Jela Basista
Jela earned her Bachelor of Science in Economics and Tourism Management from the Economic University of Bratislava in the Slovak Republic. She came to the United States in 1998. Once both of her daughters started school, Jela decided to restart her career and chose the accounting profession. She completed the necessary accounting coursework at CNM and became a licensed CPA in 2013. Since then, Jela has been working in public accounting, primarily as an auditor of governmental entities and non-profit organizations.
Jela joined 501(C)PA in February 2021 to become a member of the country’s only nonprofit CPA firm, and to be part of a team of dedicated specialists helping our nonprofit clients achieve financial stability and increase mission impact.
Jordan Cheresposy
Jordan is from the Pueblo of Laguna. He has several years of accounting experience at tribal owned organizations and, most recently, at nonprofits. Jordan is glad to be at 501(C)PA where he can combine those two interests – he enjoys assisting nonprofits that assist Native American communities. He’s currently attending University of New Mexico and is pursuing his Bachelor’s in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting. He anticipates graduating in Spring 2024. When Jordan has a moment between work and school, he enjoys cooking, hiking, traveling and spending time with family and friends.
Holly Dilts
Specializing in nonprofit accounting and payroll for over fifteen years, Holly understands the needs and complexities of nonprofit organizations. She is focused and dedicated to her craft and takes special pleasure in helping nonprofit administrators navigate the challenges of transaction coding and payroll cost allocations among multiple programs, grants, and projects. Holly’s warmth and professionalism inevitably make clients feel that she is on their side and part of their team. Holly is community oriented and active in her Church, serving the homeless, teaching Bible classes, presenting workshops on healthy lifestyles, and volunteering as a “Helping Hands” to assist the elderly and others in need. Other activities include bird watching, hikes in nature, and biking.
Sarah Dunn
Sarah is a Wyoming native but was raised and has lived most of her life in Albuquerque. She graduated from UNM with a degree in accounting and has more than 45 years of accounting experience. Sarah’s career has spanned senior management and leadership positions for engineering firms doing business nationally and with not-for-profit medical research and charitable organizations. She is pleased to now be taking a step back as a part-time Staff Accountant and enjoying a smaller role utilizing her extensive experience to support clients benefiting from the great services provided by 501cpa. Sarah and her husband have three children and three grandchildren, with whom she most enjoys her time. She enjoys playing golf, reading, time relaxing in Northern NM with family, and knitting and crocheting with a dog and cat in her lap.
Yvonne Enriquez
Yvonne was born and raised in Albuquerque, NM, and has a deeply rooted love and respect for the culture and the great people of NM. She enjoys giving back to her community through church and other fellowship groups. She loves nature, the outdoors, traveling, cooking, caregiving and spending time with her family and friends.
Throughout a career of hard work and dedication, she has taken her passion for numbers and her natural aptitude for attention to detail and has honed her craft as a talented Accounting/Payroll Specialist. She constantly continues to develop and grow as she enjoys introducing herself to new ways of enhancing those talents.
Yvonne is excited about her future with 501(C)PA and looks forward to successfully and attentively serving the Payroll needs of all of our amazing nonprofit clients.
Mariah Garcia
Mariah Garcia earned her Bachelor of Accounting degree from the University of New Mexico and her Master of Health Administration from the University of Cincinnati. She first started with accounting in the healthcare industry for Eye Associates of New Mexico, and then began working for the University of New Mexico in Contracts and Grant Accounting for the Health Sciences Center. She gained great experience at UNM-HSC with contracting, grants, subawards, and working with external organizations in the community. Mariah then moved onto federal accounting for Los Alamos National Laboratory. After spending time in accounting in her previous positions, Mariah was intrigued by 501(C)PA’s non-profit accounting because of its involvement in serving the community and its mission. Mariah has a passion for helping others and wanting to improve the community. She volunteers and serves in her church in the homeless ministry. Mariah enjoys spending time with her husband and two kids. They love to go camping and spend time outdoors. She loves football, fishing, and golfing in her spare time.
Sonia Mendez
Sonia was born and raised in New York City where she earned her Associate’s degree at Monroe Community College in Business. She earned her Bachelor’s degree online in business in 2020, during the pandemic, at American Intercontinental University. She lived in League City, Texas for 12 years before recently transitioning to New Mexico in November, 2022, with her husband, two kids and four (big!) dogs.
Working at 501(C)PA as a Junior Accountant is Sonia’s first position with a nonprofit. She delights in working with AP and AR and is sharing lots of her knowledge with the team. She’s found the 501(C)PA team to be truly dedicated to helping clients succeed and grow. She appreciates everyone’s hard work which makes her strive to perfect her craft in nonprofit accounting.
Sonia is really excited to be working for 501CPA and learning more about our clients!
