Mowery & Schoenfeld, LLC is proud to announce Michael Deering, Tax Partner and Director of Tax, was named one of the Crain's 2022 Notable Gen X Leaders in Accounting, Consulting and Law. This award recognizes the top Chicago area accountants, consultants, and attorneys who have made significant contributions to advancing the industry.
In his role at Mowery & Schoenfeld, Mike oversees our Firm’s tax practices, including client service, software, personnel, and scheduling activities. He sits on the Firm’s leadership team and the executive committee and is actively involved in Mowery & Schoenfeld's wealth management practice.
In addition to his work within the Firm, Mike has also served as a board member of the Chicago Estate Planning Council (2013-2016) and was previously on the ICPAS Tax Executive Committee as the EG&T Chair.
“From workflow management to client service and employee mentorship, Mike has had a transformative impact within our firm,” shared Managing Partner Jeffery Mowery. “Mike has never said no to an initiative, and he is always willing to lead.”
As Director of the tax department and a career advisor for many employees, Mike provides guidance and empowers his team. He has helped elevate several employees to partner through years of mentoring, goal setting, and development.
“In my time at M&S, I’ve found that the great things we do at this Firm are never done by one person—they’re done by a team,” said Mike. “By finding and growing a team of capable and well-rounded individuals, leading becomes less about telling people what to do and more about trusting in your employees to have the intellect and the autonomy to solve the problems in front of them.”
As our Firm embraces advanced IT and technology strategies, Mike has helped spearhead the efforts to maintain our high standard service model, even as we continue to embrace more virtual meetings and processes. For employees who are remote, he has implemented a new workflow management software, easing the administrative burden on managers and reducing the department’s burnout. And to help us stay connected to our clients in an increasingly virtual world, Mike launched TaxCaddy, a software which allows our clients to submit their documents, manage their filing process, and sign their returns virtually.
Mike serves as the partner in charge of our Firm’s philanthropic initiative, M&S Cares, which received the Illinois CPA Society’s Time and Talent Volunteerism Award in 2021. Through his leadership on M&S Cares, we have been able to host various drives and fundraisers with our charity partners while donating over 500 service hours annually.
One such organization is Keeping Families Covered, a nonprofit organization located in Waukegan, Illinois that provides diapers and other basic needs to families. "[M&S Cares] is a one of our Changing Table sponsors that continues to demonstrate their commitment to our mission to provide families with the basics they need to thrive," said Ann Marie Mathis, Founder and CEO of Keeping Families Covered. "We are very grateful for the ongoing support and partnership of Mike and the Firm as we further our efforts to meet the needs of the most vulnerable residents in our community."