Skip brings more than 35 years of experience to his clients. His areas of concentration include federal and state taxes; issues of closely held businesses; computers and business accounting software; start-up assistance and consulting; financing and capital structure; and general business consulting.

A lifelong resident of Maryland, Skip grew up in the Rodgers Forge and Wiltondale areas of Baltimore County. He is a graduate of Calvert Hall College High School in the class of 1965. He went on to Catonsville Community College and then onto the University of Maryland, College Park campus. In 1969, Skip was drafted into the United States Army and served in South Vietnam. He was honorably discharged and returned to The University of Maryland to finish his studies.

Skip graduated from the University of Maryland College of Business and Management in 1973. He passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Exam on his first sitting in May of 1974. Prior to forming Coale, Pripstein and Associates, he served as a sole proprietor, as the manager of the small business department of C.J. Ecalano & Co., CPAs, and as a manager at Matthews, Carter and Boyce, CPAs in Washington, D.C.

Skip is an active member of the Maryland Association of CPAs. He has served on a number of committees for the association, including the Management of an Accounting Practice Committee, the Sole Practitioner Committee, and the Professional Ethics Committee of which he served as chairman.

In addition to his professional activities, Skip volunteered countless hours in the community. His current and past activities include:

• James Rouse Entrepreneurial Fund (JREF)- treasurer and member of the board of directors;


• Urban Rural Transportation Alliance, Inc. (URTA) - treasurer and member of the board of directors;


• Rotary Club of Columbia Patuxent - charter president, treasurer, sergeant at arms, and newsletter editor;


• Howard County Chamber of Commerce - treasurer and member of the board of directors;


• Columbia Jaycees - president and secretary;


• Careerscope, Inc. - president and member of the board of directors;


• American Heart Association, Howard County - member of the board of directors;


• YMCA - Howard County - member of the board of directors


• Industry Education Alliance of Howard County - member;


• Spending and Revenue Guidelines Advisory Committee, Howard County - committee member;


• Small Business Administration SCORE/ACE Program - lecturer;


• St. Louis Roman Catholic Church - member of pastoral council, finance committee, and chair of planned giving committee;


• Legatus, Baltimore Chapter - president;


• Howard County Arts Council - member of the board of directors; and


• Maryland Citizens for the Arts - member of the board of trustees.

In addition, Skip is a 1991 graduate of Leadership Howard County and is a life member of Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States of America. Skip was recognized as the 2001 Accountant Advocate of the Year for the State of Maryland by the U. S. Small Business Administration. The Baltimore SmartCEO magazine recognized Skip as one of Maryland's Smart CPA's in 2004 and again in 2005 and 2007.