Category: Business News

St. Louis (October 27, 2021) – Tom Dunn CPA Firm, a St. Louis-based accounting, business advisory and tax preparation firm for small business owners and entrepreneurs, was voted one of the “Best 2021 St. Louis Accountants” by the readers of Small Business Monthly.

“I am honored to be part of this select group of the best accountants in the region. I love what I do by helping our clients grow their businesses successfully,” said Tom Dunn, CEO and founder of Tom Dunn CPA Firm.

Tom Dunn CPA Firm has a unique process with the way they manage client relationships. Dunn explained that he asks clients to come in each week for a weekly 20-minute meeting where clients need to sign their personal and business checks prepared by his team of accountants, discuss business strategies, and understand the general financial direction of their businesses.  A benefit is that clients meet with Dunn, who is an entrepreneur having owned more than 10+ businesses throughout his career, and he shares his experience with each client to help guide his clients to make better informed decisions.

Dunn has been selected by Small Business Monthly readers for past multiple awards including Best Accounting Firm, Best in Reliability, Best in Customer Service, Best in Payroll Service, and voted One of the Most Innovative Companies in St. Louis. He has also been voted one of the “Top 100 People to Know in Business in St. Louis.”

To read the list of the “2021 Best Accountants in St. Louis,” please visit, https://bit.ly/2ZoKKWl.

About Tom Dunn CPA Firm

Tom Dunn CPA Firm, founded by Tom Dunn, CPA, is a St. Louis-based accounting, business advisory and tax preparation firm that serves small and mid-sized businesses, nonprofits, families, and trusts.  Nearly 20 years ago, Tom decided to focus on his passions of accounting and helping entrepreneurs find solutions. Tom and his team can manage the business and personal financial, accounting and tax needs of their clients by partnering with them so they have a better chance at success, life-changing-results, and peace of mind. To learn more, please visit, http://tomdunncpa.com.

St. Louis (Sept. 8, 2021) – Affinity Law Group, LLC a leading St. Louis-based boutique business, estate planning and employment law firm, recently announced that Jennifer Goltermann joined the firm as Of Counsel.

Goltermann will focus her legal practice on employment and labor law. She will counsel clients on a variety of matters ranging from wage and hour issues, discrimination and harassment claims, and human resources policies and best practices.

Prior to joining the firm, Goltermann worked at Littler Mendelson, P.C. and Thompson Coburn LLP.

“We are thrilled to have Jennifer join Affinity Law Group. She brings a depth of experience in labor and employment law that is crucial for our clients to succeed in the complicated business environment,” said Kathleen Bilderback, JD, LLM, Affinity Law Group Founding Member.

Goltermann earned a Juris Doctor from Saint Louis University School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She is licensed in Missouri and Illinois.

About Affinity Law Group, LLC

Affinity Law Group’s mission is to partner with its clients to provide strategic counsel and tailored legal services integral to their business and personal success. To learn more, please contact 314.872.3333 or visit, www.affinitylawgrp.com.

The annual event brings together in-house counsel, local leaders, and attorneys

St. Louis (September 1, 2021) – The Association of Corporate Counsel Chapter of St. Louis (ACC STL), the pre-eminent professional development organization serving in-house counsel, in partnership with the Bar Association of Missouri St. Louis (BAMSL), the largest legal member association in St. Louis, announced today that they will host the Corporate Counsel Institute (CCI), an annual event that brings together in-house counsel, local leaders and attorneys, on Sept. 27 at the Ritz-Carlton located at 100 Carondelet Plaza, St. Louis, MO 63105.

The 2021 CCI program will offer 9 hours of Continuing Legal Education (CLE) and breakout sessions ranging from managing data privacy and employment law to diversity and inclusion and working with federal agencies.

Ty Ulmer, ACC STL 2021 CCI Chairperson, said, “We are excited to bring back the CCI this year as an in-person event. The ACC STL and BAMSL volunteers who have made this year’s event possible worked hard to ensure that participants have incredible learning experiences and opportunities to network with peers.”

