Smith & Howard Archives - Business RadioX ®

Beth Quinlan, Smith + Howard, on Women in Leadership

August 25, 2025 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Beth Quinlan, Smith + Howard, on Women in Leadership

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Beth Quinlan, Smith + Howard, LIVE from the 2025 GNFCC BOLD Women’s Leadership Summit (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 895)

Beth Quinlan of Smith + Howard, co-chair of the BOLD Women Committee at the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, joined host John Ray live from the 2025 GNFCC BOLD Women’s Leadership Summit to share her journey as a CPA, her work in business development, and her leadership role in organizing the summit.

Beth discussed the growth of Smith + Howard, from its roots in Atlanta to its national expansion and broad range of services that include tax, accounting, M&A advisory, cybersecurity, sales tax, and executive search. She explained how the firm’s philosophy of growing with its clients has driven its evolution.

She also reflected on the importance of community service, mentorship, and her personal involvement with the BOLD Committee, including work with The Drake House and efforts to create meaningful connections through intentional networking. Beth shared how the idea of a “broken circle” guided the event’s structure, ensuring that conversations remained open and inclusive.

This interview was originally broadcast live from the 2025 GNFCC BOLD Women’s Leadership Summit held on August 12, 2025, at The Commons at Phase in Alpharetta, Georgia. John Ray Co. and North Fulton Business Radio were the Media Sponsors for this year’s Summit.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:00 Welcome to the GNFCC BOLD Leadership Summit
00:42 Meet Beth Quinlan: Co-Chair of the Bold Women Committee
01:02 Beth Quinlan’s Journey with Smith + Howard
02:01 Smith + Howard: A Legacy of Growth and Service
03:18 Expanding Services and National Reach
07:06 The Importance of Chamber Involvement
08:36 Beth Quinlan’s Personal Commitment to Bold Women
10:19 Highlights from the Bold Leadership Summit
12:15 The Power of Networking and Community
15:40 Closing Thoughts and Future Events

Beth Quinlan, Smith + Howard

Beth Quinlan joined Smith + Howard in 2015 and is a Senior Business Advisor in our Business Development team. During her time with the firm, she has worked with clients across a wide variety of industries, including manufacturing and distribution, professional services, medical services, as well as nonprofit organizations. Beth has worked with clients on back-office accounting services, including bookkeeping, financial statement preparation, federal grant compliance reporting, and much more.

Prior to joining Smith + Howard, Beth was hands-on in the operations of her family’s local chain of pet food stores and national pet food distribution business with warehouses across the United States. It was here that she found her interest in accounting and decided to return to school for her Master of Business Administration degree. Beth also served as a consultant with an emphasis in marketing and management, where she focused on B2B communications for software companies and productivity and performance management for financial institution retail operations.

Beth received her Master of Business Administration from Georgia State University and earned her bachelor’s degree from Mississippi State University. She is a member of the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

LinkedIn | Smith+ Howard website

2025 GNFCC BOLD Women’s Leadership Summit

The 2025 GNFCC BOLD Women’s Leadership Summit was held on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at The Commons at Phase in Alpharetta, Georgia.

The mission of BOLD—Businesswomen Organizing for Leadership and Development—is to connect businesswomen to build outstanding networks and spheres of influence, to collaborate with each other and with partner organizations to develop their businesses, and to celebrate and recognize the women of North Fulton.

Website

Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce (GNFCC)

The Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce is a private, non-profit, member-driven organization comprised of over 1,400 business enterprises, civic organizations, educational institutions, and individuals. Their service area includes Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Mountain Park, Roswell, and Sandy Springs. GNFCC is the leading voice on economic development, business growth, and quality of life issues in North Fulton County.

As a five-star accredited chamber, GNFCC’s vision is to be the premier organization driving member and community success across the region, and they are dedicated to pursuing this vision based on the guiding principles of advocacy, inclusivity, and operational excellence.

GNFCC promotes the interests of their members by assuming a leadership role in making North Fulton an excellent place to work, live, play, and stay. They provide one voice for all local businesses to influence decision-makers, recommend legislation, and protect the valuable resources that make North Fulton a popular place to live.

