Our Experts at Wallace

Founder & CEO 

While attending Georgia State University, Ray Wallace received his CPA Certificate (now retired) and immediately continued his career as an entrepreneur. Over the next 25+ years, Ray was a partner with small CPA firms and guided a few other businesses. For the last 10 years, Ray has guided WALLACE to success, growing the company every year but one, including becoming the 261st Company on the Inc 500 fastest growing companies in America.

Ray is active in the GA State University Entrepreneurial Society, speaking to students often. In addition, he has been the judge for GSU’s business plan program honoring the best business concepts and plans by GSU students. This includes current awards of $10,000 and $5,000 to the winners.

Ray is a long-time elder at Christ the Shepherd Lutheran Church and Open Arms Day Care Center.

Ray just celebrated 36 years of marriage to his wife Margaret and is reveling in their 3 children (all grown) and their 14 grandchildren.

President 

Peter joined WALLACE in September 2001 as Vice President of Business Development. For six years, he managed all Sales and Marketing activities for WALLACE before becoming President in January 2008.

In his role as President, Peter tracks the legislature and how tax laws are changing. He advocates on behalf of his clients, testifying before the legislature as a voice for business and in support of training tax credits.

Peter is a member of The Georgia Chamber of Commerce and currently sits on their Taxation Committee. Peter is also a member of the Georgia Economic Developers Association and currently sits on their Public Policy Committee.

In his 9 years at WALLACE, through close client project involvement, Peter has become an expert in the training tax credit business. He has helped WALLACE grow from a small organization, specializing solely in the Georgia Retraining Tax Credit, to a full service Georgia Tax Credit Company, achieving INC 500 status in 2003 and the US Chamber of Commerce Blue Ribbon Small Company Award for Georgia in 2008.

Before joining WALLACE, Peter spent six years as a top producer for New Horizons computer training center in Atlanta, learning the technology training business and providing solutions for many of Georgia’s top companies.

After graduating in 1991 from Rathmines College of Commerce in Dublin, he spent four years in the aviation industry as a Buyer for Airmotive Ireland, before moving to the USA.

Peter is an active member of the Vistage International Leadership Organization.

Peter lives in Johns Creek. He is married with 4 children (all boys) and according to his wife is fanatical about coaching kids’ soccer.

Vice President of Operations 

As Vice President of Operations, Diana McFall leads WALLACE project managers and financial analysts in ensuring the integrity of all client data for the Georgia Retraining Tax Credit. She sees data integrity as having two components—security and accuracy—and her role makes her responsible for protecting both for her clients.

Her background includes extensive experience in technology and data security. Hired by a newspaper to transition that organization from linotype to computers, she recruited and led a technology team to create the plan, implement the technology and train the organization to efficiently implement the change. She spent seven years with the newspaper, leading that team as it continued to play an integral role in major technology changeovers and reorganization.

Diana also spent 16 years as a partner in a successful small business startup in healthcare, establishing the operations management skills she relies on to ensure data accuracy and quality control at WALLACE. In that role, she was responsible for building the business, recruiting and training staff and assuring adherence to OSHA standards.

Diana gained her training experience in four years as an Account Manager at New Horizons Computer Learning Center before joining WALLACE in 2002. At New Horizons, she set up onsite training programs nationwide, learning the building blocks of training and what different elements actually cost a company in terms of resources and dollars.

She holds a BS in Psychology from Georgia State University. Diana is an active member of the Vistage International Leadership Organization.

Vice President of Finance

Jeff came to WALLACE in January 2010 as Vice President of Finance.  He brings over twenty years experience in developing and managing companies, both large and small.  Prior to joining the WALLACE team, Jeff held the Controller position at two international corporations.  His background also includes nearly 10 years in operations management at a Fortune 500 organization.  He is known for his economic expertise, a hands-on approach to management, and a strong commitment to his team.  Jeff’s   experience gives him a unique perspective and the ability to identify, analyze, and understand issues affecting multiple areas of a company.

Jeff holds an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Illinois, a Master of Accounting and Financial Management from the Keller Graduate School of Management, and an MBA in Finance from the University of Kansas.

In his spare time, Jeff teaches graduate accounting and finance courses at the Keller Graduate School of Management.  He also enjoys tennis and following the Kansas Jayhawks basketball team.  He and his wife have two sons.

