5 Year Rule

Philip grew up in southern California, skateboarding, even though he wasn’t good at it.  He also liked to read.  He graduated from UCCS in 2010, with a double major in Accounting and Information Systems.  He liked business but didn’t like that business was so broad.  So, when he took an intro accounting class and liked it, he decided to pursue it.  He has recently been spending a lot of time reviewing books and financials.

Philip is married with two children and two wiener dogs.  He likes playing volleyball, reading books and driving in the mountains.  He can be loud sometimes and as such, he has occasionally been used as a human PA system.

Sean was born in Niceville, Florida, but grew up in Albuquerque, Tucson and Colorado Springs.  As a kid, he loved to read and swim.

Sean has enjoyed economics and finance since high school.  When he took his first accounting class in college, he realized he liked accounting and that he was good at it. He has completed three semesters at the University of Pittsburgh and plans to graduate in April of 2023.

In his free time, Sean likes to read, especially books about history.  When he’s not working hard in the office, you can find him in the mountains.  In the summer he tries to fly fish at least once a week and enjoys skiing in the winter.  He has also become decent at orienteering and using a map and compass—no need for a GPS with Sean!

Lauren was born in High Point, NC, but being a military brat also moved to Florida and Texas.  She grew up in Raleigh, NC until she was out of high school.  As a kid she enjoyed many activities like watching Disney movies, being outside, playing guitar, singing and skateboarding (Tony Hawk, who?!)

She recently graduated from Florida Atlantic University.  She received her Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in writing and rhetoric.  She was also a cheerleader at a couple community colleges in North Carolina. She comes to WCG with a background in debt brokerage and payroll.  She enjoys trying new things and knew she could catch on quick here at WCG.  She knows the importance of building relationships with people, which she finds to be a crucial point in business, no matter the industry.

Lauren is married with five kids.  Yes, five!  She loves anything to do with exercise and teaches Kangoo, a rebound boot exercise.  She still plays guitar, writes music, sings and jumps on her skateboard…still thinking she is Tony Hawk.  Having just moved to Colorado, she is excited to explore.

Christie was raised in an Air Force Family, moving from England to Colorado to Hawaii, then back to Colorado! She grew up playing baseball, basketball, and volleyball and considers herself quite the tomboy.  She graduated from Pikes Peak Community College and enjoyed her English classes because of her love for reading and writing.

Christie is married to her husband, Ryan and they share an amazing son, Caden! They share their house with their pets—TJ, a 3-month-old Blue Tick Hound, Rocky, a 3-year-old Miniature Pinscher, Spike, a 16-year-old Chihuahua, and their kitty named…Kitty. Anyone else getting “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” vibes from that name? When Christie isn’t processing those payrolls, she enjoys crafts, hiking, camping, fishing, and spending quality time with her family!

Ian grew up in New Albany, Mississippi, being very active outdoors with the family dog and his neighborhood friends. He graduated from The University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) in 2015, where his favorite subjects were finance and tax courses. He will fit right in here at WCG!

He has always loved understanding how businesses operate and the impact that can be made on people’s lives through good accounting advising. Pass through entities are his specialty and he has also specialized in small business flow-thru tax and private equity.

When Ian isn’t working hard at WCG, you can find him spending time with his two dogs– Caesar, a Doberman, and Belle, a Maltipoo. He is an avid snowboarder and is looking forward to being able to travel to the mountains this year.

Jason is a small business consultant specializing in LLCs and S Corporations including entity structure, self-employment taxes and retirement planning. He is quick to point out that while some basics cover all situations, every business is truly unique. He is the author of Taxpayer’s Comprehensive Guide to LLCs and S Corps. He came to the accounting world because he wanted to help people, specifically business owners, get the most out of their worlds.

He is also a financial expert witness primarily in divorce matters, prepares business valuations and is a financial planner. Download CV here.

