Partners

Tamara has more than 25 years of public accounting experience specializing in providing tax solutions through planning, consulting and compliance across a diverse industry client base that includes professional services, software, start-ups, real estate, construction, and manufacturing/distribution. She is highly valued for her proactive year-round efforts to make clients aware of accounting issues that require attention. Tamara is a member of the California Society of CPAs and the American Institute of CPAs. She earned a B.S. in business administration with an accounting emphasis from Saint Mary's College and an M.S. in taxation from Golden Gate University.

Jennifer is an assurance and advisory partner based in Hood & Strong's San Jose office overseeing audit, accounting and tax services to clients in the manufacturing/distribution, construction, technology, and employee benefit market sectors. With nearly three decades of public accounting experience, she has earned a reputation for offering a practical approach to her clients' assurance and accounting needs in today's regulated environment. She is chair of the Hood & Strong Quality Control Committee and a member of the firm’s Commercial Industry Group and Employee Benefit Plan Practice Group. Jennifer is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the California Society of CPAs, as well as ProVisors, Women Presidents Organization, and the Construction Financial Management Association. She is an active member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Women Business Owners California, serving as treasurer and past president. She earned an M.B.A. from the University of San Francisco and a B.S. from Notre Dame de Namur University.

Bob's four decades in public accounting includes extensive experience with both for-profit and not-for-profit entities. He works with corporate and LLC clients in areas including structuring U.S. and overseas operations and succession planning. Bob has been involved in a host of tax-related initiatives at the national level, including authoring legislation and providing testimony to Congress in the areas of simplifying tax reporting for private foundations, integrating corporate and individual tax compliance, and revising the rules for worldwide taxation of multinational corporations. Bob worked with the American Institute of CPAs to develop tax return preparation guides and checklists and previously chaired the committee responsible for creating the tax portion of the CPA exam. Bob is a member of the American Institute of CPAs, the California Society of CPAs, the University of San Francisco Accounting Alumni Board of Directors, and the Business Advisor Group and Planned Giving Advisory Panel for the University of San Francisco. Bob was an Adjunct Professor in the Graduate Tax Program at Golden Gate University and serves on the Advisory Boards for the Schools of Accounting and Tax. Bob graduated with a B.S. in accounting from the University of San Francisco and received an M.S. in taxation from Golden Gate University.

Maria is an assurance and advisory partner in the San Francisco office of Hood & Strong. She has been with the firm for more than two decades and is responsible for overseeing the execution of audits, compilations, reviews, analysis of internal controls and operations, forecasts, and projections. Maria has experience working with a variety of closely held and venture backed companies in sectors including manufacturing/distribution, professional services, and real estate. She is also an expert on pensions and profit-sharing plans, assisting clients with exit strategy planning, year-end tax planning, financing negotiations, and mergers and acquisitions. Maria is a member of the California Society of CPAs, the American Institute of CPAs, the AICPA Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center, and the University of San Francisco Accounting Advisory Board. She has been active with the National Association of Women Business Owners, Women in Real Estate, the Financial Women's Association, the Association for Corporate Growth, and ProVisors, a network of more than 1,700 top business professionals. She is a former board member of A Home Away From Homelessness, a Bay Area NGO that supports homeless and formerly homeless children and families. Maria received a B.S. from the University of San Francisco.

Kathy is an audit partner in the San Francisco office of Hood & Strong and the leader of the firm’s Not-for-Profit Service Group. Over more than 30 years in public accounting, her experience has been concentrated in and currently only serves clients in the not-for-profit sector. Kathy’s expertise includes internal control and operations reviews, analysis of accounting systems, and preparation of financial statements in audit engagements. Kathy has served as an adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco and San Francisco State University. She holds a B.S. in accounting from the University of San Francisco.

Raul supervises financial audits, accounting and business advisory services for companies of all sizes, with particular expertise in technology, biotech and life sciences companies, as well as employee benefit plans. With more than four decades of public accounting experience, Raul helps companies identify and implement the proper accounting policies to complex transactions such as purchases and acquisitions. Raul is a licensed CPA in California, Nevada, Massachusetts and New Jersey and is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the California Society of CPAs. He currently serves as Treasurer of the Board for the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce. He holds a B.A. from San Francisco State University.

John has over three decades of public accounting experience and provides assurance, accounting and business advisory services to privately held and investor-owned businesses. John's professional experience includes working on due diligence engagements on proposed acquisitions and post-acquisition assistance with purchase price allocations and net working capital adjustments. His areas of expertise include audit and assurance, manufacturing/distribution, software as a service (SaaS), and professional services. John holds a B.A. degree from the University of Michigan.

Maga is a tax and advisory partner for exempt organizations in Hood & Strong's San Francisco office. With over twenty years of public accounting experience, he has served numerous exempt clients including national and international foundations, charities and associations. Prior to moving to the Bay Area, Maga worked for RSM (McGladrey) in Washington, DC, where he was in charge of the regional exempt organization tax practice. Maga also has first-hand experience working directly for a nonprofit organization, having served as a field officer for the International Red Cross during the war in Chechnya. He sits on the board of two charities and currently serves on the Audit and Legislative committees for the California Society of Association Executives. He is a licensed CPA in California and Virginia. Maga earned an M.S. in accounting from East Tennessee State University and a bachelor's degree in economics and business administration from Kings College.