When asked about why the partnership between ACC STL and BAMSL is successful each when co-hosting the CCI, Ulmer said, “The strong partnership between ACC and BAMSL is built on many years of working together, and outstanding leaders in both organizations who recognize each organization brings different, complimenting strengths to the partnership.  The combination of these different strengths results in a CCI event that is greater than either organization could host on its own.”

The 2021 CCI corporate sponsors include:

• Husch Blackwell, the breakfast sponsor
• Thompson Coburn LLP, lunch and cocktail reception sponsor
• Dentons, the materials book sponsor
• Chicago Title Insurance Company, sponsor of the final presentation of the day, Jazz Drumming and the Art of Creative Persuasion.

About the ACC STL:

The Association for Corporate Counsel of St. Louis (ACC STL), the pre-eminent professional development organization serving in-house counsel, was founded in 1987. The St. Louis chapter has more than 550 members who represent more than 100 organizations. During its 30-year-history, the ACC STL has been recognized as one of the leading chapters in the country by the national Association of Corporate Counsel with having received the 2017 and 2019 Gold Level Award and selected for the 2018 Best Membership / Recruitment Award. To learn more, please visit, https://www.acc.com/chapters/stlouis/.

This is the twelfth consecutive year for AMM Communications to make the list of Best St. Louis PR Firms.

July 12, 2021 (St. Louis) – AMM Communications LLC, a St. Louis-based strategic communication and marketing communication firm, focused on public relations, business development, internal communications, content marketing, crisis communications, reputation management, executive communication skills training, and social media consulting, was selected as one of the “Best Public Relations Firms in St. Louis in 2021” by Small Business Monthly readers.

AMM Communications has made the list of Small Business Monthly’s Top Public Relations firms for 12 consecutive years from 2010-21.

“This is an incredible honor,” said Ann Marie Mayuga, AMM Communications principal and co-founder. “We want to thank our customers, partners, vendors, family, and friends for selecting us as one of the top public relations firms in St. Louis. To be included with this group of St. Louis firms demonstrates the level of marketing and public relations talent in the St. Louis region.”

Since its founding in 2008, AMM Communications has served customers providing them support ranging from media relations and crisis communications to content marketing, and executive communications skills training.  The company, co-founded by Ed and Ann Marie Mayuga, focuses on working with customers in the financial services, banking, professional services, manufacturing and distribution, healthcare, government entities and not-for-profits industries throughout the Midwest.

The list of the top public relations is published in the July 2021 Small Business Monthly. To view the list of the best public relations firms, please click on the link, https://sbmon.com/Awards/Article/1865/2021-Best-Public-Relations-Firms.

About AMM Communications

Founded in 2008, AMM Communications LLC, the leading St. Louis-based strategic marketing and public relations firm, provides media relations, digital marketing, business development, crisis communications, content marketing, internal communications, communications skills training, reputation management, social media consulting, and executive communication skills training. AMM Communications is a nationally certified Women Business Enterprise (WBE) by Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), and certified by State of Missouri, St. Louis County and St. Louis City.  The company is federally certified as a Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) by the SBA and is certified as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) by the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT). AMM Communications has been voted one of the “Best PR Firms in St. Louis” by Small Business Monthly from 2010-2021. “Drive your sales. Communicate better.” For more information, please visit, http://ammcommunications.com or call 314.485.9499.

June 24, 2021 (St. Louis) – AMM Communications LLC, the St. Louis-based digital public relations and strategic communications firm, celebrated its 13th anniversary on June 1.

Founded in 2008 by Ed and Ann Marie Mayuga, AMM Communications works with businesses and not-for-profits nationwide serving organizations in the financial services, banking, professional services, technology, and health care industries.

“We want to thank our clients, family and friends for their support for the past 13 years. The future of marketing and public relations is exciting with advancements in Artificial Intelligence, expanding social media platforms and understanding how to embrace technology. The one thing that will never change is the need for focused and clear messaging and communications,” said Ann Mayuga Mayuga, AMM Communications co-founder and partner.

