Our People |
Dermody, Burke & Brown's team of professionals are focused on anticipating and addressing the unique needs of our diverse client base. You will see our team has a wide-range of experience, specializations and technical expertise, but one thing we all have in common is our commitment to quality client service.
James F. Sikora II, CPA, MBA
James F. Sikora, CPA, MBA is a Manager in the Tax department at the Firm. He started with Dermody, Burke & Brown as an Associate in 2017. Jim received both his Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and a Master of Science Degree in Business Administration from Le Moyne College. He is a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Jim resides in Auburn.
Don Albright, CPA
Don has been with Dermody, Burke & Brown since 1997. Don services a variety of clients and has over 20 years of auditing experience. Don performs audit, review and compilation engagements, as well as consulting services for our closely held business clients. He has also performed work for a variety of tax-exempt clients including unions, auxiliary services at SUNY schools, museums and HUD-assisted housing companies, among others.
Don is a graduate of Columbia College. He is a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).
Kathy Burke Barry, CPA
Kathy specializes in audits, review and compilations of manufacturers and closely-held family business. She also is the Chair of the Quality Assurance Committee at Dermody, Burke & Brown. She has been with the firm since graduating from St. John Fisher College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting in 1987.
Kathy is a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). She also serves on the board of Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways, Inc.
Mike Burt, CPA
Michael C. Burt, CPA joined Dermody, Burke & Brown, CPAs, LLC as a Tax Senior Associate in 2012 and is now a Tax Senior Manager. Mike joined the Firm with 14 years of previous tax and accounting experience. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and a Master of Business Administration from State University of New York at Oswego. Mike is a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and is a board member of the Friends of Carpenters Brook Fish Hatchery.
John Calogero
John is Partner and Managing Member of Calogero & Associates, LLC and a Principal of Dermody, Burke & Brown, CPAs, LLC. Calogero & Associates was started over sixty years ago by his father Nicholas J. Calogero, Sr. In January of 2013, the Firm combined with Dermody, Burke & Brown, CPAs, LLC.
John has over thirty years of experience in public accounting, taxation, business management, as well as commercial and residential property development and management. He specializes in closely-held businesses, not-for-profit organizations and trusts and is experienced in serving physician and dental practices, manufacturing, retail and real estate clients. John also leads our Payroll and Merchant Services divisions.
John served as President and Treasurer of A Better Chance of Clinton & The Mohawk Valley and is a former Treasurer and Vice President of The Fort Schuyler Club. John received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Niagara University and is a member of the National Society of Accountants and the American Payroll Association.
John is past board member of the United Way of the Valley & Greater Utica area, the Vinnie Coluzza Memorial Scholarship Fund for the Arts, the St. Elizabeth Medical Center Foundation, the American Cancer Society as well as past Treasurer of the Utica Boxing Association, and Treasurer of Ocean Walk 16 HOA (New Smyrna Beach, Florida). John was also a 2002 recipient of the Mohawk Valley 40 Under Forty Award.
Lori Ciarla, CPA
Lori joined the Firm in 1992 and specializes in audit, accounting, and advisory services for not-for-profit and governmental organizations, and employee benefit plans. She oversees the Firm’s employee benefit plan audit practice and is responsible for the audits of more than fifty annual benefit plans, including single employer, multiple employer, defined contribution, defined benefit, and health and welfare plans. Lori serves as the Firm’s designated audit quality partner of the AICPA’s Employee Benefit Audit Quality Center. She has extensive experience in HUD auditing and is the leader of the Firm’s affordable housing audit practice. Lori is also actively involved in the Firm’s employee recruitment program.
Lori is a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). She received the AICPA Not-for-Profit Certificate I and is also a member of the Not-for-Profit section of the AICPA. Lori is a graduate of Le Moyne College and currently serves on the Finance Committee for Francis House. Lori has served on the board of the American Heart Association and is a past Treasurer of both the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund of CNY, Inc. and Girls Incorporated.
