Partner Bios

John W. Dean, CPA, MPA, CVA, ABV - Managing Partner

Louisiana State University-Shreveport 1977, Bachelor of Science in Accounting. University of Texas 1979, Master of Public Accounting. Related professional experience Price Waterhouse 1979-81. Joined HM&V in 1981, elected partner 1984. Leads Business Valuation Consultants, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of HM&V. Practice focus in Business Valuation, Litigation Services, Taxation-Corporations, Partnerships and Real Estate. Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV) and Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA). Member, America Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and Louisiana Society of CPAs (LCPA). Former President, Shreveport chapter of LCPA. Former President, Louisiana Chapter National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts (NACVA). Officer and member, numerous civic and charitable organizations.

Spencer Bernard, Jr., CPA, CFE, MBA

Louisiana State University 1967, Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Louisiana State University 1970, Master of Business Administration. Related professional experience at Postlewaite and Netterville, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Joined HM&V in 1971. Elected partner in 1974. Practice focus in audit and advisory services to financial institutions, nonprofit organizations, retail, construction industry, and employee benefit plans. Holds Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) designation. Adjunct professor at Louisiana State University in Shreveport. Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Louisiana Society of Certified Public Accountants (LCPA), and Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Advisor to numerous charitable organizations.

H.Q. Gahagan, Jr., CPA, MBA

Louisiana Tech University 1970, Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Louisiana Tech University 1971, Master of Business Administration. Related professional experience at Ernst & Ernst 1971-1976. Joined HM&V in 1976. Elected partner in 1980. Practice focus taxation - oil and gas, small businesses, and trusts. Adjunct professor of taxation LSU-S. Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Board member, Louisiana Society of Certified Public Accountants (LCPA). Former member, Energy Taxation Committee - AICPA. Former president, Shreveport chapter of LCPA. Member, numerous civic and charitable organizations.

Gerald W. Hedgcock, Jr., CPA

Centenary College 1971, Bachelor of Arts in Economics. Active duty, officer USNR 1971-1974. Joined HM&V in 1974. Elected partner in 1981. Practice focus in taxation - auto dealerships, real estate, cost segregation, profitability issues, timber industry, and employee benefit programs. Past member, Board of Trustees, University of the South. Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and Louisiana Society of Certified Public Accountants (LCPA). Member, Louisiana Automobile Dealers Association, Louisiana Forestry Association, and Estate Planning Council. Officer and Member, numerous civic and charitable organizations.

Tim B. Nielsen, CPA, CFE

Louisiana Tech University 1973, Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Joined HM&V in 1973. Elected partner in 1984. Practice focus in Audit - financial institutions, equipment and auto dealers, employee benefit plans, public companies, and SEC filings. Holds Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) designation. Member, Louisiana Bankers Association. Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and Louisiana Society of Certified Public Accountants (LCPA). Member, Certified Fraud Examiners Ark-La-Tex chapter. Member, Louisiana Government Finance Officers Association. Member, numerous religious and charitable organizations.

Mark D. Eldredge, CPA

Centenary College 1982, Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Joined HM&V in 1982. Elected partner 1991. Practice focus in taxation - oil and gas and state tax issues. Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and Louisiana Society of Certified Public Accountants (LCPA). Former president, Shreveport chapter of LCPA. Member, numerous charitable organizations.

Robert L. Dean, CPA, CVA, ABV

Northeast Louisiana University 1987, Bachelor of Science. Louisiana State University-Shreveport 1989, Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance. Related professional experience at Arthur Andersen & Co. 1989-1992. Joined HM&V in 1992. Elected partner in 1997. Practice focus in business valuation and taxation - mergers & acquisitions, physician practice, and closely-held businesses. Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV) and Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA). Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and Louisiana Society of Certified Public Accountants (LCPA). Past Board member and President, Litigation Services Committee, Shreveport chapter. Adjunct professor of taxation, LSU-S. Officer and member, numerous civic and charitable organizations.

Stephen W. Craig, CPA, MPA

Louisiana Tech University 1984, Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Louisiana Tech University 1985, Masters Professional Accountancy. Joined HM&V in 1985. Elected partner in 2000. Practice focus in audit - financial institutions, manufacturing, wholesale/retail, insurance, and other accounting services. Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and Louisiana Society of Certified Public Accountants (LCPA). Member, numerous civic and charitable organizations.

A. D. Johnson, Jr., CPA

Southern Methodist University 1990, Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting. Joined HMV in 1991. Elected partner in 2001. Practice focus in Employee Benefits Administration and Taxation. Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Louisiana Society of Certified Public Accountants (LCPA), and LCPA Ethics Committee. Officer and member, numerous civic and charitable organizations.