For more information on GNFCC and its North Fulton County service area, follow this link or call (770) 993-8806. For more information on other GNFCC events, follow this link.

Connect with GNFCC: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray

With over 890 episodes and having featured over 1,300 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in our community like no one else. We are the undisputed “Voice of Business” in North Fulton!

The show invites a diverse range of business, non-profit, and community leaders to share their significant contributions to their market, community, and profession. There’s no discrimination based on company size, and there’s never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates businesses by sharing positive stories that traditional media ignore. Some media lean left. Some media lean right. We lean business.

John Ray, host of North Fulton Business Radio, and Owner, Ray Business Advisors — **John Ray, host of *North Fulton Business Radio* and Owner, Ray Business Advisors**

John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. John and the team at North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, produce the show, and it is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

The studio address is 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.

You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and many others.

John Ray also operates his own business advisory practice. John’s services include advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their value, their positioning and business development, and their pricing. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as consultants, coaches, attorneys, CPAs, accountants, bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.

John is the national bestselling author of The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices.

Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio

Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, with over $17 billion in assets and more than 180 banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services offices throughout the region. All of Renasant’s success stems from each banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way to better understand the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

Beyond Computer Solutions supports North Fulton Business Radio

If you’re a law firm, medical practice, or manufacturer, there’s one headline you would rather not make: “Local Business Pays Thousands in Ransom After Cyberattack.” That’s where Beyond Computer Solutions comes in. They help organizations like yours stay out of the news and in business with managed IT and cybersecurity services designed for industries where compliance and reputation matter most.

Whether they serve as your complete IT department or simply support your internal team, these professionals are well-versed in HIPAA, secure document access, written security policies, and other essential aspects that ensure your safety and well-being. Best of all, it starts with a complimentary security assessment.

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube

Sean Taylor, Smith + Howard

October 4, 2022 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Sean Taylor, Smith + Howard

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Sean Taylor, Smith + Howard (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 532)

On this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, Sean Taylor, Managing Partner of Smith + Howard, joined host John Ray to discuss his award-winning firm’s growth and culture. Sean discussed the firm’s recognition as “Best of the Best” by Inside Public Accounting, how the firm’s culture contributes to employee retention and talent acquisition, expansion beyond traditional accounting services, and much more.

North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Smith + Howard

While many advisors say clients are their priority, Smith and Howard lives and breathes a promise of personal, responsive client service.

They hire smart, engaging professionals who find motivation and satisfaction in learning about their clients’ businesses, challenges, and goals. From that vantage point, they are positioned to provide key strategic advice and national-firm services that enable our clients to move their mission forward.

Service is such an important part of the Smith and Howard culture that if they are not serving clients, they’ll often be found serving in other ways. Many of them plant roots deep in their communities and find value and satisfaction in serving others where they live. When the needs expand beyond their neighborhoods, they can also be found on nonprofit boards or joining service projects that broaden their reach and impact.

Company website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter

Sean Taylor, Managing Partner, Smith + Howard

Sean drives the vision, innovation, and growth of the firm, and was named a Most Admired CEO by the Atlanta Business Chronicle in 2020 in recognition of his leadership.

Sean Taylor became managing partner of Smith and Howard in January 2019 after 25 years of leadership progression in the Assurance practice. He joined the firm as an intern and was ultimately named partner in charge of the Assurance practice in 2010, a role he held for nearly a decade.

A recognized and respected leader, Sean presents to many for-profit and nonprofit businesses, lenders, and other professional service providers. He has both served on and moderated numerous workshop and conference panels, as well as presented to local and national audiences on various topics.

Sean is an active participant and advocate at Smith and Howard for our mentoring program, personally mentoring many of our professional and administrative staff through career progression and advancement.

Sean is actively involved as a multi-year member of various committees at Dunwoody United Methodist Church (DUMC), including finance, staff parish relations, leadership roundtable, missions and evangelism. He also had led strategic planning initiatives as well as capital campaigns for the church. Additionally, Sean served seven years on the Council on Finance and Administration at the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church, including time as the vice chair and chair.

Sean is currently a member of the Board of Trustees for Wesleyan School, serving actively on the finance and investment committees, and is also a member of the finance committee for the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta.

