Our Team
CURT ROCCA
MANAGING PARTNER
Email: crocca@dcapartners.com
Curtis M. Rocca serves as Managing Partner of DCA Partners, responsible for all aspects of the organization, and also functions as a General Partner to the Firm’s affiliated private equity fund. Curt is a seasoned chief executive with a background in leading high growth organizations from inception to exit.
Prior to DCA, Curt was Chief Executive Officer of Dental Partners, Inc. During his stint at Dental Partners, he led the growth and operations of this multi–state healthcare consolidation from a standing start to over $30 million in revenues in 18 months, before driving negotiations for the Company’s sale in late 2000.
Prior to Dental Partners, Curt was President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board of Bio-Dental Technologies Corp. Under his leadership, Bio-Dental quickly became one of the nation’s fastest growing public companies. Prior to Bio-Dental, Curt served as Executive Vice President and Board Member of Celebrity Inc. Earlier in his career, Curt worked in various management functions with Marriott International, Inc. and Pacific Bell.
Throughout his career, Curt has served as a Senior Advisor and Board Member to a number of public and private organizations. Curt earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of California, Davis, where he graduated cum laude.
Non-profit involvement & professional affiliations: American Cancer Society, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, St. John’s Center for Real Change, Capital Region Family Business Center, Comstock’s Magazine, Financial Executives International, River City Bank Executive Forum, Vistage, Sacramento Capital Cup.
STEVE MILLS
PARTNER
Email: smills@dcapartners.com
Steven R. Mills serves as both a Partner in the Firm’s investment banking business as well as a General Partner of the Company’s affiliated private equity fund.
Steve brings more than 25 years of executive financial management and transactional experience to the Firm. Prior to joining DCA, he served as the Chief Financial Officer of Responsys, Inc. Prior to Responsys, he was the Chief Financial Officer of AnyTime Access, Inc. Steve also served as a member of the Board, designated as a Financial Expert, and was the Audit Committee Chairman for Humboldt Bancorp (NASD: HBEK) for approximately two years prior to its merger with Umpqua Bank in 2004.
Prior to AnyTime Access, Steve was a Partner with Ernst & Young, LLP, where he specialized in consulting with technology companies and other organizations in various sectors concerning all elements of their financial and tax affairs. Steve started his professional career with Deloitte & Touche, LLP.
Steve is an Attorney, holding a Juris Doctor of Law from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, where he also earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.
Non-profit involvement & professional affiliations: Crocker Art Museum, Entrepreneurs’ Organization, Sacramento Entrepreneurship Academy, Verge Center for the Arts, and Valley Vision.
CRAIG MITCHELL
PARTNER
Email: cmitchell@dcapartners.com
Craig Mitchell serves as a Partner, focusing on the Firm’s investment banking business and affiliated private equity fund. Mr. Mitchell brings to DCA over twenty years of finance, accounting and consulting experience across a broad range of industries, and has worked on over 40 transactions that have ranged in size from $1 million to over $5 billion.
Prior to joining DCA Partners, Craig was a Director at LP Capital Advisors, where he advised large, institutional investors with over $100 billion in private equity commitments. Craig has also held roles at Wachovia Securities, Banc of America Securities, Lids, Noodles & Co., TargetSmart, Epicor, and Ernst & Young. He has also owned and operated his own businesses, including Rainbow Tavern & Lodge and Triple Peak Beverages.
Craig earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley and his Master’s in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Non-profit and professional affiliations: Junior Achievement; Berkeley-Haas Alumni Network of Greater Sacramento.
BRENT HAAPANEN
PARTNER
Email: bhaapanen@dcapartners.com
Brent is responsible for origination, evaluation, and execution of the firm’s investment banking business. He is an experienced advisor, leveraging his 15+ years of experience in capital markets to advise clients across all stages of M&A transactions. Brent has a broad range of experience representing both public and private companies globally, including complex corporate carve-outs, broad process sellside, and buyside engagements and negotiated transactions.
