In the News

In a newly created position, Joel Slater spearheads Blackbox Connector sales and partner relationships. 

Full Sail Partners, a Deltek Premier Partner, is pleased to announce Joel Slater has returned to the firm as Client Solutions Manager. In this new position, Joel will head up Blackbox Connector sales and partner relationships guiding existing clients that are looking to expand their capabilities beyond Deltek Vantagepoint. Joel’s sales acumen, in-depth Deltek knowledge, understanding of Full Sail Partners' business, and experience with multiple Blackbox Connector products made him a perfect fit for this new role. 

“Like a boomerang, the return of a former employee to our company brings a powerful message that demonstrates the ties that bind us are stronger than the journey that took them away,” stated Sarah Gonnella, Partner, VP of Marketing & Sales. “Everyone on our team is ecstatic and has embraced the return of Joel. It is a testament to our culture and the lasting connections we foster together as a team. Joel is a true professional and our clients and Blackbox Connector team will all benefit greatly.” 

Joel had previously served as Product Sales Manager for over five years with Full Sail Partners. As Clients Solutions Manager, he will be able to leverage his vast Deltek product knowledge to assist existing Deltek clients in realizing business value and getting the best possible return on their Deltek software investment. This includes working with strategic clients to help facilitate priorities and identify tools, resources, products, and services to help improve efficiency, streamline processes, and increase profits for clients.   

“Returning to Full Sail Partners in my new role as Client Solutions Manager feels like coming home," noted Joel Slater.  “I’m thrilled to be back working alongside our talented team and serving our valued clients.” 

In Joel’s new role as Client Solutions Manager, clients will benefit from a consummate professional who has our company culture and perspective of looking out for the client’s best interest. Not only does he understand how the Blackbox Connector can help maintain consistency between systems and streamline firm processes, but he can also partner closely with clients to evaluate future Blackbox Connectors that would provide even more solutions. 

For more information, please email Full Sail Partners’ Marketing Communications Department. 

In a move highlighting the symbiotic nature of their collaboration, Full Sail Partners and Entrinsik jointly unveil the appointment of Wendy Gustafson, General Manager at Full Sail Partners, and Madhavi W. Chandra, Chief Product Officer at Entrinsik, as co-chairs of the Informer Advisory Council (IAC). This partnership will enable Entrinsik to gain a richer insight into the customer voice and needs through Gustafson's expertise. Simultaneously, Chandra's leadership will facilitate the infusion of Entrinsik's vision and best practice workflows directly into the Council's initiatives.

About the IAC

The IAC is a collaborative platform where a small group of selected customers and partners work closely with Entrinsik to guide the future of the Informer platform. Council members receive exclusive early access to new features and enhancements, enabling them to provide direct feedback and influence the product's development.

Chandra explained, “The IAC was established more than four years ago with a mission to create a mutually beneficial platform between us and our clients. The IAC is an intimate and exclusive community, and we are thrilled to progress to the next stage by appointing an external co-chair to collaborate alongside me. Wendy, who has been a dedicated IAC member for years and possesses comprehensive knowledge of Informer, is the ideal candidate. I am looking forward to working alongside her!”

Driving Competitive Advantage Through Early Access

The collaborative leadership in the IAC, uniting Full Sail Partners and Entrinsik, represents a landmark progression not only for project-based businesses and professional services firms but for the entire Entrinsik customer base. By blending the product voice of Entrinsik with the customer voice of Full Sail Partners, we are creating a synergistic avenue for product enhancement. 

Gustafson’s co-chair position epitomizes this synergy, allowing Full Sail Partners to mold the direction and capabilities of Entrinsik's Informer platform in alignment with the broader needs of all stakeholders. This partnership offers clients—across all sectors—the privilege to preview, test, and shape features prior to their widespread launch, granting them an analytical edge in their decision-making processes.

Gustafson remarked, "I am honored to take on the co-chair role for the IAC. This allows for close collaboration with fellow council members to foster strategic relationships and facilitate domain-specific expertise. We aim to complement Entrinsik's ongoing efforts in delivering systems that meet diverse user needs."

Accelerating Client-Driven Innovation

This partnership represents a symbiotic union, leveraging the collective expertise of both Full Sail Partners and Entrinsik. In this relationship, Entrinsik gains unparalleled access to the authentic customer voice through joint leadership, enriching its understanding of user needs and aspirations. Conversely, Full Sail Partners benefits from Entrinsik's vision, absorbing best practices and advanced workflow methodologies that can be integrated into the field via the Council. 