In 2012, Sean co-founded FoodStock, an annual food packaging event in Dunwoody, Georgia, where over 1,000 community members pack 300,000 meals in one day for children in school feeding programs around the globe. This is the largest single-day food packaging event of its kind in Georgia and, to date, this event and other food packaging events in the Dunwoody community associated with FoodStock have packaged over 3.6 million meals.

Additionally, Sean serves as a mentor to 13 young men through a group he founded called Fit 4 Life, discussing various aspects of faith and life for these 13 young men.

Sean graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting.

Affiliations: American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants (Leadership Academy Inaugural Member) Wesleyan School (Board of Trustees) Dunwoody United Methodist Church Awards Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants’ Public Service Award (2020) Atlanta Business Chronicle Most Admired CEOs (2020).

Questions and Topics in this Interview:

Inside Public Accounting “Best of the Best”
New Areas in which the firm is growing
#1 issue CPA profession is facing
Let’s talk about where you are innovating
What are you most excited about at Smith + Howard
How do you live your values
What is the culture like at Smith + Howard
Where do you see the firm 5 years from now

North Fulton Business Radio is hosted by John Ray and broadcast and produced from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, TuneIn, and others.

Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has grown to become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions with over $13 billion in assets and more than 190 banking, lending, wealth management and financial services offices in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. All of Renasant’s success stems from each of their banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way of better understanding the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

Special thanks to A&S Culinary Concepts for their support of this edition of North Fulton Business Radio. A&S Culinary Concepts, based in Johns Creek, is an award-winning culinary studio, celebrated for corporate catering, corporate team building, Big Green Egg Boot Camps, and private group events. They also provide oven-ready, cooked-from-scratch meals to go they call “Let Us Cook for You.” To see their menus and events, go to their website or call 678-336-9196.

Tending to Company Culture is Vital to Navigating Uncertainty, with Sean Taylor, Smith & Howard

February 15, 2021 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

Tending to Company Culture is Vital to Navigating Uncertainty, with Sean Taylor, Smith & Howard

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Tending to Company Culture is Vital to Navigating Uncertainty, with Sean Taylor, Smith & Howard

Sean Taylor: [00:00:00] Culturally, really everything. And the last thing we want to do is potentially damage our culture. When I took over the responsibility in January of 2019, one of the first things we looked at doing was refreshing just what we have been doing for 48 years. We definitely weren’t broken. I didn’t inherit an institution that was, in any way, struggling. In fact, it’s thriving. So, we really wanted to focus on how can we, maybe, just refresh what we’re doing and make our communications a little bit better, our processes a little bit better. And in doing so, it actually led to the development of a 10-year vision that we ultimately started undertaking in January 2020, just three months before the pandemic hit.

Sean Taylor: [00:00:48] I say all that to lead into one of the pillars of that 10-year vision is culture. And we, in no way, want to impact negatively the culture that we’ve spent nearly 50 years developing. And we look and measure culture. You can actually measure it. And we do that with our people. We measure things like our agility, work/life balance, reward systems, other things that all feed into what your culture is. And in doing so, we get a pretty good idea of how our culture measures up versus some of our friendly competitors across the nation and, really, with the businesses that we hope to serve.

Sean Taylor: [00:01:35] So, one of the things about having that culture in place was when this happened, we were prepared. Look, no one went into this pandemic in March and early April without fears and concerns, but that’s really kind of the way we started by addressing. I prepared weekly video messages for everyone in the firm. And the first few messages were, “Hey, I know that you’re scared. We’re all a little bit scared. Let’s talk if you’re scared. If you have personal needs, your family have needs, what can we do to make sure that you’re taken care of?” We were doing that with our people, making personal phone calls to every person in the firm, and follow-up was really critical.

Sean Taylor: [00:02:18] And that really, I think, speaks to our culture. It’s always focused on serving our clients, and growing and developing our people, and that’s really the mainstay of what we’re going to focus on over the next 10 years and beyond.