Vice President of Business Development 

Bob Caron is WALLACE’s Vice President of Business Development, responsible for sales, marketing, and new business development. In this capacity Bob leads the sales and marketing team in growing WALLACE’ offerings in Georgia, and in establishing new lines of business outside of Georgia.

Bob came to WALLACE in 2007 after nearly 20 years in the paper industry. Bob spent most of his career in technology development and operations support. Most recently, he served as TAPPI’s Vice President for the pulp and paper business unit. In this capacity Bob oversaw the development of new & improved product offerings and member services to enhance manufacturer competitiveness through innovation, improved operations, and skill and knowledge development.

Bob holds a Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Toronto, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Chemistry from the University of Waterloo.

Director of New Business Development

Tobin Mercer is WALLACE’S Director of Business Development.  He is responsible for sales and new business development.  In this role, Tobin is responsible for expanding WALLACE’S presence in Georgia.

Tobin came to WALLACE in 2011 after six years in the equipment finance industry.  Tobin has spent most of his career in business to business sales within banking and finance.

Tobin has an MBA from the University of Georgiand and a BA in Marketing from James Madison University.  A Virginia native, Tobin has lived in Atlanta since 2004.  In his free time, Tobin enjoys competitive tennis and volleyball.

Sales and Marketing Coordinator 

Jillian Banda holds a Bachelor's in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from Georgia State University. She is goal driven, energetic, creative, and very passionate about Marketing.  Jillian has had over three years professional business experience for a local private equity firm, as well as a few years experience in marketing and graphic design work. 

In her free time, Jillian can be found on the tennis court playing on the ALTA and USTA tennis leagues.  Jillian loves spending quality time with her friends and family.

Sr. Project Manager 

Mary Abernathy, BBA, MBA, is Senior Project Manager at WALLACE, and has been with the company in a Project Manager capacity since January 2006.  In her current role, Mary is responsible for setting the course for client projects, ensuring they follow that course closely and that the results meet client expectations. Her duties also include training analysis and working with high level professionals in many different professional arenas to maximize their training credits.

Mary has a diversified background and a wealth of professional experience in many industries. The common thread, however, is training. She’s always had a passion for it and has been a  Part-Time Instructor in the J. Mack Robinson College of Business Administration at Georgia State University teaching in the Real Estate and Urban Affairs Department since 1992.

Prior to joining WALLACE, Mary worked for Troutman Sanders LLP in the IT Department as Training Manager and Manager of User  Services and Support.  She also served  in the HR Department as Human Resources Development Manager.  While at Troutman Sanders, Mary was instrumental in creation and development of the Atlanta Legal Trainers Development Group, a collaborative network of legal trainers, and served as President from 2001 through 2003. 

Mary’s training experience also includes extensive IT application and software training and development as Area Instructor Manager, Training Center Business Manager ,and Lead Technology Instructor for CompUSA.

Prior to moving into the IT training field, Mary was an independent commercial real estate appraiser, developer, and consultant for eighteen years.  She assisted with the redevelopment of the Summerhill neighborhood in Atlanta prior to the 1996 Olympics and served as Executive Director and Broker-in-Charge of the Summerhill Real Estate Company, a company she established for the purpose of obtaining in-fill properties for redevelopment in the area.

Mary received her Master of Business Administration from Campbell University, in Buies Creek, North Carolina, and her Bachelor of Business Administration from Georgia State University.  She has completed extensive appraisal coursework through The Appraisal Institute.   Mary is currently a member of the American Society of Trainers and Development and is pursuing the Certified Professional in Learning  and Performance (CPLP) designation.

Project Manager 

Project Manager

Ann Bailey had been working within the learning and development arena for over twenty years. She began her career as a technical trainer then moved into change management and leadership development. During her tenure with Verizon, she implemented the award winning Building Leaders Program for leadership development in call centers. She most recently served as the Director of Learning and Development for LeasePlan USA, designing and developing training and development programs for 500+ employees by creating LeasePlan Academy.

On top of her presentation and development skills, Ann has implemented national and international projects for KPMG, Verizon and LeasePlan. Her attention to detail and people skills have proven great assets in completing these projects on time.

