Dean Kernus, CPA/PFS, CFP
San Diego, CA
dean@willowcreekfinancial.com
Dean is a fee-only personal tax and financial planner in San Diego. His services include tax mitigation strategies, Social Security claiming analysis, retirement cash flow planning, charitable giving strategies, education planning, estate planning, investment management, and other similar services.
His firm’s clients include business owners, corporate executives (re: taxes from non-cash compensation schemes such as restricted stock, deferred compensation, executive stock options and 10b5-1 plans), doctors, lawyers, CPAs, real estate investors and professional athletes.
Dean served as the Chief Financial Officer of a publicly traded company, CFO/Controller of various private companies across a myriad industries, and has many years in public accounting (tax and audit) and federal government contracting.
He is a graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Lotus Li
Mission Viejo, CA
lli@hivetatech.com
She is the founder and CEO of Hive TA Technologies, which built AI tax and financial planning assistant for CPAs and financial planners. The company launched two AI assistants and one tax return analysis tool to supercharge CPA practices.
Prior to building AI products for CPA, she was a CPA with 20 years of experience in corporate finance, financial consulting and advisory services.
American household net worth hits all time high, yet only one-third American have access to financial planning services. Her company's mission is to promote the financial planning services among CPAs and their clients.
Or Pikary
Los Angeles, CA
or.pikary@mariner.com
Or Pikary is a wealth adviser who works closely and actively with his clients to develop a customized 360° wealth plan to help them achieve their goals. A veteran tax specialist and personal financial planner, he brings a unique background to the table, where he seamlessly incorporates income tax and estate tax strategies as he builds and updates financial plans for clients.
Or enjoys empowering clients to help them define, prioritize and achieve their financial goals through tax-optimized strategies. He has been featured in publications such as Barron’s and Business Insider, as well as on CNBC and Wealthfront.
Or earned a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science, both in accounting, from Yeshiva University, where he graduated summa cum laude. He is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the California Society of CPAs, where he sits on its Committee for Financial Literacy.
Lawrence Pon
Redwood City, CA
lkypon@aol.com
Lawrence Pon is a certified public accountant, personal financial specialist, certified financial planner, enrolled agent, United States Tax Court practitioner and accredited estate planner in Redwood Shores, CA.
Lawrence has been in practice since 1986 and speaks regularly to tax professionals on the latest tax planning and preparation topics. He teaches income tax at the College of San Mateo and is a long-time member of the AICPA and CalCPA. Lawrence received a BS in Business Administration from UC Berkeley and MS in Taxation from Golden Gate University in San Francisco.
Brooke Salvini
San Luis Obispo, CA
brooke@salvinifinancial.com
Brooke lives and works in San Luis Obispo, CA. She specializes in collaborative financial planning and wealth management with the goal of helping clients make better financial decisions in all areas of life to achieve peace of mind. She received her CPA license in 1984 while working for Deloitte. After a very interesting time working for Nissan Motor Corporation at their headquarters then in Los Angeles, she returned to public accounting in early 2000 to follow her passion as a CPA Financial Planner.
Brooke has served the profession and her community in various capacities including current Chair of the AICPA Personal Financial Planning Executive Committee, member Board of Directors Nissan Federal Credit Union, Trustee of the Avila Beach Community Foundation, Chairman of the CalCPA State Committee for Personal Financial Planning, member of the CalCPA Investment Committee, and Garrett Planning Network Advisory Board. She has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, CNN Money, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, KSBY, New Times, and Pacific Coast Business Times. Brooke was a contributing author to Investing in an Uncertain Economy, part of the Dummies series of books. And author of articles published in the California CPA and The Tax Adviser magazines.
When not working, she especially loves remodeling the house with her husband, training for trail half-marathons with her Siberian husky, or riding her off-the-track rescued thoroughbred horse. Her grown children live in Northern California and Portland, OR.
Joyce Tso, CPA/PFS
Sunnyvale, CA
joyce.tso@asamllp.com
Joyce Tso, CPA/PFS, a partner of ASAM, LLP. With over 25 years of experience, she provides expert income tax advice and wealth transfer planning to closely held businesses, foreign investors, and high-net-worth families.
Ms. Tso is fluent in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin and actively engages in the Chinese community and also serves as Treasurer and a board member of APA Family Support Services, with a strong focus on community advocacy.
Leonard Wright
San Diego, CA
Leonard.wright@nm.com
Leonard has served the accounting profession at the AICPA as the current chair of the PFP Executive Committee and member of the PFP Standards Task Force, past Chair of the Member Retirement Plan Committee, appointed member of the PFS Credentialling Committee, PFP Executive Committee, National Accreditation Commission, Financial Literacy Commission, where he worked on a three-person task force with the American Red Cross and NEFE on their Disasters and Financial Planning - A Guide for Preparedness and Recovery, and was a contributing author to Spend Wisely, Save Happily.
One of four founding Money Doctors, and as an AICPA Ambassador Program member where he fielded interviews from various television and radio stations, and quotes and interviews from CBS to the BBC. He also had a radio show in Las Vegas that primarily featured America’s AICPA thought leaders that were AICPA chairs and members from the PFP community for 7 years.
Interested in contacting one of our PFP Champions?
Contact a champion in your area to discuss the PFS™ credential, the PFP Section, developing PFP issues in your area that impact our profession or interest in adding to your peer network.