Recent deals include:
- Fore A Partner’s sale to Quest Technology Group
- Grow West’s acquisitions of Hammer Transport and Clark Trucking
- Tri HoldCo’s strategic investment in Quick Quack Car Wash
- Raley’s sale of Aisle 1 to Anabi
- Cascade’s sale to Ottobock
Before joining DCA, Brent worked as Executive Director at JPMorgan Chase, where he played a pivotal role in expanding Chase’s presence throughout the region. Prior to that, he spent eight plus years at Deutsche Bank, working with large-cap technology companies globally.
Brent earned an MBA from UC Berkeley Haas School of Business and a BA from Pepperdine University. He is a Board member at The ARC of Placer County, the Placer County Sherriff’s Council and Haas School of Business Alumni Network.
CASEY LAYTON
PARTNER AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Email: clayton@dcapartners.com
Casey is a cornerstone of DCA. As Chief Financial Officer, he is responsible for accounting, reporting, and compliance for all DCA and non-SBIC DCA entities. Casey is the hub for human resources and administration, as well as tax and audit-related functions. He also serves as an Investment Banking Vice President, focusing on financial analysis and modeling for M&A deals.
It should come as no surprise that Casey strives to over-deliver for DCA, its clients, and its Fund portfolio companies. His modeling skills are the envy of many finance professionals, honed through a delight for problem solving since joining DCA in 2005.
Casey is a Certified Public Accountant and is a member of Financial Executives International. He serves as a Trustee for the UCP Foundation and has volunteered on the Capital Cup planning committee for six years.
Recent deals include:
- Several acquisitions by Flyers
- Hogan Mfg. Inc.’s acquisition of Murray Trailers
- Raley’s sale of Aisle 1 to Anabi
- Cascade’s sale to Ottobock
Prior to DCA, Casey worked for Resources Global Professionals, Sierra Office Systems, Dental Partners, The McClatchy Company, and others.
Casey earned his B.S. from CSU Fresno.
RON FLAHERTY
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Email: rflaherty@dcapartners.com
Ron has over 35 years of investment banking experience, specializing in the agribusiness and food & beverage industries. His investment banking expertise includes financial advisory services, mergers & acquisitions, and capital raising. Ron has worked on private equity fund management, buy/sell side mergers and acquisitions, management buyouts, restructurings and recapitalizations, as well as growth debt, mezzanine, and equity placements.
Prior to DCA, Ron was the Founder and Managing Partner of Flaherty Capital Markets. He was also one of the founding members of Cybus Capital Markets, LLC., a national investment banking firm and private equity fund manager specializing in the food and agribusiness industries.
Ron is a graduate the Kellogg Graduate School of Management’s Mergers and Acquisitions Executive Program, and earned B.S. degrees in Agricultural Business and Agricultural Economics from South Dakota State University. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors for several companies and holds FINRA Series 24 (Principal) and Series 7 (Registered Representative) licenses. Ron is involved in several trade associations and addresses various industry groups throughout the food industry.
KYLE JOHNSON
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Email: kjohnson@dcapartners.com
Kyle is responsible for the origination, evaluation, and execution of the firm’s investment banking business. He is an experienced M&A advisor with over a decade of experience, having closed over $7bn in M&A and capital markets transactions. Kyle has a broad range of experience representing both public and private companies across industry verticals on strategic assignments including mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings, capital raises, corporate carveouts, shareholder defense, and other strategic alternatives.
Prior to joining DCA, Kyle was a senior member of the Mergers & Acquisitions practice at J.P. Morgan, where he was responsible for executing strategic transactions for the firm’s middle market and mid-cap clients on the West Coast. Before that, Kyle spent seven years at Wells Fargo, working on M&A and strategic financings for middle market and mid-cap clients across industry verticals.
Kyle earned his degree in financial mathematics and statistics from the University of California, Santa Barbara where he was a four-year member of the men’s lacrosse team.
