2026 OSCPA Strategic Leadership Forum & Annual Meeting (1 1/2 days) – Newport

Adam Abplanalp serves as Managing Partner & CEO at Cobalt, P.C., a real estate-focused CPA firm located in Portland, Oregon and Honolulu, Hawai'i, which he founded in 2015. Adam's practice focuses on providing tax, accounting, and advisory services, primarily to real estate owners, investors, managers, brokers, and developers. 

As part of his public accounting practice, Adam is a recognized expert in Oregon, Washington, and Hawai'i state and local tax laws, tax planning, and compliance, and he routinely testifies before and works with the Oregon Legislature, Oregon Department of Revenue, City of Portland Revenue Division, and various other state and local tax authorities. Adam is a frequent speaker on real estate and state and local taxation, both for CPAs and for real estate industry professionals. Since 2018, Adam has also served on the City of Portland's Revenue Division Appeals Board. 

In addition to being a Certified Public Accountant licensed in Oregon, Hawai'i, New York, and Washington, he holds a Chartered Professional Accountant license in British Columbia, Canada, is a Certified Fraud Examiner, and is licensed as a Real Estate Principal Broker in Oregon and Managing Broker in Washington. 

Adam has been an OSCPA member since 2010, has served as a leader on various OSCPA committees, and is the 2024-25 OSCPA Board Vice Chair.

(3/19/24)

Lexy Kessler is a Partner in Aprio's Assurance Services Practice and is a trusted advisor to business leaders and changemakers in the Mid-Atlantic region. She previously served on the Aprio Board of Directors and led the firm's Government Contracting segment. Throughout her career, Lexy has helped clients balance the challenges and opportunities inherent to operating successfully and mentored young professionals to create a positive impact in the profession. She is constantly seeking new ways to reinvent and improve upon the way her team serves clients.

With 40 years of experience in the public accounting industry and extensive experience in assurance, tax, and consulting, Lexy is passionate about helping clients adapt to an ever-changing market, transforming challenges into opportunities. She achieves this by taking a proactive role in helping her team address clients' needs, develop strategies for their long-term business needs, and rethink their approach to doing business. Lexy also collaborates with regional leaders in the business community to discuss new ideas for strengthening the Mid-Atlantic business ecosystem.

Lexy has earned several accolades over the years, including AICPA's "Most Powerful Women in Accounting" for three consecutive years, "Maryland's Top 100 Women" which led to her induction as a "Circle of Excellence" member, MACPA's "Women to Watch," and the Washington Business Journal's "Women Who Mean Business." Most recently, she has been named in Accounting Today's list of "Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting" and Forbes' 2025 list of "America's Best-in-State CPA's."

Lexy earned her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Maryland. She serves on numerous boards, including serving as Chairman of the Board for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. She is also a Board of Trustee Member of Marymount University. Moreover, she is Treasurer of the Professional Services Council (PSC). Lexy is a former Chairman of the Board of the Maryland Association of CPAs (MACPA) and the Choral Arts Society of D.C. She also previously served as the Chairman of the National Pipeline Advisory Group, focusing on the development of an inclusive national pipeline strategy for the accounting profession and the modernization of the licensure for CPAs. These roles have allowed her to contribute to the growth and development of the accounting profession and the community.

(1/30/26)

Nicole Palmateer Hazelbaker is a strategic communications expert with experience in government affairs, fundraising, campaign management and public relations. Nicole founded Bravio Communications in 2005 and serves a diverse client base in the pharmaceutical, social, and human services, public safety, technology, financial and corporate interests.

Prior to establishing Bravio Communications, Nicole served in various development and government relations roles with high profile national non-profits. She achieved a national presence for an at-risk youth mentoring program and revitalized local affiliates of a breast cancer advocacy group. She has managed government relations efforts, built comprehensive communications campaigns to raise brand awareness, crafted fund development campaigns and implemented legislative plans to build coalitions and secure funding. Bravio Communications is one of the only minority owned lobbying firms in Oregon and is a certified Oregon Minority & Women Owned Business Enterprise.

Nicole is known for her solid legislative relationships at the local, national, and federal levels. Whether the work demands passage or defeat of bills, appropriations, or coalition building, she advances her clients' agendas efficiently and effectively.

Nicole holds a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Public Relations and Communications from George Fox University as well as a Master's in Political Science from the George Washington University. Nicole, an adopted orphan from Latin America, is the sixth generation of her family to graduate from rural Elkton High School and remains active in the communities of Elkton and Salem, Oregon, where she currently resides.  

(3/9/22)

Sherri McPherson, IOM, CAE, is President/CEO of the Oregon Society of Certified Public Accountants.

As chief staff of OSCPA, and its membership of nearly 3,900 members, McPherson works with volunteers, professional staff and various stakeholders to represent, support, advocate and enthusiastically advance the Accounting profession. The Society’s membership represents five generations, comprised of CPAs, prospective CPAs, students, former CPAs, retired and life members in all phases of their diverse careers. OSCPA represents individual members located in Oregon, the Pacific Northwest, nationally and internationally as well as Oregon CPA firms. 

She joined the Society in 1981 and has held the position of President/CEO since 2011. She held several prior positions with the Society, including prior as Director, Continuing Professional Education, and Vice President, Professional Development from 1989 to 2011. 

McPherson is a member and former Board member of Certified Public Accountants Society Executives Association (CPA/SEA) where she serves on volunteer activities supporting the profession. She is also a Past President of Oregon Society of Association Management (OSAM), and a member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE).

(7/18/23)

Steven Fulmer has over 30 years experience in business with his first entrepreneurial adventure at the age of 16 when he started a real estate photography business. By 35 he was a VP in a software company where he joined as the second hire and played an instrumental role in growing the business from $300,000/yr. to more than $10 Million.

Today he is passionate about developing tomorrow's personal and professional leaders. Steven believes that if we want a different result we must be willing to first take a different action. With the near epidemic proportions of unhappy employees, the need for personal and professional integration has never been more imminent. Note that he didn't say work/life balance; he believes such a thing is both impossible and undesirable for we spend a disproportionate amount of our time working. Instead the goal is to integrate all aspects of life so we thrive at our careers & our personal lives equally as well, where we aren't leaving a part of us behind as we spend our days at work wishing we where somewhere else... anywhere else; or trying to be home with our children while distracted by the things not getting done at work. Instead of  balance, it's the power of presence we seek.

Steven is a graduate of The Coaches Training Institute and past president International Coach Federation (ICF) Oregon, and is currently a member of the National Speaker's Association and the International Coach Federation.

(1/27/26)