M&A Symposium

Alyson brings over 20 years of expertise in marketing and business development within accounting and professional services to her role as Chief Growth Officer. Prior to joining Stambaugh Ness, Alyson served as Chief Marketing Officer at a Top-15 CPA firm where she spearheaded growth initiatives, including an award-winning client experience program, and achieved impressive double-digit revenue growth.

With her strategic vision and innovative approach, Alyson plays an instrumental role in shaping the future of the firm, executing strategic plans to enhance our market position and fuel growth. She collaborates closely with firm leaders and practice areas, leading our marketing and business development teams to identify new opportunities, expand market presence, elevate the client experience, and build strategic partnerships.

As an accredited business valuator, Becky’s expertise spans many industries, with a specialized focus on architecture and engineering (AE). She understands that the most crucial element in any firm valuation is the employees. This lead-with-people approach can enhance a company’s value and position it for greater success.
In her previous roles as a Partner with TWO CPAs & Consultants, Inc., and a Consultant at PSMJ Resources, Becky developed highly focused and refined skills in valuations, ownership transitions, mergers and acquisitions, and fractional CFO consulting. For Becky, every project involves getting to know the client well and filling in the financial gaps. She views each assignment uniquely and includes industry commentary, as well as highly usable, relevant benchmarking data for the client.
Her love of numbers means Becky leaves no stone unturned in her pursuit of strengthening the big-picture strategies for growth and prosperity. If a financial model can be built to solve a financial question, she will design it.

Brad’s 30+ year career spent working with architecture and engineering (AE) firms includes his most recent role as Partner with TWO CPAs & Consultants, Inc., as well as being a Consultant with PSMJ Resources for 17 years. Additionally, after serving as an outsourced CFO and controller for numerous firms, Brad has deep firsthand knowledge of how to develop and execute successful finance and accounting practices in the AE industry.

Highly skilled at translating accounting terms and best practices into a language his AE clients can easily understand and act on, Brad has a strong track record for helping firms improve profitability, transition ownership, and successfully execute mergers and acquisitions. With enthusiasm and passion, Brad approaches each client relationship holistically, with a focus on understanding overall operations, personal lifestyle goals, and the firm’s future view.

Chad Clinehens is the president and CEO of Zweig Group. Passionate about the business side of design and technical service firms, Chad has built a career on leading them through growth and change. He has worked with AEC firms throughout the U.S. on a variety of needs – strategic business planning, turnarounds, partner separations, organizational restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, marketing and sales, growth campaigns, and more.

As a registered professional engineer, Chad brings an in-depth knowledge of what makes professional service firms and the people who work for them unique. Working in the industry for more than 20 years, he has been involved in many aspects of the business including design, project management, department management, regional office management, and directional leadership. He holds a MBA and BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Arkansas and is a registered professional engineer in several states.

Chris Kobayashi leads Lynk Engineers’ vision strategy, and long-term growth as CEO. He previously served as President and COO of Spectrum Engineers. Mr. Kobayashi brings 20+ years of electrical engineering experience to complex, multi-phase projects across a broad range of market sectors. His technical foundation spans high- and medium-voltage power distribution, substation design, and SCADA integration. Mr. Kobayashi regularly serves as technical lead on large, multidisciplinary projects, guiding teams to deliver coordinated, reliable electrical solutions. Known for operational discipline and design quality, he brings direct accountability and technical leadership to every project he leads, from pursuit through delivery.

In 2024, Utah Business named Chris an Executive Excellence honoree in recognition of his leadership and impact on Utah’s business community.

Eric Von Stroh, a Partner at Long Point Capital, has more than 30 years of experience in private equity, leveraged finance, and operating leadership.  Eric focuses on partnering with founder, family, and management-owned businesses, including architecture, engineering, and other professional services firms, to achieve liquidity, maintain meaningful ownership, support succession planning, and pursue a profitable “second bite of the apple.” Prior to Long Point, Eric was CFO of a private equity-backed company generating revenue of more than $140 million, where he
helped lead a successful turnaround. Eric earned his bachelor’s degree in
economics and political science from Colgate University.

Ernesto is a visionary leader and seasoned Professional Engineer with 30+ years of experience encompassing all aspects of operations, management, business development and project delivery for engineering and consulting.