Founded in 2008 by Ann Marie and Ed Mayuga, AMM Communications, a PR digital agency, serves clients throughout the St. Louis region and nationwide. The firm has evolved from its initial offerings of public relations and social media consulting to expanding into one of the only digital public relations firms in St. Louis using the Paid Earned Social Owned (PESO) model. The PESO model was created by Gini Dietrich, PR-thought leader and founder of the influential blog, http://spinsucks.com.

“It is hard to summarize the lessons learned from the past 13 years as an entrepreneur and communications professional. Our goal from the first day when we opened our doors for business is to help each customer craft and communicate their stories well, create thriving cultures, and grow their businesses,” added Mayuga.

AMM Communications has also been voted one of the “Best St. Louis Public Relations Firms” by the readers of Small Business Monthly for 12 consecutive years from 2010-21. Also, the firm was selected by Small Business Monthly as one of its 2017 and 2020 “Future 50” companies, an award recognizing privately held companies that are key economic indicators for regional business growth.

About AMM Communications

Founded in 2008, AMM Communications LLC, the leading St. Louis-based strategic marketing, PR, and talent acquisition firm, provides media relations, digital marketing, business development, crisis communications, content marketing, internal communications, communications skills training, reputation management, and social media consulting for businesses nationwide. AMM Communications is a nationally certified Women Business Enterprise (WBE) by Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), and certified by State of Missouri, St. Louis County and St. Louis City.  The company is federally certified as a Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) by the SBA and is certified as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) by the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT). AMM Communications has been voted one of the “Best PR Firms in St. Louis” by Small Business Monthly from 2010-2021. We want to help you … Drive your sales. Communicate better. For more information, please visit, http://ammcommunications.com or call 314.485.9499.

St. Louis (April 19, 2021) – Tom Dunn CPA Firm, a St. Louis-based accounting, business advisory and tax preparation firm for small business owners and entrepreneurs, was voted one of “2021 Best Payroll Providers in St. Louis” by the readers of Small Business Monthly.

“We are honored to be part of this short list of St. Louis’ best payroll providers. We want to thank our clients, partners, and the readers of Small Business Monthly,” said Tom Dunn, CEO and founder of Tom Dunn CPA Firm.

Tom Dunn CPA Firm has a unique process with the way it manages client relationships. Dunn explained that he asks clients to come in each week for a weekly 20-minute meeting where clients need to sign their personal and business checks prepared by his team of accountants, discuss business strategies, and understand the general financial direction of their businesses.  A benefit is that clients meet with Dunn, who is an entrepreneur having owned more than 10+ businesses throughout his career, and he shares his experience with each client to help guide his clients to make better informed decisions.

Dunn has been selected by Small Business Monthly readers for past multiple awards including Best Accounting Firm, Best in Reliability, Best in Customer Service, and voted One of the Most Innovative Companies in St. Louis. He has also been voted one of the “Top 100 People to Know in Business in St. Louis.”

To read the list of the “2021 Best Payroll Providers in St. Louis,” please click on the following link: https://www.pageturnpro.com/St-Louis-Small-Business-Monthly/99369-STL-SBM-April-2021/sdefault.html#page/17.

About Tom Dunn CPA Firm

Tom Dunn CPA Firm, founded by Tom Dunn, CPA, is a St. Louis-based accounting, business advisory and tax preparation firm that serves small and mid-sized businesses, nonprofits, families, and trusts.  Nearly 20 years ago, Tom decided to focus on his passions of accounting and helping entrepreneurs find solutions. Tom and his team can manage the business and personal financial, accounting and tax needs of their clients by partnering with them so they have a better chance at success, life-changing-results and peace of mind. To learn more, please visit, http://tomdunncpa.com.

St. Louis (April 14, 2021) – The Association of Corporate Counsel – St. Louis Chapter (ACC STL) participated in the 2021 Street Law Program, a global, non-partisan and nonprofit organization through which local attorneys volunteer to educate youth about matters related to law and government. This year, the event was held virtually March 8-11 with 45 KIPP St. Louis Public School students and 11 ACC STL members who volunteered to lead the discussions.

