Members
Michael L. Scharf, CPA mscharf@scharfpera.com
North Carolina CPA Certificate Number 5850
Mike received his Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from the University of Maryland in 1964, and he became a Certified Public Accountant in 1966. He completed law school at the University of Baltimore in 1969, however Mike has always practiced as a Certified Public Accountant.
In 1966, Mike began his career with the Internal Revenue Service in Washington, D.C. He spent three years as a field agent specializing in corporate and individual tax disciplines. He then spent two years in the national office gaining valuable experience by writing and evaluating Internal Revenue Rulings, Private Letter Rulings and Technical Advice. This combined base of knowledge at the Internal Revenue Service has significantly influenced his approach to clients’ tax issues.
In 1971, Mike joined the international accounting firm of Price Waterhouse as a tax manager. After two years, he moved to Laventhol & Horwath where he began to build a personal client base. In 1975, Mike opened up his own firm in Charlotte, North Carolina and within two years, Al Pera joined him as a partner. They have practiced together as Scharf Pera & Co., PLLC for over twenty years. He is managing member of the firm and provides overall direction of tax services.
Mike is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in North Carolina and Maryland. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants as well as the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants. He serves on the board of The Bruce Irons Camp Fund.
Mike derives much personal pleasure from developing and maintaining friendships with the people he services. His strong client relationships and his diverse educational and professional experiences have proven invaluable in the pursuit of his tax practice at Scharf Pera & Co., PLLC.
Albert Pera, CPA apera@scharfpera.com
North Carolina CPA Certificate Number 10929
Al graduated from Long Island University with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting. He became a Certified Public Accountant in 1968.
Al worked for four years as a staff accountant with a public accounting firm that specialized in investigative audits. When he left public accounting, he became Chief Financial Officer of a textile apparel manufacturer where he implemented cost systems, internal accounting systems and inventory controls. With Al’s help, the company grew from a $1 million to a $70 million business over a span of eight years.
In 1977, Al returned to public accounting when he joined Mike Scharf as audit and accounting partner of Scharf Pera & Co., PLLC. Al’s eight years in private industry accounting and his vast knowledge of internal and cost systems has proven to be an invaluable resource for our clients.
Al is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in both New York and North Carolina. He is a member of both the New York and North Carolina Associations of Certified Public Accountants and maintains a membership with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Additionally, Al has served as the Vice-Chairman and Treasurer of the McLeod Addictive Disease Foundation.
Wayne Spransy, CPA wspransy@scharfpera.com
North Carolina CPA Certificate Number 13329
Wayne received his Bachelor of Science in accounting from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1978. He started his career in public accounting with
Scharf Pera & Co., PLLC in the same year. Wayne began as a staff accountant and worked his way up to becoming a manager in the accounting and auditing area of the firm. In 1984, Wayne left Scharf Pera & Co., PLLC and became Chief Financial Officer for Raycom, Inc., a large sports media corporation.
At Raycom, Inc., Wayne became experienced in all facets of financial management, public relations, corporate legal matters and corporate financing. During his time there, he helped the company grow from a $10 million to $80 million leader in its industry. Wayne developed corporate budgets, five year business plans, five year financial projections, cash flow projections, employee benefit programs, executive compensation programs and was responsible for all bank reporting and taxes. While at Raycom, Inc., Wayne also earned his Masters in Business Administration from the McColl School of Business Executive Program at Queens College in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Wayne maintains a membership with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants. He also belongs to the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce and the Charlotte Basketball Committee.
After twelve years in private industry accounting, Wayne returned to public accounting by rejoining Scharf Pera & Co., PLLC as a member in January, 1996. With his extensive knowledge and experience of internal accounting issues, he provides valuable insight to our clients, especially in the accounting and auditing area and the financial, management and operational consulting areas of the firm.
Jayne Frazier, CPA - jfrazier@scharfpera.com
North Carolina CPA Certificate Number 23773
Jayne received her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Wake Forest University in 1993. She started her career in public accounting with Scharf Pera & Co., PLLC in the same year. In 1997, Jayne left the firm for a position as Controller with AAC Real Estate Services, Inc., a privately-held commercial real estate developer. In 1999, Jayne left AAC for a challenging position as Vice President of Finance for iXL, Inc., a publicly-held internet consulting company. At iXL, she was responsible for all aspects of financial reporting and accounting as well as administrative operations for the company's offices in Charlotte and Raleigh, and eventually Memphis, TN. During mid-2001, Jayne assisted the company in winding down its operations in North Carolina and Tennessee, as it merged with a competitor Scient, Inc. After a year in her own small business, Jayne returned to Scharf Pera & Co., PLLC to assist clients with her knowledge of internal accounting issues, financial management, operational consulting and income tax matters.
Jayne maintains a membership with American Institution of Certified Public Accountants and the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants. She is an active member of the Charlotte Woman's Club, currently serving as Treasurer, and spends a lot of her free time volunteering in the Charlotte community.
Professional Staff
Robin Williams, CPA - rwilliams@scharfpera.com
North Carolina CPA Certificate Number 16568
Susanne Hicks, CPA - shicks@scharfpera.com
North Carolina CPA Certificate Number 17331
Robert Phillips, CPA - rphillips@scharfpera.com
North Carolina CPA Certificate Number 32306
Kelly Pesanka, CPA - kpesanka@scharfpera.com
North Carolina CPA Certificate Number 32372
Cheryl Bohlen, CPA - cbohlen@scharfpera.com
North Carolina CPA Certificate Number 34302
Arthur Spring, CPA - ajspring@scharfpera.com
North Carolina CPA Certificate Number 36279
