Rothstein Kass Principal Kelly Easterling Elected Co-CEO of Association of Women in Alternative Investing to Promote AWAI Educational Agenda, Mentorship Programs

SAN FRANCISCO, March 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Rothstein Kass (www.rkco.com), a national accounting and advisory services firm announced today that Kelly Easterling, a Principal in the Walnut Creek office, has been elected to serve a one-year term as the co-CEO of the Association of Women in Alternative Investing (AWAI). Rothstein Kass is a founding sponsor of the organization, devoted to empowering women in the alternative investment community through educational, networking and mentorship initiatives. Ms. Easterling was elected by AWAI board of directors to serve a one-year term with Michelle White, Director of Citi Hedge Fund Services, who was elected Co-CEO.

Rothstein Kass was recently rated the top accounting service provider to hedge funds with $1 billion or more in assets under management, rankings released by Institutional Investor Magazine, based on voting by hedge fund firms.

"Serving as the founder and CEO of AWAI has been a profound experience of my career.  I appreciated the opportunity to work so closely with some of the brightest minds in the industry toward concrete solutions to the challenges facing women in the sector. I complete my term secure in the knowledge that Kelly and Michelle have been passionate in their support of AWAI objectives and possess the qualification and skills required to build on our past success," said Jeanie Ulicny, Principal of Ulicny Communications, outgoing CEO, and current member of the AWAI Board of Directors. "Their leadership and personal success can help to inspire women in our profession to build on our collective accomplishments."

Kelly Easterling is a principal based in the Firm's Walnut Creek office. She specializes in serving clients across the financial services industry, including domestic and offshore funds, commodity pools, private equity and fund of funds. Kelly advises clients on initial organizational structure, supervises audits and consults with management regarding various operational and audit matters. Ms. Easterling is a certified public accountant in California, Oregon, Texas, New Jersey and New York. Kelly holds a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CALCPA).

"It is extremely exciting to have been elected to the position of co-CEO by the board of the AWAI. I am looking forward to working with Michelle to leverage the strengths of the organization and the Board to support AWAI objectives and grow its membership," said Ms. Easterling.  "For women in the financial services sector, mentoring and education represent some of the most effective methods for enabling and developing success in the industry. AWAI provides a platform for women that promote meaningful and direct interactions among its membership to help to establish and maintain balance in their personal and professional lives."

Michelle White Hopfner joined Citi (previously BISYS Hedge Fund Services) in January 2006 to serve as a West Coast business development officer for alternative investment administration services. Prior to Citi, Michelle was the marketing and operations manager for Skiritai Capital LLC, a San Francisco-based long/short equity hedge fund. Her responsibilities included operations, interfacing with service providers and investor relations.

Michelle has participated in numerous panels for the National Investment Company Service Association. She serves on the committees for Hedge Funds Care in San Francisco and chairs its sub-chapter in Los Angeles. Michelle also is a member of the steering committee for the Bay Area Hedge Fund Roundtable.

About Rothstein Kass:

Rothstein Kass is a premier public accounting and advisory services firm that has served privately held and publicly traded companies, individuals, and families for 50 years. Rothstein Kass is consistently ranked as a top CPA firm to the alternative investment industry in independent, third-party evaluations. The Rothstein Kass Financial Services Group provides services to many high-profile and respected clients including hedge funds, fund of funds, broker-dealers and registered investment advisors. Our Commercial Services Group provides organizations, including private equity and venture capital funds, as well as individuals and families, with essential and complementary professional services.

About Association of Women in Alternative Investing:

Association for Women in Alternating Investing (AWAI) is a San Francisco-based organization which promotes education and networking in the hedge fund, private equity and venture capital arenas. AWAI structures programs that provide members with a forum to address issues impacting the community, through high-level educational and networking events featuring industry leadership. AWAI promotes greater understanding of the economic, technical and regulatory developments within the space, while also offering practical advice on achieving and maintaining work / life balance and career longevity.

SOURCE Rothstein Kass