Since 2012, the ACC STL Diversity & Inclusion Committee has directed the Street Law Program for the St. Louis Chapter. Street Law is a diversity pipeline program, designed to expose students from a local high school (whose students include virtually all racial and ethnic backgrounds underrepresented in the legal profession) to the practice of law in a way that will encourage them to consider legal careers and pursue higher education. Chapter members participating in the program, in teams of two or three members, teach an interactive session on an area of the law at the participating high school class.

“Street Law provides students with an insight into the legal profession which they may not otherwise have. The ACC STL believes it is important because this introduction provides students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to understand the legal profession and how to advocate for themselves and others,” said Geoffrey Grammer, Chairperson for the 2021 Law Street Program and Corporate Counsel, Ameren Corporation.

The 2021 Street Law sponsor was Alaris (https://alaris.us/).

Contact:

Ann Marie Mayuga, AMM Communications
314.485.9499
annmarie@ammcommunications.com

About the ACC STL:

The Association for Corporate Counsel of St. Louis (ACC STL), the pre-eminent professional development organization serving in-house counsel, was founded in 1987. The St. Louis chapter has more than 550 members who represent more than 100 organizations.  The ACC STL has been recognized as one of the leading chapters in the country by the national Association of Corporate Counsel with having received the 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 Gold Level Award, and selected for the 2018 Best Membership / Recruitment Award. To learn more, please visit, https://www.acc.com/chapters/stlouis/.

March 9, 2021 (St. Louis) – The Association of Corporate Counsel – St. Louis Chapter (ACC STL), the pre-eminent professional development organization serving in-house counsel, held its 2021 Annual Meeting virtually by recognizing members for their individual contributions.

The 2021 ACC STL award recipients include:

Committee of the Year: Diversity Committee led by Committee Chairperson is Tamee Reese, Assistant Vice President, Senior Legal Counsel, AT&T. The Diversity Committee was recognized in October 2020 by the ACC National Organization as the “Most Innovative Diversity Initiative Program in 2019” for its Diversity & Inclusion Summer Internship Program. The committee founded the Diversity & Inclusion Task Force in response to the racial injustices from last year to help members learn, understand, and discuss topics of concern. The task force and committee worked together to provide programming and partnered with the ACC Mid-American Chapter to host three book club discussions for members from both chapters.

Member of the Year: Lisa Savoy, Assistant General Counsel, Equifax Workforce Solutions, is the 2021 award recipient. This award honors the Chapter member who has shown great dedication and service to the Chapter during the previous year. Savory was selected because of her leadership role with the Diversity & Inclusion Task Force. She was the first member to lead the first task force program, “8 Minutes that Changed the World: How I Can’t Breathe,” where she served as the co-moderator. More than 100 members participated virtually including the President of the ACC national organization in the open forum to discuss current events following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. She continues to be actively involved with the Task Force.

William E. Jaudes Service Award: James Scott, General Counsel, CRB, and former 1988-90 ACC STL president, is the 2021 award recipient. The William E. Jaudes Service award was named after Bill Jaudes, one of the original founders of the ACC STL. This honor, which is not awarded annually is given to members who exemplify dedication, leadership, and service. Schenk served ACC STL leadership roles including president and membership chairperson where the Chapter was recognized by the national Association of Corporate Counsel as Outstanding Chapter of the Year and achieved a milestone of surpassing 500 members for the first time in the Chapter’s history.

Brian Parsons, 2020 ACC STL President, and Senior Corporate Counsel, Centene, during the awards ceremony said, “Each member honored for the individual awards has contributed significantly to the growth of the St. Louis chapter. This past year was a challenge, and we had to react creatively and quickly to rethink how the Chapter would offer members programming, networking, and educational opportunities. The leadership and dedication of our members and the individuals honored with the 2021 awards have helped make the St. Louis chapter one of the strongest in the country.”