Sean C. Taylor, Managing Partner, Smith & Howard

Sean Taylor became Managing Partner of Smith & Howard in January 2019 after 25 years of leadership progression in the Assurance Services group. He joined Smith & Howard as an intern and was ultimately named Partner in charge of the Assurance Service group in 2010, a role he held until becoming Managing Partner in 2019. Sean will drive the vision, innovation and growth of the firm and its people through the next stage of the firm’s life.

Sean was named an Atlanta 2020 Most Admired CEO by the Atlanta Business Chronicle in recognition of his leadership. Sean is called on to present to many for-profit and nonprofit businesses, lenders, and other professional service providers. He has both served on and moderated numerous workshop and conference panels, has presented on the effects of healthcare reform, presented at Smith & Howard’s “Blueprint for Understanding Contractors” workshop to construction companies and commercial lenders, and has presented on several complex accounting principles to local and national audiences. As an Assurance professional, he has spent a career providing advisory, audit, review, attestation, and other assurance services for privately-held businesses and nonprofit organizations.

Sean co-founded and led the firm’s nonprofit practice with Marc Azar and is still an active member of the nonprofit group at Smith & Howard. Sean has been – and remains – an active participant and advocate at Smith & Howard for our mentoring program, personally mentoring many of our professional and administrative staff through career progression and advancement. Sean graduated from the University of Georgia with a B.B.A. in Accounting. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants, where he served on the inaugural Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants Leadership Academy.

Sean is actively involved as a multi-year member of various committees at Dunwoody United Methodist Church (DUMC), including Finance, Staff Parish Relations, Leadership Roundtable, Organ and Evangelism. Sean was also selected to chair the Strategic Planning Task Force for DUMC in developing the church’s current five-year strategic plan. He recently completed service as co-chairman of DUMC’s $5.6 million Moving Forward Together Capital Campaign. Sean served seven years on the Council on Finance and Administration at the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church, including time as the Vice Chair and Chair. He also serves on the Finance Committee for Wesleyan School, a private K-12 college preparatory school and began a five year term on the school’s Board of Trustees in September 2019.

With his personal time, Sean is an active volunteer in the community. He was the recipient of the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants’ 2020 Public Service Award, the organization’s annual Public Service Award that recognizes a member who has distinguished himself or herself in public service activities at the local, state, regional or national level. In 2012, Sean co-founded FoodStock, an annual food packaging event in Dunwoody, Georgia where over 1,000 community members come together annually to package over 300,000 meals in one day for children in school feeding programs around the globe. This is the largest single day food packaging event of its kind in Georgia and, to date, this event and other food packaging events in the Dunwoody community associated with FoodStock have packaged over 2.4 million meals. Additionally, Sean serves as a mentor to 13 teenage boys through a group he founded called Fit 4 Life, meeting weekly to discuss various aspects of faith and life for these 13 young men.

Company website

Listen to the full interview with Sean on North Fulton Business Radio here.

The “One Minute Interview” series is produced by John Ray and in the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link.

Sean Taylor, Smith & Howard

February 2, 2021 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Sean Taylor, Smith & Howard

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Sean C. Taylor, Smith & Howard (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 326)

Sean Taylor, Managing Partner with Smith & Howard, joined host John Ray to discuss how his firm has navigated the uncertainties of the pandemic, managing remote employees while maintaining firm culture, opportunities and challenges in 2021, and much more. “North Fulton Business Radio” is produced virtually from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® in Alpharetta.

Sean C. Taylor, Managing Partner, Smith & Howard

Company website

Questions and Topics in this Interview:

Now that we have 2020 in our rearview mirror and a month of the new year under our belts, what are your primary areas of focus in business operations for the coming year that you can share with other CEOs?
How did the pandemic and the switch to remote work impact the culture for your firm and what are you doing to maintain that during this unique time?
What advice you can give to C-Suite leaders as they kick off 2021 – any last-minute business planning tips?
What are you and other leaders of Smith & Howard most excited about in 2021?
What challenges are you anticipating for 2021?

North Fulton Business Radio” is hosted by John Ray and produced virtually from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, TuneIn, and others.

