From serving as president of the Carolina Hurricanes to working at the highest levels of North Carolina state government, Doug Warf has built a career alongside leaders and professionals operating in high-performance environments.

Doug, now senior advisor for business engagement in the North Carolina Office of the Governor, will open the day as our keynote speaker and share lessons he’s learned from his career experiences experiences — and insights that business professionals can apply to their own careers and organizations.

• Identify key leadership practices demonstrated in high-performance environments across both professional sports and state government settings.
• Evaluate strategies for balancing competing stakeholder interests while advancing organizational goals.
• Apply lessons learned from executive leadership experiences to enhance decision-making, collaboration, and professional effectiveness within their own organizations.

Kenny Flowers serves as the chief deputy secretary at the North Carolina Department of Commerce, where he leads teams in operational areas and provides strategic leadership for the agency on issues related to economic development and external affairs. From 2017 to 2025, Kenny served as assistant secretary for rural economic development at NC Commerce, providing guidance for the Department in its efforts to support rural communities and foster rural prosperity generating more than $715M in grant awards. Under his leadership, the Rural Economic Development Division generated more than $715 Million in grant awards supporting over 2,000 projects and 28,000 jobs throughout the state.

What makes a state competitive in a changing economy? This presentation will explore North Carolina’s approach to economic development and the strategy behind the state’s First in Opportunity Strategic Economic Development Plan. The presentation will examine four interconnected priorities—modernizing infrastructure, strengthening innovation ecosystems, enhancing community well-being, and building a future-ready workforce—and how they work together to support business growth, attract investment, and expand economic opportunity across the state. Participants will also gain insight into the roles that state government, local communities, educational institutions, and the private sector play in shaping North Carolina’s economic future.

• Describe the key components of North Carolina’s approach to economic development and the goals of the First in Opportunity Strategic Economic Development Plan.
• Explain how infrastructure, innovation, community well-being, and workforce development work together to strengthen North Carolina’s economic competitiveness.
• Identify how state government, local communities, educational institutions, and the private sector contribute to economic growth and opportunity.

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Mark is the energy and environmental affairs director for Duke Energy in North Carolina. In this capacity he is accountable for successful regulatory outcomes for major projects, including new natural gas generation, small modular nuclear reactors, onshore and offshore wind, and high voltage transmission. He serves on Governor Stein’s Energy Policy Task Force and previously served on Governor Cooper’s Offshore Wind Task Force. He is a board member of the Southeastern Wind Coalition and the Friends of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences. He has over 30 years of engineering, policy, and government affairs experience, with major contributions across the United States, the Middle East, and Pacific rim. Mark is a graduate of NC State’s College of Engineering, having earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering and a Master of Civil Engineering. He is a licensed Professional Engineer, a member of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers, a certified Carbon Reduction Manager, and a member of class XXVI of Leadership North Carolina.

History is replete with examples of reactionary policy. As we work to upgrade the most complex machine ever built, we must be mindful to avoid the mistakes of the past while positioning North Carolina to thrive in the future.

• Clarify the role of renewable energy in NC and why utilities are still building natural gas turbines. 
• Evaluate the significance of nuclear energy in an economy that seeks to decarbonize.

Chuck Norman, APR, is owner and principal of S&A Communications, an integrated communications agency based in North Carolina’s Research Triangle region. A certified crisis and reputation management consultant with more than 30 years of public relations and marketing experience, he advises organizations on crisis preparedness, issues management, executive communications and reputation strategy. Norman has developed crisis communication plans, led executive training and simulations, and counseled organizations through a wide range of high-stakes situations. He is also a longtime guest lecturer at NC State University and a past chair of the Public Relations Society of America’s Counselors Academy.

Recognize the warning signs that an operational, financial or organizational issue is escalating into a reputational crisis.Apply a practical first-hour framework for assessing the situation, activating the appropriate response team and determining initial communication priorities.Identify steps their organizations can take in advance to improve crisis readiness, decision-making and stakeholder communication.

• Recognize the warning signs that an operational, financial or organizational issue is escalating into a reputational crisis.
• Apply a practical first-hour framework for assessing the situation, activating the appropriate response team and determining initial communication priorities.
• Identify steps their organizations can take in advance to improve crisis readiness, decision-making and stakeholder communication.

As the vice president of advocacy and outreach for the North Carolina Association of CPAs, Robert Broome leads multiple teams to drive the advocacy, outreach, and engagement strategies that advance the Association’s mission and elevate the value and influence of the CPA brand. He’s been NCACPA’s chief lobbyist since 2020.

The laws and rules shaping the future of accounting are being written — are you paying attention? In this fast-paced session, Robert Broome, CAE, will break down the key legislative and regulatory issues impacting CPAs at both the state and federal levels. From challenges to CPA licensure to evolving tax policy, you’ll get a clear, no-nonsense update on what’s happening, what’s coming, and how it affects your work. You’ll also walk away with practical ways to engage with policymakers and become a more effective advocate for the profession.

• Identify the top legislative and regulatory issues currently impacting the accounting profession at both the state and federal levels.
• Assess how recent and proposed changes to CPA licensure could affect the future of the profession.
• Apply practical ways to engage with public officials and influence decisions that shape the accounting landscape.

Hunter is a retired Forvis Mazars partner.  He was part of the firm’s Professional Standards Group and a member of the AICPA’s Auditing Standards Board. Hunter leads CPE programs covering professional ethics and technical material across the country. 

Rules are a basic part of professional ethics but too often rules are set without regard to how the people impacted by them will react.  We need to better understand how people think to get more willing compliance, and therefore more ethical behavior, as we develop rules. This session satisfies the required NC Ethics credit.

• Recognize how we have approached rules/compliance in the past
• Learn the importance of seeing a different perspective on issues
• Become aware of effective tools to obtain higher levels of compliance