People: Jina Etienne, former director of taxation at the AICPA, has been elected by the board of directors of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) as new president and CEO, effective September 17… Patricia McGarr, principal at the Chicago office of CohnReznick LLP and national director of valuation advisory services, was honored as one of Real Estate Forum magazine’s 2015 Women of Influence.

Firms: Carr, Riggs & Ingram (CRI) has merged with the Jacksonville-based CPA firm Harbeson, Fletcher & Bateh, establishing CRI solidly as a strong player Florida-wide … Minneapolis-based CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA) has merged with the Dallas-Fort Worth accounting firm Sanford, Baumeister & Frazier. Grassi & Co. has merged in Rispoli and Co., a Long Island, N.Y., firm focusing on trust and estate services; the firm will continue to operate as Grassi & Co. … The San Francisco-based firm Novogradac & Co. was honored for the 13th year to be named by INSIDE Public Accounting (IPA) as Best of the Best Firms … For the 12th year in a row, UHY Advisors’ Southfield, Mich. office was voted one Metropolitan Detroit’s 101 Best and Brightest companies by the Michigan Business & Professional Association.