REST 2025 Schedule, Course Descriptions, and Speakers
The following is the schedule for REST 2025, which includes the course description and speaker for each presentation. To learn more about our speakers, please read their biographies. A map of The Peppermill Resort Spa Casino’s 2nd Floor convention and meeting facilities is located at the end of the schedule, or can be accessed here .
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
5:30 PM To 7:00 PM: Early Registration & Socializing, The Hospitality Suite, Room TBA
Thursday, February 20, 2025
7:30 AM to 8:00 AM: Registration & Hot Breakfast Buffet, Naples Ballrooms 1 & 2, 3 & 4
8:00 AM to 11:40 AM:
Track A – Accounting & Auditing: Joanna Kardys-Stone (bio) , Naples Ballrooms 1 & 2
GAAP Updates and Other Pronouncements 2025 (4 CPE Hours)
- Selected FASB projects and what they mean to you.
- Review of the Private Company Council (PCC) and the Small Business Advisory Committee (SBAC) undertakings.
- Developments in other current topics of interest to small businesses: AI, sustainability, blockchain, and others.
Track B – Management & Leadership: Lawrence Dodd (bio) , Naples Ballrooms 3 & 4
How to Build a Culture of People Development, Committed Excellence and Purposeful Succession that Weathers Any Storm (4 CPE Hours)
- Implement a people development culture that builds teams that last.
- Invest your most valuable asset to drive excellence in yourself and others.
- Find, develop and mentor key people to drive depth from top to bottom.
11:45 AM to 1:15 PM: Hot Lunch Buffet with Drummond Kahn (bio) , Difficult Conversations (1 CPE Hour), Naples Ballrooms 6 & 7
1:20 PM to 5:00 PM:
Track A – Accounting & Auditing: Drummond Kahn (bio) , Naples Ballrooms 1 & 2
Handling Audit Dilemmas: How to Avoid Being Compromised (4 CPE Hours)
- Causes of professional dilemmas.
- Impact of dilemmas on professionalism and on projects and productivity.
- Describing and applying frames to both make decisions and explain how we reached them.
Track B – Management & Leadership: Shailesh Ghimire (bio), Naples Ballrooms 3 & 4
Unlocking the Power of AI (4 CPE Hours)
- Build an understanding of AI fundamentals.
- Explore types of AI platforms and learn about practical applications of AI-driven tools.
- Gain an understanding of how AI technologies can streamline decision-making and automate workflows.
- Real-world examples of AI’s impact on improving customer service, operations, and decision-making.
- Learn how AI tools can help small businesses optimize marketing to drive growth and success.
5:30 PM to 7:00 PM: Socializing in The Hospitality Suite, Room TBA
Friday, February 21, 2025
7:30 AM to 8:00 AM: Registration & Hot Breakfast Buffet, Naples Ballrooms 1 & 2, 3 & 4
8:00 AM to 11:40 AM:
Track A – Accounting & Auditing: Donielle Borgo (bio) & Mary Carlson (bio), Naples Ballrooms 1 & 2
Federal and Other Taxes Update 2025 (4 CPE Hours)
- Tax reform.
- Overview of Federal tax concepts.
- State Taxes – recent developments.
- Other taxes.
Track B – Management & Leadership: Claudia Castillo (bio), Naples Ballrooms 3 & 4
2025 Employment Law Update – Federal & State (4 CPE Hours)
- Remote work issues – Telecommute policies and procedures, interstate employment, best practices to ensure productivity, wage and hour compliance, etc.
- New laws – Wage and hour, leaves of absence, accommodations under the ADA and state Laws.
- Employees, independent contractors and exempt employees – Why do these distinctions matter, and how does interstate work impact classification?
11:45 AM to 1:15 PM: Hot Lunch Buffet with Joanna Kardys-Stone (bio) , Value of Continuous Learning for Financial Professionals (1 CPE Hour), Naples Ballrooms 6 & 7
1:20 PM to 5:00 PM:
Track A – Accounting & Auditing: Candy Bellau (bio), Naples Ballrooms 1 & 2
Fraud and Forensic Accounting (4 CPE Hours)
- Fraud triangle: Exploration of elements that lead to fraud.
- Real-world examples: Everyday business situations and the importance of early detection.
- Detection techniques.
- Human side of fraud.
- Outcome for attendees: Gaining actionable strategies for fraud prevention, learning tools to mitigate fraud risk and create secure, trustworthy environments.
Track B – Management & Leadership: Kenny Kang (bio) , Naples Ballrooms 3 & 4
AI, Ransomware and SEC Reporting – What do they have in common? – Cyber Attacks (4 CPE Hours)
- Learn how the latest AI could be a threat to your organization.
- Review some of the recent ransomware attacks.
- Study the latest SEC cybersecurity disclosure requirements.
- Acquire the best practices against cyber threats.
5:30 PM to 7:00 PM: Socializing in The Hospitality Suite, Room TBA
Saturday, February 22, 2025
7:30 AM to 8:00 AM: Registration & Hot Breakfast Buffet, Naples Ballrooms 6 & 7
8:00 AM to 11:40 AM:
Professional Ethics in Action (4 CPE Hours): Jeanne Yamamura (bio) , Naples Ballrooms 6 & 7
- Review recent and proposed regulatory changes in ethics guidance for CMAs and CPAs.
- Discuss common ethical problem areas.
- Test your knowledge of common ethical requirements.
- Provide update on other changes impacting CMAs and CPAs.
Qualifies for CMA’s annual ethics requirement and may meet part or all of the ethics renewal requirements for licensed CPAs. Please review your own state’s requirements.
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SCHEDULE CHANGES
We reserve the right to change speakers when necessary and to cancel the program as appropriate with a minimum of one-week advance notice to registrants. Should cancellation occur, all registration fees will be refunded in full.