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Ascend adds firms in Florida and California

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Ascend adds firms in Florida and California


Private-equity backed accounting firm Ascend has added Florida Regional Leader firm Saltmarsh, Cleaveland & Gund and California-based Glenn Burdette to its platform, effective June 1.

Saltmarsh, Cleaveland & Gund, based in Pensacola and Tampa, Florida, and Glenn Burdette, in San Luis Obispo, California, are the latest firms to join Arlington, Virginia-based Ascend, which is backed by private equity firm Alpine Investors and ranked No. 29 on Accounting Today‘s 2025 Top 100 Firms list, alongside some of its member firms.

Glenn Burdette formerly operated under an employee stock ownership plan and adds a central California presence to Ascend along with a team of 75 and seven partners, while Saltmarsh marks Ascend’s first Florida footprint and adds a team of 16 partners and 178 total team members to the firm. 

Ascend reported $314.74 million in revenue and 1,464 employees in 2024.

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Terms of both deals were not disclosed.

Ascend’s Nishaad Ruparel

“These are two monumental partnerships for Ascend,” said Ascend president Nishaad in a statement. “Glenn Burdette was founded 60 years ago, and in 2000 became the first CPA firm in California to form an ESOP. That decision marked the firm’s commitment to a set of core values that they still wear on their sleeve today – a desire to provide opportunity for their people, a focus on shared ownership as an enabler of success, and a fierce commitment to hold the pen on their own story.”

Glenn Burdette provides tax, audit, bookkeeping, business consulting and financial management services, primarily to mid­dle-mar­ket and small own­er-man­aged busi­ness­es.

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“Partnering with Ascend is the right move at the right time for Glenn Burdette,” said the firm’s CEO David Merlo. “Their forward-thinking approach and shared values make them a natural fit for our next chapter. We chose Ascend because of their strong commitment to reimagining what’s possible — for both our clients and our people.”

Saltmarsh, Cleaveland and Gund is a full-service accounting and advisory firm offering expertise and specialized consulting for many industries and high-net-worth individuals.

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Saltmarsh, Cleaveland & Gund

“Saltmarsh has an equally proud history, with an 80-year legacy in Florida’s panhandle and central cities,” said Ruparel in a statement. “The firm is synonymous with quality, is a longstanding best-place-to-work, and has a dynamic group of partners that are seen as trusted advisors across disciplines. Less than a year ago, Lee Bell and the Saltmarsh leadership team took the time they needed to articulate a strategic vision that would carry the firm into the next decade and enumerate a plan for achieving that vision. We feel privileged that they decided Ascend is best positioned to help them fulfill those ideals.”

“The success of our business is entirely about putting our people first so they can do what they love, which is helping our clients achieve success,” said Saltmarsh Advisors CEO Lee Bell in a statement. “Ascend’s intense focus on people and their unique concentration on supporting our more than 80-year legacy as Saltmarsh is why we made the decision to partner with them.”

Both Glenn Burdette and Saltmarsh are independent members of the BDO Alliance.

Since Ascend was launched in early 2023, it has made a significant number of investments, including including Opsahl Dawson in Vancouver, Washington, in January 2023; ATKG in San Antonio in May; LMC in New York City in June; Sentient Solutions for Accounting, an offshore services provider in India and Mexico, in July; Goering & Granatino in Overland Park, Kansas, in October; Wilson Lewis in Atlanta in November; LevitZacks in San Diego in March 2024; North Carolina’s Blackman & Sloop and New Hampshire’s TSS in May; and Lucas Horsfall in Pasadena, California, in October; Walter Shuffain in Boston in January 2025; and McGee, Hearne & Paiz in Cheyenne, Wyoming, in February 2025.



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‘You’ll get capped:’ New viral challenge could get teens shot in Florida, sheriff warns

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‘You’ll get capped:’ New viral challenge could get teens shot in Florida, sheriff warns


FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – A recent viral trend — dubbed the “Door Kick Challenge” — has been causing issues as of late in Central Florida.

The challenge involves teens covering their faces, kicking or pounding stranger’s front door when it’s dark outside, and sprinting off into the night.

[WATCH: FCSO releases footage of ‘Door Kick Challenge’ in action]

But on Wednesday, Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly warned there could be deadly consequences.

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According to the sheriff’s office, these pranks may come across as an attempted home invasion for some, and with Florida being a “Stand Your Ground” state, neighbors have the right to treat it as such.

[ Central Florida deputy consoles 12-year-old accused in door-kicking incident]

“Parents, keep an eye on your children. We know they want to have fun, but they are taking huge risks when they mask up and kick strangers’ doors,” Staly said. “Be the sheriff of your own home, talk to your kids, know their friends, and make sure they know the risks associated with doing what the internet tells them to do.”

