Partners

Tamara has more than 25 years of public accounting experience 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 known for being attentive and responsive to her clients and is highly valued for her proactive year-round efforts to make them 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 an M.S. in Taxation from Golden Gate University and a B.S. in Business Administration with Accounting emphasis from St. Mary's College. Fun fact: Tamara’s favorite food is spaghetti sugo with meatballs from LoCoco’s in Piedmont.

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 technology, start-up, construction, real estate, and employee benefit market sectors. With more than 20 years of public accounting experience, she has earned a reputation for offering a practical approach to her clients' audit and accounting needs in today's regulated environment. She is a member of the Hood & Strong Quality Control Committee, 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 the Construction Financial Management Association. She is an active member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Women Business Owners' Silicon Valley Chapter and California board, serving as president-elect and treasurer, respectively. She earned an M.B.A. from the University of San Francisco and a B.S. from Notre Dame de Namur University. Fun fact: When she was a child, Jennifer wanted to be a doctor when she grew up.

Bob's 40 years in public accounting includes extensive experience working with for-profit and not-for-profit entities. He works with corporate and LLC clients in areas such as 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 such diverse activities as 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 AICPA to develop tax return preparation guides and checklists. For many years Bob 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, 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, received an M.S. in Taxation from Golden Gate University. Fun fact: Bob was a professional drummer for more than 10 years and had a gig dancing on TV for five years.

Maria is an assurance and advisory partner in the San Francisco office of Hood & Strong. She has been with the firm for more than 20 years 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 including manufacturing, distribution, professional service, and real estate entities, as well as governmental projects, 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 (AICPA), the AICPA's Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center and the University of San Francisco Accounting Advisory Board. She also participated in 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 member of the Board of Directors 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. Fun fact: Maria has an adventurous streak and has tried both motorcycle riding classes and skydiving.

Kathy is an audit partner in the San Francisco office of Hood & Strong. During her more than 26 years in public accounting, her experience has been concentrated in and currently only serves clients in the not-for-profit sector. Services provided to this sector include internal control and operations reviews, analysis of accounting systems and preparation of financial statements in audit engagements. Kathy is also the leader of Hood & Strong's Not-For-Profit Industry Service Group. Kathy is an adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco.

Darlene is a tax and advisory partner in the San Jose office of Hood & Strong. With more then 20 years of experience in public accounting, Darlene works with clients in a broad range of entity types and industries to provide tax solutions through planning, consulting and compliance. Darlene has provided consulting and compliance services to start- ups, corporations, pass-through entities and individuals and has experience working with clients in a range of industries including technology and software, professional services and real estate. Fun fact: Growing up, Darlene always wanted to be a veterinarian specializing in horses.

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 25 years of public accounting experience, Raul helps companies identify and implement the proper accounting policies to complex transactions such as purchases and acquisitions. Raul is licensed in California, Nevada, New York, and New Jersey and is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the California Society of CPAs. He has a B.A. from San Francisco State University.

John has more than 30 years of experience in public accounting providing assurance, accounting and business advisory services to privately and investor owned businesses. John's professional experience includes working on due diligence engagements on proposed acquisitions and post-acquisition assistance with purchase price and net working capital adjustments. His areas of expertise include audit and assurance, manufacturing and distribution, software as a service and professional businesses. He has a B.A. degree from the University of Michigan. Fun fact: A romantic at heart, John’s favorite movie is “When Harry Met Sally.”

Maga is a tax and advisory partner for exempt organizations in Hood & Strong's San Francisco office. Maga has more than 12 years of public accounting experience. He spent nine years with national accounting firms, and managed exempt clients such as the Humane Society International, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Center for Strategic and International Studies, and the American Bankers Association, among others. Prior to moving to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2010, Maga worked for McGladrey in their office 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, serving as a field officer for the International Red Cross during the war in Chechnya. Maga earned an M.S. in Accounting from East Tennessee State University and a Bachelor's Degree in Economics and Business Administration from King College. He is licensed in California and Virginia. He is a member of the board of two charities and currently serves on the audit and legislative committees for the California Society of Association Executives. Fun Fact: Born in the Soviet Union, Maga learned English listening to Bob Dylan songs.

Susan has been with Hood & Strong for more than 25 years and is an integral member of the firm's Not-For-Profit Service Group. She has worked with a broad array of clients across a spectrum of industries that includes 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. Fun fact: If Susan won the lottery, she’d buy a classic car and a garage to store it in – parking is limited in San Francisco!