BRENDEN WILSON
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Email: bwilson@dcapartners.com
Brenden Wilson serves as Managing Director where he is responsible for leading the evaluation and execution of new investments for the firm’s affiliated private equity fund. Prior to joining DCA, Brenden held private equity positions at Kayne Anderson and K1 Capital, both in Los Angeles. In these roles Brenden was involved in evaluating and managing growth equity, structured debt and leveraged buyout transactions primarily in middle market growth stage companies across a broad spectrum of industries, with a particular focus on technology-based companies. Brenden has also held several board advisory and operational restructuring roles where he was responsible for implementing cost restructuring and system implementation programs.
Brenden graduated with a B.A. in political science from the University of Southern California.
TOM ARSTINGSTALL
VICE PRESIDENT
Email: Tom is responsible for origination, evaluation, and execution of the firm’s mergers and acquisitions business.
Prior to joining DCA, Tom most recently worked in the Financial Planning & Analysis group at PowerSchool (NYSE: PWSC), a private equity-backed K-12 software company. Prior to PowerSchool, he was with Mercer Consulting, where he advised institutional investors, including pensions, insurance companies, family offices and high-net-worth individuals, on their private equity and co-investment portfolios.
Tom earned his B.S. in Finance & Accounting from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
LARS BECHERT
VICE PRESIDENT
Email: lbechert@dcapartners.com
Lars Bechert joined DCA from Zurich, Switzerland, where he worked at the investment banking firm Proventis Partners. As a Vice President on the M&A team, Lars is responsible for executing the firm’s investment banking engagements, from financial modeling and analysis to target outreach, process management, and closing.
Lars earned a B.Sc. from the University of Mannheim and an M.Sc. from the Stockholm School of Economics.
SHAWN GREWAL
VICE PRESIDENT
Email: sgrewal@dcapartners.com
Shawn Grewal is a Vice President of Private Equity. He is responsible for leading the evaluation and execution of new investments for the firm’s private equity fund.
Prior to joining DCA, Shawn worked at Oak Hill Capital, a middle market private equity firm in the Bay Area, where he was involved in the evaluation and execution of leveraged buyout and growth equity transactions across the Media & Communications and Services industries. While at Oak Hill, Shawn supported the successful execution of four platform acquisitions along with several other add-on acquisitions for his portfolio companies. Prior to Oak Hill, Shawn was a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions group at Morgan Stanley.
Shawn earned his Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics, magna cum laude, from the University of California, Los Angeles.
BEN URBANEK
VICE PRESIDENT
Email: burbanek@dcapartners.com
Benjamin Urbanek is a Vice President of Private Equity. He is responsible for driving operational improvement across the portfolio as well as leading the evaluation and execution of new investments for the firm’s private equity fund.
Before joining DCA, Ben provided financial due diligence consulting for KPMG in their deal advisory practice, focusing on a wide array of industries with an EBITDA range of $1 million to $50 million.
Ben earned his Masters in Financial Management and Bachelors of Business Administration in Accounting from Texas A&M University.
CALA RISSE
DIRECTOR OF PORTFOLIO ACCOUNTING & ADMINISTRATION
Email: crisse@dcafamilyoffice.com
Cala is a driving force behind DCA’s commitment to accounting excellence. As Director of Portfolio Accounting and Administration, she oversees accounting practices for the Family Office and Private Equity portfolios, ensuring accuracy, transparency, and alignment with industry best practices. Cala’s experience in private market investments and ILPA standards supports DCA’s mission to provide best-in-class reporting and client trust.
Known for her dedication to precision and problem-solving, Cala draws on over 16 years of experience in investment accounting, including leadership roles at the Washington State Investment Board and State Street Corporation. At WSIB, she managed accounting operations for a $178.3 billion AUM portfolio with over 50% in private markets, where she chaired the valuation committee and gained deep insight into private market standards. Earlier in her career, she focused on fund accounting, client relationships, and complex investment portfolios at State Street.