But in a release, the sheriff’s office delivered the message in a “language” that teens may better understand:

“This door kick ‘challenge’ is not the side quest you think it is.

It’s trendslop, pure brain rot straight off the FYP. You think you’re the alpha chad of the cul-de-sac? Nah bruh, you’re one hoodie masked-up sprint away from priors. The kind of rap that gets you cancelled before you ever stack any clout. Zero drip in our jail’s barbershop-looking mugshots.

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Okay, real talk. Florida is a Stand Your Ground state. A NPC wakes up to two randos kicking their door at 1 a.m. wearing sheisties — they don’t see a flex, they get the ick, and think your side quest is a home invasion. And no cap, you’ll get capped.

Taking an L on TikTok? Recoverable. Taking a round to the chest? There’s no respawn.

So skip this one, chief. Find clout elsewhere.”

Flagler County Sheriff’s Office

Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.



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Jacksonville 18-year-old vanishes during bicycle trip to Florida Keys, deputies are now asking for your help

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Jacksonville 18-year-old vanishes during bicycle trip to Florida Keys, deputies are now asking for your help


Jasper Frohock (St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office)

The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in locating a missing Jacksonville 18-year-old who was last seen in Fort Pierce.

Jasper Frohock was reported missing June 15. According to family members, Frohock left his Jacksonville home on a solo bicycle trip to the Florida Keys, traveling several miles each day and camping overnight in a tent, often at local parks along the route.

The last known location associated with Frohock was in the 1900 block of Crestview Drive in Fort Pierce. The exact date and time of that location update are unknown.

Frohock is described as a white male, 18 years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall and approximately 150 pounds, with red hair and brown eyes.

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Anyone who has seen Frohock or has information about his whereabouts is asked to contact St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office Detective Corporal Alba at 772-462-7300, or email CrimeInfo@stluciesheriff.com. Anyone who sees Frohock and believes he may be in immediate danger should call 911.




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South Florida shark diving operators push back against Florida Safe Seas Act: “There’s a huge double standard here”

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South Florida shark diving operators push back against Florida Safe Seas Act: “There’s a huge double standard here”


Shark diving operators in South Florida are raising concerns that a bill currently moving through Congress could wipe out their industry.

The Florida Safe Seas Act, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this month, is now headed to the Senate for consideration. If enacted, the legislation would prohibit the use of bait to attract sharks in federal waters off the Florida coast, though it would include an exception for shark fishing.

Supporters argue the bill will improve safety for swimmers, beachgoers, and anglers. Opponents, however, contend the measure would effectively dismantle the multimillion-dollar shark diving tourism industry in South Florida.

“This industry has created a natural guardianship for sharks; it is showing people that sharks are worth more alive than dead; it’s showing people the importance of sharks, really,” said Tanner Mansell, who operates Tanner Underwater Charters out of Jupiter.

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Mansell argues that banning bait would leave operators with no viable alternative. “It would completely eliminate the industry because if we could go out there and swim with sharks without using bait, I would, I would be more than happy to do that,” he said.

He noted that his charters typically operate 3 to 4 miles offshore, well away from beachgoers, and argued that shark fishing from the beach presents a greater safety risk.

“So they’re taking the same chum that we use to attract sharks offshore, but you can put it on a hook and throw it at the beach and lure sharks in if you want to catch them right next to beachgoers, so there’s a huge double standard here,” Mansell said. He also disputed claims that dive charters are responsible for drawing sharks closer to shore, pointing to the high volume of recreational fishing boats in the area.

Conversely, the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust supports the legislation, citing the need to address shark depredation—a situation where sharks target hooked fish or fish being released back into the water.

“I think anything we can do to address the shark depredation issue is going to pay dividends in the long run,” said Kellie Ralston, the organization’s vice president for conservation and public policy.

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Ralston highlighted research indicating that more than 40% of breeding permit fish, a key recreational fishery in the state, were being lost to sharks during the catch-and-release process. “I think couched in kind of this larger focus on shark depredation, I think we’re poised to see some really positive results out of this that’ll benefit our anglers, our boaters, our waters and our fisheries to be sustainable for the long term,” she added.

The bill is sponsored by Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Clermont. A spokesperson for Webster’s office stated that the legislation mirrors existing Florida state law prohibiting shark feeding off the coast.

“The bill would extend these protections to federal waters, aligning with existing federal law surrounding Hawaii and Pacific territories,” the spokesperson said. “With the bill passing the U.S. House of Representatives on June 2, it now goes to the Senate for consideration.”


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