Ann completed her MBA with Reinhardt University in 2010 and is currently enrolled at Regent University where she is working on her PhD in Leadership Development. She acts as an Associate Trainer for EQUIP, where she leads organizations through leadership development seminars and train-the-trainer programs. She also serves on the Board of the Atlanta Children’s Shelter and is a calligrapher and muralist.

Project Manager

Michael is a highly organized and dedicated training professional, with more than 15 years experience providing leading edge Training & Organizational Development solutions for large and small business. He has created professional development programs for individuals and organizations, including workshops and seminars, performance analysis and needs assessments, audits of existing training efforts, training design & development, start-up trainings, and strategic training planning and facilitation.

Michael joined WALLCE in April 2011 as a Project Manager.  Prior to joining WALLACE, Michael was a training & development consultant with MJN Consulting where he provided complete training and facilitation services in management/supervision, sales/customer service, and manufacturing/quality for many diverse industries. 

Michael holds a BA in Psychology from Canisius College in Buffalo, NY.  An animal lover and active in the community, Michael supports the ASPCA and local humane societies.

Sr. Financial Analyst 

Angela Rogers is a Sr. Financial Analyst and has been with WALLACE since 2004.  Her combination of finance and training expertise helps her see the big picture for Wallace’s clients.

Relying on knowledge gained from 7 years in finance at a software training company, she’s able to tease out the key information needed to maximize her clients’ training tax credits.

In her tenure at the software training company, she gained a thorough knowledge of the variety of training types and how to recognize expenditures for those types of training. This enables her to find all the dollars the State will approve as allowable training expenditures.

In her role at Wallace, she also maintains relationships with CFOs, Controllers and other finance personnel to secure the right information to tie her clients’ investments back to State-approved training.

Angela describes her work as a “puzzle” that she works with Wallace’s project managers. “I have pieces and they have pieces and we put them together to get the best possible credit for our clients.”

Angela is also an active member of the community, where she works with the Alpharetta Relay for Life and various other charities.

Sr. Financial Analyst 

Jordan Lang is a Financial Analyst with WALLACE. In this role, he is responsible for securing all necessary data to maximize tax credits and minimize risk and liability for his clients.

Jordan is an expert in zeroing in on data that supports the true cost of clients’ training programs. He works closely with Finance and Human Resources Departments, gathering the records necessary to ensure accuracy and quality of all tax credits. He then analyzes and organizes the information to make certain that all trainees are qualified and all credits are clean.

Jordan attended Louisiana Tech University, where he earned his MBA and BS in Economics. He spent the next two years in the banking industry working for BB&T and SunTrust Banks before joining the Wallace team in 2007.

Financial Analyst 

Diane Adcock spent 12 years with a large telecommunications company before coming to WALLACE. The bulk of her telecom tenure was spent as a Contract Administrator. In that role, she saved millions of dollars for her company by reconciling vendor accounts. Reconciliation often required going back years into old records, sometimes on old accounting systems the company had retired.

This skill of digging for clues Diane learned in account reconciliation serves WALLACE’s clients well. She uses her skills like a detective, relying on her experience and instincts to track down exactly the information the state looks for to grant her clients the largest possible tax credits.

Like many of WALLACE’s experts, Diane combines training experience with her financial analyst skills. In her telecom Contract Administrator role, she also created materials and delivered training on new systems to her internal team and outside contractors.

Diane lives in Georgia with her husband Alan and son, Travis. When not working, Diane enjoys spending time with family, scrapbooking and traveling.

Executive Administrative Assistant, Operations

Amanda Keddington is an Executive Administrative Assistant at WALLACE.  She comes to WALLACE with six years of experience in this role.  In her previous positions she has also worked as an office manager, sales coordinator, and marketing assistant.  With this background, she brings a well-rounded knowledge base to WALLACE and hopes to be of service in as many areas as possible.

Amanda is very active in her church as both a member of the choir and the board for the Women’s Ministry Annual Fashion Show Fundraiser. Part of what drew her to WALLACE was the faith-based background of the company.   She enjoys serving in and around her community and feels blessed to be able to do so not only through her church, but also through her company.  Amanda is in a loving faith-based relationship with Brent who has four wonderful children with whom she enjoys spending as much time as possible.