The 2023 OPEN MINDS Mergers, Acquisitions & Affiliations Summit
The continually shifting health and human services landscape means ongoing opportunities for partnerships and collaborations. As we look back– did these collaborations work? As we look forward – will they work? Strategic partnerships and growth plans will inform the future success of your organization. Join us for an information packed day examining lessons learned from previous mergers, the future of private equity firms, and collaborations and affiliations serving the complex consumer. This summit will deliver a day of market intelligence, actionable insights, collaboration trends & innovations, and management tools organizations and executives need to maximize growth and sustainability.
The only all-day event exclusively focused on best practices and thought leadership for executives and management professionals addressing specialty health care mergers, acquisitions & affiliations.
2023 Summit Agenda
The Due Diligence Process For Mergers, Acquisitions & Affiliations – How To Navigate The Hurdles To Success Without Undue Exposure
There is no playbook when it comes to mergers, acquisitions, or affiliations―every engagement is unique and has its own set of challenges and opportunities. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t develop your own approach to drive your decision-making process. In this session, our presenters will not only touch on the due diligence check list and best practices during the due diligence process, but will also discuss some of the red flags to be aware of before you file the final paperwork.
Joseph P. Naughton-Travers, Ed.M.
Joseph P. Naughton-Travers, Ed.M., Senior Associate, has more than 30 years of experience in the health and human service field. In this tenure as senior associate with OPEN MINDS since 1998, he has served as lead of dozens of client initiatives, served as editor of OPEN MINDS publications, and is the author of many groundbreaking articles and presentations.
Mr. Naughton-Travers brings to OPEN MINDS a broad range of experiences in private and public sector delivery of behavioral health and social services. He started his career as a behavioral health clinician, working in both child welfare and community mental health clinic settings. Subsequently, Mr. Naughton-Travers held a senior business operations management position for a psychiatric hospital system and its community mental health clinics. Later, he was vice president of a firm specializing in information systems and billing and receivables management for community-based mental health programs.
Since joining OPEN MINDS, Mr. Naughton-Travers has developed business solutions for provider and professional organizations, state and county government, technology companies, and venture capital firms. His primary areas of expertise include strategic planning and metrics-based management, electronic health record (EHR) and technology selection and implementation, operations improvement, and corporate compliance. For the past decade, over half his consulting practice has focused on aiding organizations in technology selection and implementation, including all aspects of strategic technology planning, functional specifications development, request for proposal development, vendor selection, and contracting.
He has written numerous articles, including “Winning the Human Resource Wars: Tried, True and New Strategies for Behavioral Health and Social Service Organizations,” “Five Pillars of Management Competency,” “Data Driven Decision Making: Moving to an Organizational Measurement Culture,” “Survival of the Smartest: What is Your Organization’s Information Literacy IQ?,” and “Strategic Human Resource Management: Aligning Compensation with Employee Performance and Organizational Strategy.” Mr. Naughton-Travers is also a nationally recognized speaker, having conducted hundreds of executive and professional executive training events around the nation.
Mr. Naughton-Travers received his Bachelor’s degree from Miami University of Ohio and his Masters’ of Education in Counseling Psychology from Boston University.
Ken Carr
Ken Carr brings over 20 years of finance, technology, data analysis and reporting experience in the health and human service field to OPEN MINDS. He currently ia a Senior Associate with the OPEN MINDS consulting practice. In this role, he served as a subject matter expert in the OPEN MINDS consulting practice where he has led numerous engagements in strategic planning, merger and acquisition prospecting, business process improvement, financial analysis of service lines, and technology selection.
Before joining the OPEN MINDS team, he served as the Chief Financial Officer of The Centers, a community mental health center in Ocala, Florida. In this position, Mr. Carr led a realignment of the organization’s financial management functions. This included revenue cycle management, EHR bill implementation and reporting, cash management enhancement, and strategic financial analysis.
Prior to his role at The Centers, Mr. Carr served as Chief Financial Officer of Guild Incorporated, an organization providing residential and community based mental health services in St. Paul, Minnesota. As CFO, Mr. Carr led the financial, billing, IT, quality, informatics, compliance, and facilities activities. During his tenure at Guild Incorporated, Mr. Carr used his expertise in change management and business process improvement to lead the EHR implementation team, align service data reporting and financial performance, and lead the financial and data capture activities for new service initiatives.