Cala earned her Master of Accounting from the University of Phoenix and her Bachelor’s Degree from CSU, Chico. Committed to advancing industry standards, she brings a collaborative approach to solving complex accounting challenges, enhancing financial reporting, and fostering client trust.
LOUIS SKIBICKI
SENIOR ASSOCIATE
Email: lskibicki@dcapartners.com
Louis Skibicki is a Private Equity Associate, primarily focusing on performing financial modeling, forecasting, completing business due diligence, and supporting execution of buyout and structured capital investments.
Prior to joining DCA, Louis worked in Corporate Development at Mariani Landscape, a private equity backed residential landscape services firm. While at Mariani, Louis was involved in the evaluation and execution of several acquisitions more than doubling EBITDA of the combined platform. Louis also spent several years at KPMG in the M&A transaction services group performing diligence on companies across a wide array of industries with EBITDA ranging from $1 million to $50 million.
Louis earned his MBA and Bachelor of Applied Science in Accounting and Finance from Indiana University.
TREVOR STEPHENS
ASSOCIATE
Email: tstephens@dcapartners.com
Trevor Stephens is a Private Equity Associate, responsible for financial modeling, forecasting, completing business due diligence, and supporting execution of buyout and structured capital investments.
Prior to DCA, Trevor worked in the Technology Investment Banking Group at Jefferies, where he worked with software, internet, and semiconductor companies on a variety of M&A and capital raising engagements.
Trevor holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Brigham Young University.
MEGAN KAHN
ANALYST
Email: mkahn@dcapartners.com
Megan Kahn is an M&A Analyst. Her responsibilities include conducting detailed business analysis, developing pitch materials, conducting outreach, and building financial models.
Prior to DCA, Megan gained experience at Aritzia Fashion Company and The Walt Disney Company.
Megan earned a Bachelor of Science in Business and Political Economy from New York University.
SEAMUS MCLAUGHLIN
ANALYST
Email: smclaughlin@dcapartners.com
Seamus McLaughlin is an Investment Banking Analyst. His responsibilities include conducting detailed business analysis, developing pitch materials, conducting outreach, and building financial models.
Seamus started at DCA as an Investment Banking Fall Analyst before joining as a full-time Analyst.
Prior to DCA, Seamus was a Division I athlete before going on to play professional soccer for two seasons.
Seamus earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences at University of California, Irvine and an MBA with a concentration in Finance from Southern New Hampshire University.
LARRY EDGAR
CONTROLLER
Email: ledgar@dcapartners.com
Larry Edgar is our Controller. He has over 25 years of accounting experience including his roles at Hunt & Sons, Campora Propane, and the McClatchy Company. As the Director of Finance for Campora Propane, he was an integral part of the successful sale of the Company to Energy Distribution Partners.
Larry is a Certified Public Accountant and earned his BS from California State University, Sacramento.
BARBARA URBANI
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND ADMINISTRATION
Email: burbani@dcapartners.com
Barbara Urbani is the Director of Marketing and Administration at DCA Partners, where she is responsible for office administration, marketing, branding, events, and public relations. Barbara has a passion for education and team collaboration, and previously worked as a Firm Administrator and Marketing Manager at the Trainor Fairbrook law firm in Sacramento. She has experience in marketing and operations in both commercial and residential real estate. She holds a Bachelor’s of Arts in Art History from San Francisco State University and serves on the board of Single Mom Strong, a non-profit in Sacramento.
Email: burbani@dcapartners.com
Barbara Urbani is the Director of Marketing and Administration at DCA Partners, where she is responsible for office administration, marketing, branding, events, and public relations. Barbara has a passion for education and team collaboration, and previously worked as a Firm Administrator and Marketing Manager at the Trainor Fairbrook law firm in Sacramento. She has experience in marketing and operations in both commercial and residential real estate. She holds a Bachelor’s of Arts in Art History from San Francisco State University and serves on the board of Single Mom Strong, a non-profit in Sacramento.