YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Cohen & Co. in 2024 continued to identify ways to better serve and support clients, employees and the community, says Marc Mazzella, managing director.
From a client service perspective, members of the CPA firm worked with businesses on areas key to their success, including beneficial ownership information reporting (BOI) and grant audits stemming from federal grant awards.
They also helped high-net-worth individuals with the potential impact of soon-to-expire tax provisions from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, trust taxation and more.
The firm increased its footprint and team to better address client needs, including opening an office in Denver, establishing a presence in the western U.S.
Locally, the Youngstown office added 16 full-time employees, doubling growth in the prior year. Overall, the firm hired 154 new full-time employees throughout the country.
Part of Cohen & Co.’s success results from the firm’s close relationship with Youngstown State University, from which the firm welcomed 11 of the Youngstown office’s 19 interns, Mazzella says.
Employees attended or hosted numerous events on campus throughout the year, speaking and engaging with accounting students. This included hosting a tailgate for a YSU home game, attending the university’s Meet the Employers day and spending a day meeting with students in the Williamson College of Business Administration.
In addition to nurturing new talent, Cohen & Co. celebrated the prestigious accomplishments of its current employees throughout the year, particularly those based in Youngstown
Trinette Simon was named director of inclusion and equity. Partner Jami Blake was appointed to the American Institute of CPAs’ Accounting and Review Services Committee, where she’ll develop, update and communicate comprehensive standards for the field.
Tarik Awad was selected for the 2025 class of Leadership Mahoning Valley, succeeding 2024 class member Jessica Foster.
Kelly Anzevino was promoted to partner, one of 13 promotions in the Youngstown office. She also heads up Cohen’s BOI client service efforts.
Additionally, Mazzella and Lisa Metzinger were named co-leads of the firm’s Transportation & Logistics Group. All these honors reinforce how vital the Youngstown office is to Cohen & Co’s continued success.
The firm continues to thank the region for its success by giving back.
The Youngstown office’s annual chili cook-off and bake-off raised funds for Second Harvest Food Bank. The team also helped United Way to move into its new volunteer center and collected supplies to donate to those displaced by the Realty Tower explosion.
Employees volunteered at Oh Wow! and purchased holiday gifts for children in need through the YWCA Mahoning Valley and Northeast Ohio Adoption Services.