Jason B. Hamilton, CPA

Managing Partner

Jason Hamilton has been in public accounting since 2000, starting his career with Ernst & Young before moving back to Vermont and joining GFC in 2003. He has been a partner at the firm since 2009, a member of the firm’s Executive Committee since 2017, and has served in various other leadership positions including audit department leader, and partner-in-charge of marketing and business development.  Jason became a managing partner of the firm in 2019.

Jason has extensive experience working with multiple closely held, venture capital and private equity owned companies in a broad range of industries, primarily within the manufacturing, distribution, recreational, hospitality, retail and service areas. In addition to providing accounting and auditing services, he is also involved in the firm’s transaction services, mergers and acquisitions, financial due diligence on both the buy and the sell side, and quality of earnings reporting.

Jason is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Vermont Society of Certified Public Accountants. He is also a 2005 graduate of the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce Leadership Champlain program.

Jason graduated cum laude from the University of Notre Dame, where he earned his Master of Science degree in Accountancy. He is also a graduate of the University of Vermont, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration – Finance.

Phil’s career has been focused on business and personal tax planning and compliance, as well as structuring of transactions and entities.  He works with owner-operated as well as investor-owned businesses and their broader tax planning needs.  His industry focus has been primarily in manufacturing, distribution, solar development, and professional services.  His client service approach is big picture tax structuring for longer term client success and goals.  As a managing partner, Phil is responsible for the operations of the firm and leading on people development initiatives.

Phil earned his Bachelor’s degree in Religion and Philosophy from Goshen College in Goshen, Indiana. He completed his accounting studies at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. Phil has continued learning through continuing education programs at the Harvard Business School, The Center for Creative Leadership, and the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University.  Phil’s current learning focus is on organizational health and coaching.

Phil is treasurer and on the board of The Sharon Academy, a private secondary school.  In the past he has served as chair of the board of the Hanover Area Chamber of Commerce, as the treasurer of Delta Dental of Vermont, treasurer for Willing Hands in Norwich, Vermont, and as the chair of the board of the Bethany Birches Children’s Camp in Plymouth, Vermont.

Phil resides in Sharon, Vermont, with his wife and two children.

As the leader of our tax group, Mike provides tax compliance and consulting services to a wide range of client groups including family-owned businesses, closely held investment partnerships, widely held corporations and private equity structures. He is also one of the firm’s leaders in providing tax services to complex tax structures that require elements of strong technical application as well as practical solutions to help the business and its owners focus on what’s important to them. Overall, Mike strives to ensure that our client’s tax strategy aligns with their ultimate economic and operational goals.

Mike came to the firm in 2014 from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in Boston, MA where he was a member of the core tax and international tax groups for five years. Prior to PricewaterhouseCoopers, Mike graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Corporate Finance and Accounting and a Master’s in Taxation from Bentley University.

Mike is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Vermont Society of Certified Public Accountants (VTCPA).

Mike resides in Williston, Vermont, with his wife Erin, son George and dog Tiger. When he’s not plugged in at work, he’s either chasing his little rascals, on his bicycle, or in the kitchen.

Steve provides tax services to a diversified client base, including high-net-worth individuals, corporations, partnerships, and limited liability companies.  Steve works with clients in a  number of industries, including real estate, professional services, manufacturing, and construction.  Additionally, Steve provides tax consulting in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, business formations, estate tax planning, and other complex tax issues.

Prior to joining the firm in 2002, Steve was employed at Deloitte & Touche, LLP in Boston, Massachusetts.  Steve graduated magna cum laude from Northeastern University, where he received his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting.

Steve is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Vermont Society of Certified Public Accountants, and is a member of the Vermont Tax Advisory Board which meets periodically with the Vermont Tax Commissioner.

