WSCPA Annual Meeting 2025 WEBCAST

Arel Moodie, Reed Oak

Arel Moodie is a dynamic professional speaker, best-selling author, and entrepreneur, known for his captivating insights on personal and organizational development. With a passion for understanding human dynamics, Arel has made it his mission to uncover what makes people tick, sharing universal truths that drive personal growth and organizational success.

SPEAKER:As a professional speaker, he has spoken to over 750,000 people in 48 states and 5 countries. His engaging energy, impactful delivery, and relatable insights have earned him a remarkably strong repeat client base, with organizations regularly inviting him back year after year at the request of both leadership and staff. Arel’s speaking engagements include multiple appearances at the White House and three TEDx talks, and he has been acknowledged by President Obama for his contributions.

ENTREPRENEUR:Arel has built multiple 7-figure businesses. Inc. Magazine called him a “High-Energy, Motivator” and named him to their “30 Under 30 list” of America’s top entrepreneurs and he has been also named to the 40 Under 40 list in Central New York

MEDIA PERSONALITY: He has been quoted in The New York Times, USA Today, Essence, Forbes, Black Enterprise, and the Huffington Post. He has also contributed to television shows like The Doctors and previously hosted “Family Reboot” on Disney+, a show helping families reconnect and strengthen their bonds. His podcast, which explored career and personal development, reached millions of listeners in 178 countries and topped Apple’s charts as the #1 career podcast.

FUN FACTS: In addition to his speaking and media work, Arel is an accomplished hobbyist dancer, having performed at Madison Square Garden. He’s had two viral videos with millions of views. Beyoncé even used a picture of Arel during her Super Bowl Halftime Show—though it was very quick!

FAMILY MAN:Arel’s greatest joy comes from his role as a family man. He is a devoted husband, having met his wife at age 18, and a proud father of two sons.

RESEARCH JUNKIE: Arel is known as a “human development investigator” who has extensively studied the intricacies of what makes people tick. In a fun, a-ha inducing way he shares the 60+ years of research called “Adult Development Theory” that can dramatically change how we understand ourselves and those around us to better drive organizational results.

Byron Patrick, Botkeeper

Byron started his career in 1999 as a public practicing CPA. He eventually embraced his passion for technology and merged it with his experiences in public accounting and transitioned to the IT Director of a mid-sized CPA firm in 2004. Later, in July of 2008, Byron established Simplified Innovations Inc to focus on servicing the needs of CPA Firms, which he sold in 2016. He then lead the CPA industry business development efforts at Network Alliance. In 2019, Byron joined Botkeeper and is currently the VP of Growth & Success, where he works with various teams to help bridge the knowledge gap between accounting and technology. Byron is known nationally as an industry technology leader. Additionally, Byron is a regular speaker at State and National conferences regarding various topics relating to technology in the accounting industry. He has contributed to many industry publications over the years including the co-writer of the Journal of Accountancy Tech Q&A section. Byron has been an active member of the Maryland Association of CPA’s since the beginning of his career. He is one of the founding members and past Chair of the MACPA’s New/Young Professionals Network (NYPN). Byron was the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the MACPA in 2013. In addition, Byron is a member of the innovation task force and has participated in a number of other initiatives over the years. Byron credits much of his professional success to the support and mentorship from the MACPA. Byron has also been actively involved on a national level with the AICPA. He earned the Certified Information Technology Professional credential in 2006 and is currently a member of AICPA Council, PCPS Executive Committee, and was previously a member of the Information Management and Technology Assurance Executive Committee, the Future of Peer Review task force, and the CPA Ambassador program.

Joel Williams, Senior Manager, Global Mobility Svcs, KPMG LLP (Seattle)

Joel Williams, CPA, is a Senior Manager in KPMG’s Global Mobility Practice in Seattle. He has more than 20 years of experience in the global mobility industry. Joel has had the benefit of living and working in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, London, and Houston during his career and has served clients primarily in the Energy, Financial and Technology sectors.

Joel helps organizations identify technology solutions to effectively manage their global mobility programs. Regardless of the size of the program, he has been able to help mobility professionals leverage technology to better engage with their stakeholders and tell the unique story of their programs. He has also helped companies create mobility programs and develop tax equalization policies for their employees on foreign assignments.

In addition, Joel is a leader within KPMG’s Global Mobility Services Innovation team, an interdisciplinary group of professionals that develops and delivers emerging technologies and creative solutions to help solve our clients’ challenges.

Kimberly Scott, President & CEO, Washington Society of CPAs

Kimberly Scott, CAE, brings over two decades of dedicated leadership to her role of President & CEO of the WSCPA, a position she has held since 2017. Her commitment to advancing the CPA profession is evident in her extensive advocacy work at both state and national levels.

Since joining the WSCPA in 2000, she has served in various senior leadership roles throughout the organization. From 2009 to 2022, she also served as Executive Director of the Washington CPA Foundation. In the role of WSCPA’s Vice President of Government and Member Relations, Kimberly spearheaded the organization’s advocacy efforts, successfully driving the drafting and passage of multiple bills through the Washington State legislature, including a bill that secured $3.3 million for the Washington CPA Foundation. The Foundation now provides over $500,000 in accounting scholarships annually.

Beyond her role at WSCPA, Kimberly is involved in shaping the future of the accounting profession. She currently serves on the AICPA National Pipeline Advisory Group and recently served on the AICPA Women’s Initiatives Executive Committee.

A Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential holder, Kimberly is passionate about continuous learning. She has graduated from programs with Heroic Speaking, Leadership Eastside, and earned her certificate for DEI in the Workplace from the University of South Florida.

She has volunteered her time and expertise on various boards, including recently serving on the Washington Society for Association Excellence (WSAE) DEI Task Force, the Homeward Pet Board of Directors, and the Human Services Commission for her city.

Raquel Nelson, Managing Partner, Baker Tilly LLP

Kelly Nelson, CPA, is the Managing Partner of the Seattle Business Unit at Baker Tilly LLP. Kelly is driven by her passion for fostering an inclusive and supportive work culture that embraces diversity of thought, allowing professionals to be their authentic selves.

During her college years, Kelly received a Washington CPA Foundation scholarship, which enabled her to successfully complete her BA in Business Administration with a concentration in accounting from the University of Washington. While volunteering has provided her with a platform to give back, it is the connections with people and the opportunity for thought leadership that she finds most rewarding.

Kelly actively serves on the WSCPA Board of Directors and holds the position of Chair of the WSCPA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council, where she passionately advocates for the profession.

Kimberly Scott, CAE, WSCPA President & CEO, shared, “Kelly has a leadership style that envelops and values individuals, making them feel valued and excited. Her dedication is evident through her active involvement in volunteering, speaking engagements, and mentoring aspiring CPAs.”

Kelly’s commitment to both current and future colleagues extends beyond simply keeping doors open; she strives to hold them wide, eliminating barriers and enabling others to achieve remarkable success.

Sarah Funk, CFO

Sarah Funk, CPA, CGMA, has more than 20 years of multi-national financial, operations, technology and telecommunication experience spanning accounting, budgeting and finance, compliance, audit, system implementations, transaction activities, money transfer services and public accounting. She was the Chief Financial Officer at Ben Franklin Transit. Sarah is an active member of various civic and community revitalization efforts. In her free time, Sarah enjoys spending time with her family and being outdoors.