Mr. Carr has also held the positions of Administrative Director and Finance Director at the St. Paul National Testing Laboratory, a biomedical testing facility of the American Red Cross. In those positions he oversaw activities to enhance inventory management, align financial results to industry standards, and improve financial and facilities performance through problem analysis and quality management initiatives. He also was involved in directing human resource functions during laboratory closing near the end of his tenure.
Mr. Carr earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of South Dakota, and a Master of Divinity Degree from Sioux Falls Seminary. He maintains an active CPA license with the State of South Dakota.
Build Or Merge? How To Expand Your Service Line Portfolio Or Merge To Get It
Organically building your service line portfolio can take years and require resources you may not have. Sometimes, a merger can be a direct path to organizational sustainability while retaining independence and mission integrity. A merger can also offer an opportunity to become attractive for value-based contracts opportunities, secure talent that you may not have been able to hire, reduce unit costs, become more competitive as you negotiate with payers, be more efficient operationally, expand services or geographic reach, increase opportunities for innovation and upgrade your infrastructure & technology. During this session, learn how to decide whether it’s right for your organization to build or merge.
C.J. Davis
C.J. Davis is the CEO of Brightli, Inc., the parent company of Burrell Behavioral Health, where he serves as President and CEO, and Preferred Family Healthcare. Brightli was formed through joint partnership of Burrell and Preferred in 2022; together the companies employ nearly 5,000 individuals in more than 200 locations across the four-state system.
At Burrell, C.J. has made mission expansion through strategic mergers and acquisitions a top priority. Earlier this year, Burrell merged with Comprehensive Mental Health Services, an Independence-based Community Mental Health Center, establishing Burrell/Brightli’s presence in the metro-Kansas City mental heath market. This, coupled with the PFH partnership, have made Brightli one of the largest nonprofit mental health providers in the Midwest.
With more than 25 years of experience in the mental health industry as both an executive and a clinical psychologist, Dr. Davis has managed and practiced at nearly every level of behavioral health care, including community treatment settings, residential treatment, primary care behavioral health, inpatient hospital services and criminal justice. C.J. previously held executive leadership positions in Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Indiana, focusing on improving accessibility to care at each stop in his career. After being hired as President and CEO of Burrell Behavioral Health in 2017, he has remained committed to accessibility, mission expansion, and promoting community conversations related to behavioral health issues.
With a passion for community service, C.J. serves on the boards of the Missouri Behavioral Health Council, the National Psychology Training Consortium, and the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce. In 2019 C.J. was named one of Biz 417 Magazine’s “10 for the Next 10” as well as one of the Springfield Business Journal’s Men of the Year. In 2021 he was chosen as the SBJ’s CEO of the Year at their annual Dynamic Dozen awards.
C.J. will be speaking during Build Or Merge? How To Expand Your Service Line Portfolio Or Merge To Get It.
Joseph P. Naughton-Travers, Ed.M.
Joseph P. Naughton-Travers, Ed.M., Senior Associate, has more than 30 years of experience in the health and human service field. In this tenure as senior associate with OPEN MINDS since 1998, he has served as lead of dozens of client initiatives, served as editor of OPEN MINDS publications, and is the author of many groundbreaking articles and presentations.
Mr. Naughton-Travers brings to OPEN MINDS a broad range of experiences in private and public sector delivery of behavioral health and social services. He started his career as a behavioral health clinician, working in both child welfare and community mental health clinic settings. Subsequently, Mr. Naughton-Travers held a senior business operations management position for a psychiatric hospital system and its community mental health clinics. Later, he was vice president of a firm specializing in information systems and billing and receivables management for community-based mental health programs.
Since joining OPEN MINDS, Mr. Naughton-Travers has developed business solutions for provider and professional organizations, state and county government, technology companies, and venture capital firms. His primary areas of expertise include strategic planning and metrics-based management, electronic health record (EHR) and technology selection and implementation, operations improvement, and corporate compliance. For the past decade, over half his consulting practice has focused on aiding organizations in technology selection and implementation, including all aspects of strategic technology planning, functional specifications development, request for proposal development, vendor selection, and contracting.
