Peter Abner, CPA  At work: Pete’s background in tax compliance and research helps him to provide insight to his clients across a broad range of financial issues.  He has additional expertise in accounting based on the years he has spent supervising numerous compilation and review engagements. Pete works with clients in many industries including manufacturing, construction/real estate, distribution and services.  Pete assists businesses with tax and accounting compliance needs, as well as providing strategic business counsel.  Pete serves as an outsourced CFO to many of his clients. Pete joined the firm in 1998 as an intern and upon graduation in 1999 joined the firm full time. Pete obtained his undergraduate degree in Accounting from Miami University, and also has a Master's Degree in Taxation from the University of Cincinnati. He is a member of the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.   Away from work: Pete currently serves as Treasurer and board member for One Way Farms, a children’s home located in Fairfield, Ohio.   At leisure:  Pete is an avid Miami University sports fan. It is not uncommon to find him at one of the various sports venues on campus cheering on the Miami Redhawks.     Pete and his wife, Lori, reside in Ross. They are the proud parents of a son. You can contact Pete at: pabner@kirschcpa.com                 Daniel Backus At work: Dan joined the Kirsch CPA firm in November, 2007. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Miami University. Dan assists businesses in a variety of capacities, including tax planning and preparations and outsourced accounting functions. He also works with compilations and year-end planning. At leisure: Dan enjoys competing in sprint triathlons, where he participates in swimming, biking, and running. Preparation for the triathlons involves running at least three days a week for three miles.    In addition to preparing for triathlons, Dan is fond of playing all sports. He particularly enjoys playing indoor soccer.   Dan has recently become engaged to Lori Fath.  They are planning a wedding for June, 2009.   You can contact Dan at: dbackus@kirschcpa.com                  Leslie Barden, CPA   At work: Leslie joined the firm in 2005. She has a Bachelor Degree in Accounting from West Virginia University and a Master of Accountancy degree from Miami University.   Leslie assists businesses in a variety of capacities, including outsourced accounting functions, tax planning and preparation and financial analysis.    At leisure:                                                                                            While at West Virginia University, Leslie competed on the soccer team, which ranked nationally in the top 25 each of her four years and competed in the NCAA Sweet 16 round her junior year.  Leslie still occasionally plays indoor soccer for fun. Leslie is engaged to be married next October, 2008, to Brent Wilkens. They are looking forward to making wedding plans, including a Caribbean cruise. You can contact Leslie at: lbarden@kirschcpa.com               Janis Bergeron, CPA At work:  Janis graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a Bachelor of Arts and the University of Windsor with a Bachelor of Commerce. She scored 19th in the country of Canada when she took her Chartered Accountant exam in 1995.  Janis is a licensed CPA, as well as a Canadian Chartered Accountant.  She is a member of the Ohio Society of CPA's. Janis previously worked for a national CPA firm in Canada.  She joined the Kirsch CPA firm in 2001,   where she is presently a manager. Janis handles tax planning and compliance, as well as accounting and auditing  for  businesses and non-profit organizations. At leisure: When Janis is away from the office, you will most likely find her at the Goggin Ice Center on the campus of Miami University. Her husband, Chris, is the varsity coach of the Miami Redhawks ice hockey team. When the Redhawks are not playing, Janis is still at the ice center watching their two sons during skating practice or participating in their own ice hockey games. Janis enjoys relaxing by watching television or reading a good book. She also loves to go shopping.  Janis and her family have limited time to vacation, but they have enjoyed a trip to Disney World and vacations in Hilton Head, South Carolina. One fact that you may not know about Janis is that she has a twin sister, Janey. You can contact Janis at: jbergeron@kirschcpa.com                                 Becky Byrd  At work: Before joining the Kirsch CPA Group in 2001, Becky had done private accounting. Her experience includes work with corporations, partnerships, farms and sole proprietors.  Becky has recently completed her accounting classes at Indiana University, where she earned an Associates degree in Accounting. At leisure: One of Becky’s favorite activities is fishing. She and her husband, Malcolm, have a private pond on their property at home where they can fish whenever they want.  Becky has two sons, who are devoted fishermen. Both boys also enjoy hunting for bugs around the pond and surrounding area. Vacation time usually means a family trip somewhere to fish, especially in Nova Scotia, where there is lots of seafood to enjoy. Another desired fishing location can be found at Red Lake, Ontario. At home, Becky enjoys gardening, where she has both flower gardens and vegetable gardens. She also enjoys walking and hiking.  