Meet Our Team

Jim Lawson, Manager

Jim Lawson is a results-driven professional with over 20 years of experience in operational leadership. With a strong ability to identify opportunities and implement solutions, Jim excels at streamlining workflows through a combination of technology and team collaboration. Known for being an effective listener and proactive problem-solver, Jim works closely with clients to address challenges and ensure satisfaction.

Passionate about elevating both business models and teams, Jim is dedicated to growing a business while maintaining the highest level of personal service that clients expect. By leading teams and implementing innovative strategies, he focuses on driving operational excellence and fostering organizational growth.

Outside of work, Jim is an avid technology enthusiast and enjoys playing guitar, spending time with family, and working on home improvement projects. He also enjoys outdoor activities like long nature walks, kayaking, and biking. With a background as a former CEO and business owner for over 15 years, Jim brings a wealth of experience to every role, helping organizations thrive in a competitive landscape.

Andy Lic, CPA

Andy believes that providing clients with outstanding service in turn gives them a great sense of confidence. With 28 years of professional experience in both industry and public accounting, one of the most gratifying aspects of his profession is seeing clients understand complicated tax issues and feeling the appreciation that comes with unraveling those issues. Andy is known for his ability to explain tax returns and complicated financial issues with clarity and integrity. Andy works with both individuals and businesses toward their goal of fiscal integrity.

Andy's interest in accounting started at a very young age. Even while a high school and college student he would work various jobs in an accounting capacity. Because of his interest in how businesses made money and an opposition to industry being heavily taxed, pursuing a degree in Accounting at DePaul University was a compelling next-step in Andy's goal of becoming a CPA.

When Andy is not solving tax issues for clients he and his family enjoy spending time outdoors. Along with his wife and three daughters, Andy has lived in the Algonquin area for over 15 years. An avid hunter, Andy would love to one day go Elk hunting out west and travel the landscape of Alaska. Andy is also a board member of Gethsemane Prayer Ministries, a non profit organization that helps individuals find resolutions to significant struggles through faith and an understanding of their relationship with God when conventional solutions may fall short. Andy is also a board member of the Fox River Grove chapter of the Illinois CPA Society.

William G. Rogers, CPA

Bill graduated Loras College with honors in 1960. Bill joined Alexander Grant & Company as a staff accountant from 1960-63, and then worked at Szabo Food Service as a staff accountant from 1963-1966 before working as partner at W. V. Virgil & Company and Virgil Associates. This firm specialized in contract services with Atlantic Richfield, Atlantic Refining Company, and Sunoco Oil for retail gasoline and convenience stores. Bill is sole owner of W. V. Virgil & Company and began working with Lamping & Associates, Inc. beginning in 1996. Lamping & Associates, Inc. merged with Exemplar Accounting & Tax Advisors December 1, 2012.

Robert J. McLaughlin, CPA, CMA

Bob is an experienced CPA, CMA and business professional who began working with Exemplar Accounting and Tax Advisors in December 2024. With a career spanning over four decades, Bob has a well-rounded business background, specializing in accounting, tax services, and financial planning. Before joining Exemplar, Bob spent 17 years owning and partnering a CPA practice which was sold in 2022. Following the sale, he worked for the acquiring firm.

Bob’s journey into public accounting began working for his father’s CPA practice for 7 years, eventually acquiring it from him. Prior to moving back to Northern Illinois from Southern California to work with his father, Bob held various internal audit and financial planning roles at the corporate and divisional levels for Litton Industries, Inc., a major defense contractor.

Throughout his career, Bob has worked extensively with manufacturing companies, particularly in the machine tool industry. Clients appreciate his accessibility, attentive listening, and his ability to educate them on accounting and tax matters. He is passionate about building relationships with clients, helping them navigate their financial challenges, and watching their businesses thrive.

In addition to his professional career, Bob has a deep commitment to community service. While in Southern California, he served as a reserve deputy for LA County at the Lost Hills/Malibu station and was a member of the Malibu Mountain Rescue Team. He is currently in his 8th season as an off-ice official with the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League and is also a USA Hockey official, refereeing games at various levels. On weekends, Bob is often found at an ice rink in Northern Illinois or Southern Wisconsin, or engaging in his other passions of running and cycling.

