Ryan’s passion for accounting began long before becoming a CPA. During college, he worked as an operations manager for a retail chain which required an attention to detail that has carried over into his career in public accounting. He started working at LSL in 2013 after graduation from California State University, Fullerton, and worked his way up in the firm.

As an assurance partner, Ryan oversees engagements for a variety of governmental clients, providing accounting guidance and other services, including audits, consulting, and ACFR preparation, with a high level of care and precision. He is also involved in training new staff members, and acts as a mentor and resource to both his clients and his team.

Ryan has a strong technical focus and enjoys researching and learning about complex accounting requirements to the benefit of his clients. He is a regular speaker at LSL’s annual GASB update on technical topics. His primary client base is local governments, but he also works closely with for-profit entities who receive federal funding. Ryan’s expertise in the planning and execution of Single Audits of federal award programs in accordance with the Uniform Guidance earned him an advanced certification from the AICPA on the topic.

Ryan is an active member in a number of professional organizations, including CSMFO, CalCPA and  AICPA, and is a member of GFOA’s Special Review Committee for the Award for Excellence in Financial Reporting.

Great Clients for Ryan… Foster a collaborative relationship and strive towards constant improvement
LSL candidate tip… Ask him about the firm’s culture.
Personal… Ryan is an active member in his church along with his wife, Rachel, and two children. His hobbies include playing golf and taking care of his cars.

Professional and Civic Involvement:

Firm member, PrimeGlobal
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA)
Governmental Financial Officers Association (GFOA), Special Review Committee

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting, California State University, Fullerton

At Gray CPA Consulting: Gail is the founding principal of Gray CPA Consulting. She works with our team to ensure we are providing a high quality of service to our clients. She is our Governmental Sector Subject Matter Expert for the Caseware GASB Template. She is the private sector subject matter expert for Caseware solutions for our Accounting and Corporate clients as well. She is the lead consultant and trainer for our Caseware Partnership Projects.

Personally: Gail values a strong work ethic and high-quality customer service. She believes this is what sets us apart in a very competitive workspace. If we take care of each of our clients like we would our family and become a part of their team, we will keep our clients successful and happy. Treating her team and her clients like family is a big deal to Gail because of her strong family values. She believes this is what empowers her team, and that her family empowers her.​

Off the Clock: Gail has a strong commitment to her family and it is important to her to be an influential part of their lives. True to her word, Gail serves as the family matriarch both on and off the clock, as we have many family members as part of our team. She and her husband love to take their family and friends to Mexico and share the blessings God has provided them. She has a strong faith in God and believes he is the provider of all we have and accomplish. Her dog, Grayce is her therapist. Her husband, Bob, is such a blessing and she could not accomplish all that she does without him being as supportive as he is.

Fav Quote: “l can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” - Philippians 4:13

Funky fact: Gail was a medic and a psych tech working in an inpatient psych hospital in the Army

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/gail-gray-cpa-121b2136

Professional and Civic Involvement:

Firm member, Prime

Global GFOA Member

Education:

BA in Accounting, Methodist University

Bryan has been dedicated to LSL CPAs since 2004, and his loyalty to LSL has been deeply rooted because of the people, culture, and continued opportunities for growth and development. This eventually led Bryan to become LSL’s Managing Partner in 2021.

Bryan began his career in accounting because of its reputation as the language of business. He became a CPA in 2008 when he found that public accounting could give him the opportunity to work with an even more diverse group of people and a wide range of clients. To this day, he still believes that a solid understanding of accounting can transform businesses in a multitude of ways.

As Managing Partner, his vision and passion are to focus on growing LSL’s people, culture, and development to move forward and be the firm of the future, while bringing our best to our clients. Bryan believes that “it is the most exciting time in history to be at a CPA firm, and there is more opportunity than ever before because innovation and change have captured the profession to drive higher value.” Creating opportunities for our clients and employees is what continues to drive him every day.

Great Clients for Bryan … Bryan is drawn to clients who are looking for answers to hard questions. He enjoys leveraging his team’s expertise relating to new laws and regulations, evolving technology, and challenging business environments to foster not just survival but growth.  

