Karen Kurtin

Director and Government Outsourced Accounting Services Leader, Forvis Mazars

Karen Kurtin The practice leader of the Government Outsourced Accounting Services team, Karen has more than 17 years of public sector experience; this includes 11 years providing audit services to government entities and six years managing all aspects of finance for a Texas municipality. She also has experience with annual report writing, year-end accruals, audit interface, and a myriad of other outsourced accounting and finance needs for the public sector. As a member of the firm’s Public Sector Advisory service line, Karen serves governmental entities across the country.

In her prior role as the finance director of a Texas municipality, she performed a variety of supervisory, professional, administrative, and technical accounting and finance functions. Her duties involved regular presentations to the town council, budget preparation, monthly journal entry approval, monthly financial and investment report preparation, and year-end pension, post-employment benefit, lease, and capital asset entries, as well as interfacing with independent auditors. Karen also served as investment officer. She maintained the town’s cash and investment portfolio and supervised utility billing, customer service, and municipal court.

Karen’s career as senior manager at a predecessor firm to Forvis Mazars included supervising the audit team, communicating audit results to city council and management, and authorizing the signing and release of audit reports.

She is a certified public accountant, Certified Fraud Examiner, and Certified Government Finance Officer. She is a member of the American Institute of CPAs, TXCPA, Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA), GFOAT, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, and Dallas ACFE. In addition, she serves on the GFOA’s Special Review Committee.

Karen is a graduate of Texas A&M University, College Station, with a B.S. degree in mathematics, and a graduate of The University of Texas at Dallas, with an M.S. degree in accounting and information management.

Robert Baer

Municipal Budget Director, Tempe

Robert Baer has worked for the cities of Mesa, Avondale, and currently Tempe, where he has been the Municipal Budget Director for the past two months.

Michael Blunt

Senior Budget and Research Analyst, Goodyear

Michael Blunt is a Senior Budget & Research Analyst with municipal experience both at the City of Goodyear as well as Maricopa County. He has his MBA from Grand Canyon University and over his career has made it a point of focusing on process improvement while providing operational and educational support to both internal and external stakeholders. He's a strategic thinker with aspirations of advancing his career in the municipal sector having experience overseeing personnel, public safety, grants, CIP, and various extensive research projects.

Matthew Dunbar

Budget & Policy Director, Chandler

Matthew Dunbar is an Arizona native who was born and raised in the Prescott area. He has been with the City of Chandler now for 13 years, 7 years as the Revenue & Tax Manager and 6 years in his current role as Director of Budget & Policy. Before coming to Chandler he worked for the City of Prescott for 8 years holding a variety of positions there. He attended Northern Arizona University (Go Jacks!) for his undergrad degree in Accounting, has a Master’s in Business Administration, and received his certification as a certified public manager through Arizona State University. He has been involved with local government for more than 20 years in Arizona and appreciates any opportunity to share the good things local governments are doing whenever possible.

Gustavo Nava

Department Budget Supervisor, Phoenix Community and Economic Development

Gustavo Nava is the Department Budget Supervisor for the City of Phoenix’s Community and Economic Development Department, where he oversees the operating and capital budget supporting programs that drive business growth, workforce development, and community investment. He leads the department’s fiscal team in all aspects of budgeting, financial reporting, and grant compliance. Before his current role, Gustavo worked in the city’s Finance Department and began his career in auditing, bringing over 13 years of experience in government finance and administration.

Ben Henderson

Director, Arizona Governor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting

Ben Henderson is a public servant who has dedicated his career to helping governments use data and technology to improve people's lives. After receiving his MPA from Arizona State University, he worked as an analyst for the Arizona Legislature’s Joint Legislative Budget Committee, covering administrative services, pensions and capital funding. He has worked for the City of Phoenix in community and economic development, revitalizing downtown through partnerships with higher education and the biosciences industry. He served as the Deputy COO for the State of Arizona under Republican Governor Ducey, using lean and process improvement to make government faster and more efficient. He then spent 4 years in Colorado, working for both Democratic Governors Hickenlooper and Polis. As Colorado’s Deputy Budget Director, he built a framework to scale evidence-based policy within the budget development process, before transitioning into the COO role, where he helped respond to the COVID pandemic, while standing up a new Department of Early Childhood. He then got married and moved back home to Arizona, where he spent 2 years as the State’s COO under Governor Hobbs, building state capacity in technology, data and analytics, and relentlessly making government forms less terrible. In 2025 he became the Director of the AZ Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting. He spends his free time coaching local marching bands, and hiking in the great outdoors with his wife, Morgan, and their dog, Hubert.

