FORVIS

In our new podcast series, Heroes at DHG, we are spotlighting DHG people making an impact at the firm and in our greater communities. To kick off the series, we’re celebrating some extraordinary Black team members during Black History Month.

Emiere Scaife is a consultant in DHG’s Risk Advisory practice based in Atlanta, GA. Beyond DHG, he is the founder of Blacks for Liberation and Cooperative Community Action (B.L.C.C.A), a community organization he started during college at Georgia State University.  B.L.C.C.A is an all-inclusive, community organization that exists to uplift the Black community by finding equitable, scalable, and sustainable solutions to issues that plague the Black community.

In this episode, Emiere discusses why he founded B.L.C.C.A., the vision for the organization and why his mother – and all Black women – are his heroes. Thank you, Emiere, for sharing your inspiring story! You certainly are a hero at DHG.

Follow Blacks for Liberation and Cooperative Community Action on LinkedIn for more information and the latest updates from the organization.

Heroes at DHG: Norlin Evans

In our new podcast series, Heroes at DHG, we are spotlighting DHG people making an impact at the firm and in our greater communities. To kick off the series, we’re celebrating some extraordinary Black team members during Black History Month.

Norlin Evans joined the firm in 2016. Since joining the firm, he has served a variety of different clients and has worked in both the Atlanta, Georgia and Metro DC markets. His passion for coaching and mentoring has been second to none, and he has had a significant impact on many careers over the years. After 35 years serving clients in both audit and advisory roles, Norlin is now going to hang up his client serving hat and join the firm’s Inclusion & Diversity team.  Norlin will be a champion of DHG’s mission and add significant value in perspective to Inclusion & Diversity efforts in this new role.

In this episode, Norlin discusses the importance of mentorship and coaching, tips to be successful in public accounting and delivering exceptional client service. He also shares his hobbies, why he calls himself a “news junkie,” who his hero is and more. Thank you, Norlin, for sharing your story! You certainly are a hero at DHG.

As we approach the end of 2020, there is a lot to reflect upon. Our world changed virtually overnight. We’ve embraced our new reality and not only survived but innovated and adapted. We created new opportunities and offerings for our clients, connected on a very personal level with teammates from the inside of our homes, and recognized a new found appreciation for many things in our lives.

Matt Snow, CEO, joined the Life at DHG podcast to talk about what the last nine months have been like for him as a leader and what some of his silver linings are. Listen to hear Matt’s appreciation for unexpected time with his grown children, the shows he binge watched, the book he’ll be reading over the holidays, what he is most proud of and his optimistic outlook for 2021.

As a final note before the holidays, Matt shared a message of gratitude for the team: “As we close out the year, I have supreme gratitude for every single person at DHG. I speak often about how every one of us are the threads that make up the whole firm. I’m so proud of every single person in the firm and how we function together as a collective team. I’ve learned over the course of the past year that our time together is precious, especially our time in-person, and we need to enjoy that because we all have each other and we need to be thankful for that  – I know I certainly am. I am looking forward to 2021; at some point, we will be back together again in-person and I can’t wait!”  Wishing you a very happy holiday season!

Previously, when employees were asked what sets DHG apart, one of the overwhelming responses was flexibility. “Life beyond numbers” has always been a priority for the firm, but now, more than ever, flexibility is key amidst a global pandemic. Katrina Thompson, Director of HR, joins the Life at DHG Podcast to discuss the recently launched Life-Work Solutions Suite, which increases flexibility with new resources and offerings to benefit all employees.

DHG is continually expanding flexibility to enhance the lives of our people while managing engagement, productivity, profitability and the client experience.

Read more about the Life-Work Solutions Suite here.

DHG Change Hub Presents: Change Makers 

Over the past six weeks we have all flexed our change muscle.  No two days have been the same.  As part of our Change Makers podcast series, an extension of our Change Hub communications, we have a special podcast series to highlight some of our change makers who lead the way both inside and outside of the firm.

The DHG Change Hub manages the pace, cadence, communications and implementation of change at DHG. This podcast series puts a spotlight on individuals who have taken change leadership to the next level; those who believe that not only can we change for the good personally and professionally but perhaps, just perhaps, we may create a change in the communities and the world we live in. These bold souls are doing amazing things to be the change we want to see in the world. They believe that – We can do anything! These leaders exemplify the courage to embrace change, both inside and outside of DHG.

Trey Ackerman joined us just prior to the COVID-19 outbreak and we are excited to bring him back to share how he is leading through this time of intense and immense change.

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Trey Ackerman

Trey is often asked what does DHG do and what is your role in the firm?  And his answer always gets attention. Trey states that we are “in the life changing business.” Trey truly believes that we are in the business of changing lives…both inside and outside of DHG.  In addition to leading the tax practice into double digit growth, he is on a quest to help make DHG famous for our strategic flexibility plan and for the way in which we approach inclusion and diversity. His steadfast focus on these important elements of our people strategy manifests itself inside the firm as he sets an example for others to follow and outside of the firm through his amazing work with the Young Black Leadership Alliance – truly changing lives inside and outside of DHG.