Jason was an airline pilot for 17 years and has a BBA and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Amazing he made it out alive. To add to the fun, Jason also likes dirt biking, hiking the incline and cooling off with Ruby Red infused Whiskey mixed with diet sweet and sour (getting old stinks). Actually it isn’t diet… it is low sugar. Sounds more masculine like Dr. Pepper Bold and Coke Zero.

Areas of Expertise

• Small business consultation
• Multi-entity structures
• Complex operating agreements and arrangements
• Business valuation, acquisitions and sales
• Expert witness testimony in financial matters
• Financial and retirement planning

Terra grew up in South Dakota and enjoyed playing sports, especially gymnastics! She graduated from Southwest Minnesota State University in 2007 and chose the accounting profession because of her love for organization and problem solving!

Terra is married and has two children and one fur baby! In her free time, she enjoys reading suspenseful books and teaming up with her husband to chase their kids around in their adventures!

Areas of Expertise

• Small business consulting and tax planning
• Estate and Trust consulting and tax planning

Amanda will be the first to tell you she loves organization, efficiency and a fast-paced environment. This brought her to WCG during tax season years ago and she never left! Amanda originally joined the team as a tax admin, but has found her passion in business development. In 2019, Amanda earned her Enrolled Agent credential from the IRS, and has moved from business development manager to director.

Amanda considers herself a Colorado native. She attended college in Iowa, but returned to the mountain air of Colorado for her permanent home. In her personal life Amanda enjoys spending time with her family, friends and animals. She also loves to sing or curl up with a good book, her dogs and her cat, usually with some kind of snack nearby. Seriously, during snow storms, we all raid Amanda’s desk drawers. Peach Rings, yum!

Areas of Expertise

• Small Business Formations
• S Corp Elections

Katy grew up in Arvada, Colorado! Growing up she loved playing outside and that hasn’t changed. She graduated from CSU Fort Collins (Go Rams) and enjoyed her American History, German, and fitness classes!  Many life events have led her to the accounting profession, including marrying her husband who’s a CPA.

Katy fills up her free time with spending time with family and friends, hiking, arranging flowers, barre classes, and antiquing. Her two-year-old baby girl and yellow lab, Gryff, keep her busy, but she also finds time to be a board member of the Colorado Gift of Adoption!

Areas of Expertise

• Project Management
• Process Analysis and Improvement
• Time Management
• Team Management

Megan was born and raised in South Dakota where she enjoyed golfing, reading, and swimming. She studied Journalism at the University of Montana and graduated from Southwest Minnesota State University with her Bachelor of Science in Accounting. The variety, opportunity to talk and help a lot of people, and the never-ending supply of hard work, led her to the accounting profession and WCG!

Megan has been married for almost 10 years and has 2 daughters and 1 German shepherd. Her love for golf, reading, and swimming never left, and she picks up a running habit annually that never seems to stick!

Areas of Expertise

• Auditing
• Business Systems
• Multi-Entity Taxes and Planning

Greg grew up in Harmony, Minnesota and enjoyed summer ball, swimming, and running around with the neighbor kids!  He graduated from Winona State University in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. During Greg’s Air Force service (4 years active duty and 4 years in the MN Air National Guard), he took his first accounting class where his instructor told him if he becomes a CPA, he’ll be “set for life” and the rest is history!

When Greg isn’t prepping tax returns, you can find him spending time with his wife of 47 years, Cathy, and his children and grandchildren, watching the Twins, Vikings, Timberwolves, and Wild, or re-reading his complete library of John Grisham books.

Fun fact: Greg and his family are Disney fanatics and try to visit Disney World every other year! Lost in Disney World? Call Greg!

Areas of Expertise

• Clergy Taxes
• Trust and Estate Returns

Courtney was born in Denver, Colorado with a couple brief stints living in San Francisco and Seattle. Growing up, she played softball, tennis, and golf and spent many summers road-tripping with her grandparents in their RV. She graduated from Metropolitan State University (Go Roadrunners!) of Denver in May of 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Her affinity for math and numbers landed her an administrative position within a CPA firm which grew to a bookkeeper position!

