CPE Speakers

Kyle Corum is a Partner with BRC and is the leader in the Firm’s Advisory Services practice, which includes a variety of different types of engagements including:

• Cybersecurity
• Due diligence for mergers and acquisitions
• Fraud and Forensic Investigations
• Internal control reviews and analysis
• Outsource CFO and Controller duties

Kyle began his career in public accounting in 2002 after graduating from Appalachian State.  Kyle worked with a large national firm for 5 years before joining BRC.  He works with a variety of industries to assist them with their audit and accounting needs including manufacturing, wholesale and distribution,  and not-for-profit entities.  Kyle also is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and with this knowledge, he is able to bring a different perspective to his clients regarding internal controls and risks.

In addition, Kyle has significant experience in performing audits of Employee Benefit Plans and has become a leader in this practice area for the Firm.  He has experience with all types of plans including defined contribution, including 403(b) plans, defined benefits, ESOPs, and Health and Welfare plans.

Ms. Ledford’s principal areas of practice are bankruptcy, appeals, business bankruptcy, and workouts.  She is a member of the Bankruptcy Section of the North Carolina Bar Association as well as being a former chair of the Section. She has also been the chair CLE committee of the Bankruptcy Section and in charge of the NC Bar Association Annual Bankruptcy Institute. In addition, she has served as the Secretary of the Bankruptcy Section and an at-large member of the Section Council.  Ms. Ledford started her legal career clerking at the North Carolina Court of Appeals for Judge Ralph Walker and for Judge John Tyson. In addition to being of counsel, at the firm, Ms. Ledford teaches Bankruptcy Law at Elon University School of Law as well as Business Law at Elon University and Guilford College.

Born and raised in Greensboro, NC, John attended NC State University for his undergraduate studies and attended the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill for his graduate studies. John started with PwC in 2008 as part of the Private tax practice, serving corporate, flowthrough, and individual clients. Always a technology-first adopter, John began working with a national technology team at PwC in 2018 focused on developing enterprise tax technology solutions and driving transformation efforts across the PwC tax practice. John continues to both directly serve clients and serve as a national technology leader in PwC, fulfilling his passion for delivering technology-enabled client service.

George Talbert is an Assistant Professor at Elon University. He earned his DBA from Georgia State University, Global MBA from Purdue University and International MBA from Tias School for Business & Society, and a BA from Morehouse College. Prior to his academic posts, he held several executive roles in sales and marketing, primarily in healthcare (Pharmaceuticals, Bio-Tech, Medical Devices, Durable Medical Equipment). His consulting engagements include large B2B sales, value creation, sales enablement, and DEI. Dr. Talbert’s research interests include: coaching, decision making, value creation, neuroscience in sales, and leadership.

Matthew Valle, Ph.D., is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and is a former Air Force pilot. He earned an M.S. in Operations Management from the University of Arkansas, an M.B.A. from the University of Massachusetts, and a Ph.D. in Business Administration from Florida State University. He teaches management classes in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business at the undergraduate, graduate (MBA, MSBA, MSA and LAW) and executive levels, and has been a faculty member at Elon University since 2000. In 2010-2011 and again in 2017-2018, he served as the Distinguished Visiting Professor in Management at the United States Air Force Academy. He holds the rank of professor of management.

Lakeisha Magwood Vance is an accomplished leader and educator with a comprehensive background encompassing areas such as information technology, program oversight, and curriculum development within academic environments. She earned three degrees, a B.S. in Accounting, a B.S. in Information Systems, and an M.S. in Information Technology and Management, from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Vance has over 20 years of experience teaching data analytics, management information systems, web development, and programming courses at a variety of North Carolina community colleges and universities. She is an engaging educator and respected leader.

Steve Wagner, Assistant Professor of Economics at Elon University, earned a Ph.D. in Applied Micro and Financial Economics from UNC Greensboro. His research focuses on entrepreneurial financial markets and debt contracting. Before joining Elon, he held roles at Wells Fargo in international banking, risk management, strategy and systems, and regional management.

John Wimmer served as Chief Information Officer of Xanterra Parks and Resorts, the largest national and state park concessioner in the United States before retiring in 2019. He focused on building strong teams, deepening key executive relationships, and implementing technology models that advanced business goals, enhanced quality, reduced overall costs, and maximized profitability. During his tenure, he flawlessly orchestrated integration of several new entities into the Xanterra portfolio as the company grew through acquisition, including several traditional hospitality additions (Deer Creek State Park and Lodge, Rocky Mountain National Park, Glacier National Park, The Grand Hotel and the Kingsmill Resort) as well as non-traditional additions such as The Grand Canyon Railway, Vermont Bicycle/Adventure Tours, and Windstar Cruises.  In addition to his role as Chief Information Officer at Xanterra, Mr. Wimmer served as both an Adjunct Professor (teaching classes in both Information Technology and Business Analytics) in the MBA program at The University of Denver as well as served as a member of the advisory board for the Business Information & Analytics program since 2015.

Upon retirement, Mr. Wimmer relocated to Burlington, North Carolina, and accepted a position teaching undergraduate classes in Management Information Systems at Elon University.  He used this an opportunity to teach the next generation of business leaders and help these students learn how to use technology to be successful in today’s business world.  In addition to his normal class schedule, Mr. Wimmer also led workshops for non-students (including individuals in the local community and former students) helping them learn the skills needed to obtain their Microsoft Excel certification.  Mr. Wimmer also used his technology skills to help better leverage the technology available at Elon within the class setting.  He also led the development of a new Cyber Security Minor at Elon which we hope which is being offered for the first time in Fall 2024.