LSL candidate tip ... By combining resources from near and far, Bryan finds immediate solutions to his client’s pressing problems and tries to anticipate and prevent future situations through intermediate and longer-range planning cycles.

Personal ... Bryan loves the ocean and the mountains, and especially enjoys hiking, camping, biking, swimming, running, golfing, and spending quality time with his family. He likes visiting the wine country and relaxes by cooking when he’s at home.

Professional and Civic Involvement:

Firm member, PrimeGlobal
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA)
Member and Presenter, California Society of Municipal Finance Officers (CSMFO)
Member and Technical Reviewer, Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA)
Member, Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA)
Member, Association of Local Government Auditors (ALGA)
Local Troop Leader, Boy Scouts of America

Education:

B.A. degree in Business Administration with Accounting emphasis – California State University, Fullerton

Kelly Telford is a Partner in LSL’s Consulting & Advisory Department bringing over 20 years of experience in working in and with government agencies.  Her background as previous Director of Finance for city and county agencies gives her unique insight and specialized expertise in accounting and auditing, financial forecasting, and budget development, along with investment and grant management.

With a passion for local government and extensive technical knowledge in governmental accounting, she has built an advisory practice where she and her team assist local governments with their finance, accounting and operational needs every day. Kelly excels in transforming conventional approaches to more innovative methods that help organizations more easily develop a clear, defined path to accomplishing their goals and objectives. Her strategic focus on transparency and trust makes her one of the top consultants and speakers in the governmental industry.

Great Clients for Kelly… Leveraging her experience in local government agencies—including large and small cities, redevelopment agencies, special districts, and Native American Tribes and Tribal casinos—she can serve as an extension of clients’ Finance Departments to help with budgeting, planning, or whatever they require.

LSL Candidate Tip…For Kelly, consulting and auditing in government agencies have helped her better understand and appreciate the demands of these entities. She strives to achieve improved financial reporting, internal controls, and efficiencies while focusing on transparency, trust, and teamwork. “I like to have a collaborative relationship year-round, not just during audit season.”

Personal … Kelly has two kids who love sports. ”My favorite thing is watching my son run for a touchdown or get an interception in football and seeing my daughter learn to play t-ball.”

Professional and Civic Involvement:

• Firm Member, Prime Global
• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
• California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA)
• California Society of Municipal Finance Officers (CSMFO)
• Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA)
• Government Finance Officers Association of Texas (GFOAT)

Education:

Bachelor of Arts Degree in Accounting – California State University, Fullerton, 2003

Christian has always loved problem-solving, and being a CPA allows her to work one-on-one with her clients to troubleshoot their difficulties and develop the best process that fits their needs. It’s also a career that can be worked around family obligations when needed—a flexibility that helps a lot with her three school-aged boys.

She has been dedicated to the public accounting field since 2012, working continuously in governmental services and auditing, including federal grant compliance. She became a CPA in 2015.

Great Clients for Christian… Government agencies needing help with their Financial Statement Audit and Single Audits (Uniform Grant Compliance Audits) consulting and assisting clients in specific needs and reconciliations.

LSL Candidate Tip… ask her about tent camping in the summer.

Personal … Married with three sons, Christian enjoys spending her free time with her family. She loves being outside or checking out fun indoor activities.

Professional and Civic Involvement:

Member of the AICPA and GFOA
Firm Member, Prime Global

Education:

B.S. in Accounting with a minor in Economics – The College at Brockport State University of New York

A.S. in Business Administration – Genesee Community College

As a college athlete, Brandon loved being part of a team. This eased his transition from college to career when he joined the LSL team as a staff accountant in 2012. Now an assurance partner, Brandon provides consulting and oversees audit and accounting services for state and local governments and municipalities. In addition to being a team player, he often finds himself coaching new employees and clients as they tackle technical matters.

Brandon brings new ways to help his clients fill the day-to-day gaps in their finance department while adding value to their finance team. This could include interim staffing, process automation, and other creative solutions that can keep departments afloat during times of high turnover or recruiting challenges. He documents procedures to improve processes, solidify controls, and provide clarity and consistency to finance departments. Brandon is passionate about helping clients think outside the box to advance their department and forge a path forward that is consistent, sustainable, and leverages current resources.