PPP Second Round with Alan Najjar, Jon Daly, and Joseph Shuford

January 27, 2021 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

PPP Second Round with Alan Najjar, Jon Daly, and Joseph Shuford

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PPP Second Round with Alan Najjar, Jon Daly, and Joseph Shuford (GNFCC 400 Insider, Episode 56)

Alan Najjar, Chair of GNFCC’s Economic Task Force for Cash Flow & Liquidity, hosts a roundtable of SBA loan experts, with Jon Daly, Renasant Bank, and Joseph Shuford, Synovus Financial, joining the show. They discussed questions on PPP second round, how guidance rules differ from first round PPP, forgiveness questions on PPP loans, and much more. “The GNFCC 400 Insider” is presented by the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce and produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®.

Alan Najjar, Director of Business Development, Smith & Howard

Alan Najjar has overseen the business development efforts of Smith & Howard since 2011. He started his career in banking after graduating from the University of Georgia. A veteran of the Atlanta banking and business community, Alan has held executive level leadership positions at SunTrust Bank and other Georgia financial institutions. Prior to joining Smith & Howard, he was the EVP and Chief Operating Officer of an Atlanta-based financial services company.

Alan is the former Chair of the Board of Directors for The Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce and is a trustee emeritus for Georgia Gwinnett College Foundation and Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia. He is active in numerous civic, social, and academic organizations. Alan and his wife, Donna, are long-time residents of Gwinnett County, and when away from the office, Alan most enjoys sunrises on the lake and time with his family.

Jon Daly, Director of SBA Lending and EVP, Renasant Bank

Jon Daly is Executive Vice President, Director of SBA Lending, for Renasant Bank. Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has grown to become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions with over $13 billion in assets and more than 200 banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services offices in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. All of Renasant’s success stems from each of their banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way of better understanding the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

Joseph Shuford, Synovus Financial Corp.

Joseph Shuford is the Director of Government Guaranteed Lending for Synovus. Synovus Financial Corp. is a financial services company based in Columbus, Georgia, with approximately $51 billion in assets. Synovus provides commercial and retail banking, investment, and mortgage services through 300 branches in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee. Synovus Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Synovus, has been recognized as one of the country’s “Most Reputable Banks” by American Banker and the Reputation Institute. Synovus is on the web at synovus.com, and on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Topics Discussed in this Show Include:

PPP Second Round (Paycheck Protection Program)
Guidance rules in PPP Second Round vs. First Round
How application acceptance by banks differs from first round PPP
Forgiveness process for first round PPP loans
KYC (Know Your Customer) regulations and dealing with PPP fraud
Major criteria differences between Simplified, EZ, and Standard applications

About GNFCC and “The GNFCC 400 Insider”

**Kali Boatright, President and CEO of GNFCC**

“The GNFCC 400 Insider” is presented by the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce (GNFCC) and is hosted by Kali Boatright, President and CEO of GNFCC. The Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce is a private, non-profit, member-driven organization comprised of over 1400 business enterprises, civic organizations, educational institutions and individuals. Their service area includes Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Mountain Park, Roswell and Sandy Springs. GNFCC is the leading voice on economic development, business growth and quality of life issues in North Fulton County.

The GNFCC promotes the interests of our members by assuming a leadership role in making North Fulton an excellent place to work, live, play and stay. They provide one voice for all local businesses to influence decision makers, recommend legislation, and protect the valuable resources that make North Fulton a popular place to live.

For more information on GNFCC and its North Fulton County service area, follow this link or call (770) 993-8806. For more information on other GNFCC events such as this North Fulton Mayors Appreciation Lunch, follow this link.

For the complete show archive of “The GNFCC 400 Insider,” go to GNFCC400Insider.com. “The GNFCC 400 Insider” is produced by John Ray and the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®.

GNFCC Year in Review and Leadership Transition: An Interview with 2020 Chair Alan Najjar and 2021 Chair Lindsey Petrini

December 17, 2020 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

GNFCC Year in Review and Leadership Transition: An Interview with 2020 Chair Alan Najjar and 2021 Chair Lindsey Petrini

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GNFCC Year in Review and Leadership Transition: An Interview with 2020 Chair Alan Najjar and 2021 Chair Lindsey Petrini (GNFCC 400 Insider, Episode 54)

On this edition of the “GNFCC 400 Insider,” GNFCC CEO Kali Boatright is joined by Alan Najjar, GNFCC’s 2020 Chair, and Lindsey Petrini, GNFCC’s 2021 Chair. Alan and Lindsey offer a GNFCC Year in Review for 2020 and discuss their leadership transition. “The GNFCC 400 Insider” is presented by the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce and produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®.