Valerie Gibson is an administrative professional in the DHG Nashville office.  She experienced multiple strokes and two life changing brain surgeries in 2016.  Valerie shares her story and how she emerged through a very difficult time by focusing on hope.

Valerie relied on her faith and family to get through her surgeries and recovery. She also found that humor played a role in helping her remain optimistic and in processing what she was going through. Learning that she could not control the situation was important to Valerie. She took time to grieve what her life was prior to the changes and pressed on with the help of friends, family and a focus on what she needed to do to recover.

As we all face changes and difficult times with the impact of COVID-19, we can learn from Valerie’s story of hope. Listen to learn more.

Brooks Gallagher is a former DHG Principal and clinical psychologist, and he recently shared the psychological perspective of change and tips to adjust to our “new normal” with DHG team members.

Brooks discusses 8 tips to help us navigate change and anxiety as we live through the COVID-19 pandemic.  This is the first time, in recent history, that every part of our lives has changed at once – work life, personal life, social life – so it is normal to feel stressed and uncertain.

Click here to read more about these tips and the psychological perspective of change.

DHG Change Makers

As we continue to develop our “change muscle” through the wide variety of change efforts we are either driving or supporting, we are simultaneously learning skills and applying tools that enable us to be more change agile in our personal lives. As we become proficient at being resourceful and nimble contributors at DHG and we focus energy on the all-important task of reinventing ourselves to meet evolving needs of our business and our clients, we develop the ability and the confidence to tackle challenges both in our work and in our personal lives.

Our Profiles in Courage segment puts a spotlight on individuals who have taken change leadership to the next level; those who believe that not only can we change for the good personally and professionally but perhaps, just perhaps, we may create a change in the communities and the world we live in. These bold souls are doing amazing things to be the change we want to see in the world. They believe that – We can do anything!

These leaders exemplify the courage to embrace change, both inside and outside of DHG.

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Trey Ackerman

Trey is often asked what does DHG do and what is your role in the firm?  And his answer always gets attention. Trey states that we are “in the life changing business.” Trey truly believes that we are in the business of changing lives…both inside and outside of DHG.  In addition to leading the tax practice into double digit growth, he is on a quest to help make DHG famous for our strategic flexibility plan and for the way in which we approach inclusion and diversity. His steadfast focus on these important elements of our people strategy manifests itself inside the firm as he sets an example for others to follow and outside of the firm through his amazing work with the Young Black Leadership Alliance – truly changing lives inside and outside of DHG.

DHG Change Makers

As we continue to develop our “change muscle” through the wide variety of change efforts we are either driving or supporting, we are simultaneously learning skills and applying tools that enable us to be more change agile in our personal lives. As we become proficient at being resourceful and nimble contributors at DHG and we focus energy on the all-important task of reinventing ourselves to meet evolving needs of our business and our clients, we develop the ability and the confidence to tackle challenges both in our work and in our personal lives.

Our Profiles in Courage segment puts a spotlight on individuals who have taken change leadership to the next level; those who believe that not only can we change for the good personally and professionally but perhaps, just perhaps, we may create a change in the communities and the world we live in. These bold souls are doing amazing things to be the change we want to see in the world. They believe that – We can do anything!

These leaders exemplify the courage to embrace change, both inside and outside of DHG.

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Kate Stewart

Kate Stewart was born with juvenile diabetes.  If you have ever met Kate, you know that she, most definitely, hasn’t let that slow her down.  As the leader of operations for DHG’s Tax Practice and a champion for change, she was instrumental in helping us navigate 2019 tax reform while simultaneously implementing a new software platform. But that’s not all, she is a devoted mother and wife and self-described “favorite daughter.” On top of all of that, Kate is a major champion for change in the community, raising thousands of dollars each year to fund education and research around juvenile diabetes.  Kate led the JDRF Fund Raiser for 2019 with the same determination, passion and creativity she is famous for at DHG. The results were nothing short of amazing!

DHG Change Makers

As we continue to develop our “change muscle” through the wide variety of change efforts we are either driving or supporting, we are simultaneously learning skills and applying tools that enable us to be more change agile in our personal lives. As we become proficient at being resourceful and nimble contributors at DHG and we focus energy on the all-important task of reinventing ourselves to meet evolving needs of our business and our clients, we develop the ability and the confidence to tackle challenges both in our work and in our personal lives.

Our Profiles in Courage segment puts a spotlight on individuals who have taken change leadership to the next level; those who believe that not only can we change for the good personally and professionally but perhaps, just perhaps, we may create a change in the communities and the world we live in. These bold souls are doing amazing things to be the change we want to see in the world. They believe that – We can do anything!

These leaders exemplify the courage to embrace change, both inside and outside of DHG. 

Lori Haley As the managing partner of Atlanta, Birmingham and Jacksonville market, Lori had the courage to include a session featuring “Unconscious Bias” in the Birmingham Executive Briefing Series. While the other sessions of the day covered typical business-related topics, she had the courage to incorporate what might be viewed as edgy and uncomfortable by some. As our Inclusion and Diversity leader, an African American female, addressed a virtually all white audience with clarity, passion and wisdom, eyes were opened, brains were engaged, and hearts were touched. What an impact she was able to make in helping build a more inclusive business community in Birmingham, Alabama.