In addition to his role as a partner, Brandon currently serves as LSL's Chief Operations Officer. 

Great Clients for Brandon… Find value in the genuine relationship they build together.
LSL candidate tip… Ask him about golf! 
Personal… Brandon has an amazing wife named Lauren and three little ones running around at home, plus one on the way. He played baseball through college and was named an NAIA Capital One Academic All-American^® in 2012. In addition to playing sports, he is a die-hard Los Angeles Kings and Denver Broncos fan.

Professional and Civic Involvement:

Firm member, PrimeGlobal
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA)

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Vanguard University

James has always loved math and numbers. Combining business and accounting was a great way to use both. He says, “Accounting also provides many opportunities to help widely diverse industries and local governments in a variety of ways.”

James became a CPA in New York State in 2015. He spent three years as Supervisor & Manager in a regional CPA firm and another three years as Director of Finance in a regional municipality in New York State before coming to LSL CPAs.

His experience encompasses financial audits, Single Audits, ACFR, and financial statement preparation, plus GASB implementation consulting, bookkeeping consulting, and other Director of Finance/Controller consulting services.

Great Clients for James… He specializes in Governmental and Not-for-Profit clients but is eager to ensure we meet the needs of every industry. Any clients needing expertise at the state and local government level, including a wide range of NYS Towns, Villages, Cities, Counties, School Districts, and Not-for-Profit Agencies, would benefit by working with James.

LSL Candidate Tip… James thrives on finding new ways to assist efficiencies within client operations and cultivating professional relationships into personal friendships. With his previous firm, he helped a client navigate an extended vacant City Controller position by stepping in and performing the City’s desperately needed CFO duties. His tasks also included ARPA and other grant-filing consulting work.

Personal … He is recently married and lives in the Niagara Falls, NY area, so it’s no surprise that James is a diehard Buffalo Bills and Sabres fan. When not in the office, James is either on a golf course, attending one of his favorite sports teams’ games, or arranging for friends and family to join him at the beach or the lake. On that note, James is a music and sports trivia aficionado, and his favorite bands are The Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Bruce Springsteen. James works remotely out of Buffalo/Niagara Falls, NY.

Professional and Civic Involvement:

Firm Member, Prime Global

Education:

BS and MBA, St. John Fisher College  

Noah is a dynamic and dedicated professional with dual certifications as a CPA and a CPFO (Certified Public Finance Officer), highlighting his passion for accounting and governmental finance. He is a natural problem solver and enjoys the continuous learning that comes with being a CPA drives him to stay current with regulations and best practices. Ensuring he can provide practical, up-to-date solutions for his clients and colleagues. Noah’s pursuit of the CPFO designation further specialized his expertise in local government finance, focusing on budgeting, compliance, and accounting process improvement.

After an earlier tenure at LSL from 2008 to 2013, Noah is thrilled to return, and bring with him a wealth of experience and fresh perspective about what is happening at the ground level of municipal finance departments.

Noah journey into accounting began with a love for math in high school, specifically word problems, and ignited in college as his professor’s provided real-world lectures for the subject. He discovered that accounting was the perfect blend of logical structure and problem-solving, solidifying his path in the business world. Coming from a family of municipal servants, Noah then naturally gravitated to local government, connecting the knowledge and information he picked up as a child with the business of how it worked.

Noah’s desire to benefit those around him is evident in his interactions with clients and LSL team members. He is dedicated to providing learning opportunities, fostering collaborating, and encouraging personal and professional career growth. This commitment enables both the firm and its clients to achieve excellence and deliver best-in-class services.

Great clients for Noah … Great clients for Noah … Noah’s excels when working with clients that want to improve their financial processes and internal controls towards the industry best practices. Collaboratively evaluating the process that have always been done a certain way, and then tailoring those process to achieve the desired outcome, while still ensuring adequate controls, is his favorite. Its why we enjoys working on financial process reengineering and ERP systems project management, and more.

