NEWS
3 BPM Partners Named Women of Influence Accounting 2026
Cindy Schoelen, Tara (Wilson) Parker, Karla Luna • August 12, 2026
BPM is proud to share that three Partners have been recognized as Women of Influence: Accounting 2026 by the Los Angeles Business Journal (LABJ). Honorees include Karla Luna, Tara Parker, and Cindy Schoelen. This honor celebrates women who are shaping the accounting profession through exceptional leadership, technical excellence, and a commitment to lifting others as they rise. BPM is thrilled to celebrate three women who embody what it means to lead with both excellence and purpose.
With more than 25 years of experience, BPM Tax Partner Karla Luna is a distinguished leader whose impact spans client excellence, firm growth, and the advancement of diversity in the profession. As BPM’s only female Latina Partner, she has delivered strategic tax guidance to privately held companies and high-net-worth individuals while building a more inclusive leadership pipeline. She helped establish and serves as Executive Sponsor of BPM’s Hispanic & Latinx Community Resource Group, growing it to more than 70 members, and was named Mentor of the Year by the LABJ in 2025.
In 2024, BPM Tax Partner Tara Parker became BPM’s first Black woman Partner — a milestone that reflects both her individual achievement and her role in shaping a more inclusive future for Firm leadership. With nearly 20 years of experience specializing in partnership taxation and real estate investments, she launched and leads BPM’s first REIT-focused tax practice. Beyond her client work, Tara helped establish a partnership pipeline mentorship program supporting women pursuing leadership roles and volunteers with organizations in the community including Teenshop and Girls on the Run.
With more than 30 years of experience, BPM Advisory Partner Cindy Schoelen is a transformative leader whose journey from IRS agent to entrepreneurial firm founder to BPM Partner reflects a rare blend of technical expertise, business acumen, and people-centered leadership. An early pioneer for women in accounting, she guided her team through its 2023 combination with BPM with transparency and care, and has mentored dozens of professionals into leadership roles. She also serves on the Finance Committee for the Family Health Care Centers of Greater Los Angeles.
Congratulations to Karla, Tara, and Cindy on this well-deserved recognition. Their leadership, mentorship, and dedication to their clients and communities reflect the very best of BPM, and inspire us all to keep building a more inclusive profession, together.