Based in the Firm's Washington, D.C. office, Deborah is National Director Compensation & Benefits  at Cherry Bekaert. She provides executives and employers guidance on short and long term incentive compensation arrangements, both domestically and internationally; tax controversy issues related to employment taxes and compensation items; qualified retirement plans; health benefits ; disallowed deductions for employer provided parking, CARES Act compensation related items and Paycheck Protection Program loans; and other fringe benefits such as expense reimbursement arrangements. She concentrates on federal tax consequences of paying and receiving compensation and benefits items and designs compensation and benefits programs that help a business to achieve it strategic business goals and objectives. Recognized as a trusted advisor with more than 35 years of experience, Deborah also advises clients on compensation deductions in mergers and acquisitions; accounting methods for compensation items; financial statement reporting of compensation; and ESOPs.

Prior to her arrival at Cherry Bekaert, Deborah served as a partner at two Big Four firms and Deputy to the Benefits Tax Counsel in the Office of Tax Policy at the U.S. Treasury Department, developing a broad understanding in the creation of legislation and regulations. She is also a published writer, authoring numerous articles regarding compensation and benefits matters. She was editor-in-chief of the Journal of Taxation of Employee Benefits and a member of the Tax Advisor Editorial Board. Deborah served as Chair of the IRS Commissioner's Advisory Committee and is a past Chair of the AICPA Annual Employee Benefits Conference.  In 2017, Deborah was awarded the Arthur J. Dixon Memorial Award, the highest honor bestowed by the accounting profession in the area of taxation.