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Firm Profile

Call it philosophy, vision, or just the way we are: we serve each of our clients to the utmost of our ability, we treat our colleagues with respect, and we proudly support the communities in which we live.

Click around and get to know us a little better!

The Executive Team

Rachel G. Young, CPA, CGMA MAcc

Chief Executive Officer &
Strategic Consultant
Kolbe: 8-7-2-3

Rachel is the Queen of governmental & nonprofit auditing, financial reporting regulation, and governance. She is a proven strategic planning advisor. Her free time is family time - there's nothing better than a day with her husband, Josh, & their 2 children, Edy & Silas.

Diane Anderson

Chief Operating Officer &
Strategic Relationship Consultant
Kolbe: 9-6-3-2

Diane is here to get you rocking & rolling with the right team members to start reaching your goals. (Not-so) hidden talent? She's banking & capital expert. Speaking of rock & roll... she and her husband love going to concerts & traveling to Napa and/or Lake Tahoe.

Erann Thompson

Principal
Kolbe: 8-7-2-3

Erann works side-by-side with business owners to find the right combination of accounting cloud applications to develop efficiencies & profitability for your business. Erann and her husband live in Foley with their son and nephew. Together they all enjoy boating, fishing, and anything on the water.

Of Counsel

Xavier Hartmann, III, CPA

A founder of the firm, Xavier paved the way for us to be here to serve you today. Now he occasionally offers consulting & litigation services, but mostly prefers to spend his time in New Orleans eating good food and watching great sports.

Sally Wagner, CPA

A relationship expert and accounting whiz, Sally knows her way around a tax return & still occasionally shows off her skills while training younger staff. She loves meeting up with friends for dinner, working out at the Y, and traveling to see her niece in Texas.

Earl Blackmon, CPA, CGMA

Financial Consultant

A successful LSS Greenbelt consultant, a Wealth Management Advisor, and 35+ as an accounting consultant to boot! Earl specializes in healthcare, retail & real estate industries. He enjoys camping with his wife, Lisa, visiting with his grandchildren, & watching sports - Go Jags! & Chop On!

Our Team

Nancy Bell

Director of Internal Strategy

Guess who's back? Back again? It's Nancy! After a few decades hiatus to work for the government, Nancy has returned to take over our HR and Firm Administrator duties. Besides making sure we get paid and coordinating with all our vendors, Nancy also loves K-Pop, her family, and making the most delicious smelling lunches our kitchen has ever produced.

Crissy Bonifay

Payroll Supervisor
Kolbe: 7-7-3-3

Crissy has been with our firm for 22+ years. She's developed an expertise in payroll and now offers those services and advice to clients. A Mardi Gras enthusiast, Crissy is one of the original founders of the Mystics of the Bay Krewe. She also loves reading, watching The Walking Dead and Supernatural, and hanging out with her family.

Heather Brackin

Project Coordinator
Kolbe: 6-8-2-3

Working from Birmingham, Heather assists with a huge range of tasks from arranging client meetings, to coordinating big projects, and tracking our many internal initiatives. Some of her favorite things are: her husband, their kitties, and growing orchids.

Yvonne Bryars

Customer Service Specialist

After a short time away, Yvonne has returned to reprise her role as a customer service specialist in Fairhope! She's the first friendly face you see when you visiting and her knowledge of our firm and clients makes her a true asset. In her free time Yvonne loves to be with family and go bargain shopping!

Taylor Clinkenbeard, CPA

Strategic Analyst
Kolbe: 6-7-2-6

Taylor has a unique aptitude for identifying trends in numbers. Maybe that's why she's so great at training clients who want to understand cloud software. Some of her favorite activities include going to the beach, being outside, & Netflix binging.

Carly Corte, MAcc

Strategic Analyst
Kolbe: 7-8-2-3

Carly excels at performing internal control analysis, audits, compilations and reviews for small companies, government agencies, 401k’s and not for profit organizations. She loves cats, pickles, going to the beach, & watching Crimson Tide football.

Amanda Green

Customer Service Specialist
Kolbe: 6-6-4-4

17 years ago, Amanda started right in the middle of a tax season and decided to stick around. That was lucky for us! She makes sure your problems are resolved while providing support to our team. She enjoys spending time with her son, Wesley, & volunteering with the Fairhope Fire Explorer Post 5058 program.