You can contact Becky at: bbyrd@kirschcpa.com                        Rhonda Cassidy At work:  Rhonda joined the firm in 2001 and assists businesses as well as individuals with tax planning, accounting and strategic business planning. Rhonda helps businesses with the design and implementation of accounting software and is a Certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor.   The outsourcing work Rhonda completes includes bill paying, invoices, and updating books for several corporations.  Rhonda received her Associate's degree in Accounting from Miami University.  Away from work:  In the past, Rhonda has been involved with the Hamilton Chamber, where she has had some leadership roles. At leisure: Rhonda enjoys volunteering at her son’s school, helping the students in the computer lab. She would like to spend more time working on scrap booking, but her time is presently occupied taking care of her 1½ year old son. Rhonda and her husband, Steve, enjoy spending time with their two sons at King’s Island, particularly in the Water Park. This past summer, they vacationed in Florida at Disney World. Recently, Rhonda and her husband took a long weekend trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. You can contact Rhonda at: rcassidy@kirschcpa.com                        Jill Frieden, CPA  At work: Prior to joining the firm in 2004, Jill worked in public accounting for two years.  Jill received her Bachelor and Master degrees in Accountancy from Miami University. She placed 8th in the state of Ohio on the November 2002 CPA examination. Jill assists businesses with tax planning, accounting and strategic business planning. At leisure: Jill and her husband, Vince, enjoy attending sporting events at Miami University in Oxford. They regularly attend the Miami Redhawks football and basketball games. Leisure time for Jill and Vince usually includes visiting family members. They have been on several vacations with different members of Jill’s family. Jill enjoys relaxing at home watching her favorite television programs or reading a good book. You can contact Jill at: jfrieden@kirschcpa.com                    Melinda Hannah, CPA  At work: Pr:ior to joining the firm in 1997, Melinda worked in the banking industry for twelve years. Serving as a supervisor, Melinda assists individuals and businesses with tax planning and accounting. Melinda is a member of the Ohio Society of CPAs. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Accounting from NorthernKentuckyUniversity and a Bachelor's degree in Marketing from NorthernKentuckyUniversity. Away from work: Melinda has been a guest speaker in Butler Tech parenting classes assisting the class members with budgeting, finances, and credit.   Melinda is instrumental in planning service projects for the Kirsch CPA team. Last year, at Christmas time, the firm helped to wrap and purchase Christmas gifts for the local One Way Farm.   At leisure:   Melinda enjoys getting together with her family for summer picnics, where a friendly card game usually follows the meal. She likes cooking and has been the chef for a large family reunion at NorrisLake for the past few summers.   Melinda is an enthused fan of all sports, particularly NCAA basketball, college and pro football and baseball. She played basketball for her high school basketball team and has been on the church softball team.   Traveling is another activity where Melinda likes to spend her time. She has visited Israel, Europe, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. She spent 20 years working in Youth ministry, where she traveled on many mission trips both in and out of the country.   Melinda has recently been active in the Northern Lights Emmaus Community, where she served on the Board of Directors for three years and was the Community Lay Director for one year.   She has been a team member for many Emmaus weekends.   When Melinda has some time to relax, she will probably be reading or watching a black and white movie classic.   You can contact Melinda at mhannah@kirschcpa.com                       Dave Ludwin, CPA   At work:    Dave joined the firm in 1996. He advises individuals and closely held businesses in tax planning and compliance matters, operational strategies, computer software implementation and use, and other financial matters. He has experience in a wide range of industries including manufacturing, distribution, health care, retail, service and agriculture. Dave received his Bachelor Degree from Miami University and has previously worked for a national and local CPA firm as well as holding positions in industry.  At leisure:  When Dave is not at work, he participates in several sports activities. He plays golf and enjoys fly fishing. Dave and his family enjoy traveling. They have vacationed to several National Parks e.g. Grand Teton and Yellowstone.  He and his wife, Sandy, just returned from a trip to San Francisco, where they celebrated their 25th Wedding Anniversary. At home, Dave enjoys doing home improvement tasks. As a handy man, Dave has completed several home remodeling projects.  Dave and his wife, Sandy, have three children. He has a son and a daughter in college and a daughter in high school. You can contact Dave at: dludwin@kirschcpa.com                              Jackie Powell  At work: Jackie assists businesses with tax planning and accounting. As a Certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor, she helps businesses with the design and implementation of accounting software.   Prior to joining the firm in 1995 Jackie worked in industry. She is currently taking two classes at Miami University in cost accounting and business laws and ethics. In the Spring, she will take one more class in economics before fulfilling the requirements of earning  a Bachelor's degree in Accounting.    