As CEO, Ernesto is focused on building an employee-centric culture, leading Ardurra’s organic and acquisitive growth strategy, and ensuring the quality of our projects. He brings best practices and lessons learned from serving at the helm of some of the fastest growing firms in the country, compounded by his experience managing private, public and private equity portfolio companies within the AE industry.

Ernesto leads the sourcing, valuation and merging of acquired companies, with an emphasis on integration as the key to building a unified firm. His passion and primary goal is continuing to grow a profitable company that provides exciting opportunities for our employees and impeccable service to our clients.

As the President and founding partner of Third & Arch, Greg leads a team of talented creative professionals, propelling the agency to new heights as a premier branding agency focused on the AEC industry. Under Greg’s direction and leadership, Third & Arch has made a name for itself, delivering strategic branding, design, and digital solutions for notable clients including Apeiro Design, Keating Construction, Hankin Group, and more. Greg plays a pivotal role in planning and implementing processes focused on building long-term partnerships, thus enabling clients to increase brand awareness, boost engagement, and enhance overall marketing efforts.

Hobson has represented many buyers and sellers across the AEC industry for over 15 years as an advisor. His experience includes several deals spanning a variety of markets and geographies involving private firms, publicly traded firms, and private equity firms in North America, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. He excels at solving complex issues to help clients achieve their growth goals.

With over a decade of experience in the AEC industry, Jeff Adams is a seasoned M&A advisor who helps firms achieve their strategic growth objectives. As Director of SN’s Merger and Acquisitions practice area and Certified M&A Advisor, he leads the M&A team, partnering with architecture, engineering, and construction firms on both the buyer and seller sides to strategically position them for greater future success. Jeff has successfully advised numerous M&A transactions, ensuring smooth and successful transitions for his clients. He also hosts the popular AEC Unscripted: M&A Edition podcast, where he shares insights and best practices with AEC leaders, including executives from ENR Top 500 firms.

During his career, Jeff has gained extensive experience overseeing strategy and operations related to accounting, financial planning, and analysis. Before joining SN, he held an executive leadership role at an engineering firm, where he played a pivotal part in leading his firm through a successful acquisition process.

Lynn has a people‑first mindset as CEO, shaped by more than 20 years in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. He builds strong teams, trusted client relationships, and sustainable long‑term value. His leadership is centered on supporting people, establishing trust, and empathizing with clients, which were key principles during ISG’s recent acquisition integration. Working closely with the firm’s Growth and Strategy team, Lynn connects vision with action to align, engage, and share success across the firm.

Megan is a marketing professional who focuses on developing strategic solutions to increase product knowledge for Deltek clients. Passionate about helping project-focused businesses improve their operations, Megan leverages Deltek’s breadth of technology solutions and thought leadership resources, including the Deltek Clarity report, to drive meaningful impact and growth.

Michael Nunley graduated from Virginia Tech in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering.  He also received a Master of Science degree in Engineering from UC Berkeley in 2000.  After over 20 years serving as project engineer, project manager, branch manager, and ultimately as senior operations manager and Vice President for a Fortune 500 consulting engineering firm, in 2012 Michael Nunley started MKN & Associates, Inc., specializing in water, wastewater, and water reuse engineering for public agencies.

MKN was acquired by Ardurra in October, 2025, and Mr. Nunley currently serves as one of Ardurra’s Sector Growth Directors for Water in California, Oregon, and Washington. Mr. Nunley’s technical expertise includes management, planning, and design of water, wastewater, recycled water, and drainage facilities in California, Hawaii, Guam, Washington, North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. 

He currently lives in Carlsbad, CA, and has four daughters aged 13, 15, 20, and 22.

Neil Gray is an accomplished architect with over 30 years of design and leadership experience. As former CEO of JDAVIS Architecture in Raleigh, he led the firm through a successful transition to an ESOP, strengthening employee ownership and long-term stability. He later guided the practice through a strategic acquisition by another employee-owned firm, ultimately resulting in the JDAVIS team joining ISG. His leadership emphasized transparency, team development, and long-term sustainability, all while maintaining a strong and enduring design culture.

