Meet CKH Group’s New Team of Detroit Auditors

Last week, we announced CKH Group’s acquisition of Michigan-based audit practice Jason F. Clausen, P.C. This week, we want to introduce the people behind it. 

All nine members of the Jason F. Clausen, P.C. team have joined CKH Group, bringing decades of experience across PEO audits, nonprofit audits, employee benefit plan audits, SOC examinations, peer reviews, Single Audits, IT audit, and more. With four new CPAs on staff and a reputation built on audit quality, we are thrilled to welcome each and every one of them. 

But beyond their collective experience, each person brings a different background, specialty, and perspective to our new Michigan office. So, who are CKH Group’s newest Detroit auditors? 

Meet the CKH Michigan Team

Jason F. Clausen, CPA – Audit Director 

Jason F. Clausen has worked in public accounting since 1997 and spent more than 16 years building the Michigan CPA firm that bears his name. 

Over the course of his career, Jason has developed extensive experience in financial statement audits, 401(k) plan audits, PEO attestations, quarterly payroll attestations, peer reviews, and SOC 1 and SOC 2 examinations. Before founding his own firm, he also served as the controller of a Professional Employer Organization, giving him firsthand experience with the industry he would later spend years auditing. 

One of Jason’s particular areas of expertise is peer review. He has performed peer reviews under the AICPA Peer Review Program since 2016, served for five years on the MICPA Eastern Report Acceptance Body, and currently serves the MICPA as both a Technical Reviewer and Subject Matter Expert for the review of SOC examinations. 

Jason is also a lifelong learner. In addition to being a CPA, he holds an MBA and MA and is a doctoral candidate. He is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Certified in Financial Management (CFM), and Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). 

Now, after years leading his own firm, Jason is beginning a new chapter as an Audit Director at CKH Group alongside the team he built in Michigan. 

Greg Silos, CPA – Audit Manager 

Greg Silos brings more than 30 years of progressive experience across public and private accounting to CKH Michigan. 

Greg joined Jason F. Clausen, P.C. in 2016 and has spent the past decade working alongside Jason and many of the professionals at this Michigan CPA firm. His experience spans several of the practice’s core industries, including Professional Employer Organizations, nonprofits, and insurance organizations. 

Throughout his career, Greg has developed a broad perspective on accounting from both sides of the profession, with experience inside organizations as well as in public accounting. 

Today, he continues that career as an Audit Manager at CKH Group and one of the most experienced members of our team of Michigan auditors. 

Kelly Lauzon, CPA – Auditor 

Kelly Lauzon took a unique path into public accounting, bringing approximately 15 years of construction industry experience with her when she joined Jason F. Clausen, P.C. in 2022. 

That background gives Kelly firsthand experience working within private industry in addition to the perspective she has developed as an auditor. 

Today, Kelly primarily works with nonprofit organizations, PEOs, and employee benefit plans. She has also developed experience performing peer reviews, giving her insight into the professional standards and quality-control processes followed by other CPA firms. 

As a CPA, Kelly continues to build on a career that has taken her from industry into public accounting and now into the next chapter of the Michigan practice as part of CKH Group. 

Spencer King, CPA – Auditor 

Spencer King joined Jason F. Clausen, P.C. in 2024 and works across PEO, nonprofit, and 401(k) plan audits. 

His work includes risk assessments, internal control testing, and substantive audit procedures performed in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS). 

A Michigan native (and proud Detroit Lions season ticket holder!) Spencer graduated from Grand Valley State University, where he earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting before becoming a CPA. 

As one of the newer CPAs on our Michigan team, Spencer represents the next generation of Detroit auditors building their careers within the profession. 

Erin DeFour – IT Auditor 

Erin DeFour brings something a little different to CKH Michigan: a background rooted in information technology rather than traditional accounting. 

Erin graduated cum laude from Walsh College in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology and a concentration in Business Information Systems. Her background also includes experience in IT helpdesk and customer service roles. 