Sarah works with a variety of non-public companies ranging from closely held businesses to venture capital and private equity backed entities, with a concentration in private equity and investor-controlled businesses. She primarily provides clients with accounting and assurance services including audits, reviews and similar financial statement engagements in a range of industries including manufacturing, distribution, consumer products and technology. She is sought after as an internal resource for addressing complex accounting matters in a practical manner for advising clients. Sarah’s experience also includes providing buy-side financial due diligence on merger and acquisition transactions.

Additionally, Sarah has extensive experience in audits of employee benefit plans and is the leader of the firm’s Employee Benefit Plan Audit Practice, which provides audit services to approximately 60 defined contribution and defined benefit plans annually.

Prior to joining the firm in 2004, Sarah spent three years in the Assurance and Advisory Business Services group at Ernst & Young. Sarah graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Master of Accountancy and a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Sarah is a member of the AICPA and the Vermont Society of CPAs. She currently serves on the board of directors of the Lake Champlain Chamber, the board of trustees of the Vermont Commons School, and as a Corporator for Northfield Savings Bank. She is also a 2009 graduate of the Leadership Champlain program, and a 2014 graduate of the Excellence in Executive Leadership (ExcEL) program.

She resides in Fairfax, Vermont, with her husband, Ben, and her daughter, Eliza.

Steve works with a diverse range of clients in commercial sectors and is the firm’s expert in servicing not-for-profit organizations in both compliance and consulting capacities.  He is particularly effective in working with mission-driven organizations with multiple bottom lines and organizations with formal boards of directors on broad issues.  In the not-for-profit sector, his clients include social welfare agencies, foundations, a national membership association, research organizations, and religious institutions, many of which follow a “policy governance” model.  In the commercial sector, Steve services clients including consumer food cooperatives, manufacturing, distribution, construction, and software development industries, among others.

Steve’s philosophy is to help clients, in both audit and consulting capacities, build internal strength to develop more accurate, timely, and meaningful financial information for the overall effective management of their organizations.  Such services include improving financial accounting and analysis for decision making and planning, increasing the effectiveness of internal accounting control and office operations, developing effective internal financial reporting systems and protocols, developing indirect cost rates for grant cost recovery, and enhancing cost controls.  Steve has also worked closely on many executive searches to find the right people, at various levels, for our clients.

Steve earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Vermont in 1983.  Married since 1982, he and his wife, Debbie, have raised four wonderful children to adulthood, and are actively involved in the community.  He currently serves on the Elder Board of Christ Memorial (since 1997), the Operations Committee of the United Way of Northwestern Vermont (since 2000), and as President of the Board of Directors of Christian Ministries, Inc. (media broadcasting, since 2012). He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Vermont Society of Certified Public Accountants.

 

Mark provides accounting and consulting services to a diverse client base, and leads the firm’s Business Valuation and Litigation Support services team. In public accounting, Mark provides services to a variety of industries including, but not limited to manufacturing, retail, distribution, food, construction and service organizations. Mark’s varied business experience provides him with the ability to understand the various requirements of clients and to provide value-added services whether it involves accounting, business valuation or other business consulting matters, such as mergers and acquisitions.

Mark earned his Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) designation after completing the Exit Planning Institute’s intensive CEPA five-day executive MBA-style program in Chicago. He joins an elite group of business advisors who have received this designation. The program was specifically designed for business advisors who work closely with owners of privately held companies.

Mark is a graduate of the Graduate School of Professional Accounting Program at Northeastern University, where he received his Master’s degree in Accounting and Business Administration. He completed his Bachelor’s degree at the University of Vermont.  In addition, he has obtained further specialized certifications from American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), National Association of Valuators and Analysts (NACVA) and the Exit Planning Institute (EPI).

Mark is very community focused and values being of service to others. He is currently a board member of the Center on Rural Innovations and Advanced Transit (local transportation non-profit).  His previous community involvement includes service on the Upper Valley United Way Board as President and Treasurer, as a board member of the Granite United Way Executive Committee, a Trustee of the Howe Library Corporation, and Treasurer of Connecticut Valley Cal Ripken Baseball League.

Mark resides in Hanover with his wife Laura and their children.