CPE Self-Study Authors

CPE Self-Study has been delivering the best value in CPE since 2007, thanks in large part to our team of talented authors. Here are short bios of some of the top authors contributing to our catalog.

Joseph Helstrom, CPA

Joe is the owner of Mill Creek Publishing LLC, a provider of self-study courses for CPAs. Joe has over 30 years of experience as a CPA in both public accounting and industry with extensive experience in financial reporting and analysis, treasury, tax, information technology, legal and regulatory matters, and strategic planning. After graduating from Butler University with a degree in Accounting, Joe got his start at Ernst & Young and, subsequent to that, has served as Chief Financial Officer, Director of Treasury and Tax, Controller and Manager of Financial Planning, Reporting, and Analysis for several different companies. Joe, along with his wife Patricia McCarthy, have published articles in Missouri and Texas CPA Society publications titled “Incorporating Excel Arrays into Your Audit Plan.”

Patricia McCarthy, MBA

Patricia’s focus is on Microsoft products and how to use these programs effectively in business. Patricia has been in software training for over 20 years and her client list includes the Indiana CPA Society, who awarded her their Outstanding Discussion Leader award. She has been a contributor to the Journal of Accountancy and has published articles in several CPA Society magazines, including Indiana, Missouri, Texas and Arizona. She is also certified as a MOS expert in Excel. Patricia is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and also holds an M.B.A. from Babson College. She was a full-time MIS Lecturer in Butler University’s School of Business for six years and has taught at several of Indiana’s other universities. She also has an extensive business background in audit and financial functions. She is a frequent contributor to our blog, which covers topics of interest to CPAs, including Excel.

Dr. Jae Shim Ph.D., CPA

Dr. Jae K. Shim is Professor of Business at California State University, Long Beach. He is a co-author of over 50 professional business books. He has been published by Wiley, McGraw-Hill, Barron’s, CCH, Thompson-Southwestern, Penguin, Prentice-Hall, American Management Association (Amacom), and the AICPA. Dr. Shim received his MBA and Ph.D. degrees from the University of California at Berkeley (Haas School of Business). He has been a consultant to commercial and nonprofit organizations for over 30 years. He writes for Delta Publishing and writes self-study accounting and ethics CPE courses.

Deanna Sullivan, CPA, CGMA, CIA, CFE

Deanna Sullivan is a Certified Public Accountant, Chartered Global Management Accountant, Certified Internal Auditor, Certified Fraud Examiner and holds a Certification in Risk Management Assurance. An internationally-recognized speaker, author and trainer, Deanna Sullivan has made it her mission to ensure education is effective, as well as fun. Her goal for every session is to educate, entertain, and motivate the participants to achieve their personal and professional goals. Deanna has a diverse background, ranging from auditing and accounting to consulting and training. Formerly a partner with Arthur Andersen’s Risk Consulting Practice, Deanna led the development effort for the firm’s Business Self-Assessment methodology, Quality Assurance Review methodology, and Global Best Practices for Internal Audit. Earlier in her career, Deanna was responsible for international and operational auditing at several energy companies in Texas. She received her BBA in Accounting from West Texas State University. Deanna is certified to teach ethics for Texas CPAs.

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