Melanie Oglesby
Melanie Oglesby earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology from Kaplan University. Past work history has included being at a couple of for-profit start-up companies where she was introduced to the wonderful world of accounting! She quickly developed a passion for accounting and ultimately made a career change to grow in accounting. Melanie is very excited to gain more knowledge in her chosen field and to join the non-profit accounting community. She’s also looking forward to learning more about her clients and helping them be as successful as possible. When she’s not doing accounting, Melanie loves Zumba and is a licensed instructor. She also spends time traveling and creating memories with her two daughters, husband, two cats and a dog!
Ben Pedneau
Ben earned his Masters of Accountancy at Colorado State University and they liked him so much they hired him to work as a benefits accountant in their human resources department! But, the desire to return to his home state of New Mexico was irresistible and in the summer of 2017 he relocated to Santa Fe and joined 501(C)PA shortly thereafter. Ben enjoys that his professional career is about helping nonprofits thrive and he takes special pleasure in assisting clients in understanding their financial reports. When at play, Ben enjoys photography, and he and his wife love to explore archaeology sites around New Mexico after doing a little research at the Archaeological Conservancy.
Rachel Pippin
Rachel earned her Bachelor of Science in Biological Anthropology from UNM in 2010. She spent many years working in veterinary medicine before returning to school to study accounting. After completing her accounting coursework, she went on to pass both sections of the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) exam. As a proud New Mexican, Rachel loves to see local businesses making a difference in the community and is excited to work with so many amazing nonprofits. In her free time, Rachel loves spending time outside with her husband and two kids. Together, they enjoy hiking, camping, gardening, and fossil hunting.
Becca Pott
Becca earned her Bachelors of Accountancy from New Mexico State University in 2014 and decided to stay in Las Cruces, where she worked for a small CPA firm for 3 1/2 years. Her primary focus was in auditing governments around New Mexico, but she gained valuable experience in almost all aspects of accounting and tax return preparation. She then decided to dedicate herself full-time to studying for the CPA exams and also answered the call of her home town, Albuquerque. Becca successfully passed her final section of the CPA exams in 2019 and began work at 501(C)PA shortly thereafter. Becca is detail oriented, friendly, and hard working. She loves being able to use her gifts to help nonprofits stay organized and have the most accurate financial statements possible. It’s also a bonus that she gets to spend all day making spreadsheets (almost)! When she isn’t working you can find her hanging out with her dog & cat, doing puzzles, and planning her next Disney vacation!
Karen Schmitz
Karen grew up in Virginia and earned her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from George Mason University. She earned her CPA license in Virginia and is an active member of the AICPA. Early in her career, Karen worked in internal audit for a regional bank, and prepared tax returns and tax planning at KPMG. She and her husband moved to New Mexico and she worked for The Gap Inc. for 17 years moving her way up to Senior Manager of Financial Reporting. At Gap, she had exposure to non-profit accounting and wanted to learn more, which made 501(C)PA a great next step in her journey. Karen enjoys helping others and seeing communities come together to make a difference in the lives of others. Spending time with her family is her happy place.
kschmitz@501cpa.org:
Tiffany Sires
Tiffany Sires was born and raised in Silver City, New Mexico, and recently relocated to Albuquerque with her husband and children. She earned both her Bachelor and Master degrees in Accounting and Business, respectively, from Western New Mexico University, and has more than 10 years of nonprofit accounting experience. She has worked with various types of nonprofits in New Mexico and holds each of them near and dear to her heart as all were integral in building her life, career, and education. In her down time, she enjoys spending time in her local community, exploring, hiking, riding bikes, shopping, and spending time with family. Tiffany is looking forward to working with 501(C)PA’s various clients as a Payroll Specialist!
tsires@501cpa.org:
Christina Solaequi
Christina earned her Bachelor and Master of Accountancy degrees from New Mexico State University and began her career at a growing healthcare startup company in Las Cruces. After gaining a substantial amount of experience there, she wanted to work in a field where she would gain a sense of fulfillment and be a part of an organization that would benefit her community.
Before switching to nonprofit accounting and joining 501(C)PA in January 2022, Christina realized her dream of living in Seoul, South Korea, and attending language school there to perfect her Korean speaking skills. She is excited to learn more about the non-profit accounting field while also using her established expertise in accounting to help her clients move forward with realizing their goals.
When Christina has free time, she enjoys practicing her Korean language skills with her husband, swimming, playing video games, and spending quality time with her two cats.
csolaequi@501cpa.org:
Monica Stapleton
Monica grew up in New Mexico and, from an early age, was taught the value of community and what it meant to help each other. Monica’s accounting career began in high school as a bookkeeper for a family business. She then became an accountant at the University of New Mexico while studying computer programming. During her time as assistant controller at Mercy Hospital in Colorado, she earned a BS in Accounting with the University of Phoenix. Monica then worked for the Southern Ute Tribe as a Senior accountant. After relocating back to Albuquerque, Monica was employed as the Chief Financial Officer for the Notah Begay III Foundation and during this time, achieved certification as a Nonprofit Professional Accountant (CNPA).