Eric Portlock

Managing Director, Protiviti

Eric Portlock is the Managing Director and Denver Office Market Lead for Protiviti, where he also leads the firm’s Capital Projects Practice. With more than 21 years of experience, Eric specializes in helping public and private organizations strengthen their capital project management, budgeting, and internal control environments.

His expertise spans capital planning, project forecasting, contract compliance, and risk management across industries including government, utilities, industrial products, and construction. Eric has managed dozens of large-scale assessments of construction lifecycles, developed centralized project controls, and advised on forecasting, cost recovery, and performance reporting for major infrastructure and facilities programs.

Eric is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive), Certified Construction Auditor, and holds a Certification in Risk Management Assurance. He earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Accounting and Music from Brigham Young University.

Jana Cinnamon

Partner, Chief Operating Officer, Abdo

Jana Cinnamon Chief Operating Officer, joined the Firm in 2012. In January 2022, Jana was named Partner at Abdo. As Chief Operating Officer, Jana helps lead the day-to-date operations of Abdo. She provides strategic leadership to the Firm’s Human Resources, Marketing, Technology and Administration functions to drive firm growth. Jana uses a people-first approach to implementing positive changes to both the client and employee experience.

Jana also assists external clients in strategic planning and consulting. She enjoys helping other business leaders find a path forward toward reaching their goals.

Jana has been recognized as one of the Top 50 Women in Accounting by Practice Ignition, and served as the Chair of the CPA Firm Management Association. In 2024, she was named a 2024 Minneapolis St. Paul Women in Business Honoree. Jana has spoken on topics such as employee engagement/retention, leadership development, firm management etc. at various events, including DFK North American Conference, CPAFMA National Connections Conference, AICPA Engage, and AICPA NFP/Government Conference.

EDUCATION

• Bachelor of Arts in Communications, University of Minnesota
• Master of Arts in Human Resources and Industrial Relations, University if Minnesota – Carlson School of Management
  • Graduated with Honors

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

• Past Chair, CPA Firm Management Association

AFFILIATIONS

• Past Board Member, March of Dimes, Minnesota Market
  
  • Chair of the 2022 March for babies
• Past Board Member, Angelica Cantanti Youth Choirs

QUALIFICATIONS

• As Chief Operating Officer, Jana leads the Human Resources, Administrative, and Technology functions and is focused on attracting, developing, and retaining talent for our growing Firm
• 15 years of experience management, leadership, recruiting, employee engagement, HR strategy and learning and development
• Experience in consulting and strategic planning for a number of clients

Vicki Holthaus

Partner, Abdo

Vicki Holthaus aims to simplify the complex for her clients. Her goal is to give them a solid understanding of their finances, so they can confidently plan ahead. She specializes in working with local governments and nonprofit agencies to strategize capital improvements, develop strategic long-range financial plans, and troubleshoot accounting and financial challenges. She also provides process evaluation and process improvement services for nonprofit and private sector clients. Over the past several years, Vicki has helped many organizations with strategic upgrades to technology and software as they navigate new ways of interacting with donors, constituents, and customers. Along with the ability to creatively explain technical terms, Vicki has firsthand knowledge of the issues governments and non-governmental organizations face.

EDUCATION

• Bachelor of Science in Accounting, National American University
• Master of Arts in Public Administration, Hamline University
• Continuing professional education

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

• Minnesota and Arizona Society of Certified Public Accountants
• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
• Minnesota Council of Non-Profits
• Government Finance Officer's Association of the United States and Canada, Minnesota, Arizona, and Arkansas Government Finance Officer's Association
• Minnesota and Arizona Government Finance Officers Association

AFFILIATIONS

• Hamline School of Business, Accounting Board Member
• Arizona Women Leading Government Member

QUALIFICATIONS

• 17 years of experience working with local governments and nonprofits in finance and administration
• Experience with budgeting, capital planning, debt management, as well as being the process evaluation and improvement engagement lead and non-profit advisory service leader
• Previous speaker at MCFOA Municipal Clerks and Finance Officers Association, League of Minnesota Cities and has developed newsletter content on fraud prevention, automation, long-term planning and process improvements

Paul Matson

Executive Director, ASRS

Paul Matson has been with the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) since late 1995, serving initially as chief investment officer and since 2003 as executive director, overseeing a $60 billion investment portfolio and 220 employees. Management and oversight include pension, health insurance, long-term disability, and defined contribution plans.

