If you ask Deanna Salo about her 35-plus-year career with Cray Kaiser, she will eventually share stories of the mergers and acquisitions she has overseen. In due time, she will tell you about how she assists in shareholder disputes and getting great agreements into every company’s infrastructure. But first, Deanna will reflect on the impact that she and her team members have with each engagement.

In her mind, every engagement is linked to a person or family. So while it is true that Deanna grew up professionally at Cray Kaiser—joining in 1986, fresh from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor’s in Accountancy—Cray Kaiser has also grown with her. The firm’s people-centric approach has been instilled in every corner of the firm since its inception, which is one of the main reasons why Deanna has her career rooted in the Firm.

A CK Principal since 2001 and Managing Principal since 2021, Deanna executes assurance, strategic and tax planning services across the client portfolio. For closely-held and family-owned businesses, she focuses on the value she can bring to the family and owners. For nonprofit clients, she instills best practices in budgeting, governance issues and audit compliance procedures. Using her technical and creative talents, Deanna also performs M&A engagements for the buyer and seller sides.

Leading Cray Kaiser’s relationship with the Entrepreneur and Family Business Council at DePaul University, Deanna is a past chair to the Strategic Partner Committee and presently serves on its Finance Committee and Curriculum Committee. Given her investment in the success of family-owned businesses, it should come as no surprise that members of the organization practically have Deanna on speed dial.

Local and Abroad: Executive Board Member, Empowering Women Network; various committees at the Entrepreneur & Family Business Counsel at DePaul, Global Board member of Russell Bedford International

In addition to Jim Scherzinger’s extensive experience as a tax, accounting and audit professional, he has become a driving force behind Cray Kaiser’s strategic consulting activities. Leveraging his expertise, refined over decades of practice, Jim assumes advisory roles for clients across a diverse spectrum of industries and financial needs.

Over the years, he has counseled clients on such far-ranging matters as start-up projections, cash management, exit planning, buy-side due diligence, seller negotiations and transaction structure, among many others. With deep knowledge of financial markets, financial models and tax and regulatory requirements—and a commitment to understanding clients’ needs and potential exposures—Jim and Cray Kaiser’s multidisciplinary team have the depth of knowledge to resolve a myriad of business issues and augment clients’ internal resources.

As one of three Certified Valuation Analysts at Cray Kaiser, Jim helps clients understand value concepts as they relate to market transfers, internal company transfers and family and generational transfers of business assets and wealth. He applies his understanding of exit strategies to help clients protect their wealth and preserve and shape their legacy.

As a CK Principal, Jim embraces the firm’s client-focused definition of “success.” For Cray Kaiser, success hinges on the extent to which the firm helps clients solve problems and make better business decisions. In realizing that vision of success, Cray Kaiser adds value to clients’ businesses, giving them heightened confidence in their ability to meet objectives.

In addition to his CPA license, Jim is a licensed real estate broker. He holds a degree in Accounting from the University of Illinois-Champaign.

Community: Past Director, Real Estate Investment Association. Certification of Membership, The Exit Planning Institute, National Association of Valuation Analysts. Committee Member, Union League Club of Chicago. Board Membership, Various Nonprofit Organizations.

Karen Snodgrass oversees Cray Kaiser’s tax division, with niche expertise in closely held and family-owned businesses. In her tax planning work, she minimizes liability at the entity and individual level by helping clients think through the tax implications of their decisions throughout the year.

The leaders of family-owned businesses, whose personal lives mingle with their business lives, share more with Karen than their 1099s. They share their financial heart and soul. For Karen, that’s an honor. So she aims to do more than meet tax goals. Before asking clients to sign a single dotted line, she picks up the phone to inform and educate them.

That’s the common thread that runs through her diverse specialties: a commitment to sharing knowledge. Having successfully navigated evolving tax codes for 20-plus years—more than 15 of which she spent at Cray Kaiser—Karen leads seminars on tax law updates at the firm. Based on her ongoing analysis of the effects of new laws, the firm’s reputation for excellence in tax services is unmatched.

With Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame, Karen also gives presentations on tax and business finance topics to groups like the Entrepreneur and Family Business Council at DePaul University.

Community: Memberships: AICPA, Illinois CPA Society, Notre Dame Clubs, Exclusive Professional Women’s Networking Group, Trusted Advisors Council.

Brian Kot oversees technology at Cray Kaiser and is also responsible for maintaining the firm’s quality assurance. He ensures that the firm has the necessary infrastructure and stays up to date with the latest technological advancements and solutions so the CK team can continue to exceed client expectations and remain compliant with professional standards.

As a practitioner, Brian understands that his clients need to devote their energy to their businesses, not to matters of accounting. As such, he streamlines engagements at every turn, making the process both efficient and informative. Brian also knows that, in order to diagnose client needs, his job is to listen. He starts every engagement by diving deep, gaining a comprehensive understanding of his clients’ unique situations. It’s all part of his commitment to providing an unparalleled level of service.

