Speakers

Dan Durst

Dan Durst is a Manager at Capital Edge Consulting, with extensive experience in various accounting and compliance issues related to Federal government contracts and grants. Dan’s areas of expertise include Cost Accounting Standards (CAS), Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal awards to non-Federal entities (Uniform Guidance), Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS). Dan is also well-versed in various levels of audit support including DCAA, Single Audit, and Inspector General audits. Dan’s industry experience includes defense, nonprofit, and public sector. Dan has assisted clients with Indirect Cost Rate Proposal Development, Indirect Rate Structure Assessment, Subrecipient Monitoring Support, Audit Support and Risk Assessment, Audit Findings Remediation, Procurement System Certification, Internal Controls Assessment, Forensic Investigations, Grants Closeout Support, and other regulatory compliance matters. Prior to joining Capital Edge, Dan was an audit supervisor and lead consultant for Clarke Leiper PLLC, a member of the AICPA’s Government Audit Quality Center. Dan has previously held security clearances with the U.S. Department of Defense, including Secret Clearance. While contracted by the U.S. Department of State Dan conducted audits and analysis at the U.S. Embassies in 19 foreign countries. Dan has supervised and performed several Single Audits under both OMB A-133 and the new Uniform Guidance. Dan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting with a minor in Information Technology and a Masters of Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from George Mason University.

Elizabeth Gombash

Elizabeth Gombash is the CEO/Managing Member of G Team Communication, LLC, an education consulting company that provides grant lifecycle support services to higher education clients. Liz is a nationally recognized authority in grant writing and grants management, rooted in over 30 years of practical experience. She has spent most of her grants career working in higher education, most recently retiring as Associate Vice President of Strategic Grants Planning and Development at Seminole State College of Florida, but also having worked as a federal grants management specialist. Grants written by Liz have been funded for over $120 million by numerous federal, state, and private sources, including grants from the U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation. She has maintained an average annual funding rate of approximately 75% throughout her career. In addition to grant writing and strategic concept development, Liz specializes in developing institutional grants management capacity to keep pace with evolving funder regulations and interpretations relating to internal control systems and compliance. She has delivered numerous training workshops and conference presentations around the country, and written many articles for professional publications. Liz has served as a director on the national boards for the National Grants Management Association and the Council for Resource Development, and currently serves on Thompson Grants’ Editorial Advisory Board.

Sean O’Connor

Sean O’Connor is a Senior Manager with Capital Edge Consulting, Inc. Sean’s areas of expertise include litigation support, CPSR readiness assessments and preparation, purchasing system redesign and implementation, Federal Supply Schedule contracts, estimating systems, audits of incurred cost and Cost Accounting Standards and Disclosure Statements. Sean is also experienced in procurement file audit and remediation with emphasis in price analysis review and augmentation. He is well versed with General Services Administration (GSA) contract compliance and with FAR, CAS and DCAA internal controls and identification of regulatory and cost accounting practice changes.

With over 12 years of experience working with the Government as well as a number of large Department of Defense contractors, Sean has worked closely with Chief Executive Officers, Chief Financial Officers, Vice Presidents, General Counsels and Outside Counsel and Controllers and brings experience from a wide range of engagements. Sean has represented multiple clients in False Claims Act and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act proceedings and in settlements with the Office of the Inspector General in disputes regarding GSA contracts. Sean has led multiple projects implementing and performing compliance gap analyses of Earned Value Management Systems (EVMS) at all EVMS tier levels, for contracts issued by both the Department of Defense and the Department of Health and Human Services. He has assisted in preparing cost proposals including direct labor, indirect overhead, ODC and G&A rate development, facilities capital cost of money and profit analysis. Sean also has considerable experience working with Internal Audit teams reengineering business processes, Sarbanes Oxley compliance, performing risk assessments, aligning process gaps to risks, determining current levels of compliance and identifying requirements to achieving compliance.

Questions or Need Info on Group Pricing?
Contact Thompson Grants

1-800-677-3789 | service@thompson.com | grants.thompson.com

You may be able to charge the cost of your Thompson Training to your federal grant(s). For state agencies and other nonfederal entities, under the cost principles of the uniform guidance, there are allowable items of cost for subscriptions (§200.454.(b)) and professional development (§200.472). Please check with your program director, finance officer or granting agency to ensure there is no restriction in the approved grant budget or the award documents.

FORUM DETAILS
When:
Conference: May 2 & 3
Post-Conference Workshop: May 4
Where:
Embassy Suites by Hilton St. Louis Downtown
610 North 7th Street, St. Louis, MO 63101
CPE Credits:
Up to 15 NASBA CPEs & 15 GPCI CEUs
Who Should Attend:
Executive Directors CFOs Finance VPs Accountants Controllers Auditors Procurement Managers Grants Directors
Contracts Representatives Grants Specialists Grants Managers Grants Coordinators Grant Writers Strategic Planners Program Managers Title I Coordinators
What's Included:
  • Two days of expert-led grants training
  • Networking opportunities during provided breakfasts, lunches, and optional dutch-treat dinner
  • Optional half-day post-conference "deep dive" workshop the day after the Forum
  • BONUS! A print copy of the Uniform Guidance - a $49 value!
  • BONUS! Thompson's Grants Quick Start Toolkit to help you through the entire grants lifecycle - a $249 value!
  • BONUS! Four months of digital access to Thompson's Grants Compliance Expert Suite - an $596 value! (New subscribers only.)
Registration:
Early Bird Rate through April 2nd:
$795 Forum
$1095 Forum + Post-Conference Workshop

Standard Rate after April 2nd:
$895 Forum
$1195 Forum + Post-Conference Workshop

Post-Conference Workshop Only:
$395
Hosted by
Presenting Partner
Thank You To Our Sponsors
Columbia Books & Information Services is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be addressed to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors, 150 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 700, Nashville, TN, 37219-2417. Web site: www.nasba.org

If you are not able to attend for any reason, please notify us as soon as possible. Conference cancellations received 10 business days prior to the event are fully refundable. All other cancellations are non-refundable.