The Team

Executive Management

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Brent L. Durbin

Shareholder

CPA, PFS, MS Taxation

Brent L. Durbin
CPA, PFS, MS Taxation
Shareholder

Brent has over thirty years of experience advising affluent and entrepreneurial clients, regarding matters affecting their individual tax, estate & gift planning, investment portfolios, financial planning, and closely-held business enterprises. He has extensive experience serving business clients in a variety of roles including consulting, compliance, and transaction support in connection with a variety of closely-held businesses, including private equity/venture capital, real estate developers, private REIT’s, foreign investment, and professional service firms. Brent has extensive experience in partnership taxation, including complex targeted allocation regimes, pre-contribution gain issues, capital account maintenance, issuance of carried and service partner interests, and partnership M&A.

Brent is a frequent speaker on taxation, estate and financial planning, and investment portfolio planning and structure, and has participated as guest speaker for the Annual TSCPA State Tax Institute on effective tax-efficient portfolio design and current tax planning topics. He has also served as an instructor for national tax training courses for two international accounting firms.

Brent is a founding partner of Durbin Bennett. Prior to forming the Firm with Richard Bennett in 1987, Brent was with PricewaterhouseCoopers and KPMG. Brent holds a Master of Science in Taxation degree from Texas Tech University and is a CPA and PFS. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (member of the Taxation and Personal Financial Planning Sections), and the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants. Brent is a past Secretary/Treasurer of the Rotary Club of Austin, a former Board Member of Good Shepherd Episcopal School, and is currently a member of the Professional Advisory Council at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School.

Durbin Bennett Tax Advisors, Inc. is not a CPA Firm. Our affiliate firm, Durbin Bennett Certified Public Accountants is a CPA firm registered with the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy. 

 

 

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Stephanie S. Todd

Shareholder

CPA

Stephanie S. Todd
CPA
Shareholder

Stephanie has extensive public accounting, and industry management and accounting experience. She focuses primarily on complex planning and tax compliance for affluent and entrepreneurial clients, their families and related businesses, and philanthropic entities. With this focus, a significant amount of Stephanie’s practice is devoted to trust, and estate and gift tax matters. She joined Durbin Bennett in 1997.

Prior to joining the firm, Stephanie provided integrated tax, financial planning, and investment management services as founder and partner of her own CPA and Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) firms. She began her career with KPMG in Dallas. Later she became controller of a movie and television production company and then assumed divisional controller responsibilities for the largest private homebuilder in the United States.

Stephanie graduated summa cum laude from the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin. She has been an active volunteer for various business, professional, philanthropic and arts groups with past and present board service. Her current service includes the board of Jarrott Productions and various advisory roles.

 

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Ben Boggess

Shareholder

CPA

Ben Boggess
CPA
Shareholder

Ben has over fifteen years of experience working at the federal, state, and international levels to provide partnership, corporate, and individual tax advice to high net-worth individuals. He joined Durbin Bennett in December 2013.

Prior to joining the firm, Ben worked as a Senior Tax Associate for Eide Bailly, LLP in their Boulder, Colorado office. Working for one of the 25 largest public accounting firms, in an area of the country known for its innovative and entrepreneurial spirit, Ben knows the tax planning and financial blueprint a company needs to grow successfully.

Ben is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Colorado Society of CPAs. He received a Bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from the University of Colorado. While attending CU, Ben’s ice hockey team won the national championship in his sophomore year.

 

 

 

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Valarie Gonzales

Shareholder

CPA, MS Taxation

Valarie Gonzales,
CPA, MS Taxation
Shareholder

Valarie has over thirty years of tax experience in public accounting and industry. Her primary area of focus is partnership taxation and she has extensive experience within the real estate, investment fund, and healthcare industries. Valarie also works with entrepreneurs and high-net worth individuals. Valarie joined Durbin Bennett in 2020.