The Informer platform thus evolves at a faster pace, with new client-driven features being informed by real-world feedback. Early access to these features by the IAC members offers a practical advantage: Entrinsik can observe these functionalities in action, refine them based on actual use, and ensure optimal performance and relevance before a wider rollout. In this dynamic ecosystem, every insight, feedback, and innovation contributes to a product that's both technologically advanced and deeply aligned with user requirements.

Tailoring Technology Strategies for Professional Services

The participation in IAC’s activities allows for an in-depth interaction with the new features, ensuring that they are tailored to meet the specific demands of professional services firms. With direct insight to Informer’s development priorities and roadmaps, Full Sail Partners can help clients plan their technology strategies more effectively. This will lead to better integrated systems that not only meet but exceed the diverse requirements of project management, financial reporting, and other critical business processes.

About Full Sail Partners

Connecting thousands of project-based firms, Full Sail Partners identifies critical resources to create fast, efficient, and cohesive companies. As a Deltek Premier Partner and creator of the Blackbox Connector, our team helps professional services firms fully integrate their business processes by connecting their front end and back end systems. We provide technology consulting, business solutions, and application hosting for both Vision and Vantagepoint. Full Sail Partners has received the Deltek Partner of the Year and the Marketing Excellence Award multiple times throughout our firm’s history. Keep Your Business on Course.

For more information, please email Full Sail Partners’ Marketing Communications Department. 

About Entrinsik

Founded in 1984, Entrinsik is a global leader in data analytics and business intelligence solutions. Its flagship product, Informer, empowers organizations to make data-driven decisions by providing self-service data discovery, visualization, and reporting capabilities. Entrinsik serves thousands of clients in various industries, including higher education, manufacturing, healthcare, insurance, and financial services.

For more information visit: https://entrinsik.com/.

Dale has taken the Outsourced Accounting Department to the next level, and she will now transition into a management-level role as a natural career progression. 

Full Sail Partners, a Deltek Premier Partner, is happy to announce the promotion of Dale Busbey to Principal Outsourced Accountant. Dale has been responsible for heading up the new Outsourced Accounting Department for almost a year now as an Accounting Services Specialist. She has been doing the outsourced accounting work itself in addition to growing the client base needing outsourced accounting services.  

As more new clients are reaching out for outsourced accounting services, Dale will be transitioning to a management-level position. Dale’s new role as Principal Outsourced Accountant will not only entail continuing to grow the client base but also maintenance of client needs plus employee supervision. Dale, already known for her excellent customer service skills, will take her knowledge of outsourced accounting and train others in her department to provide the same level of service. 

“Dale’s willingness and ability to listen to clients and find solutions that will help them is her greatest strength.  It has been a natural career progression for Dale to transition to this management position, and we are super excited,” stated Wendy Gustafson, General Manager. 

Before taking on the lead to spearhead the new Outsourced Accounting Department, Dale served for many years as an Account Manager for Full Sail Partners. She has quite a track record for developing and nurturing relationships with clients in addition to solving client issues. In her new role, her ability to listen and adapt will serve clients well in the Outsourced Accounting environment. 

“I am really looking forward to my new management role with the Outsourced Accounting Department,” noted Dale Busbey. “Not only will I be able to continue to work with clients in an area that I enjoy, but I will also be available to help others in the department learn how to be the best resource for clients when it comes to outsourced accounting issues.” 

With so much experience in the Deltek landscape as it pertains to clients in general, Dale continues to use her knowledge to help them with outsourced accounting needs as Principal Outsourced Accountant. This niche service already allows clients to free up time so they can focus on their own core businesses. To further benefit clients, Dale will be sharing her tools with the rest of her team enabling more points of contact for problem solving in the outsourced accounting arena. 

For more information, please contact Full Sail Partners’ Marketing and Communications Department or visit the Full Sail Partners’ website at http://www.fullsailpartners.com.    

Former summer interns, Aria Bounds and Dany Blanovschi, now bring fresh talent to the Full Sail Partners’ Technology team on a permanent basis.