He has written numerous articles, including “Winning the Human Resource Wars: Tried, True and New Strategies for Behavioral Health and Social Service Organizations,” “Five Pillars of Management Competency,” “Data Driven Decision Making: Moving to an Organizational Measurement Culture,” “Survival of the Smartest: What is Your Organization’s Information Literacy IQ?,” and “Strategic Human Resource Management: Aligning Compensation with Employee Performance and Organizational Strategy.” Mr. Naughton-Travers is also a nationally recognized speaker, having conducted hundreds of executive and professional executive training events around the nation.
Mr. Naughton-Travers received his Bachelor’s degree from Miami University of Ohio and his Masters’ of Education in Counseling Psychology from Boston University.
Ken Carr
Ken Carr brings over 20 years of finance, technology, data analysis and reporting experience in the health and human service field to OPEN MINDS. He currently ia a Senior Associate with the OPEN MINDS consulting practice. In this role, he served as a subject matter expert in the OPEN MINDS consulting practice where he has led numerous engagements in strategic planning, merger and acquisition prospecting, business process improvement, financial analysis of service lines, and technology selection.
Before joining the OPEN MINDS team, he served as the Chief Financial Officer of The Centers, a community mental health center in Ocala, Florida. In this position, Mr. Carr led a realignment of the organization’s financial management functions. This included revenue cycle management, EHR bill implementation and reporting, cash management enhancement, and strategic financial analysis.
Prior to his role at The Centers, Mr. Carr served as Chief Financial Officer of Guild Incorporated, an organization providing residential and community based mental health services in St. Paul, Minnesota. As CFO, Mr. Carr led the financial, billing, IT, quality, informatics, compliance, and facilities activities. During his tenure at Guild Incorporated, Mr. Carr used his expertise in change management and business process improvement to lead the EHR implementation team, align service data reporting and financial performance, and lead the financial and data capture activities for new service initiatives.
Mr. Carr has also held the positions of Administrative Director and Finance Director at the St. Paul National Testing Laboratory, a biomedical testing facility of the American Red Cross. In those positions he oversaw activities to enhance inventory management, align financial results to industry standards, and improve financial and facilities performance through problem analysis and quality management initiatives. He also was involved in directing human resource functions during laboratory closing near the end of his tenure.
Mr. Carr earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of South Dakota, and a Master of Divinity Degree from Sioux Falls Seminary. He maintains an active CPA license with the State of South Dakota.
Reflections: The State Of Health & Human Service Organizations After A Merger – What They’ve Learned & Where They’re Headed
The right merger can lead to two organizations earning more revenue while reducing expenses. This win-win synergy often has a compounding effect that leads to organizational transformation and creates deep impacts in the lives of the people served. Hear the lessons learned from executives who have made mergers, acquisitions, or affiliations work and where it is taking them.
Kathleen Jordan, DHA
Dr. Kathleen Jordan is the Executive Vice President/Chief Executive Officer at Seven Hills Foundation, an integrated health and human services company with an annual operating budget of $400 million and 4800 employees. In this role, Kathleen oversees the programmatic and clinical aspects of the Affiliate companies in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. In addition, Kathleen is responsible for quality assurance and program improvement, risk management, Medicaid Demonstration Projects, the Seven Hills Research Center, and the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Dr. Jordan has been with Seven Hills Foundation for the past 19 years. She speaks frequently on issues related to HIV/AIDS, Long Term Services and Supports (LTSS) and Data Analytics. In addition to her role at Seven Hills, Dr. Jordan is an adjunct professor at Clark University teaching Global Health, Research Strategies and Nonprofit Management and at Central Michigan University where she teaches Strategic Philanthropy, Health Informatics and Communication and Substance Abuse Services. Dr. Jordan holds a Doctor of Health Administration degree from Central Michigan University; a Masters in Education Administration from Boston College; and a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from West Virginia University. She is also a Fellow in the American College of Health Executives.
Kathleen is speaking during Reflections: The State Of Health & Human Service Organizations After A Merger – What They’ve Learned & Where They’re Headed.