LSL candidate tip … Noah values team members who are proactive problem-solvers and eager to use technology to improve processes. He looks for candidates who can spot inefficiencies, communicate clearly, and work together to implement effective solutions. If you’re driven to improve and leverage technology, you’ll fit right in with Noah’s team.

Personal … When he's not at work, Noah is golfing or taking his daughter to her tennis or gymnastic practices or events. If he’s not out golfing, he enjoys watching sports on television, including the PGA, LPGA, and Chicago Bears football (although he’s not from Chicago!). And, he’s a fan of the series “Suits.”

Professional and Civic Involvement

Firm member, PrimeGlobal

American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)

California Society of Municipal Finance Officers Member (CSMFO)

Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA)

Education

Bachelor of Business Administration, BS, Accounting and Finance – San Diego State University

CPA, November 2011, CPFO March 2020

Riley became interested in accounting after an entrepreneurship club in college. The group project was to create a start-up company, and Riley naturally fell into the accounting role due to his interest in economic planning and transactional tracking. From then on, he knew that there was nothing else he would rather do for a career.

As a CPA with over five years working at LSL, Riley finds great satisfaction in working with people at the top of the accounting profession. He says, “Being a CPA means constantly learning about the changing regulations and adapting them to the situation.”

As an Assurance Manager at LSL, Riley has found satisfaction in helping some of LSL’s clients implement an Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) award for the first time.

Great Clients for Riley … Government entities like cities, water districts, fire authorities, special districts, and nonprofits are all good fits for Riley’s knowledge in assurance and attestation. He has assisted in consulting projects such as Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) implementations in previous roles, adding to his skills and expertise along the way.

LSL Candidate Tip … Riley’s background has been primarily in government. He is also increasingly interested in leveraging technology in accounting and feels cyber-crime is one of the world’s greatest threats. As a result, Riley was recently certified by the AICPA in cybersecurity advisory services.

Personal … When Riley is not at work, he’s at the beach, outside playing sports, or traveling. He lived in London, England for a year and a half, but as a Southern Californian at heart, his favorite teams are the Angels and the Chargers. Indoor-wise, he takes cooking and wine very seriously.

Professional and Civic Involvement:

Firm member, PrimeGlobal

GFOA (Government Finance Officers Association) technical reviewer

Education:

Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Accounting – University of California, Santa Barbara

Being a CPA runs in Allen James ‘Jayme’ Lambert’s family. His grandfather, the first Allen James Lambert, after whom he is named, was a CPA for 50 years and founded a firm that still bears his name. Although he has passed on, Jayme saw how much his grandfather enjoyed the accounting profession and he wants to spend his career doing the same.

Jayme has stayed on this path ever since, earning a B.S. in Accounting in 2013 and his CPA designation in 2016. Prior to joining LSL in 2022, Jayme was a Senior Accountant and then a Manager at a CPA firm in Alabama.

As a Manager in our Governmental Services department, Jayme oversees municipal, water districts, special districts and not-for-profit audits, as well as provides consulting for our clients.

Great Clients for Jayme… If you’re looking for peace of mind, Jayme’s your guy. He says, “I like providing clients with an extra feeling of confidence in my work by exceeding their expectations whenever possible.”

LSL Candidate Tip… Ask him about playing the guitar – and singing!

Personal … Jayme has three daughters. The family spends a lot of time at theme parks and water parks. Their favorite is Disney World for more extensive trips, but they spend much of their time at the local Alabama Adventure & Splash Adventure. He also follows Alabama sports and his favorite team is the Crimson Tide.

Professional and Civic Involvement:

• Firm Member, Prime Global
• Alabama Society of CPAs (ASCPA)
• Government Finance Officers Association of Alabama (GFOAA)

Education:

B.B.A. (Bachelor of Business Administration) in Entertainment Industry Management from the University of North Alabama (UNA)

B.S. in Accounting from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)

There is something to be said for longevity, and Frank has not stopped learning and teaching since he joined LSL CPAs as a staff auditor in 1994. He attributes his tenure to the variety of clients and fun culture of the firm.

