PARTNERS  |  KEY PERSONNEL

PARTNERS

WELLES R. GUILMARTIN, CPA

Education

Graduated from Lehigh University in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting.

Professional Experience

Employed at Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. from 1969 to 1972.  Passed the CPA exam in May of 1972, began Welles R. Guilmartin, CPA on October 1, 1972.  The firm has grown and is now recognized as Guilmartin, DiPiro & Sokolowski, LLC (GDS).  The firm began as a general practice firm but instituted a local government and tax-exempt business section in 1976.  The firm concentrates its efforts on commercial and tax-exempt organizations, including group homes and charitable organizations.  

I am the full-time tax-exempt audit partner responsible for planning and managing most of the firm’s audit engagements.

My areas of expertise include not-for-profits, including state and federal audits.  I also do business valuations, executive compensation, internal controls and management controls in addition to my audit responsibilities. This expertise started in the late 1970's when several community projects were founded by Wesleyan University.  It was apparent that there was a strong need to have an accountant locally who could assist nonprofit agencies meet their needs of the community.  This lead to assisting support organizations, such as banks, to understand the unique accounting issues of nonprofit organizations.  In the early 1980's, State and Federal grantors began to rely on CPA’s to audit their programs.  As agencies became multi-funded from several granting sources, it became necessary to rethink how nonprofits were audited.  By the 1990's this appeared as the Single Audit Act.  I have been involved in not only teaching our clients but through professional organizations, agencies in general and other CPA’s, to understand the guidance as it changes through the years.

Accounting Experience Outside the Firm

I have been the Treasurer of two churches, the local Visiting Nurse Association, the local Industrial Development Agency (INFORM), and the local Downtown Business District (a separate taxing authority created by Statute).  I have also served as President of the Middletown Rotary Club and Middletown Youth Soccer Association.

I have been named to several  investment committees and currently serve on the investment committees for the Middlesex United Way and the Middletown Historic Society.  I hold several licenses to sell investment products, however I am not active in that business.

One has to also give back to one’s profession and over the years I have taught several courses for the Connecticut Society of CPA’s primarily related to Single Audits and Governmental Auditing Standards.

I have served on the local municipal building committee, the local search committee for key employees of the city, and had worked on what was then termed the North End Task Force which established a menu of actions required to clean up the blighted areas of Middletown.  That document is still the basis for many of the decisions made by the City of Middletown today.  I have also served on committees to hire key personnel for the City’s School system.

I am also a member of professional organizations.  In the past, I have served on several committees for the Connecticut Society for Certified Public Accountants including the committees for State and Local Government, Non-Profit, State Corporate Tax and CAAS.  Nationally I was placed on the initial American Institutes Upward Mobility for Women, a committee established to educate firms nationwide on the issues affecting the retention of women in the profession.

For the above efforts I have received recognition as follows:

• In 2002 I was chosen as the Accountant Advocate of the year by the Small Business Administration, I have been the only accountant that has concentrated in not-for-profit organizations receiving the award. 

• In 2004 I was named the Distinguished Citizen by the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce.  This award means a lot to me because I was selected out of a pool of 200 applicants of many people I truly respect as business leaders in the area.  The Chamber has over 2,000 business members and to be given such an award was overwhelming.

Activities and other interests

Golf, racquet ball, tennis, reading and working outdoors. 

MICHAEL J. DIPIRO, CPA, CVA

Professional Education and History

Michael J. DiPiro is a US Navy veteran and a 1981 Cum Laude graduate of Central Connecticut State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting.  He passed the CPA exam in November 1981 and has been the tax and small business partner in the firm of Guilmartin, DiPiro & Sokolowski, LLC since 1985.  Michael is the tax partner on all engagements and is knowledgeable in all aspects of business, estates and trusts and nonprofit tax reporting.  He has over twenty-five years of public accounting experience.  He has given many presentations to business, civic and professional organizations.

Michael has prepared many business valuations for marital dissolutions, buy/sell issues and estate and gift tax matters.  He is a Certified Valuation Analyst and has attended numerous courses related to business valuations.  He has testified in court on tax, pension and business valuation matters in Middlesex, Hartford and Tolland counties.

Professional Organizations and Activities

• Member of the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants (CSCPA), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts (NACVA) and the Institute of Business Appraisers.
   
• Board member of the Middletown Road Race Committee and the Affirmation Counseling Center.  Michael is the past treasurer of Nutmeg Big Brothers/Big Sisters and an officer of the Quarry Ridge Men’s Club.  He is a past president of the Middletown Kiwanis, a board of director’s member and past treasurer of Middlesex Community Technical College Foundation.

MICHAEL A. SOKOLOWSKI, CPA

General Experience Highlights

As a partner in the firm of Guilmartin, DiPiro & Sokolowski, LLC, Michael is responsible for overseeing the audit and consulting services provided to non profit entities whose major source of funding is from the State of Connecticut Department of Mental Retardation (DMR) and Department of Social Services (DSS).  Presently the vast majority of time spent by Michael is providing services to these type of entities.  With over 20 years of experience working on non profit organizations, he has obtained a thorough understanding of not only how these agencies work but also how important it is to have a working relationship with the funding sources in order to better service the client.  Michael spends countless hours on consulting-type services with the soul purpose of obtaining more favorable rates and\or preventing future problems.  Over the past 12 years he has managed the transition of over 40 programs (CLAs, SLAs, Day and ICF/MRs) from troubled entities to new providers.

