News: Karen Lake becomes 98th Chair of the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants
July 01, 2025
The Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants (FICPA) is proud to announce that Karen Lake, CPA, CFST, began her tenure as the 98th Chair of the FICPA on July 1, 2025.
“It is an honor to Chair an organization that has had a profound influence on my professional development,” Lake said. “The work of the FICPA is critical in shaping fiscal policy, educating taxpayers, advocating for our profession and protecting our role as stewards of the public trust.”
Lake is a Director of Tax Services at Berkowitz Pollack Brant Advisors + CPAs, where she leads the firm’s State and Local Tax (SALT) practice. Prior to joining the firm in 2009, she held positions with Deloitte, KPMG, Arthur Anderson, the Eckerd Corporation and the Florida Department of Revenue. With experience in a Big 4 public accounting firms, a corporate tax department and as a state auditor, she understands the full range of tax issues most businesses face. She is the third member of Berkowitz Pollack Brant to serve as FICPA Chair, joining Richard Berkowitz (2005-06) and Ken Strauss (2013-14).
“Karen Lake continues the FICPA’s long and decorated tradition of turning to the right person at exactly the right time,” FICPA President & CEO Shelly Weir said. “With significant changes to state tax policy being actively discussed at the state and federal level, Karen is the ideal Chair to guide our organization in the year ahead. I look forward to partnering with her as the FICPA continues its work to protect and promote the CPA profession in Florida.”
A member of the FICPA for the last 25 years, Karen has served on the FICPA Board of Directors (2018-19, 2023-present), the FICPA Council (2021-2023) and previously chaired the FICPA’s State Tax Committee, Corporate Finance Committee and South Florida Accounting Conference Committee. In 2020, she was recipient of the FICPA’s Women to Watch Experienced Leader Award, recognizing her significant contributions to the CPA profession. Outside the FICPA, she is an active member of the AICPA Council and its SALT Technical Research Panel. She also serves on the Board of Trustees of Florida TaxWatch, chairing its Tax Advisory Panel.
“It’s my honor to pass the FICPA’s historic gavel to my friend and colleague, Karen Lake,” Immediate Past Chair and Foreign Parts Distributors Chief Financial Officer Ed Duarte said. “Karen and I have truly risen together through our connection to Berkowitz Pollack Brant, our service to the FICPA and our continued professional relationship. Our organization is as strong as our volunteer leaders, and Karen’s commitment to both the FICPA and the profession is a model for all our current and future Board and Council members.”
As Chair, Lake will be supported by the FICPA Board of Directors and Council members listed below.
2025-26 Board of Directors: Amy Kistka (Deloitte & Touche) (Chair-Elect), Ed Duarte (Foreign Parts Distributors) (Immediate Past Chair), Carshena Allison (WatsonRice), Kathryn Horton (Kathryn K. Horton CPA), Jennifer Keller (Crowe), Robbie Maya (Kaufman Rossin), Chris Oatis (Grant Thornton), Mindy Rankin (Warren Averett), Brion Sharpe (PwC), Alex Sueiro (PAAST) and Maximilian Halasz (Kaufman Rossin) (Young CPA Committee Chair; non-voting)
2025-26 Council members: Key O’Keefe (O’Keefe, Somerville & Associates) (Past Chair), Daniel Amat (KPMG), Danny Castro (BDO), Yvonne Clayborne (Carr, Riggs & Ingram), Adam Daniels (Sorren), Ashley Fagan (BDO), Carlos Grosmann (Kaufman Rossin), Genevieve Hancock (Germfree Laboratories), Isaac Juarez (KPMG), Evaristo Palmer (Skar Audio), Michael Riskin (CPS Investment Advisors), Heber Rojas (TRCPA), Ian Shapiro (Socorro Partners), Christopher Stemley (Disney Financial Services), Guy Strum (Gladstone, Strum & Company), Cheri Swain (Carr, Riggs & Ingram), Alex Welsh (A-LIGN) and Dana Zukierski (EY).