Diane Gould, LICSW
Diane Gould joined Advocates in 1985 and was appointed President and CEO in 2013. In a career at Advocates spanning over forty years, she has held many clinical and leadership roles and directed a range of clinical, residential, and support services promoting empowerment, inclusion, and health equity. Diane is also the President and CEO of Family Continuity Program, as of January 1, 2023.
Central to Diane’s approach to leadership is a commitment to collaboration. At Advocates, Diane emphasizes partnership with employees, funders, and individuals who receive services as an essential way to advance the agency’s mission.
In the broader community Diane is an active board member of the Massachusetts Providers Council, Association of Behavioral Healthcare, and several other industry advocacy organizations. Throughout her career, Diane has worked to build diverse, inclusive community coalitions that address behavioral health and social service needs. Diane’s several community recognitions include the 2011 Deborah Blumer Community Health Leader Award from the MetroWest Health Foundation, the 2015 MassPRA Public Advocacy Award, and The Providers’ Council’s 2020 CEO Award and 2022 Chair’s Award. Diane’s leadership has resulted in Advocates being selected one of the Top 100 Women Led Businesses, and Top 100 Places to Work in Massachusetts by the Boston Globe.
Diane holds a Master of Social Work degree from Simmons College, and the values of the social work profession continue to inform her vision and leadership. Previously, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Massachusetts with a concentration in English and Women’s Studies.
Diane is speaking during Reflections: The State Of Health & Human Service Organizations After A Merger – What They’ve Learned & Where They’re Headed.
Joseph P. Naughton-Travers, Ed.M.
Joseph P. Naughton-Travers, Ed.M., Senior Associate, has more than 30 years of experience in the health and human service field. In this tenure as senior associate with OPEN MINDS since 1998, he has served as lead of dozens of client initiatives, served as editor of OPEN MINDS publications, and is the author of many groundbreaking articles and presentations.
Mr. Naughton-Travers brings to OPEN MINDS a broad range of experiences in private and public sector delivery of behavioral health and social services. He started his career as a behavioral health clinician, working in both child welfare and community mental health clinic settings. Subsequently, Mr. Naughton-Travers held a senior business operations management position for a psychiatric hospital system and its community mental health clinics. Later, he was vice president of a firm specializing in information systems and billing and receivables management for community-based mental health programs.
Since joining OPEN MINDS, Mr. Naughton-Travers has developed business solutions for provider and professional organizations, state and county government, technology companies, and venture capital firms. His primary areas of expertise include strategic planning and metrics-based management, electronic health record (EHR) and technology selection and implementation, operations improvement, and corporate compliance. For the past decade, over half his consulting practice has focused on aiding organizations in technology selection and implementation, including all aspects of strategic technology planning, functional specifications development, request for proposal development, vendor selection, and contracting.
He has written numerous articles, including “Winning the Human Resource Wars: Tried, True and New Strategies for Behavioral Health and Social Service Organizations,” “Five Pillars of Management Competency,” “Data Driven Decision Making: Moving to an Organizational Measurement Culture,” “Survival of the Smartest: What is Your Organization’s Information Literacy IQ?,” and “Strategic Human Resource Management: Aligning Compensation with Employee Performance and Organizational Strategy.” Mr. Naughton-Travers is also a nationally recognized speaker, having conducted hundreds of executive and professional executive training events around the nation.
Mr. Naughton-Travers received his Bachelor’s degree from Miami University of Ohio and his Masters’ of Education in Counseling Psychology from Boston University.
Ken Carr
Ken Carr brings over 20 years of finance, technology, data analysis and reporting experience in the health and human service field to OPEN MINDS. He currently ia a Senior Associate with the OPEN MINDS consulting practice. In this role, he served as a subject matter expert in the OPEN MINDS consulting practice where he has led numerous engagements in strategic planning, merger and acquisition prospecting, business process improvement, financial analysis of service lines, and technology selection.
Before joining the OPEN MINDS team, he served as the Chief Financial Officer of The Centers, a community mental health center in Ocala, Florida. In this position, Mr. Carr led a realignment of the organization’s financial management functions. This included revenue cycle management, EHR bill implementation and reporting, cash management enhancement, and strategic financial analysis.