David Corey, Jr., CPA
David has been in public accounting for over twenty years, all at Dermody, Burke & Brown. He leads the tax department at the firm across four offices. David developed and leads the Firm’s Agribusiness niche and also works with family owned, closely-held businesses in a wide variety of industries including the Manufacturing and Construction industries. With his advanced expertise, David advises clients on tax compliance and planning, business succession/estate planning and business operations.
David holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Bob Jones University. He is a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He serves as a board member and is a finance committee member for the United Way of Cayuga County and is a past Board Member of the Unity House of Cayuga County. David also is a board member of the Stanley W. Metcalf Foundation, Inc. and the D.E. French Foundation, Inc.
Tina D’Agata
Tina is a Senior Manager at Dermody, Burke & Brown in the Retirement Plan Design and Administration department. As an employee at the Firm for over fifteen years, her seasoned experience in the Industry allows her to efficiently design, prepare and administer retirement plans for a variety of clients. Tina personally meets with clients and staff to discuss employee benefit options and assists the CPA Firm with their audits of employee benefit plans. Tina is proactive in her retirement planning approach and attends educational seminars to keep abreast of the many changes that occur within the industry.
Tina is a graduate of Hartwick College and a leading member of Dermody, Burke & Brown’s Young Professional Committee and Wellness Committee. She is a board member and Finance Committee member of the Gingerbread House of Syracuse, a board member and Secretary of the Thousand Island Park Cottage Owners Association, Inc., a member of the United Way of CNY Young Leaders United, and is actively involved with the Blessed Sacrament School. Tina is a 2016 graduate of the Nourishing Tomorrow’s Leaders Program, designed to increase the diversity of not-for-profit boards and leadership in the Central New York area. She is also a 2016 40 Under Forty Honoree.
Michele Dickey, CPA
Michele has over thirty years of experience in tax accounting, consulting, financial statement preparation and compliance services. She works with closely held businesses within a wide range of industries. Michele has past experience as a Certified Valuation Analyst providing business valuations for companies involved in buy/sell agreements, charitable contributions, family limited partnerships and gifting programs.
Michele received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Le Moyne College. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants as well as the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. She serves on the Upstate Foundation’s Professional Advisory Council for Legacy Giving and also serves as treasurer for the Estate Planning Council of Central New York. Michele is a past board member and treasurer for the YWCA of Syracuse and Onondaga County, Inc., a past board member for the Children’s Consortium and Meals on Wheels of Syracuse, and a past member of the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts.
Deborah Fitzgerald, CPA
Debby joined the firm as a Principal in November 2019 after Barone, Howard and Co., a full-service accounting, tax and consulting firm based in New Hartford and Rome, merged with Dermody, Burke & Brown. Debby has over thirty years of experience in public accounting. Her areas of practice include personal, fiduciary and business income tax planning and preparation, along with for profit review and compilation services for a variety of for profit industries.
Debby graduated from Utica College of Syracuse University with Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting. She is a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Debby served as Past President and board member of the Utica Chapter of NYSSCPA and a past treasurer of a local youth hockey association.
Joel Gallagher, CPA
Joel joined the firm as a Principal after Barone, Howard & Co., a full-service accounting, tax and consulting firm based in New Hartford and Rome, merged with Dermody, Burke & Brown. He brings over thirty years of experience in public accounting to the firm. Joel’s areas of practice include personal income tax planning and preparation, reviews, compilations and business tax services for a variety of for-profit industries
Joel received a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from SUNY Plattsburgh. He is a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Joel served as a board trustee for Teugega Country Club and is also a past treasurer. He also served as treasurer of Lake Delta Yacht Club.