Josh Jensen, CPA

Strategic Advisor
Kolbe: 8-5-3-3

A remote employee working in Mississippi since 2007, Josh perfected the WFH model long ago. His expertise serves business clients with a primary focus in the construction industry. Josh enjoys traveling, Saints football, golfing & being with his family.

Kirsten Robertson Owens, CPA

Strategic Analyst
Kolbe: 9-5-3-2

As an auditor, throughout the year Kirsten meets with clients to assist with their annual audit and address any concerns they have. As a mentor, Kirsten is very involved with our interns to assist with their training and coaching during their time with our company. She likes to boat, fish and hunt. When not outside, you’ll find her hanging out at home with her husband and their 2 dogs and 1 cat.

Ellie LaPorte

Analyst
Kolbe: 7-8-4-2

A recent graduate from the University of South Alabama, Ellie joined Avizo after completing a spring internship. She is now part of our team developing expertise in our tax, assurance, and client accounting services.

Karen McKinney

Strategic Advisor
Kolbe: 8-6-3-3

With 30+ years of accounting experience, Karen's expertise lies in navigating complex business compliance and planning for healthcare, retail, and construction entities. She loves being a grandma, spending time with family, and celebrating Mardi Gras.

Shelby Pate

Customer Service Specialist
Kolbe: 5-7-7-2

A true relationship-builder, Shelby adores the clients she works with. She takes time to get to know you and make sure you’re taken care of every time you come to visit. She is also a lover of exotic birds and is a volunteer board member for both CACC vet tech advisory board and for the South Alabama’s Cage Bird Society.

Kim Pendley

Strategic Analyst
Kolbe: 8-8-2-3

If you’re a business owner and your books are a mess – Kim can fix it. She has 25+ years of experience in nonprofit & governmental accounting and financial reporting as well as individual taxation (specifically LLCs or rental property). She enjoys spending time with her family and her dog, Cocoa and is a big fan of Nebraska Huskers football. Actually, she loves to watch most sports – including football, basketball, baseball, and WWE.

Marian Pekelder, CPA

Strategic Advisor
Kolbe: 8-3-6-2

Business owners can rely on Marian for answering questions with practical, well-researched advice. Around the firm, everyone knows she can whip up a response to an IRS notice in her sleep. Outside of work, you’ll often find her working in her yard, camping with friends, or tending to her horses, cats, and dogs.

Javier Ahumada, MBA

Analyst
KOLBE: 8-3-4-4

Javier graduated from the University of Mobile. After working three years in New York, he returned to Alabama and joined our team. As part of Avizo, Javier assists with tax, assurance, and client accounting services. He enjoys playing tennis, outdoor activities, and hanging out with his family in his free time.

Elizabeth Hope

Strategic Analyst
KOLBE:4-6-3-7

Fairhope native, Auburn University alum (War Eagle!), and public accountant with over 6 years of experience. She went from Dallas, TX, to Park City, UT, before moving back home. Elizabeth is passionate about water activities like scuba diving, sailing, and kayaking.

Jill Rector

Billing Specialist Lead
Kolbe: 7-4-4-3

Dedicated to continuous improvement, Jill is always listening to client and employee feedback to make our billing process as efficient as possible. As a remote employee she resides in Destin, Florida with her husband and grandson. Jill has a lot of fun remodeling furniture, watching Alabama football, and going to church.

Lucia Guajardo

Marketing and Operations Coordinator

Lucia is a graduate of the University of Mobile and joined our team in November 2023 after working in New York for three years. Lucia handles marketing tasks and assists our CAS department with various projects. She resides in Fairhope, Alabama, with her husband, Javier. In her free time, Lucia enjoys spending time with her family, and engaging in outdoor activities.

Suzy Minto

Client Accounting Specialist

Suzy is excited to be part of the team! With over 20 years of experience in the field, she brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to her work. A resident of Fairhope, Suzy stays active through weight lifting, running, and spinning classes, while also enjoying a good book in her downtime.

Heidi Payne

Client Accounting Services Supervisor

Heidi began her career in Public Accounting over 18 years ago, including five years in the non-profit sector. She currently resides in Spanish Fort with her three boys and their dog, Bear. In her free time, Heidi enjoys traveling, going to the beach, and spending quality time with her sons.