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California Office

Thrive with the accounting support you need.

Customized support for your unique business.

Great advice.
Even better humans.

Meet our California-based general advisory team.

Linda Dawson, CPA

Principal

Linda has over forty years of experience in public accounting, including eight years with Ernst & Young Entrepreneurial Services and thirty-three years as the owner of Platform Business Advisors. She has extensive experience with a variety of privately held and start-up companies, including private equity, technology, real estate, manufacturing, research, and service businesses.

Linda received her MBA (Accounting/Finance) and BA (Economics) from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Richard Dawson

Tax Supervisor

Richard brings over seven years of experience in public accounting, with a primary focus on tax services. He is dedicated to providing clients with accurate, reliable, and detail-oriented support in navigating complex tax matters. He is currently pursuing further education in accounting to continue expanding his technical expertise and professional qualifications.

In addition to his professional accounting work, Richard is an accomplished educator, composer, and musician. He holds both a Master of Fine Arts in Multi-Focus Guitar Performance and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Arts Performance from the California Institute of the Arts.

Amy Chen

Senior Tax Manager

Amy has seventeen years of experience in public accounting and seven years of experience in private accounting. Amy is versed in individual income taxes, corporate income taxes with complex structures such as those for multi-states, and international companies. Amy also has knowledge about payroll taxes, sales taxes, property taxes and local business taxes. Amy has worked with many clients representing them to government agencies as a POA to solve their tax issue. She is also experienced in corporate accounting and financial reporting.

Amy received her Certificate of Award Accounting at University of California, Los Angeles, and her BA in Business Administration from National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan. She is a CPA, a member of the American Institute of CPAs.

Bart Morrill, CPA

Tax Manager

Bart began his career over 40 years ago in public accounting, working in the Dallas, Texas, office of Grant Thornton LLP, an international accounting firm. A few years later, he had the opportunity to move back home to northeastern Utah, to own his own firm where the focus was on helping small to mid-sized business owners with their tax and accounting needs. A few years ago, Bart sold his firm and appreciates the opportunity to share this knowledge and experience with Platform Advisors.

Bart received his MBA from Western Governors University and BS (Finance and Accounting) from Brigham Young University. He is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the Utah Association of CPAs.

Gustavo Cortazar

Senior Tax Advisor

Gustavo joined Platform Advisors five and a half years ago. During his first four years, he was involved in business accounting and tax preparation and became an accounting manager overseeing the bookkeeping of more than 30 clients.

A year and a half ago, he moved to the tax side to work exclusively on preparing complex business tax returns under the title of Senior Tax Advisor. His previous work experience includes six years in private accounting, primarily in the service and commercial real estate industries.

He graduated from California Lutheran University with a degree in Business Management and completed an accounting program at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he received a Certificate in Accounting. In addition, he is a Certified Public Accountant in California.

Michael McClelland

Senior Business Advisory Manager

Michael brings over twenty years of comprehensive private accounting experience across diverse industries, including eight years in home building, eleven years in freight forwarding, and three years in fintech. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated exceptional leadership as a Controller, successfully managing accounting teams while overseeing critical functions including corporate tax reviews, financial audits, comprehensive financial reporting, payroll administration, and multi-state payroll and tax compliance.

A Certified Public Accountant, Michael earned his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania and his MBA from the University of the People. He joined the Platform Business Advisors team in August 2022, bringing his proven track record of financial excellence and operational leadership to serve our clients.

Stacy Duposki

Business Advisory Manager

Stacy is a Business Advisory Manager with over eight years of experience in public accounting, including five years at a top 25 accounting firm. She is experienced in outsourced controlling, financial statement preparation, audit readiness, sales tax, payroll tax, and income tax.

Stacy holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and was inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society for academic excellence. She is currently preparing to sit for the CPA exam in the first quarter of 2026.

Marlena Hovakimyan

Senior Business Advisor

Marlena has over fifteen years of experience in financial management and bookkeeping for non-profit organizations. She has over eight years of experience in public accounting and currently provides corporate accounting services at Platform Advisors – Encino office.

Marlena received her BS in Computer Science from National Polytechnic University of Armenia, an AA in Accounting and an AA in Economics from Los Angeles Valley College. She is a Certified ProAdvisor for QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online.

Jonathan Lager

Senior Business Advisor

Jon has over ten years of accounting experience and provides corporate accounting services for our clients. He is a Certified ProAdvisor for QuickBooks Desktop and has an AA

Renee Anderson

Business Advisor

Renee has 13+ years of experience in bookkeeping for small to mid-sized businesses across various industries. As a Certified QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor, she excels in streamlining financial workflows, managing day-to-day transactions, and delivering accurate, timely reporting. Renee joined Platform Business Advisors at the beginning of 2023. She studied at Illinois State University and is known for her approachable & collaborative style.

Ilse Iturribarria

Business Advisor

Ilse has four years of experience working for an accounting firm, holding positions as an administrative assistant, bookkeeper, and tax preparer. Ilse has an AA in Business from College of the Canyons and a BS in Business Accounting with a minor in Marketing from Cal Poly Pomona.

Lisa McClintock

Office Manager

Lisa has over twenty years of experience working in public accounting. Lisa received her BS (Business Administration/Finance) from California State University, Northridge.

Sarah Howarth

Administrative Assistant

Sarah has over 10 years of experience in a variety of office and legal administrative roles. She is currently assisting with office management while developing her skills in billing and collections. Sarah holds an BS degree in Business Management from Columbia College.

California Office

Thrive with the accounting support you need.

Customized support for your unique business.

Great advice. Even better humans.

Meet our California-based general advisory team.

Linda Dawson, CPA

Principal

Richard Dawson

Tax Supervisor

Amy Chen

Senior Tax Manager

Bart Morrill, CPA

Tax Manager

Gustavo Cortazar

Senior Tax Advisor

Michael McClelland

Senior Business Advisory Manager

Stacy Duposki

Business Advisory Manager

Marlena Hovakimyan

Senior Business Advisor

Jonathan Lager

Senior Business Advisor

Renee Anderson

Business Advisor

Ilse Iturribarria

Business Advisor

Lisa McClintock

Office Manager

Sarah Howarth

Administrative Assistant

Great advice.
Even better humans.