Courtney enjoys spending time with her husband of 11 years, their two sons, and their golden retriever, Lucy! When she isn’t deep in the books, you can find Courtney keeping her boys busy with baseball, soccer, and swimming lessons. She also enjoys traveling, cooking, working out, and the occasional date night.

Areas of Expertise

• Payroll Processing

Kristy grew up in Nashville, Illinois (yes, you read that correctly) playing in the dirt, riding 4 wheelers, and attending road parties. She graduated from SIU Carbondale (Go Salukis!) with a Masters in Tax. The pressure of choosing a major guided her to the tax profession because it was always easy for her!

Kristy never shies away from a challenge and enjoys playing several instruments (piano, violin, and drums) and spending time with her husband, 4 children, their cockapoo, Teddy, and their recently adopted cat, Felix. She also fills her free time with concerts, hiking, reading, watching football, and cooking!

Areas of Expertise

• Quickbooks
• Fundraising and Foundations
• Business Planning

Jason specializes in coordinating and consulting with businesses, their owners, individuals and families in building, and maintaining and transitioning wealth within the family unit. As a CPA, CGMA he has the ability to guide critical business decisions and drive strong business performance using skills that encompass a mix of taxation, operations, management and strategy.

Jason grew up in Golden, Colorado and enjoyed sports and the outdoors, which stuck with him throughout life! He graduated from Colorado State University in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science with a Major in Business Administration and a Minor in Media Studies—the perfect combo at WCG!

When he’s not handling his Managing Partner duties at WCG, you can find Jason fishing, camping, hunting, or doing any outdoor activity with his wife Beth and two kids, Claire and Cooper! Can you say perfect Colorado family?!

Fun fact: Jason has extensive training in mountaineering skills and is even certified as an Emergency Medical Responder. He is also a member of the El Paso County Search and Rescue team (EPCSAR)! Make sure you have him on speed dial for your next outdoor adventure!

Areas of Expertise

• Business consultation
• Wealth Building

Latesha has recently graduated from UCCS with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and was eager to put her new skills to work right away! She has joined WCG (formerly Watson CPA Group) as an Administrative Assistant on the Business Development team.

Latesha is newly married(congrats!). She enjoys traveling, hiking, taking her puppy to the dog park and watching movies.

Kailey grew up in Santa Barbara, California and spent most of her time chasing lizards and playing with bugs. Her love for animals continued into her teenage years, where she worked summers at the local natural history museum caring for snakes, turtles, and frogs, and working part-time at a veterinary clinic. Kailey graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Science in Ecology and minored in Anthropology. If you’re wondering how she ended up at a CPA firm, she attributes that to wanting to try something new—both in the location of her work and the work duties!

Kailey has been married to her partner, Alex, for 9 years and they enjoy spoiling their 13 nieces and nephews and chihuahua, Zoe! In her free time, she enjoys reading, spending time outdoors, identifying insects, and watching Alex moonlight as a magician and balloon animal artist!

Michelle was raised in a military family and grew up in California and Colorado! She enjoyed playing softball, roller skating, riding her bike, and traveling. She attended CU Boulder and graduated from UCCS in 2009 (Go Mountain Lions)! Her favorite subjects were math and accounting and she was drawn to the accounting profession because her family owned a small business where she got to observe the daily operations of the business.

Michelle is married with two daughters and 3 fur babies! Her hobbies are cooking, gardening, traveling, reading, and spending time with her family. When she isn’t working hard at WCG, she enjoys watching movies, walking the dogs, and trying new recipes!

Fun fact: Michelle is a great cook—especially Korean food!

Alyssa grew up in Wilton, CA where she enjoyed playing outside with her 3 older brothers. Her great attitude (even during the most stressful tax seasons) brought her to WCG!

She has been with her husband, Tom, for 10 years, married for 6! No children yet, but their two fur babies, Digger and Darla, are spoiled to bits! When Alyssa isn’t busy around WCG, she enjoys going to SCA events, crafting, reading, and playing video games!

