Mark Vaughn, CPA

About Mark

Mark E. Vaughn, CPA brings almost twenty years of successful experience in both public and corporate accounting, including several years as a Chief Financial Officer. Mark has also served on several boards of directors for both not-for-profit institutions and commercial enterprises, providing leadership on short-term and long-term financial planning matters and assisting in short-term and long-term strategy formulation to these entities. St. Louis Small Business Magazine Listed Mark Vaughn as one of the “People to Know in Southern Illinois”.

Mark began his career with a regional CPA firm, where he planned, organized and supervised financial statement audits of small and mid-sized companies, prepared individual and corporate tax returns, prepared business valuations and personal financial statements and consulted with many small businesses regarding start-up opportunities, strategic planning and long-term growth strategies.

Throughout his career, Mark has developed expertise on the specialized tax matters that pertain to ministers and other clergy members. Mark has assisted ministers nationwide with income tax planning and preparation, and has spoken at conferences across the country about the unique tax issues affecting ministers, including housing allowances, self-employment status and allowable deductions. Furthermore, Mark has assisted many churches with financial matters, including budget formation, cash flow management and income tax-exempt status requirements.

Upon leaving public accounting, Mark worked as the Chief Financial Officer for a private investment company with twenty-five subsidiary entities. The subsidiaries included start-up retail ventures in the consumer products and entertainment sectors, a regional steel mill, a minor league baseball team affiliated with Major League Baseball and a start-up independent minor league baseball team. Mark was responsible for preparing budgets, cash flow projections and business plans for the companies and for securing the short and long-term financing needs for each project. The financing ranged from a $300,000 capital lease to a permanent loan of $14,500,000 to a revolving line of credit in excess of $23,000,000. Mark also prepared quarterly financial statements for the owners of the company.

Mark then worked as the Chief Operating Officer of an Engineering Consulting firm. In this role, Mark was instrumental in preparing the paperwork necessary for the company to gain status as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firm with the Illinois Department of Transportation and with MetroLink, with the Small Business Administration (as a Section 8(a) firm) and with the Illinois Central Management Service (as a BEP firm). Mark also was responsible for the creation of the company’s business plan and the preparation of the company’s operating budgets and financial statements.

Mark’s background also includes helping companies develop employee manuals, marketing strategies, and website design. He has worked extensively to secure capital equipment cash needs through purchases, loans and leases. Mark has many contacts in the banking and finance industries that can provide a qualified team to assist with cash flow needs and financing.