Monica’s extensive experience has included tribal entities, health care, real estate development, and petroleum companies, but those early lessons in community service maintained her passion for the nonprofit sector. Monica’s desire to work for an organization where she could use her skills and knowledge to help many nonprofits succeed, and her years of nonprofit financial management experience, made 501(C)PA the perfect fit!
Katrina Trujillo
Katrina earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Master of Accountancy from Colorado State University. She began her career in public accounting as an Assurance Associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Denver, CO. After two and a half years with PwC, Katrina then made a career transition and became the Assistant Controller at Mi Casa Resource Center, a Denver nonprofit organization. With over five years of experience at Mi Casa, her career ultimately progressed into the role of Director of Finance. She earned her CPA license in Colorado and is an active member of the AICPA. She made the decision to move back to her home state of New Mexico at the end of 2018. Katrina is passionate about helping others understand financial information and enjoys seeing organizations thrive in their missions dedicated to serving the community. She loves spending time with her family and enjoys hiking and being outdoors.
Geri White
Geri joined 501(CPA in the fall of 2021 as their Human Resources Manager and is delighted to
be working in a nonprofit setting. With more than 25 years of human resources experience in
both private and public sectors, she has a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with us
and with our many nonprofit clients.
Geri’s academic credentials include a BA in Journalism with a double minor in Business and
Economics from Marquette University, a MBA from University of Wisconsin, a PHR certification
and just because she found it extremely interesting, a recently obtained Master’s of Science of
Law from University of New Mexico.
Geri loves to laugh and spend time with her husband, Mark, and their dog, Wile E. Coyote. She
also enjoys bicycling, golfing, reading, doing needlepoint, working out and kayaking.
Jela Basista
Manager of Accounting OperationsJela earned her Bachelor of Science in Economics and Tourism Management from the Economic University of Bratislava in the Slovak Republic. She came to the United States in 1998. Once both of her daughters started school, Jela decided to restart her career and chose the accounting profession. She completed the necessary accounting coursework at CNM and became a licensed CPA in 2013. Since then, Jela has been working in public accounting, primarily as an auditor of governmental entities and non-profit organizations.
Jela joined 501(C)PA in February 2021 to become a member of the country’s only nonprofit CPA firm, and to be part of a team of dedicated specialists helping our nonprofit clients achieve financial stability and increase mission impact.
Jordan Cheresposy
Junior Accountant
Jordan is from the Pueblo of Laguna. He has several years of accounting experience at tribal owned organizations and, most recently, at nonprofits. Jordan is glad to be at 501(C)PA where he can combine those two interests – he enjoys assisting nonprofits that assist Native American communities. He’s currently attending University of New Mexico and is pursuing his Bachelor’s in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting. He anticipates graduating in Spring 2024. When Jordan has a moment between work and school, he enjoys cooking, hiking, traveling and spending time with family and friends.
Holly Dilts
Payroll SpecialistSpecializing in nonprofit accounting and payroll for over fifteen years, Holly understands the needs and complexities of nonprofit organizations. She is focused and dedicated to her craft and takes special pleasure in helping nonprofit administrators navigate the challenges of transaction coding and payroll cost allocations among multiple programs, grants, and projects. Holly’s warmth and professionalism inevitably make clients feel that she is on their side and part of their team. Holly is community oriented and active in her Church, serving the homeless, teaching Bible classes, presenting workshops on healthy lifestyles, and volunteering as a “Helping Hands” to assist the elderly and others in need. Other activities include bird watching, hikes in nature, and biking.
Sarah Dunn
Staff AccountantSarah is a Wyoming native but was raised and has lived most of her life in Albuquerque. She graduated from UNM with a degree in accounting and has more than 45 years of accounting experience. Sarah’s career has spanned senior management and leadership positions for engineering firms doing business nationally and with not-for-profit medical research and charitable organizations. She is pleased to now be taking a step back as a part-time Staff Accountant and enjoying a smaller role utilizing her extensive experience to support clients benefiting from the great services provided by 501cpa. Sarah and her husband have three children and three grandchildren, with whom she most enjoys her time. She enjoys playing golf, reading, time relaxing in Northern NM with family, and knitting and crocheting with a dog and cat in her lap.
Yvonne Enriquez
Payroll SpecialistYvonne was born and raised in Albuquerque, NM, and has a deeply rooted love and respect for the culture and the great people of NM. She enjoys giving back to her community through church and other fellowship groups. She loves nature, the outdoors, traveling, cooking, caregiving and spending time with her family and friends.