Jill grew up in Iowa, where she enjoyed softball and volleyball, bike riding, water skiing, and boating. She graduated from Iowa Lakes Community College in 1991 and enjoyed her math and computer classes the most!

Jill is married to her husband, Sean, and they have 3 children all in college, a daughter-in-law, 2 dogs and 4 cats! Jill still enjoys the outdoors and spends her free time hiking, camping, traveling, reading books, attending concerts, and cheering on her favorite teams at sporting events.

Angie grew up in Fort Collins, Colorado but lived in many places including Illinois, Virginia, and New Jersey! She enjoyed speed skating and playing piano growing up. She graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2006 and enjoyed her business and economics classes the most!

Angie is married and has one daughter who keeps her on her toes! When she isn’t hard at work in the office, she enjoys exploring new places with her husband and daughter, trying new foods and drinks, reading books, playing piano, and longboarding!

Fun fact: Angie is right-handed but uses her left hand to do tasks such as eating and using her computer mouse. #ambidextrous

Daphne grew up in San Diego, California soaking up the sun at the beach, participating in Girl Scouts, and playing with her 5 siblings and neighborhood friends! She received an Associates Degree in Accounting and her passion for accounting found her when she was “chosen” to pay bills, reconcile accounts and close the year with the accountant at her medical field job.

Daphne is married to her high school sweetheart—can you say relationship goals?!—and they have two sons! When she isn’t taking care of business at WCG, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling and camping in her refurbished 1950s travel trailer, gardening, crafting, being outdoors, and watching sports

Whitney grew up in Boulder, Colorado where she enjoyed skiing and snowboarding—and still does! She graduated from Colorado State University in 2007 and enjoyed her business and agriculture classes. Her professional development journey teetered from the legal field to the accounting profession, when she realized she enjoyed this side more even after taking the LSAT.

Whitney has been married for almost 8 years and has two children and one dog. When her work at WCG is done, she enjoys cooking, baking, exercising, and spending time with her family walking the dog and going for bike rides.

Fun fact: Whitney has recently reached her goal of being able to do 2 pull-ups and is now onto her next goal of 3! If you were looking for tickets to the gun show, Whitney’s your girl!

Hannah grew up in Elizabeth, Colorado where she enjoyed riding horses, going to rodeos and fairs, and being outdoors. Her love for math and numbers guided her into the accounting profession and to WCG!

She is married with 4 children, 3 dogs, 1 baby cow, 12 ducks, 3 turkeys, and 24 chickens. Sounds like the making of a fun math problem to us! When Hannah isn’t at WCG, she enjoys the outdoors—camping, dirt biking, 4 wheeling, or working around her farm.

Laura grew up in a military family and lived in several places including Turkey and Guam. Growing up she enjoyed playing soccer. She attended school at Boise State University and graduated from CSU Global in 2018. Her favorite subjects include Geography, History, and of course…Accounting! Her passion for accounting started when she was a bartender keeping the books at work.

When Laura isn’t deep in financials and tax returns, she enjoys skiing, beach vacations, and spending time with her daughter, Natalie, and her dog, Red.

Tina grew up in the suburbs of Meridian, Mississippi as the oldest of 4 girls. Growing up she enjoyed playing tennis and softball and riding horses. She graduated from Mississippi State University (Go Bulldogs) with a Bachelor of Professional Accountancy and was encouraged by her Principles of Accounting teacher to pursue the accounting profession!

When Tina isn’t busy at WCG, she enjoys spending time with her husband and 4 children. Her creative side shines with her hobbies including her monogram/embroidery business, Sew Peachy Monograms, and collecting cookbooks and cooking.

Brian was born in Fresno, CA and moved to Colorado at 8 years old. Growing up he loved playing sports and video games, riding his bike, and watching movies. He is currently enrolled at Western Governor’s University and is graduating at the end of this year (Go Night Owls)! His love for problem solving, math, science, and working with people brought him to the WCG team.