William Harmatuk, CPA
Bill is a Member with Dermody, Burke & Brown and was the firm’s past Chief Financial Officer. He has over thirty two years of public accounting experience and is a graduate of Syracuse University. Bill has extensive accounting and tax experience with corporations, subchapter “S” corporations, partnerships and individuals. Bill concentrates his practice in the areas of accounting, auditing, tax compliance and planning, and provides services to a variety of clients covering many different industries including service organizations, assisted living and adult care facilities, not-for-profits, manufacturing, construction, transportation companies and professional service firms. Many of the organizations serviced are closely held businesses.
Bill is a past President of the Syracuse Chapter of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA), and past President, Treasurer and Finance Committee member of the Food Bank of Central New York. Bill is also a past board member of the Financial Service Professionals of CNY and first CPA elected to the FSP/CNY Board. Bill is a member of the NYSSCPA and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).
Madelyn Hornstein, CPA
Madelyn has been with Dermody, Burke & Brown since 1983 and served as the Firm’s Chief Executive Officer for over 13 years. In addition to servicing a number of small businesses and high net worth individuals with their accounting and tax needs, Madelyn also heads Dermody, Burke & Brown’s Employee Benefits division. She and her team provide design, set-up and on-going administration of retirement plans. Madelyn ensures that the plans are compliant and also consults on a variety of employee benefit issues and individual retirement planning.
Madelyn is a graduate of SUNY Cortland and holds an MBA from Syracuse University. She is a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Women Presidents’ Organization. Madelyn serves as a board member for the Allinial Global Americas Regional Board, Dryden Mutual Insurance Company, Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield’s CNY Regional Advisory Board, CenterState CEO and the WISE Women's Business Center. She is also involved with the Professional Advisor Council at Syracuse University. She is a past Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee of the Central New York Community Foundation.
Karen Hovey, CPA, CFE/CFF
Karen joined the Firm in 2017 as a Principal in the Tax Department. She has over twenty-five years of experience in audit, tax, and accounting services as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and over 14 years of experience as a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). She is also certified in Financial Forensics. Karen has been involved in the preparation and review of financial statements including audits, reviews, and compilations for both business and tax-exempt organizations. She has experience in the preparation and review of complex individual and business returns.
Karen received a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Clarkson University. She is a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA), American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). She also serves as the treasurer for the Upstate Chapter of the ACFE and is a board member for AURORA of Central New York Inc. Karen is a past member of the board at ENABLE and Transitional Living Services of Onondaga Co., Inc. - known as AccessCNY.
Carolyn Lawless, CPA
Carolyn has over thirty-two years of public accounting experience. She specializes in tax advisory services including tax planning and preparation for various entities including corporations, partnerships, trusts, estates and individuals. Carolyn also performs reviews and compilations for small businesses in various industries.
Carolyn received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting from Niagara University. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants as well as the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. Carolyn served as treasurer of the Historic Oakwood Cemetery Preservation Association and was an advisory board member of Francis Corp. She was also past President and a current member of the Estate Planning Council of Central New York. She was past President and is a current board member of the Central New York Chapter of the Society of Financial Service Professionals, is a member of the Financial Planning Association of Central New York, and serves on the finance committee of Our Lady of Hope Church in Syracuse.
Mary Beth Madlin
Mary Beth has been with Dermody, Burke & Brown since 1985. As a Senior Manager of the Retirement Plan Design and Administration department, Mary Beth focuses on all facets of retirement planning from plan design to daily administration. She specializes in managing define contribution plans and provides on-going administration of retirement plans for a range of clients.
Mary Beth also provides outside consulting services and reviews plan design, cost structure and administrative practices. Mary Beth is a graduate of Bryant & Stratton College and continues to shape her thirty-two years of knowledge in the industry by attending continuing educational seminars.