Full Sail Partners, a Deltek Premier Partner, is thrilled to announce that it has promoted both of its summer interns to permanent positions with the firm.  Aria Bounds has officially joined the Full Sail Partners’ development team, overseen by Pete Nuffer, Director of Solution Development, and Dany Blanovschi has joined the IT side of the firm under the tutelage of Heath Harris, IT Services Support Manager. Aria will be working on a part-time basis until she completes her Computer Science degree in December, and then will transition to full-time hours. Dany has already begun a full-time role. 

Aria’s new role with Full Sail Partners is as a Staff.Net Developer, and Dany’s role is as a Staff IT Consultant. Both interns began in early summer and have really blossomed in their areas of interest. Aria’s inquisitive nature and motivation for finding solutions to client needs using the Blackbox Connector offering have been remarkable. Furthermore, Dany’s positive attitude and enthusiasm for learning about Deltek Vantagepoint and all of its intricacies really stood out during his internship. 

“We are always looking for bright minds and both of our summer interns have surpassed our expectations,” noted Wes Renfroe, VP of Technology. “We are so thrilled to have fresh insight and such passion for their respective areas and cannot wait to see what the future holds for both the Development and IT teams.” 

Bringing both interns on permanently at the same time allows for all aspects of our Technology team to be given a boost in support and problem-solving capabilities. With even more resources, both the Development and IT sides of the Technology team will have the ability to increase client support and offer even more timely follow-up and solutions. Serendipitously, being able to onboard these two young talents right from internship, has been such a boon for Full Sail Partners. They are great additions to the crew as the firm trailblazes the future of technology. 

For more information, please contact Full Sail Partners’ Marketing and Communications Department or visit the Full Sail Partners’ website at http://www.fullsailpartners.com.    

Nick’s dedication to the overall quality of applications with Blackbox Connector paves the way for a promotion. 

Full Sail Partners, a Deltek Premier Partner, is excited to announce the promotion of Nick Genade to Senior Quality Assurance (QA) Engineer with the development team. He has already proven himself a quality assurance professional and dedicated to the field with over ten years of extensive experience in the IT industry. With this promotion, Nick has been tasked with developing and implementing comprehensive test plans, test strategies, and test approaches for .NET applications hosted in Azure, considering factors such as application architecture, business requirements, testing objectives, and risk assessment.  

“As Senior QA Engineer, Nick is ready to progress even further with his management of quality assurance testing utilizing his prior knowledge of the development of and issues pertaining to the Blackbox Connector solution,” noted Pete Nuffer, Director of Solution Development. 

Previously working as a QA Engineer for the Full Sail Partners’ Development team for over seven years, Nick is very focused on code being to a certain standard when it comes to the Blackbox Connector environment. Due to his demonstrated expertise in testing .NET applications hosted in Azure, his strong technical skills, and his contributions to the overall quality of the application through effective planning, design, execution, and analysis of testing efforts, he is well suited for this promotion. Furthermore, Nick’s leadership and mentorship of junior team members make him a key player in the further development of Full Sail Partners’ innovative efforts. 

With Nick’s promotion to Senior QA Engineer, he will have even more opportunities to discover, determine, and implement the best testing strategies which will lead to even better results. Thus, there will now be even more enhanced user experience and reliability. For the current and future clients that utilize the Blackbox Connector solutions, they will benefit greatly from Nick’s new role. 

For more information, please contact Full Sail Partners’ Marketing and Communications Department or visit the Full Sail Partners’ website at http://www.fullsailpartners.com.    

With an exceptional background in the A/E/C Industry of over twenty-five years, Heath is perfectly suited for his new role as IT Services Support Manager. 

Full Sail Partners, a Deltek Premier Partner, is happy to announce that Heath Harris has been promoted from Principal IT Consultant to IT Services Support Manager. This new role was specifically created with Heath in mind as a natural extension of his noteworthy IT career. With his extensive knowledge of Deltek ERP and its inner workings, Heath is the best resource for training new IT staff and ensuring IT services are managed with the same continuous level of excellence. 

“Heath is the epitome of an expert when it comes to managing IT services for the A/E/C industry specifically involving Deltek ERP such as Vantagepoint,” stated Wes Renfroe, VP of Technology. “Promoting Heath to this new role as IT Services Support Manager is a natural progression of his career expanding his professionalism from managing services to managing the complicated processes and staff who provide these services to ensure Full Sail Partners continues to provide exceptional support for current and future clients.” 