Valarie began her career with KPMG and then spent sixteen years with PwC advancing to Tax Director. She subsequently accepted a job opportunity with a client, CBRE, where for eleven years she served as Vice President of Tax for the Trammell Crow subsidiary. At Trammell Crow she consulted regarding partnership agreements, drafting and reviewing complex allocation and other provisions, and managed the tax team with responsibility for hundreds of federal and state income tax returns, international reporting, and other related matters.

Valarie graduated from the University of North Texas with a Master of Science in Taxation and is a licensed CPA with the state of Texas.

 

 

 

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Molly A. Koehn

Tax Practice Director

CPA, MPA

Molly A. Koehn
CPA, MPA
Tax Practice Director

Molly has over thirty years of federal, state and international tax experience serving private businesses, real estate ventures and REITs, professional services firms, and high net worth individuals involving complex trust, gift, and estate issues. Throughout her career, Molly has been a trusted advisor for complex tax entities and has extensive experience managing large tax engagements. Molly joined Durbin Bennett in January 2002.

Prior to joining the firm, Molly was an embryologist with Cross Country Genetics in Normangee, TX.

Molly has a Master's in Professional Accounting (MPA) from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Science in both Agriculture and Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, TX. Molly is a Certified Public Accountant and is a member of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants.

 

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Advisory Team

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Lisa S. Chavez

Supervisor

EA

Lisa S. Chavez
EA
Supervisor

Lisa has over twenty years of tax and accounting experience, currently working as a Tax Supervisor at Durbin Bennett. Her experience spans partnerships, corporations, and trusts, and she also works closely with individuals, assisting with complex tax planning needs. Lisa was drawn to this field as a result of growing up in several family businesses.

Lisa has been a valuable part of Durbin Bennett since first joining the firm in November 1998. She now lives in Bastrop and works on a flex-time basis, allowing her to balance her professional role with family and community service initiatives. 

Before her tenure at Durbin Bennett, Lisa held key tax roles at Clear Channel Communications, where she managed state and federal tax compliance reporting for the Broadcast segment’s parent corporation and its several hundred subsidiaries. She also worked for St. David’s Healthcare Partnership in Austin, where she assisted with audit and tax compliance work and was responsible for all general ledger account activity, including monthly and yearly closing entries and reconciling and tracking patient days and employee hours.

Lisa holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Texas State University and is an Enrolled Agent (EA). 

 

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Thomas Jacques

Senior Advisor

MAcc, EA

Thomas Jacques
Senior Advisor
MAcc, EA

Thomas has over seven years of experience in tax and business consulting, spanning Big Four public accounting, publicly traded companies, and high-growth Silicon Valley startups.

Thomas combines technical expertise in tax and accounting with financial technology consulting to deliver thoughtful, holistic advisory services to individuals and businesses of all sizes. His experience includes advising high net-worth individuals, SaaS technology companies, private equity firms, real estate partnerships, and a wide range of mid-sized businesses.

Thomas earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Accounting from Abilene Christian University. Thomas is an active Enrolled Agent and is in the final stages of CPA licensure. Outside of work, Thomas enjoys running and spending time with his wife and two daughters.

 

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Drew Johnston

Senior Advisor

CPA

Drew Johnston
CPA
Senior Advisor

Drew was born and raised in Northern Idaho. He graduated from the University of Idaho with bachelor's degrees in Finance and Accounting and is a CPA. Drew became drawn to the accounting industry from a love of mathematics and business. Outside of work, Drew enjoys playing golf, watching sports, and exploring Austin. Prior to joining the Firm, Drew began his professional career with Magnuson, McHugh, Dougherty, CPAs.

Drew joined Durbin Bennett as an Advisor in 2023.

 

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Robert Lankford

Supervisor

CPA, MBA

Robert Lankford
CPA, MBA
Supervisor

Robert received his B.S. from Florida International University in Miami, FL dual majoring in Accounting and Finance in 2014. He obtained his M.B.A in 2015 at the same institution.

