Officers/Board of Directors

2017-2018 Chapter Officers

President

Thomas Barlow - Siemens

Vice- President

Brooke Bruch - Contempories, Inc.

Brooke Bruch serves as the Client Relations Manager for Contemporaries, Inc., a small women and family owned staffing firm. Contemporaries specializes in placing personnel in temporary, temporary to hire and direct hire positions in the administrative, human resources, project management, and accounting fields throughout the DC area. A Maryland native, Brooke attended college at Frostburg State University and received a Bachelors in Communication Studies with minors in Spanish and Public Relations. In addition to serving as the Vice President of CFMA, she is an active member of the Montgomery County Society for Human Resource Management (MCSHRM), Bethesda Business Chapter of Business Network International (BNI) and is a co-chair for the Rockville Chamber of Commerce’s Young Professionals’ Network.

Treasurer

Ryan Henigan - CohnReznick

Ryan Henigan is the partner leading the Construction Industry practice in CohnReznick’s Baltimore office. He has 19+ years of experience providing audit and management advisory services to a variety of national and local general contractors, sub-contractors, home builders and real estate developers. Ryan is also an expert in contractor cost certification reporting in accordance with federal and state agency affordable housing requirements.

Ryan has been a member of the CFMA for over 10 years. He’s currently Treasurer of the Maryland Chapter, but has also served in the capacity of Secretary and President. Ryan is also active in the CFMA Mid-Atlantic Conference and has been the co-Chairman of the Steering Committee of the conference for the years 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Professional Affiliations:

American Institute of Certified Public Accountants

Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants

Associated Builders and Contractors

Construction Financial Management Association

Secretary

Ruth Montijo - Aronson

Ruth Montijo has worked in the Construction Industry for over 20 years. Before joining Aronson as a Certified Sage consultant, she held various finance roles at general and specialty contractors. In her current role, Ruth helps companies to make more informed decisions using their Sage 300 CRE software. In addition to serving with the CFMA, Ruth is a member of TUG: The Users Group for Sage Construction and Real Estate Solutions where she has presented on numerous topics. Ruth holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from George Mason University, a Master in Business Administration degree from Texas A&M University, and is also a CPA.

2017-2018 Chapter Board of Directors

Asif Choudhury - Bahar Consulting

With a degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Maryland and an MBA from the Kogod School of Business at American University, Asif brings high level analytical and critical thinking skills to clients of Bahar Consulting. As the president of his own company, Choudhury recognizes the importance of strategic thinking and effective business planning. His corporate experience with various companies honed his sales and negotiation skills. As the President of a volunteer Suicide Hotline he learned to think quickly and dynamically change direction as he spent time on the phones with people in crisis. He learned relationship skills firsthand. He understands the dynamics of relationships. And he has effectively trained new volunteers in a program fraught with competing challenges. His work in this field gives him unique insight on solving problems effectively.

Patrick Gibbons - Northwestern Mutual Financial Network

Lisa Godwin - Bahar Consulting

Lisa Godwin was raised in Potomac Maryland, schooled at Georgetown Day School, and educated at Vanderbilt University and the University of South Florida. Lisa graduated with a math degree as a member in two different honor societies. Lisa possesses the unique skill of being passionate and effective of working with both numbers and people.

Lisa’s career started at Aramark in the Accounting department working with Accounts Receivable and as the Payroll Administrator. Lisa’s innate ability to work with people and her ability to contribute to their well being soon brought her to the Catering Sales Department where she did Event Planning for small events at the Tampa Convention Center. Lisa’s life then brought her to Cincinnati Ohio where she was the Project and Funding Coordinator for CDI Aerospace. Originally known as TK Engineering, Lisa assisted in the merger and acquisition of the company. She helped facilitate and lead the transition team through accounting, finance, technology, personnel , marketing, branding, and management.

Right now Lisa spends half of her time working with her clients and the rest of her time is committed to strategic planning for Bahar. Lisa is currently active in her local BNI chapter and has been very active volunteering her time to supporting the military and law enforcement.

Steve Mainello - RCM&D

Steve brings a distinct blend of hands-on construction experience coupled with insurance and surety expertise to his role as director of RCM&D’s surety operations and senior vice president.

As both a civil engineer and former underwriter, Steve’s breadth of real-world industry knowledge is unique in the surety field. In his current role, Steve manages the overall strategy of RCMD’s surety department, including sales, service and marketing, to ensure high levels of service, the most competitive bond programs for clients, and significant strategic business advice.

Steve draws on his experience as a former senior claims engineer, where he was responsible for the financial and technical analysis of hundreds of construction defaults and oversaw a wide variety of construction projects totaling an average of $200 million per year throughout the US, Canada, and the Caribbean. He also continues to share this knowledge with others in the industry through his frequent speaking engagements at various organizations.

Prior to joining RCM&D in 2008, he led Allied North America’s Washington DC office for four years as executive vice president. Steve also served as a senior construction surety underwriter at St. Paul Fire and Marine, a senior claims engineer at USF&G and a project manager for Whiting Turner Contracting Company and Structural Preservation Systems.

Anita Sheckells - Katz, Abosch, Windesheim, Gershman & Freedman, P.A.

Anita Sheckells, a Director with KatzAbosch and VP of the firm’s Board of Directors, joined the firm in 1984. She works in consulting and planning for closely-held businesses and has previously served as the firm’s Co-Chair of the Audit and Accounting Services Group, as well as the Co-Founder of the firm’s Construction Services Group. A dedicated professional, Anita holds the prestigious distinction of Certified Construction Industry Financial Professional (CCIFP), a certification held by less than 25 professionals in Maryland and less than 900 professionals in the United States. As a subject matter expert in construction accounting, Anita has authored several financial and accounting articles for various publications and associations. She is instrumental in the firm’s vision to create, grow and protect asset value as it relates to both clients and staff.

Vice- President

Brooke Bruch - Contempories, Inc.

Vice- President

Brooke Bruch - Contempories, Inc.