Susan has been with Hood & Strong for more than three decades and was elected managing partner in 2018. She is an integral member of the firm's Not-For-Profit Service Group, continuing to work with a broad array of clients across industries including higher education, arts and culture, and philanthropy. In 2009, Susan was named one of the Bay Area's 150 Most Influential Women in Business by the San Francisco Business Times. Susan is a member of the American Institute of CPAs, the California Society of CPAs, and the National Association of College and University Business Officers. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Hamilton Family Center and was president of the Board of the San Francisco Arts Education Project. She graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in accounting from Ohio State University.

Chad has nearly two decades of public accounting and industry experience, focusing on a diverse range of operating entities, private-equity funds, real estate syndicates, and high-net-worth individuals. Chad advises on complex partnership transactions including capital account maintenance, income/loss allocations, carry/promote, and large real estate and investment partnership structures. Additionally, Chad focuses on start-ups, search fund acquisitions and serving the complex needs of high-net-worth private clients. Chad is a director and chair of the Audit Committee for The Better Grids Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization providing essential support for research and development of electric grids around the world. Chad is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and California Society of CPAs. He holds a B.S. in accounting from California State University, East Bay.

For more than three decades, George has focused his tax planning expertise on privately held businesses, primarily construction companies and high-net-worth individuals who invest in, and manage, real estate portfolios. George is also a Personal Financial Specialist and financial advisor to high-net worth individuals. He is a member of the California Society of CPAs and is active on its State Tax Committee. He is also a member and past president of both the Belmont Rotary Club and the Belmont Chamber of Commerce. He received a B.S. degree in business administration from the University of Southern California and an M.B.A. from the University of San Francisco.

Bob has more than three decades of public accounting experience and founded the firm's Not-for-Profit Service Group. Formerly Hood & Strong’s Managing Partner, Bob serves as the firm’s CFO and is a member of its Governing Board. He currently oversees audit and consulting engagements for not-for-profit entities in various sectors, including family and corporate foundations, social service agencies, private schools and education-related entities, and membership organizations. Bob is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the California Society of CPAs. He is the past chair/vice chair of the Center for Excellence in Nonprofits (CEN), a nonprofit agency that trains and supports leaders and future leaders of Bay Area nonprofit organizations, where he has also served as chair of the Finance Committee and as Treasurer. Bob also serves as co-chair of the Advisory Board of the Religious of the Sacred Heart’s Oakwood Retirement Center in Atherton, CA and is a past board member and chair of the Audit Committee for Joint Venture Silicon Valley and past president and chair of the Audit Committee for Services for Brain Injury. Bob holds a B.S. from Santa Clara University and is a graduate of the Executive Leadership Academy of the Center for Character-Based Leadership.

Jorge brings two decades of public accounting experience to Hood & Strong and is an active partner focused on assurance and advisory business services. His experience has been concentrated in the not-for-profit sector, specifically overseeing audits for many of the Bay Area's largest and most well-known organizations, including national and international organizations with asset size ranging from $10 million to more than $1.5 billion. Jorge works with private and operating foundations, as well as community foundations, international and global organizations, and social service organizations. He is a member of the American Institute of CPAs, the California Society of CPAs, and the AICPA Government Accounting Quality Center, a voluntary membership center that promotes the importance and quality of governmental audits to purchasers of governmental audit services. Jorge is an instructor for in-house training and Hood & Strong client seminars, addressing varying complex areas impacting not-for-profit organizations. He is also a founding member of the firm’s Audit Efficiency Group and Audit Quality Committee. Jorge currently serves on the board of the Santa Rosa Junior College Foundation. He holds a degree in business administration from Sonoma State University.

Jonathan has been overseeing audit engagements of varying sizes for more than a decade on behalf of clients in a diverse range of industries, including health and welfare, social services, museums, membership associations, and private foundations. He has earned accolades for his thoroughness and keen management advice, and his clients extol his ongoing communications that keep them updated on audit processes year-round. Jonathan has given numerous presentations to clients, peers and colleagues on topics such as Uniform Guidance, UPMIFA and audit efficiencies. Jonathan is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the California Society of CPAs. An active participant in community service, Jonathan served on the Audit Committee of the YMCA of the Central Bay Area and volunteers for the Boy Scouts of America and Abode Services. He holds a B.S. from California State University, East Bay and attended Rainmaker's Leadership Academy.

Jerry started his career in private industry before joining Hood & Strong in 2004. He provides audit and advisory services to closely held and private equity-backed businesses, as well as a variety of not-for-profit organizations. He currently leads the firm’s M&A Transaction Advisory Practice, assisting private equity groups and search funds on financial due diligence and quality-of-earnings analysis. Jerry offers a refreshing forward-looking perspective for his clients that complements audit with advisory. He holds a B.A. in business economics from the University of California, Los Angeles.