As a respected Deltek partner known for client excellence, Full Sail Partners continues to be sought after to support client needs when it comes to IT Services. With more tickets, more manpower has become a necessity to ensure a successful client experience. Heath has already proven himself to be a master when it comes to performing Deltek Vantagepoint installations, upgrades and customization for small to medium sized professional services firms. Now he will be training new IT staff with his knowledge and offering even more clients to be served efficiently. 

For more information, please contact Full Sail Partners’ Marketing and Communications Department or visit the Full Sail Partners’ website at http://www.fullsailpartners.com.    

Full Sail Partners is ranked among the Top 100 VARs again according to Accounting Today. 

It is official. Once again, Full Sail Partners is listed among Accounting Today’s Top 100 Value-Added Resellers (VARs). This means that Full Sail Partners continues its ranking as one of the leading value-added resellers in the accounting industry and even moved up in rank for 2023. 

Each year, Accounting Today chooses the top 100 VARs which are selected from firms focused on sales and implementation of accounting and enterprise resources planning (ERP) software. Being on the list for another year acknowledges the accomplishments of these firms in the accounting software space. Full Sail Partners’ ranking again for 2023 shows that Accounting Today continues to be confident in its services and accounting knowledge incorporating inclusive software.  

As always, in utilizing its resources, Full Sail Partners remains focused on recognizing the specific needs of the clients it serves. The sales and consulting teams strive to really partner with clients to find the best solution based on individual needs. Moreover, as a VAR, Full Sail Partners stays future focused carefully considering how client needs evolve over time and what the key trends are resonating across the professional services industry. 

“Recognizing the crucial role knowledgeable VARs play in understanding client-specific business needs, our clients seek to collaborate with such experts,” noted Sarah Gonnella, VP of Marketing and Sales. “At Full Sail Partners, we were early to acknowledge a shift towards succinct content, offering concise coverage on pertinent topics to engage more effectively with clients and prospects alike.” 

As to noteworthy trends for this year, according to the 2023 report, leading VARs continue to be greatly impacted by the ever-evolving state of technology. The migration to cloud computing continues to accelerate and top VAR firms are consistently working with clients to capitalize on opportunities provided by the cloud. The unique nature of the cloud enables firms to manage in ways that on-premise computing does not provide. Post pandemic, with many clients still operating remotely or using a hybrid model, tools to help with communication, document sharing, and collaboration are needed and most commonly cloud based.  

Additionally, based on the 2023 VAR 100 report, firms are intrigued by artificial intelligence (AI), particularly models like ChatGPT which is cloud-based. There is a lot of client interest in the topic of AI and a willingness to explore available applications. Also, with cloud investments being remote, there has been the need to pay even more attention to cybersecurity. There have been rising numbers of cyber-attacks and scams targeting businesses. Furthermore, the report reflects that, in the face of economic pressure, firms have been embracing automation to shore up operations for more efficiency. 

For more information about the 2023 Top 100 VARs, download the ranking here The VAR 100 | Accounting Today. Accounting Today is a leading provider of online business news for the accounting community, offering breaking news, in-depth features, and a host of resources and services.  

For more information, please contact Full Sail Partners’ Marketing and Communications Department or visit the Full Sail Partners’ website at http://www.fullsailpartners.com.    

Bryce’s specific past product experience combined with marketing educational background make him a great asset for clients 

Full Sail Partners, a Deltek Premier Partner, is thrilled to announce that Bryce Crosby has joined the Sales team as Product Sales Manager. In this role, he will oversee all Full Sail Partners’ product sales, including Deltek Vantagepoint and Deltek Talent. This position will manage the overall Deltek partner sales relationship and oversee targeted new business efforts.  

Bryce joins Full Sail Partners with more than five years of experience selling ERP and finance-related software applications to project-based firms. This expertise includes Deltek Ajera, Deltek Vision, and Deltek Vantagepoint. This specific past experience with Deltek products provides him with an understanding of the architectural, engineering, and professional services industry. Furthermore, Bryce's experience with lead generation, client nurturing, and selling, coupled with his educational background in marketing, gives him a unique perspective to lead the sales team. He is a great asset to assist clients with new product offerings and is specifically suited for this new position to grow the sales team.  

“I am so pleased that I will be able to continue to use my previous experience with Deltek ERP to really engage and understand client needs,” noted Bryce Crosby. “As Product Sales Manager, I look forward to helping project-based firms find the right tools to streamline their operations.”  