Roy E. Prestwood, CPA, MBA

Centenary College of Louisiana 1987, Bachelor of Science in Accounting. University of Houston 1997, Master of Business Administration, Concentration in Taxation. Related professional experience McEvoy & Company, Houston, TX, 1987--1997. Joined HMV in 1998. Elected partner in 2001. Practice focus in taxation - medical services/physicians. Licensed in Louisiana and Texas. Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), and Treasurer, the Tax & Estate Planning Council of Shreveport. President, Shreveport Chapter of Louisiana Society of Certified Public Accountants (LCPA). Adjunct Professor of Business at Centenary College of Louisiana. Officer and member, numerous civic and charitable organizations.

Ron W. Stewart, CPA, MBA

Louisiana Tech University 1966, Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Louisiana Tech University 1967, Master of Business Administration. Related professional experience at KPMG Peat Marwick, Houston, Texas, former Head of Department of Accounting at Northwestern State University, and led Stewart Company 1975-2002. Joined HM&V as partner in 2002 through merger of Stewart Company with HM&V. National speaker on tax and financial planning, having spoken in more than twenty (20) states. Editorial advisor to The CPA Digest and past editorial advisor to The Journal of Accountancy and The Practicing CPA. Licensed in Louisiana and Texas. Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Former President and current member, Louisiana Society of Certified Public Accountants (LCPA) Northeast chapter. Member, religious and charitable organizations.

Benjamin C. Woods, CPA, CVA, ABV

Louisiana State University – Shreveport 1987, Bachelor of Science in Marketing. Bachelor of Science in Accounting, 1998. Joined HM&V in 1998. Elected partner in 2006. Practice focus in business valuation/litigation services. Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV) and Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA). Current President, Louisiana Society of Certified Public Accountants (LCPA). Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Member, National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts (NACVA). Member, LCPA Statewide Litigation Committee. Member, numerous charitable and civic organizations.

Alice V. Frazier, CPA

Louisiana Tech University 1973, Louisiana State University - Shreveport 1982.  Elected partner in 2007.  Practice focus in estate planning, family offices, physician/service group compensation and  oil & gas and partnership taxation. Received Louisiana Society of CPAs Award Of Excellence for receiving the highest total score of first time Louisiana CPA candidates on the May 1984 exam as well as American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ Elijah Watt Sells certificate for receiving the highest score in the nation on the Business Law section of the May 1984 examination. Member of American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.  Member and Past President, Louisiana Society of CPAs – Shreveport Chapter, former board member – Louisiana Society of CPAs,  member and Past President of Estate and Tax Planning Council of Shreveport.  Officer and member of numerous charitable and civic organizations.

Gilbert R. Shanley, Jr., CPA (Of Counsel)

University of Missouri 1955. Bachelor of Science in Business Administration/Accounting. Related professional experience as officer under Auditor General, U.S. Air Force. Joined HM&V in 1956. Elected partner in 1959 and became partner of counsel in 1997. Practice focus in taxation, estates, pension plans, financial planning, and litigation services. Holds Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) designation. Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and Louisiana Society of Certified Public Accountants (LCPA). Former president, LCPA Shreveport chapter. Former state chairman, Litigation Support Services Committee. Member, National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts (NACVA). Member, numerous civic and charitable organizations.

C. Cody White, Jr., CPA, CVA, PFS, MPA (Of Counsel)

Georgia Tech 1957, Bachelor of Science in Industrial Management. University of Texas 1961, Master of Public Accounting. Joined HM&V in 1960. Elected partner in 1962. Former managing partner and became partner of counsel in 2000. Practice focus in taxation, small business consulting, personal financial planning, and estate planning and administration. Holds Personal Finance Specialist (PFS) and Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) designations. Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and Louisiana Society of Certified Public Accountants (LCPA). Former president, LCPA Shreveport chapter. Member, National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts (NACVA). Member, Texas Society of CPAs and Estate Planning Council. Member, numerous religious, civic, and charitable organizations.

Peter Gaffney, CPA, MBA (Of Counsel)

Tulane University 1963, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Tulane University 1964, Master of Business Administration. Related professional experience as Officer under Auditor General, U.S. Air Force. Joined HM&V in 1968. Elected partner in 1969 and became partner of counsel in 2006. Past managing partner (1990 - 2000). Practice focus in taxation - estates, physician services, and horses. Outstanding Shreveport, LA Business Leader of the Year, 1995. Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and Louisiana Society of Certified Public Accountants (LCPA). Former President, Shreveport Chamber of Commerce; Shreveport Chapter of Estate Planning Council and Arkla-Tex Tax Institute. Commissioner of Louisiana State Racing Commission. Officer and member, numerous charitable, religious, and civic organizations.