Given that he now works mainly with municipalities and government entities, that’s saying a lot. But he enjoys the organization required to perform these audits while simultaneously mentoring audit team members to perform at their best. Frank also works with clients on financial reporting and accounting throughout the year.

To further demonstrate his flexibility, Frank recalls one client that was scheduled for an audit later than usual due to a system conversion. When the client wanted LSL to perform the audit at the usual time, Frank and the audit team mobilized to perform the audit in just one week. Frank wants to deliver that same reliability on every project…preferably with a nice balance between effort and rest.

Great Clients for Frank… are municipalities and local governmental entities.
LSL candidate tip… Ask him about touring the south of France.
Personal… enjoys hiking, biking and backpacking.

Professional and Civic Involvement:

Firm member, PrimeGlobal
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA)
Member and Technical Reviewer, Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Award for Excellence in Financial Reporting

Education:

B.A. degree in Business Administration with Accounting emphasis, California State University, Fullerton

With over 20 years of experience in public accounting and a passion for helping governmental and nonprofit organizations keep their financials in tip-top shape, Nicole specializes in everything from audits and Single Audits to year-end close assistance, capital projects, and grant accounting. She’s not just about the numbers—she’s about solving problems, delivering peace of mind, and building lasting client relationships.

Before joining LSL, Nicole worked extensively with governmental clients, helping them navigate complex challenges such as year-end financial consulting, drafting Annual Financial Reports, implementing new accounting systems, and training on financial statement preparation and cash flow analysis. Nicole thrives on helping her clients through tough accounting issues, using her skills to provide solutions and establish trust.

Nicole’s passion for accounting began at a young age, inspired by her mother, who worked as a controller for automobile dealerships. She became a CPA in 2010, and she enjoys the challenges of financial reporting, problem-solving, and delivering exceptional results for her clients. At LSL, she focuses on providing consulting and advisory services, including grant and capital project accounting, year-end close, and outsourced financial leadership to governmental clients.

Great clients for Nicole … Nicole excels when working with governmental and nonprofit clients who need a trusted advisor to guide them through complex accounting challenges. She’s passionate about financial reporting, and she loves working with organizations that want to strengthen their financial practices and ensure compliance with accounting standards.

LSL candidate tip … Local governments in need of financial reporting assistance or managing multiple or large-scale capital projects that need accurate financial reporting, proper accounting for grants or other funding, and advice on capital expenditure management (and beyond!).

Personal … When she’s not diving into accounting challenges, Nicole enjoys spending time with her husband and their two boys, attending their Taekwondo, soccer, and flag football events. A big fan of all things Buffalo—Bills, Sabres, Bandits—Nicole and her family even have season tickets to Buffalo Bandits lacrosse games! In her downtime, you can find her watching mystery and suspense action movies or reading James Patterson and Jack Reacher novels. And she’s always up for a good musical!

Professional and Civic Involvement

Firm member, PrimeGlobal

AICPA

NYGFOA (AAFR committee)

NYSSCPAs (Government committee)

Education

Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Nazareth University in Rochester, NY

Nielsine has enjoyed working in the government industry for many years. Her interest in accounting started during an accounting class in college, where she was fascinated by the use of financial data. She became a CPA because “I enjoy the challenges that accounting and auditing bring with the changing regulations.”

As a Senior Manager, Nielsine works with municipal clients on compliance with GAAP reporting requirements and GASB standards, performing Single Audits under the Uniform Guidance, and helping them to problem solve challenges they face.

Great clients for Nielsine… Our government clients will appreciate the attention to detail Nielsine brings to each task.

LSL candidate tip … Nielsine appreciates assisting clients in bringing their financial statements into compliance with financial reporting standards.

Personal … Nielsine enjoys traveling, spending time with her family, going on road trips, and exploring new places. Besides pho and steak, Nielsine likes anything with chocolate and nuts.

Professional and Civic Involvement:

Firm member, PrimeGlobal

Education:

B.S. degree in Accounting – University of Nevada, Reno

CPA January 2015

BSCS s: Digital Forensics and Information Assurance

Caseware Authorized SDK Programmer

At Gray CPA Consulting: Jordan is our lead programmer and technical support manager. He is also our lead builder for our customization projects. He is always up to date with the status of all of our clients. He knows where everyone’s projects are and what they need. We rely on his commitment to our clients and his consistency at work.

