Joe Woodard - Writer and Instructor, The Sleeter Group, Inc.

Joe Woodard is a Certified QuickBooks Professional Advisor with over 14 years of public speaking experience, including 4 years teaching QuickBooks users Atlanta's Premier QuickBooks Experts and consultants. Joe currently works with The Sleeter Group, a prestigious and highly reputable national QuickBooks training provider to present advanced QuickBooks instruction to CPAs and accountants across the country.

Joe has co-authored two Intuit endorsed classroom curriculums focused on building successful QuickBooks consulting practices: The Sleeter Group’s “QuickBooks Technology Workshop”, and The Sleeter Group’s “Practice Management and Marketing Seminar.” Joe is also the co-developer of The Sleeter Group’s “Successful QuickBooks Consulting System,” a QuickBooks-centered practice management and marketing tool for CPAs and accountants.

Joe has built two QuickBooks consulting practices: the first in New Orleans, Louisiana and the second in Atlanta, Georgia – Creative Financial Software (CFS). CFS supports small businesses that use QuickBooks Basic, Pro, Premier, and Premier:Contractor Edition, as well as QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions, QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Point of Sale. CFS also offers advisory services to Atlanta-area CPA firms, helping them to better service their clients who use QuickBooks.

CFS currently serves as an independent consultant to Intuit, the developers of QuickBooks software, advising them regarding product development, accountant training, and QuickBooks help menu content.

Rich Walker, CPA - Director, Accountant and Advisor Relations Group, Intuit Inc.

As Director of the Intuit Accountant and Advisor Relations Group at Intuit, Rich Walker, CPA, is responsible for the development and coordination of strategies and programs to help professional accountants, advisor, and software consultants, among others, better serve their clients in the use of Intuit's products and services, including the QuickBooks product line, Intuit Payroll Solutions, Intuit's Vertical Industry Solutions, and IDN applications.

Rich's teams focus on familiarizing accountants with and answering their questions about Intuit's offerings via the Accountant Training Network, the QuickBooks ProAdvisors Program, the Intuit ProConnection newsletter, and grassroots efforts with the accounting profession. In addition, Rich is involved in the strategic planning and development of products and services for professional accountants, as well as the overall communications plan to accountants and professional advisors.

Ed Schaffer – Group Manager, Intuit Developer Network, Intuit Inc.

Mr. Schaffer is responsible for managing all aspects of the Intuit Developer Network which helps developers deliver solutions that small businesses need, including industry-specific solutions that integrate with Intuit's core products and support the company’s “Right for My Business” strategy. Prior to joining Intuit, Mr. Schaffer had his own company that provided outsourcing of back office functions to small businesses. He holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Stanford University.

René Lacerte, Founder and CEO, Paycycle, Inc.

Mr. Lacerte has over a decade of experience in accounting and payroll software. He has directed PayCycle's rapid growth into its current position as one of the leading online payroll services. Prior to founding PayCycle, Mr. Lacerte led the strategic development of Intuit's entry into the payroll services market. He managed all product management, marketing and business development activities related to payroll services. Mr. Lacerte also was instrumental in developing Intuit's bill payment and presentment strategies. Mr. Lacerte also worked for Certa Delta Corporation, a regional payroll services firm in central Florida. Mr. Lacerte received a BA in Economics and an MS in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University.

Christine Manor, CPA - Non-Profit Expert, The Sleeter Group, Inc.

Christine joined the Sleeter Group Instructor team in 2001. Christine has been working with not-for-profits for 24 years. Christine's background includes advisory roles with the National Center for Charitable Statistics at the Urban Institute, CompassPoint Nonprofit Services of San Francisco, and California Association of Nonprofits. Her clients include National Academy of Social Insurance, The Philanthropy Roundtable, Society of Conservation Biologists, American Architectural Foundation, The Oceanography Society, North American Alliance of Folk Music and Dance, the Postsecondary Electronics Standards Council, and many more. She is an instructor in QuickBooks training for CAN (California Association of Nonprofits), the Washington (DC) Council of Agencies, and for The Sleeter Group.

