Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell, a Bethesda, Md.-based accounting firm, has elected Peter Reilly, CPA, CVA, to the positions of president and managing partner. He succeeded S. Vincent Crescenzi, CPA, CVA, CFE, who had held the positions since 2000 and becomes chairman of the board. Reilly will lead the firm's operations, focusing on business development, process improvements, client satisfaction and employee development.

JTH Holding, the parent of Liberty Tax Service, has hired Kathleen E. Donovan, as CFO as of February 1. She replaces Mark F. Baumgartner who has moved to the role as CEO of JTH Financial. Donovan had been CFO of Catapult Learning since 2008. She was with MedQuist from 2005 through 2008, and Dendrite International from 2002 through 2005.

KPMG has been ordered to pay the United Sates $8,226,349 dollars for violating auditor independence rules. The Big Four accounting firm this week was assessed that amount and censured and ordered to cease and desist from committing any other such infractions that the SEC said had occurred from 2007 through 2011.