Prior to his role at The Centers, Mr. Carr served as Chief Financial Officer of Guild Incorporated, an organization providing residential and community based mental health services in St. Paul, Minnesota. As CFO, Mr. Carr led the financial, billing, IT, quality, informatics, compliance, and facilities activities. During his tenure at Guild Incorporated, Mr. Carr used his expertise in change management and business process improvement to lead the EHR implementation team, align service data reporting and financial performance, and lead the financial and data capture activities for new service initiatives.
Mr. Carr has also held the positions of Administrative Director and Finance Director at the St. Paul National Testing Laboratory, a biomedical testing facility of the American Red Cross. In those positions he oversaw activities to enhance inventory management, align financial results to industry standards, and improve financial and facilities performance through problem analysis and quality management initiatives. He also was involved in directing human resource functions during laboratory closing near the end of his tenure.
Mr. Carr earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of South Dakota, and a Master of Divinity Degree from Sioux Falls Seminary. He maintains an active CPA license with the State of South Dakota.
Too Small To Survive – How Do I Find An Acquisition Or Affiliation Partner?
In these turbulent times, post pandemic, provider organizations cannot wait until their situation is dire before exploring potential solutions. Affiliations can allow organizations to tap into a bigger support, operate efficiently and still conduct business as usual. And when affiliations are successful, organizations can explore the possibility of being acquired. During this session, hear from organizations who have been through the process and how to find the right acquisition or affiliation partner.
Jeff Holsinger
Jeffrey M. Holsinger has served as CEO of Volunteers of America Northern Rockies for the last 22 years, serving tens of thousands of people in need. Jeff is a visionary leader who values each person’s unique abilities and contributions. He understands that success happens when alliances are forged in a way that strengthens those around him. Under his leadership, the organization has expanded services from a small revenue base of under one million dollars a year to over $55 million today, supported by over 450 professional staff and several hundred volunteers.
Volunteers of America Northern Rockies operates innovative human service programs in eight core areas of service including community corrections, youth services, veteran’s services, low-income housing, healthcare services, homeless services, ministry, & community outreach. It operates under the governance of a board of directors that is represented throughout region of Montana, Wyoming, & Western South Dakota. The organization is one of 30 independent faith-based affiliates within Volunteers of America, Inc. through a federated model. Volunteers of America Northern Rockies has successfully fostered growth and innovation through entrepreneurial thinking, radical hospitality, and organizational citizenship. The organization has been intentional with growth strategies to prioritize the replication of successful programs and the acquisition of new service lines that enhance mission impact. Mergers and acquisitions have contributed to over 50% of the organization’s growth through ten separate engagements. Investing time in the leadership development of team members, fostering an organizational culture centered around Servant Leadership, and creating transformational change in those served are all passions of Jeff. He encourages his team to challenge institutional thinking while preparing for the certainty of change.
Jeff currently serves on the Wyoming Department of Family Services Advisory Council through appointment by Governor Gordon. He previously served on the Wyoming Workforce Development Committee. Jeff is also an avid outdoorsman who enjoys fishing, bird hunting and woodworking when time permits. He is married to Beth who also shares his outdoor passions and deep faith. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia with continuing education in facilitation, executive development, and social entrepreneurship. Jeff’s organizational practices and leadership vision related to social entrepreneurship was profiled in the 2011 college text Moral Courage in Organizations.
Jeff is speaking during Too Small To Survive – How Do I Find An Acquisition Or Affiliation Partner?
Anne Tyree, MPA, CFRE
Anne Tyree, MPA, CFRE, is Regional Chief Operating Officer for Centerstone operations in Illinois. She joined Centerstone through a merger with her former organization in 2014. Centerstone is a nonprofit health system providing mental health and substance use disorder treatments. Services are available nationally through the operation of outpatient clinics, residential programs, and the use of telehealth and an inpatient hospital. As Regional COO, Tyree oversees Illinois operations, administrative and support systems for 600 staff members serving over 10,000 clients annually in Southern Illinois. Previously Tyree served as the organization’s Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Financial Officer. Before joining Centerstone, she worked for a number of nonprofit human services organizations in Chicago, Illinois and as a nonprofit consultant. In these roles she planned and implemented significant strategic growth initiatives, revenue enhancement projects, public policy and marketing initiatives, and the development and funding of services to better serve children, adults and families experiencing behavioral health challenges. Tyree retired from the Illinois Air National Guard after serving as an enlisted member and becoming an officer; at her retirement she held the rank of Major (0-4).