Contact:

Ann Marie Mayuga, AMM Communications
314.485.9499
annmarie@ammcommunications.com

About the ACC STL:

The Association for Corporate Counsel of St. Louis (ACC STL), the pre-eminent professional development organization serving in-house counsel, was founded in 1987. The St. Louis chapter has more than 550 members who represent more than 100 organizations.  The ACC STL has been recognized as one of the leading chapters in the country by the national Association of Corporate Counsel with having received the 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 Gold Level Award, and selected for the 2018 Best Membership / Recruitment Award. To learn more, please visit, https://www.acc.com/chapters/stlouis/.

ST. LOUIS (Feb. 22, 2021) – Legal Services of Eastern Missouri has received a $25,000 grant from Bayer Fund to support free legal support services for low-income families with children who need special education services to succeed in school. The services underwritten by the Bayer Fund grant will be used to support at-risk families and children living in North St. Louis County and will concentrate efforts on children attending schools in the Ferguson-Florissant, Hazelwood, Jennings, Normandy, Pattonville, Ritenour, and Riverview Gardens districts.

“This Children’s Legal Alliance Educational Advocacy Project funded by Bayer Fund helps both parents and children get the education needed to succeed.  This includes homeless families and children who, by federal law, are entitled to a quality education,” stated Daniel Underwood, Managing Attorney of the Children’s Legal Alliance Project. “This is particularly important during COVID when children may not be in the classroom,” said Underwood. “We are very grateful for Bayer Fund’s partnership to help children and families in under-served communities,” said Underwood.

For more information about the Children’s Legal Alliance Education Advocacy Project, or any of Legal Services’ programs, call 800-444-0514 or visit www.lsem.org.

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About Legal Services of Eastern Missouri: Legal Services of Eastern Missouri has provided free civil legal help for low-income families for 65 years. In 2020, more than 30,000 people in 21 counties of eastern Missouri received services from four regional offices. For more information, please visit www.lsem.org.

Chris Wittich and Ashley Lieberman join Business Services team as Associates.

St. Louis (February 18, 2021) – Purk & Associates, P.C., the leading, woman-owned St. Louis-based accounting, and management advisory firm, announced today that Ashley Lieberman and Chris Wittich joined the firm as Associates in the Business Services Division.

In her new role, Lieberman will ensure that audit standards are met for client matters and will work with individual and business clients on reviews, compilations, and audits.  She graduated with a Bachelor of Business in Accounting, and a Master of Accountancy from Maryville University located in St. Louis.

Wittich will conduct audits, compilations, and reviews for clients in industries that include Department of Labor ERISA, manufacturing, not-for-profits, low-income housing, construction, employee benefit plans and labor unions.  He earned a Bachelor of Accounting from Mississippi State University located in Starkville, MS.

Earlier this month, Purk & Associates, P.C. announced that it merged with two local accounting firms with two principals from the mergers joining – Terry Knox, CPA, formerly of Dwyer Costello and Knox P.C.; and Dough Pleus, CPA, formerly of Pleus & Company, LLC.

At the same time when the merger was announced, Purk & Associates, P.C. hired Holly Breuer, CPA, who joined as Principal and Chief Operating Officer, and Candice Carter who joined as a Director.

Because of the mergers and addition of talent, Purk & Associates, P.C. estimates that 2021 revenue is on track to be $5 million, nearly $2 million more than 2020 revenues.

“The talent of our entire team is second to none. We are well positioned to help clients with all their personal and business tax, audit and accounting matters,” said Jennah Purk, CPA, President and CEO, Purk & Associates, P.C.

About Purk & Associates, P.C.

Founded in 2009, Purk & Associates, P.C., headquartered in St. Louis, is the leading, woman-owned, independent accounting and management advisory firm that delivers a full range of tax, accounting, audit, wealth management and consulting services, by providing high-touch attention to clients’ needs. The firm’s mission – Achieve More—allows Purk & Associates to focus on helping their clients achieve their personal and professional financial goals. To learn more, please visit www.purkpc.com.