Meet the Team
Jim H. Turner, Jr., CPA
President
Over the past ten years Jim has been the principle architect of numerous audit projects. These projects have all generated a return on investment of at least three-hundred percent (300%) to the local government. Moreover, he has established the methodology and assembled the human resources necessary to provide reliable, CPA quality, business personal property audit services to an ever-expanding customer base. Jim is an expert in auditing and taxation with dual degrees in accounting and geography from UNC Charlotte therefore, he is especially equipped to spear-head your audit program. Jim has a strong conviction that knowledge and perseverance are two requisites for success, so he continues to hone his skills through formal training. His most recent achievement includes earning the Certified Valuation Analyst Designation (Business Enterprise Valuation) in November 2010.
Jim is the founder of Turner Business Appraisers, Inc. Early in his career, Jim designed and implemented a property tax compliance program for Gaston County, North Carolina. After earning his state certification as a business property appraiser, the experience he acquired reviewing businesses of all types and sizes, inspired him to establish Turner Business Appraisers, Inc., which has proudly celebrated success in the property tax auditing industry for over 11 years now.
Bill Smoak
Vice President & Senior Auditor
Bill is the vice president of Turner Business Appraisers, Inc. After graduating from Wingate University with a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration, Bill gained valuable experience as a contractor for a highly competitive IT & accounting staffing agency, where he assisted the Controller of the company with budget presentations and successfully built budget analysis templates used to simplify long term forecasting. He first acquired auditing skills working for a large firm in Charlotte where he developed comprehensive knowledge of the audit process by performing audits of commercial workers compensation and general liability insurance for various insurance companies. The combination of his IT proficiency and auditing experience launched Bill’s career at Turner Business Appraisers, Inc, where he has combined his interest in technology with his aptitude for auditing. Bill is an accomplished auditor with an acute eye for detail who continually furthers his professional development. He is currently pursuing the IAAO designation of Personal Property Specialist (PPS). Additionally, Bill has successfully completed the North Carolina CPA exam, two seminars sponsored by the North Carolina Department of Revenue, including an Advanced Auditing Seminar and the Fundamentals of Listing and Assessing Personal Property, as well as IAAO Course 500: Assessment of Personal Property.
Ed Steh, CPA
Senior Auditor
Ed joined Turner Business Appraisers, Inc. in 2008 and is the Corporate Secretary. He earned his Bachelor of Science from Cornell University in applied economics and business management and a Masters in Accountancy from California State University-Fullerton. After completing his education, Ed was employed with an international CPA firm and quickly advanced to positions of greater responsibility where he successfully planned, budgeted, developed, and coordinated financial audits in various industries. In recent years, Ed excelled as an internal auditor at a competitive healthcare firm on the West Coast, where he assisted departments with improving their efficiency by developing, managing, and testing controls of SOX related compliance issues and providing risk analysis to identify control weaknesses in internal business processes. When Ed relocated to the East Coast, he thrived as a life reinsurance specialist prior to his tenure at TBA, Inc.
Brett Cohen, CPA
Senior Auditor
After graduating from Georgia Tech University with a Bachelors of Science in industrial engineering, Brett gained valuable manufacturing experience in the textile, aerospace, and semiconductor industries. After twelve years in the manufacturing industry, he pursued a career change and earned his masters of accountancy from North Carolina State University. Subsequent to graduate school, Brett was employed at one of the leading U.S. providers of assurance, tax and consulting services where he provided consulting engagements for SOX compliance testing, internal controls, and vendor auditing in addition to performing financial audits and analytical procedures on results of operations. Brett further developed his skills in financial auditing and internal controls testing by developing standardized test plans to measure compliance and effectiveness of key controls. Brett is an experienced auditor in both the public and private sectors of financial reporting and his impressive academic achievements have proven to be the cornerstone for his adept ability to effectively uncover complex audit issues.
Janet Boney, CPA
Senior Auditor
Janet came to Turner Business Appraisers, Inc. in the fall of 2010 with over 20 years of experience as a corporate tax professional. Despite the brevity of her tenure, she has already demonstrated that she has a knack for working with taxpayers and deciphering complicated audit issues. Janet has provided tax and accounting consulting services to Fortune 500 clients and privately held businesses, represented corporations in meetings with the IRS, and has overseen tax compliance operations on a global level for an international manufacturing and industrial equipment supplier. Throughout her professional history, she has significantly improved budget expense reports and payroll reporting accuracy for several companies. Janet holds a CPA license in both North Carolina and Texas, and is an expert with various types of accounting software. She earned her Bachelors of Science in Accounting from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Sandra Turner
Marketing Manager
Sandra earned her Master’s Degree from Lenoir Rhyne University in Business Administration. Prior to her tenure at TBA, Inc, Sandra excelled in sales and marketing for a globally renowned firm in the fiber optic cable industry. Sandra assists the CEO with marketing descisions and supervises the development and design of marketing materials from the marketing team. She earned her Master’s Degree from Lenoir Rhyne University in Business Administration.
Brooke Sherrill
Marketing & Office Administrator
Brooke is an integral member of the marketing team. She has updated the brand identity for Turner Business Appraisers, Inc., which includes assisting with the design & development of marketing materials and regularly representing TBA at conferences and other customer care events. Additionally, she handles all aspects of office administration and is often the first person to contact the taxpayer. She has successfully completed the course “Property Tax Listing and Assessing in North Carolina” taught by the North Carolina Department of Revenue and is skilled at maintaining and developing a good rapport with non-listing business owners during the discovery process. Brooke earned a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Music Industry Studies with a minor in Business from Appalachian State University.