Deborah Bowman, Principal and COO/CFO at Brown Plus, Honored as a 2025 Woman of Influence by Centra

Deborah Bowman, CPA, SHRM-CP, Principal and Chief Operating Officer (COO)/Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Brown Plus, was recently named a 2025 Women of Influence award honoree by Central Penn Business Journal (CPBJ). The Women of Influence awards identify high-achieving women for their tremendous career accomplishments, based on their professional experience, community involvement and commitment to mentorship.

“It’s an incredible honor to be named among the distinguished 2025 Women of Influence,” said Deb. “Supporting others – whether through my work with colleagues or in service to the broader community – is truly what drives me. I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to lead and contribute to the continued progress of our region, alongside the dedicated team at Brown Plus and so many inspiring female leaders across Central Pennsylvania. I’m excited for what we can accomplish together moving forward.”

Deb has over 39 years of experience in the accounting profession, including 13 years as a member of the audit professional staff at Brown Plus. She supervises the Firm’s administrative, internal accounting, marketing, human resources (HR) and information technology (IT) teams. She is a key member of the Brown Plus executive management team and spearheads many of the Firm’s special projects. Deb also participates in several internal committees and initiatives at Brown Plus, including serving on the Strategic Plan Committee; the Cultural Leadership Team (CLT); the IT Strategic Committee; the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee; the Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Committee; and the Fun Committee.

Deb is an active member of numerous accounting and firm management related professional associations, including the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA); the Pennsylvania institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA); the Leading Edge Alliance (LEA) Global Firm Administrators Special Interest Group (SIG); the CPA Firm Management Association (CPAFMA); the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM); and the Human Resource Professionals of Central Pennsylvania (HRP of CPA).

Accompanying her professional leadership role at Brown Plus, Deb is also an avid volunteer leader within the Central Pennsylvania community. She currently serves as a member of the United Way of the Capital Region’s Women’s Leadership Network (WLN) Advisory Committee. She also serves as one of Brown Plus’ Workplace Giving Campaign coordinators. Additionally, Deb is a graduate of the Leadership Harrisburg Area (LHA) Executive Leadership Series (ELS) Class of 2022. Her participation in the ELS program granted her deep insights into the issues and challenges of the Capital Region, as well as participation in numerous networking, business and community collaborations in the area.

In addition to her recognition as a 2025 Woman of Influence, Deb was also recognized on CPBJ’s Power 100 List in 2025, as well as CPBJ’s Power 30 List for Banking and Finance in 2022.

“Deb has long been recognized within our Firm as a standout leader, so it’s incredibly rewarding to see her honored as a Woman of Influence in the broader community,” said Ken Wolfe, CPA, CGMA, President and Managing Principal at Brown Plus. “This recognition speaks to her unwavering commitment, deep expertise and the meaningful difference she makes, both at Brown Plus and beyond. Her leadership reflects the core values that shape our mission of helping people achieve extraordinary outcomes. We’re so excited to support and celebrate her continued impact in the years to come.”

To learn more about Deb, please visit https://www.brownplus.com/our-team/deborah-bowman/.

To learn more about CPBJ’s 2025 Women of Influence awards, including a complete listing of the 2025 honorees, please visit: https://www.cpbj.com/event/women-of-influence/.

ABOUT BROWN PLUS

Brown Plus is a leading accounting and advisory firm, providing attest, tax and advisory services to clients across the United States. Brown Plus is nationally ranked the 199th largest accounting firm, the #3 Best Accounting Firm to Work For in the mid-sized category and a Top Regional Firm in the Mid-Atlantic. Brown Plus is regionally ranked the #8 Best Company to Work For in Maryland, and the Firm was also named the #1 Best Place to Work in PA in the medium-sized company category for the fifth consecutive year in 2024. Learn more at www.brownplus.com.