Tax Partner
Sisterson & Co. LLP
Mrs. DeFilippi is a tax partner with Sisterson & Co. LLP and the first woman partner since the founding of the firm in 1926. Sisterson is one of the largest certified public accounting and financial consulting firms in the Pittsburgh area, providing tax, audit and accounting, consulting, and lender services to clients in a variety of industries.
Donna is the firm's partner-in-charge of Tax Services to individuals and also directs the firm's personal financial planning practice. She serves as an advocate for her clients, providing tax consulting and tax planning services for a diverse group of sophisticated, closely held corporations, limited liability companies, investment and real estate partnerships, and individuals. She has extensive experience in the taxation of high-net-worth individuals, and regularly spends significant time providing tax and financial planning assistance to the owners and executives of her business clients. The philosophy that Donna maintains is to provide coordinated, well-planned advice to maximize the benefit to both the business and its owners/executives.
Donna is very involved with Sisterson's recruitment, performance management, alternative work arrangement, and professional development initiatives that promote expertise and talent retention throughout the firm. Donna and her partners are very proud that Sisterson has been named as one of the best accounting firms in the nation to work for in 2009 and 2010 by Accounting Today.
Donna's public accounting career began over thirty years ago following her graduation from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. She is a certified public accountant, a certified specialist in estate planning, a personal financial specialist, and a general securities representative with securities and state insurance licenses.
The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development named Donna as one of Pennsylvania's Best 50 Women in Business in 1999. She was also honored with the 1999-2000 Outstanding Accounting Alumnus award by the Department of Accounting in the Eberly College of Business at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Donna remains active with her church and the community, and has served as a board member and treasurer for various organizations, including the Girl Scouts Trillium Council, Executive Women's Council, and Pittsburgh Disabilities Employment Project for Freedom. She has also maintained strong ties with IUP through her involvement with the Accounting Advisory Board, with her dedication to the annual recruitment of accounting students from IUP for entry-level positions with the firm, and with presentations to the Student Accounting Association membership. In addition to Donna, seven other members of Sisterson's professional staff are IUP graduates, most having been recruited by Donna.
Donna resides in Center Township, Beaver County, with her husband, Rich DeFilippi, a court administrator. They have one daughter, Lauren, and two sons, Justin and Nathan.
Inducted Spring 2011