Selecting a qualified auditor is an important fiduciary responsibility. To help clients choose BLS confidently, I continue to build my knowledge base, staying on top of legislative changes through my ASPPA membership and developing close working relationships with ERISA attorneys in the region."

Meet Maria

Maria leads a team of specialized retirement plan auditors and the retirement plan audit niche at BLS, the largest locally owned CPA firm in Delaware. She is responsible for planning, supervising, and reviewing audits of single and multiemployer benefit plans, quasi-governmental plans, and government plans. Maria is known as one of the go-to auditors in the industry, which has helped her niche experience exponential growth in the number of plan audits due to the confidence of her referral sources. As a result of her team’s efficient auditing and value-added services, she has a 95% client satisfaction and retention rating.

Maria frequently attends and speaks at educational conferences, including the AICPA/DOL National Employee Benefit Plan conference and the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries conferences. Maria gives the auditor’s perspective in educational panels targeting plan sponsors, investment advisors, third-party administrators, and other service providers in the industry.

Maria spearheads the firm’s employee benefit audit blog – The Art of the Qualified Plan Audit.  Her blogs are frequently re-published in several national publications and she has authored white paper publications for major asset management companies.

Areas of Specialization

Audit & Assurance Employee Benefit Plan Audits Employee Benefit Plans

Professional Memberships & Recognition

• ASPPA Benefit Councils of Greater Philadelphia – Steering Committee Member, Past President and Treasurer
• ASPPA Eastern Region – Regional Conference Committee (2015 – Present)
• Plan Sponsor Council of America – Member
• International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP)
• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
• Delaware Society of Certified Public Accountants
• Wilmington Tax Group – Past President and Treasurer

Boards & Committees

• Delaware Public Employees’ Retirement System – Audit Committee Member
• Fiorenza Food for Friends – Finance Committee Member
• Artisans’ Bank – Corporator (2022-Present)
• Latin American Community Center – Board Member (2015-2024)/Co-Treasurer (2026-2017)/Vice Chair (2017-2019)/Chair (2019-2021)
• Tatnall School – Past Audit Committee Member (2009-2019)

Recognition

• 2025 Forbes’ Best in State CPA – Honoree
• Recognition of Academic Achievement in Retirement Plans as part of the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist curriculum sponsored by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans and the Wharton School of Business

Education & Certifications

• Georgetown University – Bachelor of Science Degrees in Accounting and International Management (Cum Laude)
• AICPA Advanced Defined Contribution, Defined Benefit, Health and Welfare Audit Badges
• IFEBP and Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania – Retirement Plan Associate Designation
• American Retirement Association – Certified Plan Sponsor Professional (CPSP)

Fun Facts

• Competitive Ballroom Dancer
• 1981 Spelling Bee Winner for Puerto Rico
• Certified SCUBA Diver
• Avid Dog Rescuer

Speaking Events

• December 17 @ 1:00 pm – Secure 2.0 Catch-Up Requirements Webinar
• November 6 @ 8:00 am – The Plan Sponsor University – How to Prevent and Detect Operational Mistakes in Your Retirement Plan
• October 28 @ 8:15 am – ASPPA Annual Growth Summit: An Ounce of Prevention is Better than a Pound of Cure: Do We Really Have to Correct These Audit Findings?
• July 24 @ 12:00 pm – 401(k) and 403(b) Designated Roth Accounts: Soup to Nuts
• May 15 @ 11:30 am – ASPPA Spring National Virtual 2025: Safeguarding & Optimizing Participant Data
• March 11 @ 10:05 am – The Plan Sponsor University – Keynote Presentation