Alan Najjar, Director of Business Development, Smith & Howard

Alan is the outgoing Chair of the Board of Directors for The Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce and is a trustee emeritus for Georgia Gwinnett College Foundation and Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia. He is active in numerous civic, social, and academic organizations. Alan and his wife, Donna, are long-time residents of Gwinnett County, and when away from the office, Alan most enjoys sunrises on the lake and time with his family.

Lindsey Petrini, Chief Operating Officer, Wellstar North Fulton Hospital

**Lindsey Petrini, Wellstar North Fulton**

Lindsey Petrini is the Chief Operating Officer of WellStar North Fulton Hospital. WellStar North Fulton Hospital is a 202-bed facility located in Roswell, Georgia.

The hospital is recognized for its accredited cancer program, trauma and primary stroke center designations, and for providing a continuum of services through its centers and programs, including neurosciences, pain management, cardiology, women’s services, rehabilitation, surgical services, and oncology. For more information click here.

About GNFCC and “The GNFCC 400 Insider”

For the complete show archive of “The GNFCC 400 Insider,” go to GNFCC400Insider.com. “The GNFCC 400 Insider” is produced by John Ray and the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®.

Opportunities for Change and Growth in a Pandemic Economy, with Alan Najjar, Smith & Howard

October 14, 2020 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

Opportunities for Change and Growth in a Pandemic Economy, with Alan Najjar, Smith & Howard

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Opportunities for Change and Growth in a Pandemic Economy, with Alan Najjar, Smith & Howard

Alan Najjar: [00:00:00] I’d start with saying that all red lights eventually turn green. While there is uncertainty about the duration of this coronavirus pandemic, we will get through with. Our democratic system has put elected government leaders in place. I’m a little annoyed with some of what I hear in reporting medias. What we need to do is let them do their job. And if we, the people, are not pleased, we’ll have another opportunity to say so at the ballot box later this year.

Alan Najjar: [00:00:28] I think that we should be pleased and impressed with the global cooperation of health experts to isolate and deal with this global issue. It is a serious situation and we are seeing the most aggressive and comprehensive worldwide effort ever to confront a foreign virus. As I mentioned a while ago, we’re being bombarded with info from every communication channel out there and much of it’s negative event. So, then, we should selectively review what we hear and see several times a day and listen carefully for the good news. There is some good news out there. Our scientific community is making some great strides in dealing with this health care crisis. And so far, recoveries are outnumbering infections.

Alan Najjar: [00:01:08] I’d also say stay home unless it’s absolutely necessary. If you’re sick, stay home, period. Benefit of that is think about the carbon dioxide and monoxide that we’re not putting into the atmosphere. The reality of the coronavirus is that it’s making us work remotely or from home. This is a chance to be creative on doing our job responsibly by following our company’s protocols. I think each of us needs to be accountable that we focus on our job just as if we were in the workplace.

Alan Najjar: [00:01:37] I would also say it’s not a time to panic and go buy groceries or household goods. We can help our country continue to operate by not adding stress to an already impacted logistics system. I think in these kind of times too, we need to remain fluid. We’ve all embarked on a new way of working with our teams and our customers. This is a great opportunity to take advantage of this imposed opportunity to find ways to work smarter and better. It’s a chance to fortify our employers by transforming how we deliver its goods and services.

Alan Najjar: [00:02:09] It’s also a great time to consider those less fortunate than us and to give generously to the community organizations that help those in need, especially food banks. I think it’s a time to dust off our to-do list now that we have some isolation and solitary time. In doing that, we should take short breaks out to move around, rehydrate, step outside, get some fresh air, and if we’re lucky, maybe a little sunshine. It’s a great time to take some time that we’re saving by not commuting and doing something for our physical or mental health by walking around, exercising or reading.