Professional Education and Firm History

Michael received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Central Connecticut State University in 1987.  Prior to graduation he began working for this firm as a co-op student.  After graduation he became a staff accountant and received his CPA certificate in 1990.  He worked his way through the positions of Senior Accountant and Manager and became a partner in the firm in 1994.  Presently he is the partner-in-charge of not-for-profit entities which receive funding from DMR and DSS.

Professional Organizations and Activities

• Member of the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants (CSCPA), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Association for Long-Term Care and Financial Managers (ALTCFM) and the Connecticut Association of Nonprofits (CAN)

• Member and past president of the Exchange Club of Middletown and member of the New Britain Elks Club

  KEY PERSONNEL

GDS has become a home to several extremely qualified CPA’s for a variety of reasons.

Teresa Opalacz, CPA

Teresa graduated from Holy Cross College and began her career with Coopers & Lybrand in their Boston office.  She later moved to the Hartford office where she became a partner of that firm and subsequently PricewaterhouseCoopers.  She left PwC in 2001 to raise her family and now serves as a consultant to GDS in the capacity of technical guidance, quality control and staff development.  She brings a different incite to the firm which has enhanced not only our compliance with reporting standards but how we approach our audits.  (21 years as a CPA)

Michael Kovaleski, CPA

Mike is a graduate of Central Connecticut State University.  He went directly to work with a construction firm before joining GDS in 1989.  Mike works on a variety of small business and individual tax clients.  He also performs audits and has become one of our specialists in the audits of group homes.  More importantly, he is our expert on the preparation of the Cost Reports for the Department of Mental Retardation and Social Services.  This report defines the future rates established by DSS and the amount of funding to be returned to DMR.  Approximately one half of our clients are DSS/DMR funded.  (13 years as a CPA)

Robert Fabricant, CPA

Bob graduated from Central Connecticut State University and began his public accounting career with a tax oriented CPA firm in Southern Connecticut, and subsequently moved on to the large regional firm of Kostin, Ruffleess & Co.  He then became the controller of a large auto parts company but decided to return to public accounting in 1996 when he joined GDS.  Bob’s experience and expertise includes small business and individual tax preparation and performing audits of state and federally funded non-profits, commercial audits and audits of employee benefit plans.  Additionally, Bob has been designated as the firm specialist in the employee benefit plan area.  (24 years as a CPA)

Rebecca Blazejowski, CPA

Becky graduated from Wake Forrest University and began her career at the former Arthur Andersen.  She left Arthur Andersen to work for the very large DMR funded organization, Bethphage (now Mosaic), as their Finance Director in their Connecticut operations.  She then moved on to become Chief Financial Officer of Hispanic Health Council, a research organization serving the Hispanic population in Hartford, that is both Federally and State funded.  She decided that she wanted to return to public accounting and joined GDS where her time is entirely devoted to the audits of not-for-profit businesses.  (8 years as a CPA)

Christine Algiere

Christine is a Central Connecticut State University graduate and began working for the mid-sized Buduwitz and Merjack, CPA’s.  She then worked as a controller for a construction company, a home nursing agency and subsequently a controller for a nursing home. She decided to return to public accounting in 2003 and currently heads our small business department.  The small business department covers a variety of areas including payroll taxes, sales taxes and computer and bookkeeping services which often cross into the not-for-profit arena.  (21 years tax experience)

Leisa Baumgartner, CPA

A graduate of Southern Connecticut State University, Leisa joined GDS in 2006 after working in both private and public accounting.  She has had experience in auditing, especially labor unions and related organizations, and has a strong small business background.  She has experience preparing campaign finance returns for PACs and has over 11 years of tax return preparation experience covering both individuals and business entities of all kinds.  (8 years as a CPA)

Susan Finn, CPA

Susan graduated from the University of Connecticut and began her public accounting career with Deloitte & Touche.  She has also been employed by Mahoney Sabol & Company, LLP and Lydall, Inc.  In addition, Susan teaches managerial accounting and introduction to financial accounting courses at Manchester Community College.  She joined GDS in 2006 and is working on several of our construction manufacturing and not-for-profit accounts.  (8 years as a CPA)

Pamela Grassi

Pamela graduated from Saint Leo University and has just recently moved to Connecticut.  She began her accounting career in the private sector and has been in public accounting for 7 years preparing business and individual tax returns along with business consulting.  Pamela has worked with business in construction, landscaping, manufacturing, legal and service industries.  She has experience with numerous versions of accounting software and is a Certified QuickBooks Instructor.

Christopher Conley, CPA

Chris graduated from Central Connecticut State University in 2004 where he virtually captured every kudos in accounting that could be given both at Central and in New England.  Chris started his career at GDS as a co-op student and has been given opportunities in both the audit and tax area.  He has experience with both individual and business tax returns as well as compilations and reviews of small businesses.  He has his Masters Degree and has passed all the sections of the exam.  He currently runs several audits and has leapfrogged ahead in every endeavor he has been given.

Staff accountants:

Jatin Patel

Jatin attended the University of Connecticut and began his career at GDS upon graduation in May 2006.  Within a year at GDS, he has gained experience with individual tax returns, bookkeeping for clients and auditing both non-profit organizations and other corporations.

Robbie Evans

Robbie graduated from Eastern Connecticut State University in 2005, having completed the requirement for his Masters Degree in accounting.   He has also been employed on a seasonal basis by Peter Wm Maneri Jr, CPA where he has gained valuable experience in the completion of individual tax returns.  Robbie joined GDS in January 2007.  He has also completed 10 years of honorable service in the U.S.N, where he qualified in Submarine warfare, served as a platform instructor and was awarded the Navy and Marine Corp Achievement Medal.