Bryce will work directly with clients as Product Sales Manager evaluating all of the options available with Full Sail Partners’ product offerings. Additionally, he will be working directly with the account management, consulting, custom, and migration teams to ensure clients are getting the most out of their Deltek systems. Bryce will also confer with the Blackbox Connector sales team looking to find the best fit for each prospective client’s needs when it comes to integrating third-party software into Deltek Vantagepoint. 

“We are thrilled to have Bryce join the Full Sail Partners’ team as Product Sales Manager,” stated Sarah Gonnella, VP of Marketing & Sales. “It is inspiring to find someone that is amazingly suited for the position we are offering. I’m not sure I could have asked for a better fit. Our team looks forward to using his knowledge and expertise with Deltek ERP to quickly assist project-based firms find the best solutions to grow their organizations.” 

For more information, please contact Full Sail Partners’ Marketing and Communications Department or visit the Full Sail Partners’ website at http://www.fullsailpartners.com.    

Erin’s extensive experience in both client and account services with professional services firms makes her a great addition to the Outsourced Accounting team 

Due to increased demand, the Outsourced Accounting team has added Erin Haver as Staff Outsourced Accountant. In this role, she will assist clients who need outside resources to keep up with bookkeeping and financial reporting for their project-based firms. With this new addition, Full Sail Partners now has the capacity to service even more clients who are in need of accounting support. 

“I am so very happy to have Erin on board with us,” noted Wendy Gustafson, General Manager. “Her accounting knowledge and great attitude will allow us to assist more clients with their outsourced accounting.” 

Erin comes to Full Sail Partners with over fifteen years of experience in professional services. In her previous roles, she focused on both client and account services. Over her tenure in account services with professional services firms, she has managed accounts receivable including processing and recording of payments as well as handling banking procedures and reconciliation of ledgers. Additionally, Erin has been involved with the customization of daily and month-end reports. 

With her belief in excellent customer service and desire to learn, Erin will be an amazing asset to the Outsourced Accounting team. Erin foremost understands the importance of actively listening to the specific needs of each client with solution options in mind. She also excels at providing one-on-one support to clients and believes strongly that communication is vital for superior client service. Her new position will ensure that Full Sail Partners continues to provide the best available outsourced accounting services. 

“I am really looking forward to working with the Outsourced Accounting team at Full Sail Partners,” stated Erin Haver. “I cannot wait to assist clients and can assure them that I have a proven history of reliability and exceptional skill in regard to bookkeeping and accounting.” 

For more information, please contact Full Sail Partners’ Marketing and Communications Department or visit the Full Sail Partners’ website at http://www.fullsailpartners.com.    

Jenny’s prior experience using Deltek for accounting functions allows her to help other clients make the most of their software. 

Full Sail Partners, a Deltek Premier Partner, is excited to announce that Jenny Labranche is now a part of the Consulting Team serving as a Senior Finance Consultant. As Senior Finance Consultant, Jenny will be focusing on the core finance functions of Deltek Vantagepoint and Vision. Her addition to the team will further expand the consulting service capabilities of Full Sail Partners.  

With considerable knowledge of finance and financial reporting, she is primed to assist clients streamline processes and improve efficiencies. On the Consulting Team, Jenny will work directly with clients to assess their financial processes and determine if their Deltek Vantagepoint or Vision system is configured effectively to meet their firms’ overall needs. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Jenny to the Full Sail Partners’ Finance Consulting Team,” noted Scott Gailhouse, Consulting Team Manager. “As a former Deltek user herself, Jenny brings an abundance of finance experience that she can share with our client base.” 

Before coming to Full Sail Partners, Jenny worked in several accounting roles for an engineering firm that utilizes Deltek Vision. She progressed over a ten-year period from a Senior Accounting Specialist to Accounting Manager to Controller. Additionally, she holds an MBA from Arizona State University in addition to a Bachelor of Science in Finance from California State University – Sacramento.  

“I am so excited to work with the Full Sail Partners’ Consulting Team,” noted Jenny Labranche. “Over the last ten years, I have been a Deltek user and now I can help other Deltek users make the most efficient use of their software.” 

For more information, please contact Full Sail Partners’ Marketing and Communications Department or visit the Full Sail Partners’ website at http://www.fullsailpartners.com.