Also announced new leadership posts starting this July

SYRACUSE — Victor Vaccaro, Jr. is scheduled to assume the role of managing partner at Dannible & McKee, LLP, effective July 1, 2026, succeeding Christopher Didio who has led the firm since 2022.

Didio will remain active in the firm by continuing to serve as a consulting audit partner.

It was among the leadership changes that the Syracuse–based accounting firm announced April 22, calling them “key leadership transitions as part of its strategic succession plan and continued growth.”

Dannible & McKee used the same announcement to highlight created CFO and COO positions, which are effective July 1 of this year.

The firm has named Joseph Chemotti, an audit partner, as CFO who will oversee financial operations, including banking, payroll, financial reporting, and cash-flow management, as well as billing and collections. He’ll work with the managing partner over the next year to transition these responsibilities and “ensure a seamless financial strategy for the firm’s future,” per the announcement.

Chemotti has more than 34 years of experience and is a certified public accountant (CPA) in New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. He maintains the following professional certifications: certified construction industry financial professional (CCIFP); certified advanced health and welfare plans audit; certified advanced defined contributions plans audit; certified advanced defined benefit plans audit.

Dannible & McKee has also appointed Brian Potter, a tax partner, to the role of COO. As COO, he’ll oversee daily operations, office management, external offices, administrative functions, and human resources. Potter will also work alongside the managing partner during the transition period to “ensure operational efficiency and support the firm’s growth initiatives,” the firm said.

Potter is a CPA in New York who has more than 18 years of experience in taxation and planning for individuals and closely held companies. He is also the partner-in-charge of the firm’s internal technology department.

In addition to the new CFO and COO roles, Benjamin Sumner has been elected as the firm’s partner-in-charge of assurance services, succeeding Vaccaro, who has led the division since 2022, Dannible & McKee said. Sumner will continue in the role of quality control partner while leading the assurance-services team.

Sumner is a CPA in New York and has more than 15 years of experience providing auditing, accounting, and consulting services to a variety of businesses. He also specializes in providing audits of employee-benefit plans.

“These leadership transitions reflect our firm’s strong commitment to succession planning, operational excellence and long-term sustainability,” Christopher Didio, managing partner at Dannible & McKee, said in the announcement. “Joe, Brian and Ben’s dedication, expertise and vision have been instrumental in our success, and I am confident they will help lead us to even greater achievements in the future.”

About Dannible & McKee, LLP

Established as a partnership in 1978, Dannible & McKee provides professional services in the areas of audit, tax, accounting, and financial-management consulting for clients nationwide. The firm focuses on major industry lines and specializes in multi-state taxation review, business valuation, litigation support and fraud prevention and detection. With New York offices in Syracuse, Auburn, Binghamton and Schenectady, along with a location in Tampa, Florida, the firm employs more than 120 professional and support personnel, including 23 partners, per its announcement.