Karen Matticio, CPA, CVA, CFO
Karen is a Member with Dermody, Burke & Brown and serves as the Firm’s Chief Financial Officer. She leads the Firm’s Physician and Dental Practice groups and the Business Valuation Practice group. Karen has been with the Firm since graduating from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1990. As a Tax Member, she oversees tax, financial statement and business consulting engagements. Karen has over thirty years of consulting, accounting, and tax experience and provides professional services to a variety of physician practices. She concentrates her practice in the areas of accounting, tax compliance, tax planning and consulting with physician and dental practices, closely-held businesses in construction and manufacturing, and individuals.
Karen is a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), and the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA). She is a past member of the Leadership Council of the Women’s Fund of Central New York and is the past President of the Syracuse Chapter of the NYSSCPA. She is a sustaining member and past Treasurer of the Junior League of Syracuse.
Shannon Nelson, CPA, CFE, CITP
Shannon joined Dermody, Burke & Brown in 1989. She is the Member serving as the Firm’s Audit and Accounting Department Director and serves as the lead Member on many clients in healthcare and not-for-profit industries. Shannon is also a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and specializes in the prevention and detection of fraud. Shannon has been a guest speaker on the topics of internal control, fraud prevention and financial literacy at various venues.
She is a graduate of St. John Fisher College and is a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Shannon is also credentialed by the AICPA as a Certified Information Technology Professional. She currently serves as the Assistant Treasurer for Meals on Wheels of Syracuse. Shannon is a former board member of the Women’s Fund of Central New York and is past treasurer of the Carol Baldwin Breast Cancer Foundation.
Winnie Nguyen, CPA
Winnie joined the Firm as a Manager in the Auditing & Accounting department in 2018. She received both a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree in Accounting from Syracuse University. Prior to joining the Firm, Winnie worked in Public Accounting as a Senior Auditor at Ernst & Young, LLP.
She is a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Winnie is a Member of the Supervisory Audit Committee at Countryside Federal Credit Union, Board Member and Treasurer at Syracuse City Ballet and Paige’s Butterfly Run. She is also a past Treasurer at St. Helen Church Choir in Rochester NY. Winnie is a 2019 40 under Forty award recipient by CNY Business Journal.
Thomas Palmer, CPA
Tom has been with the Dermody, Burke & Brown for over twenty years. His experience in public accounting includes various external and internal audit engagements for not-for-profit organizations and for profit entities. As a member of the Governmental niche and Not-for-Profit niche, Tom has served as a lead auditor for a variety of organizations, including those receiving funds from the NYS Education Department, Health and Human Services, OASAS, HUD, and the United Way.
He meets each of the continuing professional education (CPE) requirements imposed by the “Yellow Book” issued by the Government Accountability Office. Tom is a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Institute of Internal Auditors. He is a member of the United Way of CNY Emerging Leaders group and a graduate of the State University of New York at Geneseo.
Tammy Reyes, CPA/PFS, CGMA, MT
Tammy has over twenty-four years of experience in the public accounting industry. She joins the firm with previous tax leadership experience and a specialization in the taxation of trusts and estates and high net worth individuals. Tammy also serves corporate and partnership clients. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), a personal financial specialist (PFS) and registered financial consultant (RFC).
Tammy received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Binghamton University School of Management, a Masters in Taxation from University of Denver, and a Certificate in Financial Planning from Kaplan College. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the International Association of Registered Financial Consultants. Tammy is a member of the Estate Planning Council of Central New York and serves as the treasurer and board member for the Landmark Theatre. She is also a past board member and treasurer for Wester Federal Credit Union and Baltimore Woods Nature Center.
Katie J. Rivers, CPA
Katie is a Manager in the Tax department at Dermody, Burke & Brown. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and a Master of Science degree in Accounting from Siena College. Katie has earned her designation as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Katie resides in East Syracuse, New York.
Travis Smith, CPA, MBA
Travis has been with Dermody, Burke & Brown for over fifteen years providing services to variety of not-for-profit organizations, including foundations, human service providers, and health care organizations. He has extensive experience in consulting and advising his clients on a variety of issues, including Low-Income Housing Tax Credit projects.
