8:00am – 9:40amBreaking through Growth Wall Julie Couret • Executive Coach • New Orleans, LAWhen growing companies hit an invisible growth ceiling, the root issue is rarely a lack of talent or ambition, t is an operational and leadership system breakdown. As business complexity expands, motion is frequently confused with progress, doer-leaders become structural bottlenecks, and decision-making stalls in day-to-day firefighting. Attendees will walk away with actionable strategies and frameworks to execute within their organizations:Strategic Focus & DirectionEstablish Strategic Trade-Offs: Forge explicit agreement across the executive team regarding which initiatives and distractions to say "no" to, eliminating operational confusion and safeguarding core execution focus. Design OptimizationMap Root-Cause Constraints: Pinpoint the exact operational bottlenecks where organizational complexity has outgrown existing systems, eliminating hidden friction, operational chaos, and stalled execution. Eliminate Leader Dependency: Identify process gaps where daily decision-making and accountability collapse back to leadership, successfully transitioning doer-leaders from operational bottlenecks into strategic executives.9:40am – 10:00am Break 10:00 - 11:40 amTax UpdateGreg Booth, CPA • EisnerAmper • Metairie, LA 

Make Spirits Bright. Make Tax Season Lighter! The holidays are all about spreading cheer — and the best gift you can give yourself this year might just be a little less tax-season stress! Join us IN PERSON for our largest event of the year, where a great lineup of knowledgeable speakers will unwrap the latest insights, essential updates, and practical takeaways you need to head into tax season feeling prepared and confident. From must-know developments to timely topics, you’ll get the information you need, all in an engaging learning environment at the beautifully decorated Ritz-Carlton and make professional development a little more merry! Give yourself the gift of knowledge now — and thank yourself when tax season arrives. Register today! Topics for Day 1, Thurs, Dec 17 Individual Tax Update State Tax Update National SALT Update Beyond the Hold Music: Best Practices for Communicating with the IRS  AI with Integrity: Ethics, Policies & Responsible Use  Fraud Alert: Red Flags Every Tax Professional Should Know      

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Make Spirits Bright. Make Tax Season Lighter! The holidays are all about spreading cheer — and the best gift you can give yourself this year might just be a little less tax-season stress! Join us VIRTUALLY for our largest event of the year, where a great lineup of knowledgeable speakers will unwrap the latest insights, essential updates, and practical takeaways you need to head into tax season feeling prepared and confident. From must-know developments to timely topics, you’ll get the information you need, all in an engaging learning environment and make professional development a little more merry! Give yourself the gift of knowledge now — and thank yourself when tax season arrives. Register today! Topics for Day 1, Thurs, Dec 17 Individual Tax Update State Tax Update National SALT Update Beyond the Hold Music: Best Practices for Communicating with the IRS  AI with Integrity: Ethics, Policies & Responsible Use  Fraud Alert: Red Flags Every Tax Professional Should Know    

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Make Spirits Bright. Make Tax Season Lighter! The holidays are all about spreading cheer — and the best gift you can give yourself this year might just be a little less tax-season stress! Join us IN PERSON for our largest event of the year, where a great lineup of knowledgeable speakers will unwrap the latest insights, essential updates, and practical takeaways you need to head into tax season feeling prepared and confident. From must-know developments to timely topics, you’ll get the information you need, all in an engaging learning environment at the beautifully decorated Ritz-Carlton and make professional development a little more merry! Give yourself the gift of knowledge now — and thank yourself when tax season arrives! Register today! Topics for Day 1, Thurs, Dec 17 Individual Tax Update State Tax Update National SALT Update Beyond the Hold Music: Best Practices for Communicating with the IRS  AI with Integrity: Ethics, Policies & Responsible Use  Fraud Alert: Red Flags Every Tax Professional Should Know     Topics for Day 2, Fri, Dec 18 Partnership Taxation: What’s New and What’s Next  S Corporation Tax Update: Key Developments & Practical Implications R&E: Changes under the OBBA, and Ongoing IRS Enforcement Efforts Sports Gaming and NIL  AI Tools for Your Tax Practice Tariff Policies, Refunds, Processing Claims, Economic Update Estate & Financial Planning for Aging and Special Needs

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Make Spirits Bright. Make Tax Season Lighter! The holidays are all about spreading cheer — and the best gift you can give yourself this year might just be a little less tax-season stress! Join us VIRTUALLY for our largest conference of the year, where a great lineup of knowledgeable speakers will unwrap the latest insights, essential updates, and practical takeaways you need to head into tax season feeling prepared and confident. From must-know developments to timely topics, you’ll get the information you need, all in an engaging learning environment that makes professional development a little more merry. Give yourself the gift of knowledge now — and thank yourself when tax season arrives. Register today! Topics for Day 1, Thurs, Dec 17 Individual Tax Update State Tax Update National SALT Update Beyond the Hold Music: Best Practices for Communicating with the IRS  AI with Integrity: Ethics, Policies & Responsible Use  Fraud Alert: Red Flags Every Tax Professional Should Know     Topics for Day 2, Fri, Dec 18 Partnership Taxation: What’s New and What’s Next  S Corporation Tax Update: Key Developments & Practical Implications R&E: Changes under the OBBA, and Ongoing IRS Enforcement Efforts Sports Gaming and NIL  AI Tools for Your Tax Practice Tariff Policies, Refunds, Processing Claims, Economic Update Estate & Financial Planning for Aging and Special Needs

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Make Spirits Bright. Make Tax Season Lighter! The holidays are all about spreading cheer — and the best gift you can give yourself this year might just be a little less tax-season stress! Join us VIRTUALLY for our largest event of the year, where a great lineup of knowledgeable speakers will unwrap the latest insights, essential updates, and practical takeaways you need to head into tax season feeling prepared and confident. From must-know developments to timely topics, you’ll get the information you need, all in an engaging learning environment and make professional development a little more merry! Give yourself the gift of knowledge now — and thank yourself when tax season arrives. Register today! Topics for Day 2, Fri, Dec 18 Partnership Taxation: What’s New and What’s Next  S Corporation Tax Update: Key Developments & Practical Implications R&E: Changes under the OBBA, and Ongoing IRS Enforcement Efforts Sports Gaming and NIL  AI Tools for Your Tax Practice Tariff Policies, Refunds, Processing Claims, Economic Update Estate & Financial Planning for Aging and Special Needs

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Make Spirits Bright. Make Tax Season Lighter! The holidays are all about spreading cheer — and the best gift you can give yourself this year might just be a little less tax-season stress! Join us IN PERSON for our largest event of the year, where a great lineup of knowledgeable speakers will unwrap the latest insights, essential updates, and practical takeaways you need to head into tax season feeling prepared and confident. From must-know developments to timely topics, you’ll get the information you need, all in an engaging learning environment at the beautifully decorated Ritz-Carlton and make professional development a little more merry! Give yourself the gift of knowledge now — and thank yourself when tax season arrives! Register today! Topics for Day 2, Fri, Dec 18 Partnership Taxation: What’s New and What’s Next  S Corporation Tax Update: Key Developments & Practical Implications R&E: Changes under the OBBA, and Ongoing IRS Enforcement Efforts Sports Gaming and NIL  AI Tools for Your Tax Practice Tariff Policies, Refunds, Processing Claims, Economic Update Estate & Financial Planning for Aging and Special Needs

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