Bob is active in several volunteer organizations. He has been involved with Kiwanis and the Knights of Columbus, both of which have deep family roots, as he is a 3rd generation member. He also serves as the treasurer of the Blackhawk Bicycle and Ski Club and has held board positions with the Kiwanis Club of Rockford and St. Rita Knights of Columbus.

A graduate of Northern Illinois University with a BS in Accountancy in 1986, Bob has been dedicated to the accounting profession ever since. Outside of work, he enjoys supporting his family in various athletic events and volunteering in the community.

Melanie Dougherty, CPA

Melanie Dougherty joined Exemplar Accounting and Tax Advisors in 2021 as a CPA. Her journey into accounting began while working in the banking and finance industry and pursuing a business degree in college. It was during her studies that Melanie discovered her passion for tax and accounting, prompting her to pursue and earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Accountancy from Northern Illinois University then CPA licensure.

With over a decade of experience, Melanie has worked with two other accounting firms in Illinois since 2010, providing a range of services including tax, payroll, and accounting support. Known for her high moral compass, meticulous attention to detail, and exceptional organizational skills, she is recognized for being professional, friendly, and honest.

Melanie’s ultimate goal is to help local family businesses navigate the complexities of accounting and tax matters, ensuring business owners and individuals receive trusted and reliable services to help them succeed. Professionally, she is most passionate about helping people and providing them with the confidence to thrive in their financial endeavors.

Outside of work, Melanie is deeply passionate about her family, especially her kids, as well as traveling, photography, and self-improvement. When she’s not working, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, whether at home or exploring the outdoors. She also volunteers as the treasurer for the District 200 Education Foundation.

Melanie hopes to be remembered as a funny, kind, and helpful person who strived to make the world a better place.

Christel Konan, Accountant

Christel Konan joined Exemplar Accounting and Tax Advisors in 2023 as an accountant. With a natural affinity for numbers and a keen eye for detail-oriented analysis, she entered the accounting field to pursue her passion for financial management. Christel holds a bachelor's degree in Accounting and Finance from the Institut National Des Techniques Economiques et Comptables (INTEC) in Paris, France, and a Master's in Financial and Accounting Management (MFAM) from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University.

Professionally, Christel is known for her ability to analyze and maintain financial records for businesses and organizations, ensuring accuracy and integrity in every aspect of financial management. Before joining Exemplar, she worked as a Tax Accountant at another CPA firm starting in 2021. Prior to her work in the U.S., Christel spent eight years in her native Cote D'Ivoire, where she served as an Internal Controller at the Port Authority. There, she played a key role in developing and implementing internal control strategies and leading fraud investigation audits in fuel supply and management.

Outside of work, Christel enjoys reading books and spending time with her relatives, particularly on weekends. She loves socializing, meeting new people, and attending church services. Originally from Cote D'Ivoire, a beautiful country in West Africa, she moved to the U.S. to join her husband.

Christel wants to be remembered as someone who always did her job to the best of her ability, never cutting corners, and who recognized when she needed help and was unafraid to ask for it. She aspires to be a role model for future employees.

Linda Agress, Bookkeeper

After exploring her background in computer programming Linda joined the Exemplar team in 2015. A native Californian and a graduate of Loyola Marymount University with a Bachelors in Computer Science, Linda has always gravitated to math and science. After relocating to the mid-west with her family Linda used her love of math and numbers to pursue a career with our accounting firm.

When Linda is not at the Exemplar office helping clients and organizing our accountants, she can be found at home with her husband, three children as well as their beagle mix who is affectionately dubbed as a “love sponge”. As a mother of twins, Linda became very involved with the Mothers of Twins Club, a national organization with local chapters that support families with multiple-birth children through emotional and financial support. Linda is also an avid bowler. She and her husband are also passionate gamers and have a collection of more than 300 board games.