All key professional staff members are licensed to practice in the State of New York. All staff members have taken the proper amount of continuing education classes primarily in the area of governmental accounting and auditing as required by Government Auditing Standards, the New York State Education Department and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Some of these classes include Governmental Auditing and Accounting updates, the School District Accounting update, Single Audit OMB’s Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance) and the implementation of GASB Statement No. 68. Members of our firm have also been speakers at these seminars. All our professional staff members are reviewed on an annual basis. We have had a very low turnover rate over the years which translates into better service for our clients.
The key members of our firm are active members of the following professional associations and committees:
- New York State Society of CPA’s (NYSSCPA)
- Public School Accounting Committee
- Government Accounting and Auditing Committee
- Professional Ethics Committee
- American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
- New York State, Suffolk County and Nassau County Associations of School Business Officials (ASBO)
- Governmental Financial Officers Association (GFOA)
- Accounting, Auditing and Financial Reporting Committee
- Association of School Business Officials International (ASBOI)
- New York State Association of School Boards Association (NYSSBA)
- School District Internal Auditors Alliance (SDIAA)
- Long Island Village Clerks and Treasurers Association (LIVCTA)
- Long Island Water Conference (LIWC)
- Suffolk County Library Association (SCLA)
- Suffolk County Village Officials Association (SCVOA)
Partners
Robert S. Abrams

Marianne E. Van Duyne, CPA, MBA

Ms. Van Duyne is managing partner at R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP. Ms. Van Duyne is a prior chairperson and current member of the NYSSCPA Public School Accounting Committee and NYSSCPA Government Accounting and Auditing Committee. Ms. Van Duyne serves as a mentor through the NYSSCPA Mentor Match program. She is currently an Advisory Board member of the School District Internal Auditor Alliance. Ms. Van Duyne serves on the AICPA Joint Ethics Board. She has served as a Board of Directors trustee for St. Catherines Hospital in Smithtown. Ms. Van Duyne has been a presenter for the New York Government Finance Officers’ Association, Association of School Business Officials New York, New York State School Boards Association, the New York State School District Internal Auditors Alliance and the Long Island Village Clerks Treasures Assocation. Ms. Van Duyne appeared on WLIW “The Learning Curve” as a panelist discussing school district finances. She has been featured in Newsday’s Executive Suite. Ms. Van Duyne has also been honored as a recipient of Long Island Business News’ 50 Around 50 Award and the Long Island Business News’ 50 Most Influential Women in Business Award. Ms. Van Duyne is a Certified Public Accountant with a Masters in Accounting from Hofstra University. She has earned her School Business Administration Certification from C.W. Post. She is also the recipient of the Association of School Business Officials New York Distinguished Graduate of School Business Administration Award. She has three years auditing experience with Deloitte & Touche and twenty nine years auditing experience with R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP. Ms. Van Duyne is a member of the GFOA, the AICPA and the NYSSCPA. Ms. Van Duyne specializes in school district, governmental and not-for profit audits.
Alexandria Battaglia, CPA

Ms. Battaglia is an audit partner at R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP. She has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from C.W. Post. She was the recipient of the School of Professional Accountancy College of Management’s Faculty Award for Excellence in Accounting. She was recently named the Executive Woman of the Year for the Accounting Profession by the National Association of Professional Women. She has been a presenter for Association of School Business Officials New York, New York Government Finance Officers’ Association and the Long Island Water Conference. Ms. Battaglia is a member of the GFOA Accounting, Auditing and Financial Reporting Committee. She is also a member of the NYSSCPA Public School Accounting Committee and was co-chair for the Public School Accounting Conference Committee. Prior to R.S. Abrams & Co. LLP, Ms. Battaglia worked for Advanced Health Care Resources as a staff accountant for four years. She has twenty two years auditing experience with R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP. Ms. Battaglia is a member of the AICPA, NYSSCPA and the GFOA. Ms. Battaglia specializes in school district, governmental and not-for profit audits.
Managers
Katherine Klein, CPA, M.S.

Ms. Klein is a senior audit manager at R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP. She has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Master of Science in Taxation from C.W. Post and graduated Summa Cum Laude. She was the recipient of the School of Professional Accountancy College of Management’s Faculty Award for Excellence in Accounting as well as the Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP Award in Accounting. She has fifteen years of audit experience with R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP. Ms. Klein is a member of the AICPA and the NYSSCPA Public School Accounting Committee. Ms. Klein specializes in school district, governmental and not-for profit audits.
Melissa T. Lee, CPA

Ms. Lee is a senior audit manager at R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP. She graduated Cum Laude from Hofstra University with her Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting. She is a Certified Public Accountant for nineteen years and has over twenty four years experience in public accounting and taxation. Ms. Lee has eight years of auditing experience with R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP. Prior to R.S. Abrams, Ms. Lee was a manager at WesierMazars where she had worked for thirteen years with a diverse background in compilations, reviews, audits, as well as, taxation with a specialization in real estate entities. Ms. Lee is a member of the AICPA and the NYSSCPA Not-for-Profit Organizations Committee. Ms. Lee specializes in school district, governmental and not-for profit audits.
Brendan Nelson, CPA