Robert worked in the tax financial services department at Kaufman Rossin & Co. in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. His focuses were private equity, hedge fund tax matters, several complex partnership and corporate returns and filings related to foreign investors. He joined Durbin Bennett in 2018 as a Senior Advisor and became Supervisor in 2022.

Robert is currently a CPA in Florida and in Texas.

 

 

 

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Laura Nieman

Advisor

EA

Laura Nieman
EA
Advisor

Laura, originally from Wisconsin, has spent most of her life in Austin. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Texas State University. She began her career in government defense contracting, assisting with contract compliance and audits. She is currently pursuing CPA licensure and holds an Enrolled Agent (EA) designation. She is also a candidate member of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants (TXCPA).

Laura joined Durbin Bennett as an Advisor in 2026.

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Luciana Rios

Senior Advisor

MS Taxation

Luciana Rios
MS Taxation
Senior Advisor

A Brewster County native, Luciana Rios attended Sul Ross State University. She began her career as an accountant with Preventative Care Health Services. Luciana graduated Magna Cum Laude from Sul Ross with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accountancy. Seeking to further her education, Luciana joined Texas Tech University and received a Master of Science in Taxation. She is currently working towards completing her CPA certification.

Prior to joining the firm, Luciana worked at Bolinger, Segars, Gilbert & Moss LLP in Lubbock, Texas. Luciana is fluent in Spanish and experience serving both the accounting, income tax preparation and planning needs for businesses, estates, and trusts. Luciana joined Durbin Bennett as an Advisor in 2022.

 

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Conor Robinson

Supervisor

CPA, MAcc 

Conor Robinson
CPA, MAcc
Supervisor

Conor graduated from the University of Houston with both his B.S. in Business Administration in Accounting and M.S. in Accountancy. After graduation, Conor went to work with a firm in Houston where he was a Tax Associate. During his time at the Firm, he also spent a year as an Audit Associate. Conor’s experience has focused on high net-worth individuals, multi-tier partnerships, and corporations with multiple states as well as international filings. Conor has industry experience ranging in professional services, oil & gas, biotechnology, and transportation & logistics. Conor is very comfortable with technology and utilizing it to streamline processes and maximize efficiencies.

Conor is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) for the state of Texas. Additionally, he is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Conor, a native Houstonian, enjoys playing disc golf, taking his Corgi to the park, and cooking. Conor joined Durbin Bennett in 2020 as a Senior Advisor.

 

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Chrissie Spangler

Advisor

MAcc

Chrissie Spangler
MAcc
Advisor

A native of Central Texas, Chrissie earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from St. Edward's University and later completed her Master of Accounting (MAcc). She began her career at Whitley Penn where she gained valuable experience in public accounting and client service. Chrissie is currently pursuing her CPA certification. 

Chrissie joined Durbin Bennett as an Advisor in 2025.

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Jenny Venza

Of Counsel

CPA, MPAcc

Jenny Venza
CPA, MPAcc
Of Counsel

Jenny has over 15 years of experience providing tax planning and compliance services to clients in various industries, focusing primarily on real estate. She has experience in complex structuring issues related to partnerships and other passthrough entities. Her experience also includes federal and state compliance for individuals, estates, trusts, partnerships, REITs, and nonprofit organizations. Her broad experience allows her to be a trusted business advisor throughout the various aspects of a client’s business life cycle.

Prior to joining the firm, Jenny was a senior manager at Deloitte Tax LLP.

Jenny has a Master in Professional Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting with a minor in Music from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX. Jenny is a Certified Public Accountant and is a member of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants.