Previously Paul served as a senior investment advisor at the Treasury Division, Workers Compensation Board, Alberta, Canada and as a financial analyst and portfolio analyst in the Investment Management Division, Alberta Treasury, Alberta, Canada.

Current and Past Boards & Committees:

• Canada Arizona Business Council
• Arizona Property and Casualty Insurance Guaranty Fund Board
• Arizona Life and Disability Insurance Guaranty Fund Board
• Arizona State Governing Committee for Deferred Compensation Plans
• Alberta Investment Management Investment Operations Committee

Education:

• Master of Arts, International Relations, Arizona State University, Research focus on international terrorism
• Master of Business Administration, Simon Fraser University, Canada, Research focus on financial derivatives
• Bachelor of Commerce, University of Alberta, Canada
• Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Charterholder
• Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Charterholder
• Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute (FCSI)
• Canadian Investment Manager (CIM)
• Certified Cash Manager (CCM)

Note: Approximations utilized.

Mark Reader

Managing Director, Stifel

Mark Reader has served as an investment banker to Arizona Cities, Towns Counties and Special Districts for the past 36-years. In that role, he has advised as financial advisor or underwriter to Stifel’s clients on the most efficient way to finance through the issuance of tax-exempt bonds a variety of important Public Infrastructure and Economic Development Projects. His experience includes a variety of revenue bond structures, general obligation bond elections and subsequent issuance, utility revenue bonds (new money and utility acquisitions), public pension bonds and assistance, special assessment improvement district bonds and community facilities districts transactions for master planned communities and certain economic development projects. Stifel’s Arizona public finance office has 14 dedicated professionals who manage approximately 50 - 60 transactions per year within all the various sectors we serve.

Omar Daghestani

Managing Director, Stifel

Omar Daghestani 51, Managing Director and Public Finance Operating Committee leads Stifel’s Chicago, New York and Boston practices and #1 ranked national public pension practice.

Omar has worked with public pension systems nationally for the past two decades with his career first transaction, the State of Wisconsin’s $1.79 billion General Fund Annual Appropriation Bonds issue in 2003, setting the national analog for best practice. Omar and his colleagues have led more financings than anyone in the nation with 42 transactions, $2.47 billion in the past five years alone with a strong focus on activity in Arizona, West Virginia, Massachusetts and the Midwest.

Omar has also worked extensively on new municipal pension innovations nationally and in the State of Arizona. His work includes working with ASRS leadership on the first state-level framework which allows local employers to prefund their share of the proportionate unfunded liability into the Arizona State Retirement System. Omar also worked with the State of West Virginia to codify pension best practice in West Virginia through House Bill 4756 and was invited to the bill signing with Governor Justice and the sponsoring delegates.

Mr. Daghestani is a regular speaker at industry conferences and has lectured at Harvard Kennedy School, University of Chicago Harris School and other forums on pension liability management and public policy.

Omar drives positive public policy outcomes through his service including;

• Board Chair & Governor; City Club of Chicago
• Treasurer Governing Board Director, Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center
• Director, University of Chicago, Harris School Center for Municipal Finance Board
• Class Reunion Co-Chair (5, 10, 15 and 20 year), Harvard University, Kennedy School

Omar received a B.A. with Honors in Economics (Phi Beta Kappa) from Northwestern University where his thesis, “Redlining in Chicago: A Predictive Model of Home Mortgage Origination” was recognized with the William Henry Exum Paper Award by the Department of African American Studies. Omar earned an M.P.P. from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, where he was twice elected Student Body President. Most recently, Omar was recognized by Crain’s Chicago Business with the 2023 Crain’s Notable Leaders in Finance award and 2025 Crain’s Notable Leaders in Philanthropy. He is married to his wife Cathleen, and they have a 13-year-old son.