Mr. Nelson is a manager at R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP. He has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Rhode Island with a concentration in Accounting. Mr. Nelson has been a presenter for the Long Island Water Conference and Association of School Business Officials New York. Mr. Nelson has eight years of audit and tax experience with R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP, as well as two years of experience with KPMG LLP working as a senior auditor. Mr. Nelson is a member of the NYSSCPA Government Accounting and Auditing Committee. Mr. Nelson specializes in school district, governmental and not-for profit audits.
Supervisors
Brianna Pisano, CPA, MBA

Ms. Pisano is an audit supervisor at R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP. She has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Master in Business Administration with a concentration in Professional Accountancy from LIU Post. She has over three years of audit experience with R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP. Ms. Pisano specializes in school district, governmental and not-for profit audits.
Senior & Semi-Senior Accountants
Zachary Thaler, B.S., MBA

Mr. Thaler is a senior auditor at R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from SUNY New Paltz with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. He has a Master of Business Administration in Accounting from SUNY Stony Brook. Mr. Thaler has over three years of auditing experience with R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP. Mr. Thaler is currently pursuing his Certified Public Accountant license. Mr. Thaler specializes in school district, governmental and not-for profit audits.
Saad Mahmood, B.B.A

Mr. Mahmood is a senior auditor at R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP. He has a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accountancy from Baruch College. Prior to joining R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP, Mr. Mahmood had two years of experience with Gould, Kobrick & Schlapp, P.C. auditing non-for-profit and real estate clients. Mr. Mahmood has passed all parts of the CPA exam. Mr. Mahmood specializes in school district, governmental and not-for profit audits.
Joann Mills, B.S., M.S.

Ms. Mills is a semi-senior auditor at R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP. She has a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and a Master of Science in Accounting from SUNY Stony Brook. Ms. Mills is currently pursuing her Certified Public Accountant license. Ms. Mills specializes in school district, governmental and not-for profit audits.
Thomas Lake, B.S., M.B.A.

Mr. Lake is a semi-senior auditor at R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP. He has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Marist College and a Master in Accounting from Molloy College. Mr. Lake is currently pursuing his Certified Public Accountant license. Mr. Lake specializes in school district, governmental and not-for profit audits.
Nicholas Hennessy, B.A.

Mr. Hennessy is a semi-senior auditor at R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP. Mr. Hennessy graduated from Baruch College with a Bachelor of Business Administration. Prior to joining R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP, Mr. Hennesssy had experience with Gould, Kobrick & Schlapp P.C. auditing labor unions and not-for-profits. Mr. Hennessy is currently pursuing his Certified Public Accounting license. Mr. Hennessy specializes in school district, governmental and not-for profit audits.
Charles Rothkopf, B.S.

Mr. Rothkopf is a semi-senior auditor at R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP. Mr. Rothkopf graduated from State University of New York College at Old Westbury with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Prior to joining R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP Mr. Rothkopf had over two years of experience in tax and auditing at Marks Paneth LLP and Ives Sultan & Spike CPAs. Mr. Rothkopf is currently pursuing his Certified Public Accountant license. Mr. Rothkopf specializes in school district, governmental and not-for profit audits.
Michael Sanches, B.A.

Mr. Sanches is a senior auditor at R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP. He has a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Braircliffe College. Mr. Sanches previously worked at Albrecht, Viggiano, Zureck & Company, P.C. for three years primarily providing accounting and auditing services to state and local governments. He has four years of audit experience specializing in the audits of state and local governments and not-for-profit organizations. Mr. Sanches is currently pursuing his Certified Public Accountant license. Mr. Sanches specializes in school district, governmental and not-for profit audits.
Staff Accountants
Lara Levine, B.S.

Ms. Levine is a staff accountant at R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP. She has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Binghamton University. Ms. Levine is currently pursuing her Certified Public Accountant license. Ms. Levine specializes in school district, governmental and not-for profit audits.
Michael Kovarick, B.S., M.S.

Mr. Kovarick is a staff accountant at R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP. He has a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and a Master of Science in Accounting from SUNY Stony Brook. Prior to joining R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP, Mr. Kovarick had experience with Marcum LLP auditing Insurance Companies and employee benefit plans. Mr. Kovarick is currently pursuing his Certified Public Accountant license. Mr. Kovarick specializes in school district, governmental and not-for profit audits.
Mathew Baraban, B.S.

Mr. Baraban is a staff accountant at R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP. He graduated from SUNY College at Old Westbury with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Prior to joining R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP, Mr. Baraban had experience with Grassi & Co. auditing various industries and experience with Nawrocki Smith LLP auditing non-profit organizations, municipalities and school districts. Mr. Baraban is currently pursuing his Certified Public Accountant license. Mr. Baraban specializes in school district, governmental and not-for profit audits.
Support Staff
Linda Spinelli
Administrative Assistant
Laina Lundstrum
Administrative Assistant