Away from work: Jackie enjoys doing community service work by volunteering each year at the Joe Nuxhall Golf outing, driving the beverage cart. At leisure: When Jackie is not at the office, you will probably find her at home in her garden. She and her husband, Lu, grow all of their own vegetables e.g. beans, corn, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, peppers and more. After harvesting her crops in the fall, Jackie cans green beans; she makes salsa and spaghetti sauce from the tomatoes. Jackie and her husband, Lu, have a son, who is attending Miami University, majoring in Communications. You can contact Jackie at: jpowell@kirschcpa.com              Charles Robinson                At work: After spending 20 years as a controller at a mid-sized manufacturing company in Dayton, Charles joined our team in 2004. He received his accounting degree from Xavier University and has served as a Captain in the U.S. Army. At leisure: Charles and his wife, Mary Ann, have four children and are proud grandparents of seven grandchildren. You can contact Charles at: crobinson@kirschcpa.com             Stephanie Rupnik, CPA At work: Stephanie joined the Kirsch CPA firm in November, 2007. She previously worked for three years in public accounting in Louisville, KY. and 1 year of private accounting in Mason, OH. Stephanie received her Bachelor and Master degrees in Accounting from Miami University.  She is a licensed CPA and a member of the Ohio Society of CPAs. Stephanie has been working part-time completing various projects and will focus on 1040 completions during the 2008 tax season.   At leisure:   Stephanie is married to Frank, a Presbyterian minister and Navy chaplain reservist. He is currently serving in Afghanistan.    Stephanie spends most of her leisure time at their church in Loveland, participating in a wide variety of church activities. She is a youth group leader and Deacon at the church; she is also the chairperson of the missions committee and women’s group.   Stephanie enjoys participating in church activities, but her number one priority is taking care of their one-year-old son, Frank IV.     You can contact Stephanie at: srupnik@kirschcpa.com                                                                  Sue Schloemer, CPA At work: Sue joined the firm in 2004 and is a licensed CPA. Prior to joining the firm, Sue worked for a national CPA firm. She received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Northern Kentucky University and is a member of the Ohio Society of CPA's. Sue handles tax planning, compliance, and accounting for businesses and buisiness owners.  At leisure: Sue and her husband, Steve, have two children.  They enjoy family vacations, bike riding, and Cincinnati Reds' baseball games.  Sue spends much of her leisure time watching her children participate in various sports' activities. You can contact Sue at: sschloemer@kirschcpa.com                                                                                        Robin Singer  At work: Robin joined the Kirsch CPA Group team on May 14, 2007. Prior to working at the firm, Robin worked for thirteen years as an assistant controller for a group of car dealerships in Richmond, Indiana. She received the Ford Accounting Excellence Award while working at her previous job. Robin has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Ball State University.   The tax preparation work that Robin completes usually involves work with corporations, S-corps, and non-profit organizations.   At leisure:   Robin and her husband, Ron, are the proud parents of a son and a daughter. Much of her leisure time is spent watching her son play baseball and basketball. Robin also enjoys watching her daughter’s tap lessons and recitals.   Being from Indiana, Robin is a huge Colts fan; she watches NFL football regularly. She also enjoys golfing with her husband. When she has some time to spend alone, Robin enjoys reading.   Vacation times have taken Robin and her family to a variety of places, including Disney World, Cancun, and Las Vegas. You can contact Robin at: rsinger@kirschcpa.com                    Debra Weber, CPA   At work: Debbie joined the firm in 2001 as a supervisor and a CPA. Prior to joining the firm she worked for a local accounting firm in Cincinnati. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from the University of Cincinnati.  Debbie enjoys working with entrepreneurs, helping them grow their businesses and minimize their taxes. Some of her clients include businesses in the fields of transportation, service, retail/wholesale and manufacturing. Debbie is a member of the Ohio Society of CPAs, the American Institute of CPA, and the Kentucky Society of CPAs. She has certification as a Quickbooks Pro Advisor and has published works in business journals. Away from work: Debbie is the past president of the Cincinnati chapter of the American Society of Women Accountants. She has also served as the president of the Cincinnati chapter of the American Business Women’s Association. At leisure: Debbie and her husband, Dave, have a daughter in elementary school. Debbie enjoys volunteering at her daughter's school, helping in the cafeteria, assisting in the classroom and working at the school festivals.  Debbie spends additional leisure time watching her daughter play basketball and volleyball; she also helps with Girl Scout activities.  You can contact Debbie at: dweber@kirschcpa.com