Alan Najjar: [00:02:44] One of the most significant contributors to physical and emotional well-being is sleep. And I think it’s a great opportunity to use the extra hours that we’re not commuting to use it wisely and to our full benefit.

Alan Najjar: [00:02:55] I guess lastly, John, I would say it’s time to be patient. Let technology be our friends and stay in contact with our friends and our co-workers. We will get through it. It is some uncertain time. I think we need to trust the systems we put in place and let’s just see how it works.

Alan Najjar, Director of Business Development, Smith & Howard

Alan Najjar has overseen the business development efforts of Smith & Howard since 2011. A veteran of the Atlanta banking and business community, Alan has held executive level leadership positions at SunTrust Bank and other Georgia financial institutions. Prior to joining Smith & Howard, he was the EVP and Chief Operating Officer of an Atlanta-based financial services company.

Alan is a graduate of the University of Georgia and the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Rutgers University. He is a veteran who served in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Alan is the 2020 Chairman for the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce and serves on its Board of Directors. He is a trustee emeritus for Georgia Gwinnett College Foundation and Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia. He is active in numerous civic, social and academic organizations. Alan and his wife, Donna, are long-time residents of Gwinnett County and when away from the office, Alan most enjoys sunrises on the lake and time with his family.

Listen to the complete GNFCC 400 Insider Radio interview Alan Paul here.

The “One Minute Interview” series is produced by John Ray and in the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link.

Jeff Brown, Smith & Howard

January 28, 2020 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Jeff Brown, Smith & Howard

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North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 192: Jeff Brown, Smith & Howard

With cybercrime such as ransomware affecting a wide range of businesses, large and small, Jeff Brown, Smith & Howard, joined this edition of “North Fulton Business Radio” to address how businesses can protect themselves and much more. “North Fulton Business Radio” is hosted by John Ray and is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Jeff Brown, Smith & Howard

Jeff Brown is a Senior Business Advisor with Smith & Howard, an Atlanta-based accounting and advisory firm. In addition to traditional accounting, tax and audit services, Smith & Howard provides services helping C-level executives make smart business and financial decisions that contribute to growth and strategic success. Services include internal control reviews and assessments, process and procedure reviews, IT advisory services, service organization control reports, merger and acquisition consulting, due diligence, fraud prevention and detection and financial projections.

Jeff advises in Smith & Howard’s Risk Advisory practice and has 20 years experience in the security field. He helps clients with assessments, certifications and recommendations for improvements to their cybersecurity program. Prior to joining Smith & Howard, Jeff was director of strategic accounts at CompliancePoint, an information security firm.

To get in touch with Jeff, you can email him or call directly at 404-879-3390. To learn more about Smith & Howard, visit their website.

“North Fulton Business Radio” is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®, located inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has grown to become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions with approximately $12.9 billion in assets and more than 190 banking, lending, wealth management and financial services offices in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. All of Renasant’s success stems from each of their banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way of better understanding the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

SIMON SAYS, LET’S TALK BUSINESS: Brandy Swanson with Smith & Howard

February 16, 2018 by Mike

Gwinnett Studio

SIMON SAYS, LET'S TALK BUSINESS: Brandy Swanson with Smith & Howard

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Brandy Swanson/Smith & Howard

Headquartered in Atlanta, Smith & Howard is a top Atlanta CPA firm providing a wide range of services, including assurance, tax, accounting and advisory services. Their business clients range from start-ups to large, established businesses that operate across the U.S. and internationally. They also have a strong nonprofit client family, including many of Georgia’s most respected organizations. By extension, Smith & Howard also serve the tax, accounting and advisory needs of the owners and executives of businesses. Many of these individuals and families are also clients of Smith & Howard Wealth Management, a wealth management firm serving as the family’s CFO.

Recognized for two consecutive years (2014 and 2015) as the number one firm in the nation by INSIDE Public Accounting and as a Top Accounting Firm to Work For by Accounting Today, they bring a national scope of services with a personal, responsive service approach and a team of smart, dedicated professionals that work with clients year after year.

Smith & Howard’s current clients appreciate their responsiveness, creativity, innovation, expertise, imagination, and an “uncompromising commitment to exceed expectations and contribute to their financial success”.