Phil is the man with the plan who started it all in 1967. His unwavering commitment to do his share and a little bit more means our clients benefit not only from his business and financial wisdom, but also from his prowess with a snow shovel and salt spreader as they walk up our sidewalk in the dead of winter.
Brian is a legend not only in the CPA world, but also the basketball world, having starred at Concord High School and Albion College. Now he puts that competitiveness to work for our clients, never settling for less than excellence as a CFO or controller for hire.
Accountant
Dennis is an income tax and estate planning guru, having cut his teeth at a “Big Eight” CPA firm before coming to W&J in 1981. Although semi-retired now so he has more time to ride his bike, travel and attend the opera, he is still a trusted advisor to high net worth clients.
Will comes to us from the Great White North (Canada), but you can’t even notice the accent anymore. Instead, you will notice his exceptional knowledge of your business and how to apply accounting and tax laws to your circumstances. He is also one of Grand Rapids’ premier Sage 100 ERP software specialists.
Nancy is so easy-going, it is easy to imagine her as a flower child in a former life. But don’t let that fool you. As a leader of our auditing department, she is dedicated to making sure our clients’ financial statements are presented in accordance with GAAP (or IFRS, if that’s your thing).
Rick’s dynamic personality allows him to juggle many tasks, as he practically becomes part of your company to assist with your accounting, financing and taxes. Just don’t expect him at your office around November 15th each year… something about deer.
Barb always knew she wanted to be in the accounting world, but upon realizing she doesn’t like math, she opted for the administrative roles. Without Barb, the Jackson office might just fall apart during tax season, as she handles our e-files.
Over 35 years of experience that includes a controllership position with a large local manufacturer, public accounting providing tax advisory, business consulting, and employee benefit services. Eric is a Western Michigan University graduate who dreams about the Broncos winning a national championship someday, so until then he’ll have to settle for dreaming of ways to provide clients with the best possible assistance.
Christine has come a long way from the tough streets of Ferndale, Michigan. With her dad as a math teacher and her own interest in baking, she knows a lot about pi and pie. When it comes to her job, she knows a lot about governmental and not-for-profit auditing, plus she’s one of our resident business valuation experts.
Sara is a W&J-lifer thus far in her career, having started in 2004 after graduating from Western Michigan. Since then, she has become a “Jill of all trades,” working on taxes, financials, audits and whatever else needs to get done around here. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time at Houghton Lake with her family.
Amy is the first person you will see when you come into our Jackson office. She is a Michigan native, but new to the Jackson area. Amy lives on Lake Somerset with her husband and children. When time allows, reading, crocheting and cooking are a few of her hobbies.
Sadie is another Albion College graduate. While at school, she rode for the college’s Hunt Seat Equestrian team. Sadie initially went to school to pursue general business, but found herself in an accounting class watching pieces of a puzzle coming together to form statements. She has always loved puzzles and was driven by the satisfaction derived from arriving at a solution. She would describe her work approach as patient and methodical, and this love of working gradually away at problems has followed her life outside of work as well. She enjoys reading and knitting in her free time, as well as rollerblading and going on adventures to find new coffee shops and study nooks.
Brittnee is a graduate of Southern Nazarene University in Oklahoma. She received her CPA license in 2013 while working at a small firm in Oklahoma. She moved to Grand Rapids in July of 2014, and despite her first brutally cold winter decided to stay. Brittnee enjoys helping people with all of their tax needs. For the past few years she has been working to develop in-depth knowledge on state and local taxes. In her spare time she is busy chasing after her son and playing tennis.
Director of First Impressions
Before I retired my working years were spent in Human Resources, accounting and cash management. After enjoying retirement for about six years, I found I missed accounting. Who knew? So here I am at WJ, learning a little bit about taxes and all that it entails. When I’m not compiling, reviewing or updating, my favorite past time is reading and taking walks with my dog.
Accountant
Brandon hails from Albion College, as the 7th Albion College grad at the firm at the time of his hire. Brandon grew up working in a multi-generational family construction business, so his willingness to get up early and roll up his sleeves is apparent. Brandon will be working in all segments of the firm as he works towards his CPA certification.
Kim is a graduate of Michigan State University, has passed the uniform CPA exam and is a certified QuickBooks Online Pro Advisor. He brings a wealth of industry experience and a passion for problem-solving to our Client Accounting Services team. When he’s not busy streamlining QuickBooks entities, Kim enjoys running, & playing hockey.
Doug is a graduate of Ferris State University and quickly earned his CPA certification early in his career. Doug brings his years of experience in accounting to the Willis & Jurasek team and helping others brings him great satisfaction. When he’s not behind a computer screen Doug loves playing euchre at the local township hall, participating in his local church, as well as doing just about anything in the great outdoors with friends and family.
Sarah joined our Client Accounting Services team and has experience in a variety of accounting roles. She recently earned her EA status and will be taking a more active role in in tax preparation. Crafting, gardening, and family time keep her busy when she’s not at the office.
Caleb is a graduate of Concordia University Ann Arbor where he was a 2-time NCCAA National Champion with the baseball team. A sports enthusiast, Caleb was on the fast track to working in the world of sport for the rest of his life when he stepped into his first accounting class and felt right at home in the world of accounting. Now he’s here at W&J putting his passion for accounting to use assisting our clients.
Karri has lived in Jackson her whole life and recently joined our Client Accounting Services team. She has 30 years of experience in bookkeeping and payroll processing. Karri enjoys playing tennis and being outside with her dogs. She also enjoys cooking out on the weekends and spending time with her family.
Ryan is a graduate from Western Michigan University that had an eager drive to pursue mechanical engineering until his classes in physics and chemistry kicked in. So changing mindsets, during basic business courses he had an epiphany that the art of accounting may be his calling, he never looked back. He enjoys meeting and conversing with clients to find ways to add value to their business, and in his free time loves hunting, golfing and spending time with family and friends. He is also still dreaming of a Detroit Lions super bowl appearance.
Linda is a CPA and has over 30 years of experience in tax and accounting. She also has a Master in Taxation from Grand Valley. She currently works mainly on Individual, Trusts and Estates tax preparation and planning, but has many years of experience in Corporate, Partner and Multi-state taxation. Linda is a member of the AICPA and MICPA, currently serving on the MICPA Small Practitioners Task Force. When she is not preparing tax returns, she is in her pool or spending time with her grandchildren.