Meet the Team

He started his own affordable housing-focused accounting practice in 1990, which evolved to become Flaherty Salmin CPAs (formerly Salmin, Celona, Wehrle & Flaherty, LLP). His very satisfied client base in upstate New York led to referrals throughout the Northeast. Tim takes pride in making affordable housing and community development a major focus and niche of the firm.
“We are proud to have earned a reputation for being a solid player in affordable housing on a regional and national level. Our service philosophy is client-centric,” Tim says. “Ultimately, when our clients are well served, it’s the residents in all of our communities who win.”
As part of his real estate practice, Tim also serves clients in the not-for-profit and construction businesses.
Tim previously worked at Coopers & Lybrand (now PwC), and as Controller of a publicly held retail sporting goods company. He also served as an adjunct professor at St. John Fisher College from 1986 to 1992.
A graduate of St. Bonaventure University, Tim is an avid community supporter. He is a board member and finance committee chair of Action for a Better Community (a community action agency in Rochester), is a board member and Treasurer of Sojourner House and is an executive board member and Treasurer of the New York State Association for Affordable Housing (NYSAFAH).
Why Accounting: Tim initially chose accounting because he loved math. “I still love accounting today, but not because of the numbers. I love finding solutions for business challenges, the ability to be creative, and the people I get to work with.”
Fun Facts:
- Three out of four of Tim’s kids are taller than he is.
- Tim moonlights as a landlord of a small apartment project in Rochester, New York.
- Tim’s favorite college sports team is Bonnies Basketball
Favorite Music Artists:
- Neil Young
- Crosby Stills Nash and Young
- Grateful Dead
- Creedence Clearwater Revival
- Allman Brothers
Favorite Childhood Memories of Rochester:
- Street ball and the ball fields where I grew up
- Durand Eastman golf course and beach
- Silver Stadium
Favorite Get-Away:
- Cabin in the Thousand Islands

Proudest Accomplishment: I’m most proud of the fact that I worked my way through school.
Favorite Music Artists:
- Elvis Presley
- Frank Sinatra
Hobbies:
- Biking
- Hiking
- Staying Healthy

Favorite Sports Teams
- Rochester Rhinos
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Pittsburgh Pirates
Top 5 Movies
- The Godfather
- Heaven Can Wait
- True Lies
- Terminator II
- Midnight Run
Top 5 Things to Do in Las Vegas
- Play Craps
- Relax at the pool at the Mirage
- View the strip from the top of the Stratosphere
- Play craps
- People watch outside the Caesar’s Palace valet parking

Favorite Things About Rochester: Rochester is just a great place to live. I was born here, and then went to college at Villanova University. I decided I wanted to come back home to start my family. Rochester has great golf courses, all kinds of water (from rivers to bays to lakes), Frontier Field, and a ton of really good microbreweries!
Top 5 Movies
- The Matrix
- Blues Brothers
- Spaceballs
- Major League
- Caddyshack
Top 5 Music Artists
- The Offspring
- Shinedown
- Weird Al Yankovic
- Metallica
- Linkin Park
Top 5 Favorite Foods
- Hot Dogs
- Chicken Wings
- Garlic Bread
- Chili
- Jambalaya

Most Embarrassing Moment: My most embarrassing moment happened at our Chili Avenue location, when I entered my security code incorrectly and set off the alarm system. Needless to say, I felt a little foolish when the Gates Police rolled in to investigate!
Favorite Sports Teams:
- Buffalo Bills
- Buffalo Sabres
- Syracuse Orange Football
- Syracuse Orange Basketball
Top 5 Movies:
- Godfather Part 1
- Godfather Part 2
- Field of Dreams
- The Natural
- Cinderella Man
Top 5 Bruce Springsteen Albums:
- Born to Run
- Darkness on the Edge of Town
- The River
- Born in the USA
- The Rising

Most Embarrassing Moment: Very early in my career I was doing an inventory count for grocery store client on a Superbowl Sunday. Somehow, I accidentally got locked in the walk-in freezer while counting frozen food products. The store was closed, with only a few management personnel around, so it took more than a few minutes of knocking (then pounding) before I was let out – it was quite the spectacle!
Top 5 Books
- The Road to Serfdom (F.A. Hayek)
- In the Garden of Beasts (Erik Larson)
- Economics for Real People (Gene Callahan)
- The Bible
- The Art of War (Sun Tzu)
Top 5 Music Artists
- Rush
- Seal
- Enya
- Newsboys
- Jane’s Addiction

What I Do When I’m Not Working: I enjoy traveling with my family and visiting “parks”, including National, baseball and amusement. We have recently visited the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee and Glacier National Park in Montana. We have also recently attended games at the Ballpark in Arlington, Texas and Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington. Lastly, we recently visited Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, Hershey Park, in Hershey, Pennsylvania and, of course, Seabreeze in Rochester, New York!
Favorite Sports Teams
- Football – AFC – Buffalo Bills
- Football – NFC – New York Giants
- Hockey – New York Islanders
- Baseball – AL – New York Yankees
- Baseball – NL – New York Mets
- Basketball – Syracuse Orange
- NASCAR – Jimmie Johnson
- Whatever team my boys are playing on
Top 5 Tom Hanks Movies
- Forrest Gump
- Saving Private Ryan
- The Green Mile
- Cast Away
- Philadelphia
Top 5 Places to go after April 15th
- Sanibel Island, Florida
- St. Johns, US Virgin Islands
- Cocoa Beach, Florida
- Cruise to any place sunny and warm
- Orlando, Florida
