Meet the Team

gabe hogan, j.d. ll.m

Founder

Gabe Hogan is a tax strategist, licensed tax attorney, and former IRS federal agent who knows the tax system from every angle—and how to help clients keep more of what they earn.

As the founder of Palmettos Tax, he builds proactive, compliant strategies for high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, and closely held businesses who want clarity, protection, and long-term tax efficiency.

Before launching Palmettos Tax, Gabe spent four years at the IRS auditing HNW individuals and training new IRS auditors, giving him a rare understanding of how tax positions are evaluated—and defended. He later led tax strategy for clients with assets ranging from seven to eleven figures. 

Today, Gabe helps clients reduce unnecessary tax exposure, strengthen their positioning, and preserve more of the wealth they’ve worked hard to build.
cpa and wealth strategist

keith blackborg, cpa

Keith Blackborg, CPA is a wealth strategist and tax planning expert who helps high-net-worth business owners and investors keep more of what they build through thoughtful, proactive strategy. 

He has helped hundreds of clients reduce tax drag, strengthen after-tax cash flow, and move toward a “work optional” lifestyle with a family-office approach to building and protecting wealth.

Keith started his career at Deloitte and later grew and sold a CPA firm focused on high-net-worth apartment syndicators in DFW. As a tax strategist, he showed clients how to legally save ~5-10% of their income in taxes each year.

Keith served as Director of Acquisitions for a hedge fund involved in the largest private home sale in U.S. history. Keith’s personal investment experience spans domestic and international investments across real estate, oil & gas, lending, startups, private businesses, and paper assets.

In 2019, Keith founded Financial Journey, an education community focused on helping members run their wealth as the business, like a family office. Families grow wealth faster, pay less in taxes, and enjoy the process.

Keith, along with a community-based due diligence council, helps identify lucrative real estate investments and service providers that support clients who employ his unique strategies.

chief of staff

chelsey klinger

Chelsey Klinger helps founders and leadership teams turn growth into structure—building the operational and revenue backbone that protects client experience, retention, and trust. Her focus sits where strategy meets execution: revenue planning, founder support, operational build-out, and cross-functional alignment that keeps growth sustainable and delivery strong.

Her work is shaped by a career across banking, wealth management, and revenue strategy, helping organizations scale with clarity and discipline.

Chelsey has supported a fast-growing wealth firm through major expansion and its transition to SEC registration, advised executive teams on retention and account prioritization through voice-of-customer and performance insights, and most recently supported revenue continuity and integration inside a private equity–backed acquisition.

frontline tax team

tax manager

kevin dericks, EA

Kevin is known for his client-focused approach to complex individual and pass-through taxation. He brings strong technical proficiency and a commitment to clear, thoughtful guidance across areas such as multi-state compliance, S-corporation and partnership taxation, real estate reporting, and year-end planning for high-net-worth individuals and growing businesses.

A 2022 graduate of Lehman College, Kevin applies a detail-driven and solutions-oriented mindset to simplify intricate tax matters and support clients through important financial decisions. His work emphasizes accuracy, responsiveness, and long-term strategic planning designed to meet both personal and business objectives.

Originally from the Dominican Republic and having lived in New York City, Wisconsin, and North Carolina, Kevin’s broad professional and personal experiences inform his practical, well-rounded perspective when advising clients. 

He is dedicated to delivering dependable, high-quality service rooted in trust and expertise.
tax preparer

amy livingood

Profile coming soon…