CHRISTOPHER S. MCELROY CPA

Chris is one of the Co-Managing Shareholders of the Firm. In this role, Chris shares the responsibility for developing and leading the Firm’s strategy and vision and ensuring the execution and delivery of the SD Standard. He continues to serve key clients of the Firm as a senior advisor. Chris joined the Firm in 2017 as a tax shareholder with more than 25 years of private and public accounting experience. Prior to joining Schneider Downs, Chris served as a Tax Market Leader and International Tax Partner for a Big Four public accounting Firm.

Chris has a diverse background serving large U.S. multinational companies in the areas of international tax consulting and compliance, tax accounting and mergers and acquisitions in diversified sectors including consumer products, retail, manufacturing, and distribution.

Education

Masters – Taxation, College of William & Mary
B.S. – Accounting, West Virginia University

Professional and Community Involvement

Member—Allegheny Conference Advisory Committee

Member—American Institute of Certified Public Accountants

Board Member—St. Joseph’s House

Member—UPMC Children’s Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees

Co-Chair—2025 Walk for Children’s, UPMC Children’s Hospital

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Do you have a hobby/personal passion?

Baseball, Running, American history

What was the best advice you’ve ever received?

Strive to be “the” foremost expert on a topic

Who is your role model?

My Mother

What was your childhood dream?

To play professional baseball

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give your college self?

Slow down, be in the present

People would be surprised to know that I…

…have run 4 marathons

What is the best or most interesting thing about your career?

After 25+ years, I continue to learn something new every day

What was your first job?   

Coopers & Lybrand – Honolulu, Hawaii

Do you have a “motto”? (spoken or unspoken)

Treat everyone like your most important client

When you have an hour of free time, what do you like to do?   

Be with my wife and three kids

Do you have advice for young professionals?

Say “yes”

Our Thoughts On

FEATURED

Big Problem: A Not-for-profit Client Out Of 401(k) Compliance.


Big Thinking: Allowing More Contributions By Highly Paid Employees.

Shareholder JASON LUMPKIN serves as a Practice Unit Leader for SDAdvantage Retirement Solutions. He has more than 17 years of qualified retirement plan experience, primarily serving middle market, closely held businesses. His background includes plan design, documentation reporting, participant education, and ongoing administration for defined contribution plans, including employee stock ownership plans.
While working with one of our non profit clients, Jason’s team discovered that the organization was failing non-discrimination testing due to poor 401(k) participation among its employees. To address the issue, we recommended the implementation of a second retirement plan, a 403(b) plan, that would cover only the highly paid employees, allowing them to contribute the maximum amounts without concern for the limits imposed by the 401(k) plan’s non-discrimination testing. “These top employees were no longer constrained by the limits of the 401(k) plan testing results,” Jason said. “Plus, the organization no longer had to be concerned about the non-discrimination test. We also avoided implementing a “safe harbor” design in the 401(k) plan, which can result in costly employer contributions and vesting provisions that favor short-term employees.” Schneider Downs provides Big Thinking and Personal focus in delivering a variety of services for large and small businesses, both publicly and privately held, as well as nonprofit organizations, government entities and more. Through our commitment to thought leadership and knowledge management, we deliver the solutions our clients need with a personal commitment to service.

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