Travis holds a Bachelor and Master Degree from the State University of New York at Oswego. He is a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He is also a member of the Not-for-Profit section of the AICPA and serves on the board of directors for Helio Health, Inc.
Greg Smith, CPA, MBA
Greg joined Dermody, Burke & Brown in 2011. Greg serves as Chief Financial Officer of the Custom Accounting Solutions (CAS) department at the firm, previously providing tax, financial statement, and bookkeeping services to a variety of industries including contractors, manufacturers, professional services, and small business clients. Greg graduated from The State University of New York at Oswego with a Bachelor of Science Degree and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration.
Greg is the treasurer of the New York Family Business Center at the Madden School of Business at Le Moyne College and the treasurer of The Orchard Church. Greg is also a member of the Syracuse Executives Association, the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He is a QuickBooks Pro Advisor and works closely with startup businesses at The Tech Garden in Syracuse, NY. In 2013, Greg was a 40 Under Forty Recipient.
Shannon Tinsmon
Shannon joined Dermody, Burke & Brown as a Senior Associate in the Tax department in 2022. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the Rochester Institute of Technology as well as a Masters of Business Administration degree from St. John Fisher College.
Shannon has five years of experience in public accounting. She is a QuickBooks ProAdvisor and is working to complete the certification process to earn her designation as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Carolyn Sturick, CPA, CITP, CEO
Carolyn joined Dermody, Burke & Brown in 1989 and serves as the firm's Chief Executive Officer effective 2023. Carolyn previously after served as the Firm’s Chief Operating Officer for over 13 years. As CEO, Carolyn focuses on setting the company’s future course through strategic growth, ensuring continued client success, and maintaining the personal relationships so vital to a successful Firm. Beyond her position as CEO, Carolyn brings over thirty years of experience in the areas of consulting, auditing and accounting to a wide range of not-for-profit clients and those requiring federal single audits. She is a strong resource within the Firm for technical issues and serves on the Quality Assurance Committee.
Carolyn also has served as Treasurer of a local not-for-profit organization, East Syracuse Minoa Education Foundation, and has many years of involvement in the Festival of Races. Carolyn is a graduate of SUNY Oswego. Carolyn is a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) is also credentialed by the AICPA as a Certified Information Technology Professional.
John Tartaglia, CPA, CITP
John joined Dermody, Burke & Brown in 1988 after eleven years in private industry. John has an extensive amount of combined industry and public accounting experience. His experience includes providing comprehensive audit, accounting and consulting services to a wide variety of clients covering many different industries including construction, manufacturing, specialty contractors, transportation companies and professional service firms. John also specializes in employee benefit plan audits.
John is a Construction Industry Technician and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from St. John Fisher College. John is also a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), and is one of the lead contacts for the Firm’s membership in the AICPA’s Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center.
Thomas Tartaglia, CPA
Tom has been a member of the Dermody, Burke & Brown Tax department since 1991. He has over 29 years of experience in both industry and public accounting with over twenty years in taxation. As a Tax Senior Manager at the Firm, Tom specializes in corporate and partnership taxation. His clients include those in construction, medical and legal practices and various other industries. Tom has significant experience with special areas of taxation including sales tax, flow thru entities and acquisitions and dispositions of ownership interests in corporate and partnership entities.
He is a member of the Liverpool Village Planning Board and a past member of the Cazenovia College Board of Trustees. Tom is also a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He is a 1981 graduate of Niagara University.
Amie Vanderpool, CPA
Amie joined Dermody, Burke & Brown in 2009. She provides tax, compilation and review, and bookkeeping services to a variety of industries including physician groups, professional service firms and closely-held family businesses.
Amie graduated from Le Moyne College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting. She is a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the United Way of Central New York Young Leaders United, the NYSSCPA Career Opportunities in the Accounting Profession Program and the NYSSCPA NextGen Syracuse Chapter.