School District Audit Conference Livestream

Olivia Bernitt

Olivia started as a School Finance Auditor with the Department of Public Instruction in April 2020. Olivia assists with developing, implementing and determining adherence to accounting, financial reporting, and auditing requirements for public school districts. Additionally, Olivia is responsible for any Fund 73/employee benefit related issues, self-funded insurance, debt entries and membership audits. Prior to joining DPI, Olivia worked in Public Accounting where she completed financial statement and single audits of local governments and non-profits entities.

Laura Pedersen

Laura primarily practices in the areas of School and Higher Education Law, as well as Labor and Employment Law.

Before joining the firm, Laura worked in civil litigation as an associate attorney for a Milwaukee-based law firm. During law school, she clerked for a civil litigation firm and fellowed for the Milwaukee Justice Center and Milwaukee Volunteer Legal Clinic.

Before entering law school, Laura worked as a special educator and reading interventionist in Seattle Public Schools and as an English teacher in Milwaukee Public Schools. Ultimately, it was Laura’s experience in teaching that brought her into the legal field and to Renning, Lewis and Lacy, s.c.

Laura’s legal experience involves drafting court documents, representing clients in hearings, including expulsion hearings, conducting investigations, evaluating and interpreting laws, reviewing and revising policies and procedures, and preparing charter school contracts and policies.

Mary Jepperson

Mary Jepperson, CPA, CFE, is a retired professor of accounting and finance in the Accounting and Finance Department of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University (CSB/SJU). Mary graduated from the College of St. Benedict where she majored in accounting. Mary also has a masters degree in business administration from St. Cloud State University and is a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma and Sigma Beta Delta Business Program Honor Societies. Mary received an Elijah Wyatt Sells award for outstanding performance on the CPA examination.

Mary began her career in the Minneapolis office of Coopers and Lybrand, where she became the office’s first female partner. Her career at Coopers & Lyband/PricewaterhouseCoopers centered in the audit practice where she specialized in financial services, banking, student loan servicing, higher education and health care. She also provided extensive forensic accounting services.

After leaving PricewaterhouseCoopers, Mary established a successful forensic accounting and litigation services practice, participating in a number of high-profile cases. She also spent 21 years teaching at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University, serving as department chair of the Accounting and Finance Department and the Global Business Management Department during her tenure.

Mary provides training to companies and organizations on topics including ethics, fraud deterrence, and leadership. She also serves on the Board of Advisors of the Saint Cloud CentraCare Hospital, the Audit and Compliance Committee of CentraCare, and is on the Board of Catholic Charities of the Saint Cloud Diocese.