She has more than 20 years expertise in strategic business planning, marketing, financial reporting and budgeting, and program and business development. Tyree received her B.A. from the University of Illinois-Chicago and her MPA with an emphasis on health care from American Public University.
Tyree has led a number of state and local boards and commissions, and remains involved with state, local and national organizations that support improving the funding and provision of behavioral health services.
Anne is speaking during Too Small To Survive – How Do I Find An Acquisition Or Affiliation Partner?
Joseph P. Naughton-Travers, Ed.M.
Joseph P. Naughton-Travers, Ed.M., Senior Associate, has more than 30 years of experience in the health and human service field. In this tenure as senior associate with OPEN MINDS since 1998, he has served as lead of dozens of client initiatives, served as editor of OPEN MINDS publications, and is the author of many groundbreaking articles and presentations.
Mr. Naughton-Travers brings to OPEN MINDS a broad range of experiences in private and public sector delivery of behavioral health and social services. He started his career as a behavioral health clinician, working in both child welfare and community mental health clinic settings. Subsequently, Mr. Naughton-Travers held a senior business operations management position for a psychiatric hospital system and its community mental health clinics. Later, he was vice president of a firm specializing in information systems and billing and receivables management for community-based mental health programs.
Since joining OPEN MINDS, Mr. Naughton-Travers has developed business solutions for provider and professional organizations, state and county government, technology companies, and venture capital firms. His primary areas of expertise include strategic planning and metrics-based management, electronic health record (EHR) and technology selection and implementation, operations improvement, and corporate compliance. For the past decade, over half his consulting practice has focused on aiding organizations in technology selection and implementation, including all aspects of strategic technology planning, functional specifications development, request for proposal development, vendor selection, and contracting.
He has written numerous articles, including “Winning the Human Resource Wars: Tried, True and New Strategies for Behavioral Health and Social Service Organizations,” “Five Pillars of Management Competency,” “Data Driven Decision Making: Moving to an Organizational Measurement Culture,” “Survival of the Smartest: What is Your Organization’s Information Literacy IQ?,” and “Strategic Human Resource Management: Aligning Compensation with Employee Performance and Organizational Strategy.” Mr. Naughton-Travers is also a nationally recognized speaker, having conducted hundreds of executive and professional executive training events around the nation.
Mr. Naughton-Travers received his Bachelor’s degree from Miami University of Ohio and his Masters’ of Education in Counseling Psychology from Boston University.
Ken Carr
Ken Carr brings over 20 years of finance, technology, data analysis and reporting experience in the health and human service field to OPEN MINDS. He currently ia a Senior Associate with the OPEN MINDS consulting practice. In this role, he served as a subject matter expert in the OPEN MINDS consulting practice where he has led numerous engagements in strategic planning, merger and acquisition prospecting, business process improvement, financial analysis of service lines, and technology selection.
Before joining the OPEN MINDS team, he served as the Chief Financial Officer of The Centers, a community mental health center in Ocala, Florida. In this position, Mr. Carr led a realignment of the organization’s financial management functions. This included revenue cycle management, EHR bill implementation and reporting, cash management enhancement, and strategic financial analysis.
Prior to his role at The Centers, Mr. Carr served as Chief Financial Officer of Guild Incorporated, an organization providing residential and community based mental health services in St. Paul, Minnesota. As CFO, Mr. Carr led the financial, billing, IT, quality, informatics, compliance, and facilities activities. During his tenure at Guild Incorporated, Mr. Carr used his expertise in change management and business process improvement to lead the EHR implementation team, align service data reporting and financial performance, and lead the financial and data capture activities for new service initiatives.
Mr. Carr has also held the positions of Administrative Director and Finance Director at the St. Paul National Testing Laboratory, a biomedical testing facility of the American Red Cross. In those positions he oversaw activities to enhance inventory management, align financial results to industry standards, and improve financial and facilities performance through problem analysis and quality management initiatives. He also was involved in directing human resource functions during laboratory closing near the end of his tenure.
Mr. Carr earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of South Dakota, and a Master of Divinity Degree from Sioux Falls Seminary. He maintains an active CPA license with the State of South Dakota.