She joined Jason F. Clausen, P.C. in 2025 to serve as the primary point of contact for SOC 1 and SOC 2 reporting. Her work includes performing and preparing SOC reports, evaluating controls, and identifying control deficiencies. 

The intersection between technology and assurance has given Erin a specialized place on the team, particularly as technology and IT controls continue to play an increasingly important role in organizations’ financial and operational environments. 

Sean Gilmore – Auditor 

Sean Gilmore joined Jason F. Clausen, P.C. in 2024 and has developed particular experience working with nonprofit organizations. 

His work includes assisting organizations with Single Audit requirements associated with federal funding, as well as preparing Form 990 filings for tax-exempt organizations. He works directly with client accounting personnel throughout engagements, helping organizations navigate both their audit and reporting responsibilities. 

Sean’s path also reflects the different backgrounds represented across our Michigan team. His experience combines accounting and client service with a focus on organizations operating within highly specific regulatory and compliance environments. 

Scott Newel – Auditor 

Scott Newel joined the Michigan team in 2024, bringing several years of public accounting and assurance experience with him. 

Before joining Jason F. Clausen, P.C., Scott spent approximately three and a half years as an auditor with a large U.S. public accounting firm. That experience gave him a strong foundation in financial reporting, financial statement audits, analytical work, and client service that he could build upon at this specialized Michigan CPA firm.

Today, Scott works across several of the Michigan practice’s primary service areas, including PEO audits, nonprofit audits, and employee benefit plan audits. 

His career has already given him the opportunity to experience public accounting at very different scales; experience he now carries with him as part of CKH Group. 

David Hagen – Auditor 

David Hagen joined the team in 2025 and works across audit, review, and compilation engagements. 

His experience covers a wide range of accounting and compliance areas, including nonprofit, PEO, and employee benefit plan audits; ERISA compliance; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) engagements; and Form 990 and Form 1040 preparation. 

That breadth has allowed David to work with organizations facing very different financial reporting, audit, tax, and regulatory requirements while continuing to develop his career in public accounting. 

 

Cathie Podschwit – Executive Admin 

Behind every great CPA firm is an even greater person keeping things running behind the scenes. 

Cathie Podschwit brings more than 45 years of administrative experience to CKH Michigan and has been an integral part of the team working alongside Jason since joining Jason F. Clausen, P.C. in 2021. 

Over the years, Cathie has supported the firm across executive support, office management, operations, financial administration, and handles confidential information across the practice. She also serves as a primary point of contact between executives, clients, vendors, and staff, helping make sure communication and deliverables keep moving. 

That makes Cathie an important part of the history and future of the Michigan team. As the practice evolves, clients will continue to see many of the same people they have worked with over the years. 

Welcome to CKH Group, Jason F. Clausen, P.C.! 

What makes us most excited about CKH Michigan isn’t simply adding a new office to the map. It’s welcoming an established group of people who already know how to work together. 

The nine professionals joining CKH come from different stages of their careers and different professional backgrounds. Together, they have built a team with deep roots in the state and experience across a remarkably diverse range of audit and assurance work. 

For the clients who have worked with Jason F. Clausen, P.C. over the years, the transition to CKH Michigan means the familiar professionals and relationships they know remain in place. For CKH Group, it means nine new colleagues we’re genuinely excited to work alongside and get to know. 

If you’re looking for an experienced Detroit auditor or a trusted Michigan CPA firm, we’d love to introduce you to our new team. Contact CKH Group to connect with CKH Michigan and learn how Jason and the team can support your organization. 

The information provided is for general educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or tax advice. The tax rules and regulations are complex and subject to change. Before taking any form of action, you should consult your own tax, legal, and accounting advisors who understand your particular situation. CKH Group will not be held liable for any harm/errors/claims arising any tax, legal, or financial consequences you may incur. Whilst every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the contents, we will not be held accountable for any changes that are beyond our control.