Berman Hopkins Expands Leadership Team with Promotions of Sean Cedar, Jason Miller, and Joe Jones to Partner

After 67 years in business, Berman Hopkins has established itself as one of Central Florida’s leading locally owned and independently operated CPA firms. Our relative size, established reputation, and long-standing presence in the community provide clients with the essential resources and strategic insight needed for long-term success. We remain committed to our staff and clients by maintaining local ownership and implementing a forward-thinking succession plan. Our vision is to differentiate ourselves as an independent regional firm that provides rewarding careers to skilled professionals dedicated to serving dynamic clients. This philosophy has resonated with our 3,000 clients, driven strategic growth, and supported our ongoing efforts to retain our talented team of 95+ certified accounting professionals. As part of our long-term succession strategy, we are pleased to announce the promotions of three distinguished professionals to Partner: Sean Cedar, CPA; Jason Miller, CEPA; and Joe Jones, CPA. Each brings a strong foundation of experience and expertise, offering clients the insight and resources needed to support their evolving business needs.

“We are proud of the level of service these individuals bring to our clients,” said Chris McDirmit, Managing Partner at Berman Hopkins. "Their leadership reflects the core values of our firm, and I am confident they will continue growing their practices while mentoring the next generation of talent."

Sean Cedar, Government Audit Partner

Sean Cedar joined Berman Hopkins in 2004 and was named Government Audit Partner in 2025. His focus is on Public Housing Authorities with specialized expertise in RAD conversions, REAC submissions, the Moving-to-Work (MTW) program, and Financial Data Schedule (FDS) reporting. His knowledge spans across LIPH, HVC, CFP, CDBG, and Hope VI programs, as well as LIHTC entities and Uniform Guidance compliance. Sean is also well-versed in GASB standards and PIH notices. In addition to his technical proficiency, he leads the firm’s technology initiatives to enhance audit efficiency, improve client communication, and elevate overall service quality.

Jason Miller, Succession Planning Partner

Jason Miller joined Berman Hopkins in 2024 as the Director of Succession Planning, bringing over 21 years of experience in banking and finance. He advises ESOP companies and business owners through leadership transitions, business continuity strategies, and stakeholder tax planning. His specialties include succession planning, capital planning, compliance, equity compensation, financing, and structuring, as well as ESOP strategy, formation, and transactions. Jason’s deep understanding of business transition consulting allows him to deliver tailored solutions that align with each client’s long-term goals.

Joe Jones, Audit Partner

Joe Jones is an accomplished accounting professional with over a decade of success in public accounting. As an Audit Partner at Berman Hopkins, he brings extensive experience working with companies of all sizes across industries. His expertise in navigating complex accounting and compliance challenges has been instrumental in delivering high-quality audit services. Joe has concentrated his efforts on numerous engagements, with a strong focus on clients in the aerospace, construction, defense, distribution, and manufacturing sectors. Additionally, he leads the firm’s Construction Advisory Services team, providing strategic guidance tailored to the unique financial and operational needs of contractors.

We're Not Everyone's Firm... We're YOUR Firm

We accept clients only in the areas where we are proficient and are not "everyone’s" CPA firm. This mentality has been a pivotal shift in our business model, enabling our partners and staff to focus on being more than just a compliance-oriented firm and delivering greater strategic value. Our focus includes construction, distribution, manufacturing, public housing authorities, and real estate. This enables our talented team to fully understand the unique financial, regulatory, and operational challenges these businesses face, allowing us to deliver tailored audit, accounting, tax, and advisory solutions that go beyond compliance.

Our firm specializes in assurance, audit readiness, audits, reviews, compilations, federal & state income tax compliance, tax return preparation, tax planning & projections, tax minimization strategies, tax projections & estimated payments, tax credit analysis, estate tax planning, gift tax planning, generation-skipping transfer taxes, trustees & personal representatives, estate & trust tax return preparation, balance sheet reconciliation, bookkeeping & internal controls, budgeting & cost control, customized financial reporting, financial forecasting & modeling, mergers & acquisitions (m&a), performance metrics (kpis), quality of earnings, business advisory, business valuations, succession planning, esops, and consulting on other significant industry matters.

Here to Help

If you have any questions, we are here to help. We build value-added relationships with each client to understand their business structure and provide solid solutions. Our approach offers direct access to the firm's decision-makers. Our innovative cross-functional services help businesses address the challenges ahead.