When he’s not deep in the books at WCG, you can find Brian watching sports, winning in trivia, cooking, travelling, or playing a variety of games! He is currently engaged with plans to be married sometime next year—sorry ladies!

One fun fact about Brian: his love for baseball (especially the Colorado Rockies) has brought him to 15 out of the 30 MLB stadiums in the US with plans to hit all locations!

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Christi graduated from UCCS in 2006 with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting with a minor in Finance. She has worked for two CPA’s where she processed payroll, payroll tax reports, bookkeeping and tax work including administrative duties before coming to WCG Inc.

When she’s not at work Christi loves to do Crossfit, and spend time with her two daughters and dog.

Stephanie joined our team at the peak of tax season in 2018 upon returning back to her native Colorado Springs after a 3 year stint in North Carolina.
Stephanie graduated in 2011 with a degree in Criminal Justice and attended a combination of Pikes Peak Community College and Colorado State University.

Following her school years, Stephanie dedicated herself to her family and being a devoted Army wife. After 6 years as a stay at home mom, she knew she wanted/needed to go back to the outside workforce and debated between Victim’s Advocacy and Accounting. Her self-proclaimed OCD, and love of spreadsheets, and number crunching led straight to the accounting world… and straight to WCG.

When she’s not busy crunching numbers at work, Stephanie is at home doing her best to manage her household of growing kids, crazy pets, and her active duty husband who is frequently called away on military missions (only 6 more years!!!). When she does find a rare moment of peace, she enjoys cuddling up in bed and binge watching Netflix.

Joab was born in British Columbia, Canada. He is one of seven kids in a large family. He grew up in Colorado Springs and enjoyed sports, HTML coding and videography.
He is currently a Senior at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and pursuing his CPA. He chose accounting because “it is the financial engine of business,” and he enjoys helping business owners truly understand their numbers to make educated financial decisions.

When Joab is not in the office, he enjoys reading, lifting weights, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Sam Pfennigs was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and his love for the community and beautiful scenery has kept him here ever since. As a senior in high school, he decided that an accounting career was fit for him based on his desire to help others and solve complex problems. Sam is currently wrapping up his undergraduate studies at The University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, and plans on rolling right into a Master’s program in accounting. He also plans on getting his CPA license as soon as he is qualified to do so… oh… and… right after passing that pesky exam.

Sam has previous experience leading a successful footwear team at Dick’s Sporting Goods, and he is excited to transfer his leadership and problem solving skills acquired at Dick’s to his new accounting profession.

When Sam is not working hard or studying for classes, he enjoys working out and playing basketball as often as he can. He also enjoys spending time outdoors, especially on the lake or in the beautiful Colorado mountains.

Gil was raised in the San Luis Valley (Southern Colorado) and graduated from Adams State University. He choose the accounting industry because he had a favorite professor (Sheryl Abeyta), who advised him to be an accounting major (was that advice or a sentence?).

Gil was raised working on the family farm (alfalfa and livestock) and his hobbies include gardening, cooking, making kombucha and camping.

Andy comes to us from Houston TX, where he was raised by CPAs. He graduated from The University of Houston with a BA in Accounting and received his CPA license in 2017 while balancing working at his father’s corporate tax firm.  He is very excited to be joining the WCG team as he is always looking to grow, learn, and be challenged!

He moved to Colorado Springs in March 2017 with his beautiful and loving girlfriend of 5 years and his crazy cat. He likes to hunt, collect coins, work on his truck, travel, and keep up with his friends through fantasy football – GO TEXANS!

Growing up in Colorado, Kate has never wanted to live anywhere else. Colorado has no shortage of places to explore and she hasn’t been bored yet. Her next purchase is going to be a good camera to capture the beauty she gets to see every day.