Now serving as a Residential + Mixed-Use Business Unit leader, Neil continues to guide teams in delivering thoughtful, high-quality urban projects. With a focus on residential and mixed-use development, he champions creative problem-solving, collaboration, and context-driven design solutions that align client goals with broader community needs. He is deeply committed to mentoring talent, strengthening teams, and elevating design outcomes across the practice.

Nick Decker is the Global Segment Leader for Engineering at Egnyte. He is responsible for the growth and support of Egnyte’s engineering customers. Nick brings deep experience in the design and field technology space from time at Bluebeam and Dusty Robotics. He originally comes from the construction and engineering industry, having worked for large contractors Kiewit and AECOM Hunt. Nick holds a Civil Engineering degree and MBA from Purdue University.

Phil Keil serves as Chief Strategy Officer at Grace Design Studios, driving strategic growth for the Bernhard Capital Partners–backed architecture, engineering, and consulting firm across 13 states and nine practice areas. He leads the firm’s M&A strategy, AI transformation initiatives, and enterprise-wide strategic planning. Previously, Keil spent seven years as Principal and Director of Strategy at a leading AEC management consulting firm, facilitating over 250 strategic engagements with firms ranging from boutique practices to $1.5 billion enterprises. His background includes U.S. Air Force service, founding a medical device company, and engineering leadership at a Fortune 100 chemical company. Keil holds BS degrees in Chemical Engineering and Physics and an MBA.

Rob Hughes is a senior vice president and equity partner with Ames & Gough. He is responsible for providing service to clients and developing new relationships in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and New York. Rob is the founder of our Philadelphia office.

Rob joined Ames & Gough in 2007. Previously, he was an executive vice president with Thomas J. Sharpe & Associates, a regional insurance brokerage located in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, where he specialized in professional liability insurance, risk management, and loss-prevention services for architects and engineers. Prior to that, he was with XL Insurance for more than 10 years in a variety of capacities, including his last position as senior counsel and vice president.

Rob received his law degree, cum laude, from the Widener University School of Law and his undergraduate degree from Lafayette College.

Taylor utilizes creative strategy and draws upon past experience to achieve each client’s internal and external ownership transition objectives and to mitigate risk through contract negotiation.

Taylor is an experienced business and corporate attorney that advises design firms in a wide range of mergers and acquisitions and internal ownership transitions. Taylor listens to her client’s goals and guides each transaction from term sheet to closing to ensure both business and personal goals are met. She has hands-on experience in structuring, negotiating, and documenting transactions and advising clients through the integration process. Taylor is uniquely positioned to advise on multi-state licensure compliance, whether in the context of ownership transition or multi-entity consolidation efforts.

Taylor also advises design professionals throughout complex contract drafting and negotiation of both traditional and alternative project delivery agreements. She understands the unique risks and coverage concerns design firms face in design-build and other alternative project delivery arrangements and uses contract negotiation strategies to limit potential exposure. Taylor realizes that design professionals would rather avoid costly litigation and that the best way to do so is through risk allocation and forward-thinking contract drafting.

Tony Curtis is an engineer and CTO with over 13 years of experience bridging the gap between civil engineering and technology. He currently leads technology strategy for Trilon’s West region, focusing on AI-augmented platforms and data-driven process reengineering to transform client delivery. Previously, Tony served as CTO of Horrocks, where he successfully navigated the firm’s integration into the Trilon Group family. A specialist in modernizing engineering operations, he is dedicated to transforming legacy IT systems into competitive advantages. Tony also serves on the University of Utah’s Engineering Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Will received his BS in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Asheville and his MBA from the University of Arkansas with a focus on entrepreneurship. During that time, Will developed financial models and aided in the fundraising for a startup that has raised over 20 million dollars in capital. Will has worked closely with management teams across the US to develop ownership transition plans, ranging from simple one-to-one transactions to complex projects that require a great deal of modeling and stakeholder education. Will analyzes and reports on the data AEC managers need to run successful firms.

From developing benchmarking tools to compensation programs for transition planning, Will builds resources for decision-makers. Prior to joining Zweig Group, Will provided navigation and telemetry services for oil exploration projects, conducting data analysis for the integration of GPS and seismic readouts. Will comes from a long line of architects and has a passion for the industry that is unmatched.