 

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John Hughes

Of Counsel

John Hughes
Of Counsel

John has over 40 years of tax experience. He worked in his home state of Illinois for 3 years, before moving to Austin in 1985 joining Peat Marwick Mitchell, now KPMG. At KPMG, his tax focus areas included community banks and other corporate entities, high net worth individuals and their closely held businesses, and US taxation of expatriates and foreign nationals. In November 1989 John moved to Washington DC for a temporary assignment in the KPMG National Tax Office and worked on projects in various tax focused areas, returning to Austin in July 1991. After 14 years with KPMG, John moved to private industry and lead the tax department for Tokyo Electron US Holdings, parent company of the US operations of Tokyo Electron Limited (TEL), a Japan based manufacturer of semiconductor manufacturing equipment. While at TEL John was responsible for all aspects of US corporate taxation, but also heavily involved with international tax issues including permanent establishment concerns, transfer pricing issues, Advanced Pricing Agreements, and tax treaty related matters. John also provided tax related guidance for foreign nationals on temporary assignments in the US (200 foreign nationals per year), as well as US expatriates on temporary assignments overseas. After 7 months of “retirement”, John joined Durbin Bennett in February 2022. 

 

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Earl R. Prochnick

Of Counsel

CPA/PFS

Earl R. Prochnick
Of Counsel

Earl is serving in an of-counsel role following his retirement as a former Shareholder at Durbin Bennett.

Earl has thirty years of federal, state and international tax experience serving public and private businesses, real estate ventures and funds, executives and high net worth individuals. Throughout his career, Earl was a trusted advisor and consultant for complex tax entities and has extensive experience managing large tax engagements. Prior to joining Durbin Bennett in 2004, Earl was a Senior Manager with KPMG in Austin.

 

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Jon M. Lemon

Of Counsel

CPA, LLB

Jon M. Lemon
CPA, LLB
Of Counsel

Jon has over 45 years of tax experience working with high net worth individuals and business clients. He has substantial experience in income, estate and gift tax matters.

Prior to joining the firm, Jon spent 26 years with Ernst & Young, serving as a Partner and Director of Tax for the firm’s Austin, Texas and Louisville, Kentucky offices.

Jon has his L.L.B. from the University of Texas Law School and his BBA degree in accounting from Texas Tech University. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants and the State Bar of Texas, as well as other professional organizations. Jon is a past President of the Austin Chapter of Certified Public Accountants and has served in executive and Board positions with the Boy Scouts of America and the Knights of the Symphony. 

 

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Client Service & Operations Team

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Kerri Bartenbach

Client Service and Billing Coordinator

Kerri Bartenbach
MS
Associate Tax, Client Service, and Billing Coordinator

 

Kerri holds an M.S. in Strategic Leadership from Austin Peay State University and brings a diverse professional background in tax planning, hospitality, and logistics. Originally from Newport, Rhode Island, she has had the opportunity to call Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and now Texas home while following her husband’s Army career.

Her broad experience has provided a strong foundation in client service, process improvement, and team support. Throughout her career, Kerri has built a reputation for developing meaningful relationships and offering dependable, solutions-focused assistance. She is dedicated to supporting both colleagues and clients, always striving to exceed expectations with professionalism and a genuine desire to help others succeed. Kerri joined the Firm in 2025.

 

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Melissa Hooper

Tax Support and Billing Coordinator

Melissa Hooper
MBA
Tax Support and Billing Coordinator

Melissa began her career in Georgia in banking and relocated to Texas. While in Lubbock, she worked as an Office Manager and Bookkeeper where she was responsible for all A/P, A/R, and Administrative Support. She joined the Firm in 2020. 

 

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Damara Marinello

Firm Administrator and Accounting Manager

Damara Marinello
Firm Administrator and Accounting Manager

Damara has over 19 years of experience as an accounting associate. She specializes in human resources and preparing and analyzing accounting records, and financial statements and reports.

She began her career in accounting as a Unit Controller, then Human Resources Manager and General Ledger Accountant for a large investment corporation in New Orleans, and has since worked in that capacity in Indianapolis and Virginia and Texas. She joined the firm in 2015 as Accounting Manager for the Firm.

 

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