Steve Green has been a consultant and operational manager with Campbell, Benn & Taylor for almost twenty years. Mr. Green is responsible for all facets of the day-to-day management of one of the Sacramento area's larger accounting firms. Steve holds a B.A. from the University of the Pacific and has earned certifications not only as a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor and Certified QuickBooks Point of Sale ProAdvisor, but also as a Microsoft Certified Professional, a Timeslips Certified Consultant and a Certified Novell Administrator.

QuickBooks consulting work is the cornerstone of Steve's practice and he has been actively involved with the program since 1996. He has been a member of the QuickBooks ProAdvisor and the Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor programs since their inception and is also a member to the Sleeter Group's Certified Consultants Network. His primary focus is to help make clients self sufficient so that they may reduce their ongoing reliance on outside professional accounting services. To that end, Steve writes and presents his own training courses as well as provides on-site and remote access training tailored to the needs of a specific organization. End user assistance is not limited to training, but also includes:

• Planning, setup and configuration


• Bookkeeper training


• Peer-to-Peer networking assistance


• Monthly, quarterly and/or annual data file review and clean up


• Assistance with integrated applications


• Data file repair and maintenance

In addition to working with end users, Steve has also had the unusual opportunity to work with several companies that have developed vertical market applications that interface directly with QuickBooks. In this capacity, he has provided an array of consulting services from the proper integration of the initial information to product testing and review of end user documentation and the synchronization process.

Steve has also had the unique privilege of participating on an advisory panel with Intuit (the makers of QuickBooks), as well as providing them with direct consulting services.

Anna Sheets, CPA - Metzger, Mancini & Lackner, CPAs

Ms. Sheets, CPA began working with the Sleeter Group in 2003 contributing to the 2004 Textbook & Step by Step seminar materials. Her extensive combination of QuickBooks and non-profit experience helped to enhance the new QuickBooks for Not for Profit manual in 2004. Anna's background was in small business management until 1995, when she received her B.S. in Accounting from Indiana University South Bend. Since then, she has worked for Metzger, Mancini & Lackner, CPAs creating a success story of QuickBooks consulting within the traditional CPA firm. She teaches seminars and staff, facilitates two active user groups and consults "in the trenches" with end users. Most of the consulting community knows Anna from her lively participation in the Sleeter Group & QBSP Yahoo Forums, where her range of experience always provides an answer!

Dawn Scranton, CQA - Accounting Directors, Inc.

Ms. Scranton is often referred to as the link between programmers and accountants. As a project manager, she makes sure data travels from the first point of entry to the accountant's desk, while achieving management's preferred results. Whether directing SDK objectives, customizing iif templates, or implementing "packaged solutions", Dawn delivers increased automation, elimination of duplication, and restoration of data integrity.

Leslie Shiner, MBA - Sr. Industry Advisor, Intuit Construction Business Solutions

Leslie - author, speaker, and trainer - has more than twenty years of experience working as a financial and management consultant for the construction industry. As the owner and principal of The ShinerGroup, she has helped both small and large construction companies better understand their business practices and maximize their profits. Ms. Shiner is the Senior Industry Advisor of Intuit Construction Business Solutions, a provider of software solutions for the construction industry. She firmly believes training and education is instrumental in the growth and success of those in the contracting field.

Ms. Shiner is also the author of numerous publications that focus on financial growth in the construction industry including the Profit Press Profit Guides: “Choosing ‘Best Fit’ Construction Management Software,” “Implementing New Business Management Software” and “Health Checkup for Your Construction Business” among others.

Ms. Shiner’s post-graduate education focused on Finance and Accounting culminating in an M.B.A. from UC Berkeley. Ms. Shiner has combined her knowledge of construction management with her passion for education. She teaches Construction Accounting and Project Management seminars around the country and frequently speaks at industry conferences, both locally and nationally. She has taught in the California State University System and is currently Adjunct Faculty at Dominican University.