QUALIFICATIONS
Whether for corporate planning, estate/gift taxes, purchase or sale of assets,
ESOPs, arbitration, mediation, litigation, or other specific purposes, we can help.
We apply exacting standards and rigorous quality controls. Our valuation services are governed by The Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), as set forth by The Appraisal Foundation and are rendered on a fee basis only. We use the latest industry standards and databases to perform our analyses. We consider all valuation approaches and select those best suited to the interest being appraised.
William E. Howell, Partner
MBA, ASA, CPA/ABV/CFF
William E. Howell is the founder and Principal of Howell Valuation, LLC, a firm providing professional services in business valuation and management consulting since 2003. He has approximately thirty-five years of professional experience and has performed 1,000+ business valuations of closely held companies across many industries for various purposes. Additionally, his background includes performance in senior management roles with two closely held companies in Chief Executive Officer (non-family manager in a family business) and Chief Financial Officer positions. He previously worked with Coopers & Lybrand as an Audit Manager. Bill is a graduate of Bucknell University and has an MBA in Finance from Boston College.
His professional credentials include a current CPA license, Accreditation in Business Valuation (ABV) by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), recognition of being Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF) by the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, and the Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA) designation in business valuation from the American Society of Appraisers.
Bill is a recent Board member of the NH Society of CPA’s. He also served as the Chairperson of the Business Valuation Committees for the NH Society of CPA’s and the ME Society of CPA’s. Bill has been designated by the AICPA as an ABV Champion to be a resource for professionals in NH, MA, ME, VT and CT who would like to learn more about the ABV credential – and was designated by the AICPA as its National ABV Champion of the Year for 2012.
In additional to belonging to several professional organizations, Bill has spoken on numerous occasions on business valuation and exit strategy planning matters for CPA’s, attorneys, business owners and banks. Howell Valuation, LLC has been a sponsor for the Center for Family Enterprise at the University of New Hampshire. since February 2018.
Alyson Van De Water, Partner
MBA, CVA
Alyson Van De Water has been associated with Howell Valuation, LLC since 2019 and became Partner in 2024. She has successfully completed the certification process with the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts to earn the Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) designation.
She began her career working in University Advancement at the University of New Hampshire Foundation, Inc. As the Associate Director of Gift Planning, she focused on cultivating and soliciting charitable gifts to the University and its Foundation through bequests, charitable remainder trusts, gift annuities and major outright gifts. In this role for the Foundation, she served as a primary liaison with donor estate planning attorneys, accountants, and other donor advisors.
Alyson earned her Bachelors and MBA degrees from the University of New Hampshire.
Kathleen Taylor
MBA, CPA/ABV, CFE
Kathy Taylor has been associated with Howell Valuation, LLC since 2012 and currently serves as a Business Valuation Manager. Her work experience with Howell Valuation, LLC and other firms has included performance of over 400+ valuation assignments, including 50 ESOP appraisals. After starting her career with Coopers & Lybrand, she was the Controller for Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, NH for many years. Kathy also worked as the part-time Finance Director for the Foundation for Seacoast Health from 2013 to 2024.
Her broad-based senior management experience has given her insight into a wide range of financial matters
and enhances the services she provides. She holds a B.F.A. from Capital University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of New Hampshire – Peter T. Paul College of Business and
Economics in 2013.
Her professional credentials include a current CPA license, Accreditation in Business Valuation (ABV) by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), and the designation of Certified Fraud Examiner by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Among several professional activities, Kathy is a member of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants and its Forensic and Valuation Services Section (FVS) and also a member of Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.
Casey Gray
Valuation Analyst
Casey Gray has been associated with Howell Valuation, LLC since 2019, when she began as an Executive Assistant and has since advanced to the role of Valuation Analyst. In her current role, she conducts economic and industry research, prepares valuation proposals and reports, performs financial analysis, reviews governance documents, and assists with business valuation engagements.
She has been primarily responsible for the valuation of real estate and investment holding companies and has substantially contributed to the completion of 21 business valuation reports.
She attended the University of New Hampshire where she graduated with a Bachelors of Science for Business Administration from the previously named Whittemore School of Business and Economics.
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Robin Kesslen
Executive Assistant
Robin Kesslen joined the firm in February 2026 as an Executive Assistant, bringing a background that spans both administrative and technology roles. In addition to her core administrative responsibilities, Robin supports report preparation—including financial data entry, industry and economic research, and report assembly—and assists with project management. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Business from the University of Hartford.