In college, Kate studied post-production in film school, but in her early 20’s, accounting called and she has never looked back. She has always wanted to be in a field where she can help people accomplish their goals and make their dreams reality. She wants our clients to view her as a part of the team that will make that happen. When they succeed, she succeeds. Her current goal is to earn her Enrolled Agent certification to help clients navigate everything, including their taxes.

You can usually find Kate, her husband and their daughter traveling in the off-season. If they are not going international, they are taking in the views of our state while camping and boating.

Chelsea grew up in Marlborough, Connecticut, staying busy with Girl Scouts, dancing, sports and arts and crafts. Both of her parents were small business owners, which is where her fascination with accounting and business began.

She went back to college while also being a stay-at-home mom to pursue a degree in accounting. Her next endeavor is to study and take the EA exams while working along some of the best in the field (We hope she’s talking about us).

When Chelsea is not working, she is spending time with her husband, 4-year-old son and their puppy. They enjoy traveling, getting outdoors, going to sporting events and supporting her son at his soccer and hockey games. If she gets a moment alone, you can find her doing something relaxing like reading, binge-watching Netflix or getting crafty.

We have hired a Rock Star but the secret isn’t out yet. Rest assured that this person is amazing, and will be a wonderful addition to your WCG team! For a fast fifty bucks we could probably leak it out.

Hailing from Tucson, Arizona, Nate moved to Golden, Colorado, in high school where he played soccer. He went to the University of Colorado at Boulder and enjoyed business classes like accounting, finance and marketing.

Nate owned his own business for many years before deciding to return to accounting. He likes being able to provide solutions to problems and advising people on their financial questions and decisions. He looks forward to working with individuals, corporations and expats! Looks like he is in the right place!

When he is not at WCG, he enjoys watching sports, golfing, hiking, and spending time with his wife of nearly 18 years and his 9-year-old daughter. They are looking to get a dog later this year. His daughter has other plans though. She also wants a turtle, but they haven’t taken that plunge.

Kelli is a Colorado native, but she also calls herself a Colorado Springs native. She has lived in this beautiful city her entire life. She grew up playing outside as much as she could. Getting her homework done as soon as she could so that she could go hang out with friends. She thought she wanted to be a teacher, but a creative bug bit her in high school while she was part of the yearbook staff. Journalism was calling her name.

She graduated from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, with a BA in Communications-Recording Arts. Her favorite classes were video editing and graphic arts classes, which have both helped to take her to the next level in each step of her career. She recently joined WCG and is excited to spread the word about them and everything they have to offer.

When she is not in the office, she is at home spending time with her family. She is married, has a daughter in preschool and three boxer dogs. The house is only quiet when everyone is sleeping. Being a mom is her hobby. She doesn’t take it for granted and if she’s not cleaning up her daughter’s messes, she is helping create them. Kelli loves being a mom.

Laura grew up in Agua Dulce, California.  She enjoyed horseback riding and studied photography at Sacramento State (Go Hornets)!  Working with numbers is something she enjoys, and this led her to doing payroll and light bookkeeping for the last 6 years.

When Laura is not crunching numbers at WCG, you can find her spending time with her husband of over 30 years, hiking, riding horses, or selling her artwork.  She is also a mom to a son and daughter, both grown, and her Siberian Husky and cat.

Amy is a Colorado native, born and raised in Colorado Springs.  She has lived in several places in Colorado such as Leadville, Denver, Lakewood and Morrison, but never strayed too far. Not long ago she graduated from Palmer High School in Colorado Springs and then attended Metro State College in Denver.

Amy didn’t necessarily “choose” the accounting industry. She meet Jason and other wonderful employees, and found out that this company was the place she wanted to be (we are super happy she found that out too)! I have many years of administrative experience and look forward to many more at WCG.

In her other life outside of  WCG, Amy has two children.  Amy’s son is 13 and my daughter is 9 (as of 2019).  Her husband has worked for Children’s Hospital, in IT, for over 11 years and they love many outdoor activities including snowboarding/skiing, swimming and riding off road motorcycles.