Brian is a member of the Illinois CPA Society’s Accounting Principles Committee. This highly impactful senior committee devises responses to new accounting standards that regulators put forth. He is proud of the opportunity to influence the discipline about which he is so passionate, while his committee work also allows him to bring back heightened knowledge to the firm.

In a real way, Brian was born into accounting. Having grown up at his father’s firm, he knew he would become a CPA at a very early age. In fact, he cut his professional teeth in high school, serving as the school store’s accountant. At its height, proceeds from the store funded new uniforms for the school band. Not bad for a teenaged number cruncher.

Brian earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Bradley University and a Master’s Degree in Accountancy from Elmhurst College.

Community: Member, Illinois CPA Society Accounting Principles Committee; Treasurer, Harris Farm Homeowners Association; Former Board Member, Downers Grove Area Chamber of Commerce

Amy Langfelder joined Cray Kaiser in 1995, a year out of school. Immediately demonstrating her innate customer service talents, she soon became a supervisor. In 2017, Amy ascended to her current role as a CK Principal. In addition to her work with clients as an accountant—including engagements as an auditor for nonprofits—she builds client relationships, trains junior staff and manages the flow of projects across the firm, working closely with the CK Principals.

As she sees it, most certified public accounting practitioners can sufficiently manage matters of compliance. But the real power of the accounting discipline lies in expanding clients’ financial literacy so that they may more effectively lead their businesses. This belief has led Amy to head CK’s Accounting Services division which is dedicated to supporting any (or all) aspects of a client’s accounting functions in the capacity that best serves their business.

Because of Cray Kaiser’s niche expertise in closely held and family-owned businesses, many of the owners and presidents of these companies work directly with Amy on their accounting needs. This access to client leadership extends her ability to change business practices for the better. And that is what Amy is all about.

Amy graduated with a degree in Accounting from Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois.

Community: Memberships: Vistage and Christian Business Fellowship. Former Treasurer for Lamplighter Bible Church. Former member of the Finance Committee for Medinah Christian School.

As a Principal at Cray Kaiser, George Domino has a passion for working with closely-held and family-owned companies and has the ability to develop enduring client relationships through the comprehensive scope of accounting services Cray Kaiser offers. George provides the type of steadfast advice that only decades of experience can bring, helping his clients make tough decisions and reach their financial goals.

George has been serving clients in the Chicagoland area since 1976. Over the course of his career, George has been providing personalized, in-depth counsel to all of his clients on nearly every aspect of their financial lives. He’s served clients in a diverse range of industries, from construction to manufacturing to retail, and worked with large corporations and individuals. George is known for being a ‘utility player’ who brings a depth of knowledge and the ability to humanize complex scenarios to each client interaction.

In January of 2018, Domino & Associates, Ltd. merged into Cray, Kaiser Ltd. George believes in a personal approach to accounting services and a commitment to getting to know each client beyond just the numbers, making him a perfect addition to the Cray Kaiser team.

George has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

After nine years on the Cray Kaiser team, Micah became a partner in 2020. Throughout his tenure at CK, Micah has led the completion of client engagements with a focus on closely-held and investor-backed businesses across a wide range of industries including construction, healthcare, logistics, technology, manufacturing, and others.  His broad experience serves as the foundation for the assurance, accounting and tax services he provides to clients today. As one of the firm’s Certified Valuation Analysts, Micah also advises clients on matters of business valuation, business sales and acquisitions, and transition.

When you meet Micah, you’ll notice his listening skills and his humor. It’s hard to miss his genuine interest in uncovering his clients’ biggest concerns and issues. It fuels his determination to find solutions that are integrative, creative, and add value. Micah finds it fulfilling to bring knowledge and expertise that impacts his clients’ businesses beyond the basic accounting functions. Throughout that process, he also enjoys involving junior Cray Kaiser team members and helping them progress in their careers.

Involvement: Micah earned his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, IL. He’s a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Illinois CPA Society (ICPAS), and the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA).

As Tax Manager at Cray Kaiser, Eric Challenger takes his role beyond reviewing and preparing tax returns. He’s not your typical tax expert. Yes, he’s a numbers guy, as you’d guess, but he also possesses a creative side and an emotional intelligence rare to the tax field. Eric translates complicated tax terminology into relatable and understandable language. He tailors communications to each client, giving depth and detail or keeping it fast and sweet.

To help people better understand technical tax issues, Eric relates them to topics the person is passionate about, whether it’s motorcycles, sailing or chess. If a client is into the nitty gritty, he’ll make the tax lingo make sense. If he/she is not a detail person, he’ll cover the need-to-know and let the client get to what he/she does best–running a successful business. Eric’s reward is seeing the light go on in people’s eyes; he knows they got it, and it inspires him.

In addition to working with family-owned businesses, Eric has a passion for and a unique understanding of tax laws for not-for-profit organizations. He streamlines the process and ensures his clients are achieving proper compliance. Eric’s experience with these groups helped a recent client recover and regain their not-for-profit status after a revocation.

Eric has a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and Finance from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois.

Community: Eric is a certified public accountant in the state of Illinois and belongs to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Illinois CPA Society, and a proud member of Vistage.