J. Richard Claywell Outstanding Member Award—First Quarter 2026
NACVA would like to thank and recognize the following members with the J. Richard Claywell Outstanding Member Award:
William Black, PhD, CPA/ABV, CFE, CVA, ABAR, CFF
Bill Black is a financial professional with extensive experience in business valuation, litigation consulting and litigation support, intellectual property valuation and analysis, forensic accounting and records reconstruction, fraud investigation and analysis, and management strategy and risk assessment. He holds a PhD in Accounting and has taught numerous accounting-related subjects at leading universities throughout the United States. Since 1991, he has led analytical teams and performed in-depth analysis of complex financial problems from his home base in Atlanta. He currently teaches accounting and information systems at the University of North Georgia where he serves as Faculty Coordinator and one of the principal instructors for UNG's Master of Accountancy program. He earned his Certified Valuation Analyst credential in 1992, making him one of the first practitioners to earn the designation.
Mr. Black has been appointed by courts to provide a neutral financial perspective and to assist the trier of fact in understanding complex business issues. He has been assigned to provide a neutral business valuation in the dissolution of a regional distribution concern and appointed to serve as an auditor and business valuation expert in winding up the affairs of a personal-injury law firm.
Prior to establishing his independent consulting practice, Mr. Black directed and managed litigation consulting engagements for Deloitte & Touche and Price Waterhouse. He has served as a financial information systems consulting manager for Deloitte Haskins & Sells and has directed financial planning and analysis for a $500 million group of the Penn Central Corporation. Mr. Black has worked on the research and technical staff of the Financial Accounting Standards Board, where he assisted in the development and issuance of major components in the conceptual framework for financial accounting and reporting, including Qualitative Characteristics of Accounting Information, Elements of Financial Statements, and Measurement. He provided staff support for the Pathways Commission, addressing the future of education for the next generation of accountants.
Bill Black is a financial professional with extensive experience in business valuation, litigation consulting and litigation support, intellectual property valuation and analysis, forensic accounting and records reconstruction, fraud investigation and analysis, and management strategy and risk assessment. He holds a PhD in Accounting and has taught numerous accounting-related subjects at leading universities throughout the United States. Since 1991, he has led analytical teams and performed in-depth analysis of complex financial problems from his home base in Atlanta. He currently teaches accounting and information systems at the University of North Georgia where he serves as Faculty Coordinator and one of the principal instructors for UNG's Master of Accountancy program. He earned his Certified Valuation Analyst credential in 1992, making him one of the first practitioners to earn the designation.
Mr. Black has been appointed by courts to provide a neutral financial perspective and to assist the trier of fact in understanding complex business issues. He has been assigned to provide a neutral business valuation in the dissolution of a regional distribution concern and appointed to serve as an auditor and business valuation expert in winding up the affairs of a personal-injury law firm.
Prior to establishing his independent consulting practice, Mr. Black directed and managed litigation consulting engagements for Deloitte & Touche and Price Waterhouse. He has served as a financial information systems consulting manager for Deloitte Haskins & Sells and has directed financial planning and analysis for a $500 million group of the Penn Central Corporation. Mr. Black has worked on the research and technical staff of the Financial Accounting Standards Board, where he assisted in the development and issuance of major components in the conceptual framework for financial accounting and reporting, including Qualitative Characteristics of Accounting Information, Elements of Financial Statements, and Measurement. He provided staff support for the Pathways Commission, addressing the future of education for the next generation of accountants.
Nataliya Kalava, CVA, ABV, MAFF, CMEA
Nataliya Kalava, CVA, ABV, MAFF has over 16 years of experience in business valuation, with a primary focus on gift and estate tax planning valuations, SBA valuations, ROBs plan valuations, transaction advisory, and litigation analysis.
Ms. Kalava holds multiple professional credentials, including Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA), Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV), and Master Analyst in Financial Forensics (MAFF). She has prepared, supervised, or contributed to hundreds of valuation engagements for a wide range of purposes, including gift and estate tax planning, management planning, mergers and acquisitions, SBA and ROBS-related valuations, financial reporting, shareholder matters, and litigation support.
Prior to founding American Valuations, Ms. Kalava held valuation, finance, and advisory roles at nationally and globally recognized organizations, including Equinix, Inc. (Redwood City, CA), Humana Inc. (Louisville, KY), BDO LLP (New York, NY), Sigma Valuation Consulting, Inc. (New York, NY), and PwC (Tampa, FL). Her background spans public accounting, valuation consulting, corporate finance, and Fortune 500 environments.
Ms. Kalava is also the Co-Founder and Managing Member of Nambri Technologies LLC, a fintech company focused on developing technology-driven solutions for valuation and financial professionals.
She actively contributes to the valuation profession through leadership and education. Ms. Kalava currently serves as Chair of the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA) Valuation Credentialing Board and is an Editorial Board Member for NACVA’s QuickRead publication. She also served on the Board of Directors for the Business Transition Council of Tampa Bay, a nonprofit organization supporting business owners through exit planning and succession strategies.
In addition, Ms. Kalava has served as an Adjunct Faculty Member at the University of Tampa, where she taught undergraduate courses in corporate finance and investments. She regularly organizes and presents Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programs on business valuation topics, accredited by the Florida Bar. Ms. Kalava is currently serving as the Chair of NACVA’s Valuation Credentialing Board.
Ms. Kalava’s valuation work emphasizes independence, technical rigor, and defensibility, particularly in matters involving regulatory scrutiny, tax compliance, and transaction-related decision-making.
Ms. Kalava holds multiple professional credentials, including Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA), Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV), and Master Analyst in Financial Forensics (MAFF). She has prepared, supervised, or contributed to hundreds of valuation engagements for a wide range of purposes, including gift and estate tax planning, management planning, mergers and acquisitions, SBA and ROBS-related valuations, financial reporting, shareholder matters, and litigation support.
Prior to founding American Valuations, Ms. Kalava held valuation, finance, and advisory roles at nationally and globally recognized organizations, including Equinix, Inc. (Redwood City, CA), Humana Inc. (Louisville, KY), BDO LLP (New York, NY), Sigma Valuation Consulting, Inc. (New York, NY), and PwC (Tampa, FL). Her background spans public accounting, valuation consulting, corporate finance, and Fortune 500 environments.
Ms. Kalava is also the Co-Founder and Managing Member of Nambri Technologies LLC, a fintech company focused on developing technology-driven solutions for valuation and financial professionals.
She actively contributes to the valuation profession through leadership and education. Ms. Kalava currently serves as Chair of the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA) Valuation Credentialing Board and is an Editorial Board Member for NACVA’s QuickRead publication. She also served on the Board of Directors for the Business Transition Council of Tampa Bay, a nonprofit organization supporting business owners through exit planning and succession strategies.
In addition, Ms. Kalava has served as an Adjunct Faculty Member at the University of Tampa, where she taught undergraduate courses in corporate finance and investments. She regularly organizes and presents Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programs on business valuation topics, accredited by the Florida Bar. Ms. Kalava is currently serving as the Chair of NACVA’s Valuation Credentialing Board.
Ms. Kalava’s valuation work emphasizes independence, technical rigor, and defensibility, particularly in matters involving regulatory scrutiny, tax compliance, and transaction-related decision-making.
