Randy Crabtree is a co-founder and partner at Tri-Merit Specialty Tax Professionals, recognized for his expertise and contributions to the accounting profession. He is also a well-known author, lecturer, and the host of "The Unique CPA," a podcast that has been broadcasting bi-weekly since 2019 and ranks in the top 5% of the most popular programs worldwide according to Listen Score. This platform allows him to share insights and engage with issues relevant to accounting professionals.

In 2023, Randy was honored by being named to Accounting Today's "Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting," acknowledging his significant influence within the field. He is the founder and host of the Bridging the Gap conference, designed to facilitate discussions and connections among accounting professionals.

Randy's role as a thought leader is further solidified by his frequent guest appearances on various podcasts, where he discusses industry trends and challenges. His dedication to the profession extends to his service on multiple boards, including the Accounting Cornerstone Foundation, the Firm Growth Forum advisory board, and the CPA Magazine editorial board, where he contributes to shaping the future of accounting education and practice.

He regularly contributes articles to respected publications such as Accounting Today, the AICPA Tax Adviser, CPA Trendlines, and Intuit Accountants TaxPro Center, and is a common figure at conferences and training events hosted by national and state accounting associations and other industry-related groups.

In 2022, Randy's expertise was further recognized through his appointment to the Intuit Tax Council for a three-year term, highlighting his role as an authority in the field of taxation. This position allows him to contribute to broader discussions and initiatives aimed at advancing the accounting profession.

John recently joined Tri-Merit as a Regional Director for Northern California and Pacific Northwest. John has 35 years of experience including his work in specialty tax incentives & credits since 2006, most recently serving 5 years as Principal for CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen) leading their Western Region Federal Tax Strategies Group in California. John’s concentration has been on industries including architecture, construction and engineering, agritech / life sciences, software, AI, and cloud-based service companies, robotics and drone developers, and other early stage and venture backed businesses. John previously practiced as a corporate and tax attorney specializing in e-commerce businesses, and as a technology commercialization consultant to Los Alamos National Laboratory. John is a CPA in CA and CO and has his LLM in Taxation from Boston University, JD from Villanova Law School, and BS in Accounting from Bentley University.

Randy has an extensive background securing financial, infrastructural, workforce, business planning, and other strategic resources for innovative organizations throughout his career in economic and business development. His successes range from leveraging federal, state, and local government business incentive programs to venture capital, research and development (R&D), and other entrepreneurial, energy, manufacturing, financial, and advisory investments to boost business growth and profitability. Accounting is a core practice throughout these initiatives.He is the founder and emeritus board member of the New Mexico Technology Council and a longtime board member of the Technology Councils of North America (TECNA). He served as the Director of Entrepreneurial Partnerships for Technology Ventures Corporation, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, specializing in technology commercialization through national labs, universities, and corporate strategic partnerships.