Personally: Jordan values an honest approach to work and his life. Just having a conversation with him and you’ll notice it. He is extremely giving to others; including his coworkers and our clients. There is a reason why our customers call looking for him, specifically, for even simple support questions.

Off the clock: In his free time, Jordan plays Chess and Tennis. He has played most of his life and hopes to continue playing through old age. His skill in both has earned him ranks, titles, and coaching positions. He has offered to teach us, but, frankly, that requires exercising outdoors - and not all of us are as excited about the prospect as Jordan is.

Fav Quote: Silence is a source of Great Strength.”― Lao Tzu

Funky fact: He knows his Korean name (But he won’t tell us!)

Caseware Authorized SDK Programmer

At Gray CPA Consulting: Ruan is an invaluable part of our support and development team. He is our champion of creative solutions for our most complex programming and accounting requests. His experience with Caseware in South Africa also gives him chops with international reporting standards and best practices. He is actively involved in and has experience with xbrl. We are very grateful to have him.​

Personally: Ruan values accuracy, reliability, loyalty, commitment, and honesty. These values are represented in the way he creates solutions and works with our colleagues and clients. He excels at setting clear and realistic expectations for special products and delivering on the challenges set before him. His creativity and technical expertise is an invaluable asset to our team.

Off the Clock: In Ruan’s words, “Live faithfully. Love God and Love others.” Ruan has a lovely family with whom he has relocated to Texas from South Africa. The whole family has musical talent and the rest of us at the office are waiting for the day we get a performance a-la von Trapp family :p Ruan misses his outdoor activities including hunting, shooting, and making his own biltong (air-dried jerky). We hope he can find these activities here in Texas!​

Fav Quote: “Impossible only means that you haven’t found the solution yet.” - Anonymous​

Funky Fact: According to Ruan, “ I’m right-handed but I got a left hand too.”

Daria Weiss has a unique combination of talents. She has both accounting and technology backgrounds rolled into one! She says, “Combining accounting and technology makes working with LSL a perfect fit for me!”

At the beginning of her career, she worked as an auditor at Ernst & Young in Minneapolis, MN. She then moved up to the National level in Cleveland, OH. Of that part of her career, she says, “Although I liked the problem-solving part of accounting, I realized I enjoyed technology a lot more.” Daria spent the last twelve years working at Caseware International, most recently as the Head of Product for the U.S. market.

As a Senior Manager in the Technology Consulting team at LSL, Daria works with clients on technology training, consulting, and implementation engagements. Her focus is on Caseware International’s suite of products, including Working Papers and USGAAP Financials, and RPA (Robotic Process Automation) technologies, such as UiPath.

Great Clients for Daria … Daria’s superpower is connecting the dots. When she worked at Caseware International, she was asked to help land a large U.S. Government contract. Of her role as the Product Manager for that project, she says, “I listened to the pain points the customer was experiencing. Through my product knowledge, I was able to identify solutions that would solve their problems within the product if adopted by the customer.”

LSL Candidate Tip … In today’s business world, it is exciting to find someone who knows accounting and technology. Daria works with clients to understand their requirements (pain points) as they embrace digital transformation in the accounting realm. Each company has unique needs. “I may play a project management role for clients who choose to incorporate applications on their own but need guidance in staying on track.” For other companies, Daria works with LSL’s teams to facilitate the implementation when clients choose to outsource all their accounting needs to LSL.

Personal … Daria loves to travel; her favorite place is the Scottish Highlands. She enjoys being outdoors. And summers will find her hiking and kayaking at her lake place. She prefers reading to watching television unless it’s sports. She is a huge fan of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (part of the Canadian Football League–U.S. equivalent to the NFL) and the Winnipeg Jets (in the NHL).

Education:

Bachelor of Arts in Accounting – University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, ND, and Diplomas in Business Administration and Hotel & Restaurant Administration from Red River College in Winnipeg, MB Canada.