Chad has more than 12 years of public accounting experience and specializes in advising both high net-worth individuals and closely held businesses in a wide variety of industries including manufacturing, real estate, professional services, private equity funds and more recently search funds. Chad has consulted on a variety of tax issues including, multi-state income tax complexities, flow-through allocations, like-kind exchanges and cost segregation studies. He also works with a number of clients involving cross-border issues and compliance. His clients appreciate his responsiveness and constant availability and he is proud to have true multi-generational San Franciscans as clients. Prior to Hood & Strong, he worked at both large and small CPA firms and was exposed to a wide variety of clients with ranging needs. Chad earned a B.S. in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting at California State University East Bay. Fun fact: When Chad was growing up, he wanted to be a helicopter pilot for the United States Coast Guard.

For more than 30 years, George has focused his tax planning expertise on 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. George 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. Fun facts: George is a third generation San Franciscan and met a United States Vice President.

Bob, our Firm’s former Managing Partner, has more than three decades of public accounting experience and founded the Firm's Not-For-Profit Service Group. He currently oversees audit and consulting engagements for not-for-profit entities in various sectors, such as social service agencies, corporate and family private foundations, research institutes, private schools and education-related entities, membership organizations and museum and art entities. He thoroughly enjoys working with his nonprofit clients as they face their future and work towards growth and stability for their constituents. Bob is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the California Society of CPAs. He serves as a board member, finance committee chairperson and treasurer for the Center for Excellence in Nonprofits (CEN), a nonprofit agency that trains and supports the leaders and future leaders of local nonprofits. Bob also serves as board member and audit committee chairperson for Joint Venture Silicon Valley; audit committee chairperson for Services for Brain Injury, a not-for-profit organization that helps brain injury victims regain their skills and independence; and is a member of the Religious of the Sacred Heart’s Oakwood Retirement Center Advisory Board. Previously, he served on the audit committee of the US National Figure Skating Association and assisted in establishing the Ursuline Academy Foundation's scholarship committee. 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. Fun fact: Before entering the accounting profession, Bob dreamed of being an orchestra conductor.

Jorge brings more than 17 years of public accounting experience and is an active partner of assurance and advisory business services at Hood & Strong. His experience has been concentrated in the not-for-profit industry, specifically overseeing audits for many of the Bay Area's largest and most well-known not-for-profit organizations, including national and international organizations with asset size ranging between $10 million and in excess of $1.5 billion. He works with private and operating foundations, as well as community foundations, international and global organizations, and social service organizations. Jorge's ability to build and maintain strong client relationships, combined with his industry expertise, makes him a highly effective and sought-after member of the assurance team. Jorge is a Certified Public Accountant in California, a member of the American Institute of CPAs, the California Society of CPAs, and the 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 client seminars, addressing varying complex areas impacting not-for-profits. Jorge is also a founding member of our in-house Audit Efficiency Group and Audit Quality Committee. Jorge currently serves as a board member of the Petaluma Youth Commission and Petaluma National Little League and is a former board member of the Petaluma Community Foundation and Bay Area Hispanic Institute for Advancement, Inc. in Berkeley. Fun fact: Jorge loves microbreweries and would choose brew tasting over wine tasting any day.

Jonathan has been overseeing audit engagements of varying sizes for more than a decade on behalf of clients in a diverse range of industries that includes health and welfare, social services, museums, membership associations and construction. 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. Jonathan holds a B.S. from California State University, East Bay and attended Rainmaker's Leadership Academy. Fun fact: An outdoors enthusiast, Jonathan paddleboards and backpacks at every chance he gets.

Jerry joined Hood & Strong in 2004 and previously served as an assurance and advisory manager. In his role, he is responsible for planning and managing the execution of financial statement audits, attest and consulting services. His clients consist of middle-market companies nationwide, including ventured-backed, family-owned or private investments. Additionally, he has extended experience working with a variety of nonprofit organizations. Prior to joining Hood & Strong, Jerry worked in the private industry at a publicly traded company. He serves as treasurer and board member for Oakes Children Center, a nonprofit committed to providing educational and therapeutic services to children with emotional disturbance and developmental delays. He holds a B.A. in business economics from the University of California, Los Angeles. Fun fact: Jerry is adventurous, and not just when it comes to travel. Jerry has tried exotic cuisines and delicacies including scorpions and snakes.