Throughout a career of hard work and dedication, she has taken her passion for numbers and her natural aptitude for attention to detail and has honed her craft as a talented Accounting/Payroll Specialist. She constantly continues to develop and grow as she enjoys introducing herself to new ways of enhancing those talents.
Yvonne is excited about her future with 501(C)PA and looks forward to successfully and attentively serving the Payroll needs of all of our amazing nonprofit clients.
Mariah Garcia
Conversion AccountantMariah Garcia earned her Bachelor of Accounting degree from the University of New Mexico and her Master of Health Administration from the University of Cincinnati. She first started with accounting in the healthcare industry for Eye Associates of New Mexico, and then began working for the University of New Mexico in Contracts and Grant Accounting for the Health Sciences Center. She gained great experience at UNM-HSC with contracting, grants, subawards, and working with external organizations in the community. Mariah then moved onto federal accounting for Los Alamos National Laboratory. After spending time in accounting in her previous positions, Mariah was intrigued by 501(C)PA’s non-profit accounting because of its involvement in serving the community and its mission. Mariah has a passion for helping others and wanting to improve the community. She volunteers and serves in her church in the homeless ministry. Mariah enjoys spending time with her husband and two kids. They love to go camping and spend time outdoors. She loves football, fishing, and golfing in her spare time.
Sonia Mendez
Junior AccountantSonia was born and raised in New York City where she earned her Associate’s degree at Monroe Community College in Business. She earned her Bachelor’s degree online in business in 2020, during the pandemic, at American Intercontinental University. She lived in League City, Texas for 12 years before recently transitioning to New Mexico in November, 2022, with her husband, two kids and four (big!) dogs.
Working at 501(C)PA as a Junior Accountant is Sonia’s first position with a nonprofit. She delights in working with AP and AR and is sharing lots of her knowledge with the team. She’s found the 501(C)PA team to be truly dedicated to helping clients succeed and grow. She appreciates everyone’s hard work which makes her strive to perfect her craft in nonprofit accounting.
Sonia is really excited to be working for 501CPA and learning more about our clients!
Melanie Oglesby
Junior AccountantMelanie Oglesby earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology from Kaplan University. Past work history has included being at a couple of for-profit start-up companies where she was introduced to the wonderful world of accounting! She quickly developed a passion for accounting and ultimately made a career change to grow in accounting. Melanie is very excited to gain more knowledge in her chosen field and to join the non-profit accounting community. She’s also looking forward to learning more about her clients and helping them be as successful as possible. When she’s not doing accounting, Melanie loves Zumba and is a licensed instructor. She also spends time traveling and creating memories with her two daughters, husband, two cats and a dog!
Ben Pedneau
Staff AccountantBen earned his Masters of Accountancy at Colorado State University and they liked him so much they hired him to work as a benefits accountant in their human resources department! But, the desire to return to his home state of New Mexico was irresistible and in the summer of 2017 he relocated to Santa Fe and joined 501(C)PA shortly thereafter. Ben enjoys that his professional career is about helping nonprofits thrive and he takes special pleasure in assisting clients in understanding their financial reports. When at play, Ben enjoys photography, and he and his wife love to explore archaeology sites around New Mexico after doing a little research at the Archaeological Conservancy.
Rachel Pippin
Junior AccountantRachel earned her Bachelor of Science in Biological Anthropology from UNM in 2010. She spent many years working in veterinary medicine before returning to school to study accounting. After completing her accounting coursework, she went on to pass both sections of the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) exam. As a proud New Mexican, Rachel loves to see local businesses making a difference in the community and is excited to work with so many amazing nonprofits. In her free time, Rachel loves spending time outside with her husband and two kids. Together, they enjoy hiking, camping, gardening, and fossil hunting.
Becca Pott
Staff AccountantBecca earned her Bachelors of Accountancy from New Mexico State University in 2014 and decided to stay in Las Cruces, where she worked for a small CPA firm for 3 1/2 years. Her primary focus was in auditing governments around New Mexico, but she gained valuable experience in almost all aspects of accounting and tax return preparation. She then decided to dedicate herself full-time to studying for the CPA exams and also answered the call of her home town, Albuquerque. Becca successfully passed her final section of the CPA exams in 2019 and began work at 501(C)PA shortly thereafter. Becca is detail oriented, friendly, and hard working. She loves being able to use her gifts to help nonprofits stay organized and have the most accurate financial statements possible. It’s also a bonus that she gets to spend all day making spreadsheets (almost)! When she isn’t working you can find her hanging out with her dog & cat, doing puzzles, and planning her next Disney vacation!
Karen Schmitz
Senior Accountant CPAKaren grew up in Virginia and earned her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from George Mason University. She earned her CPA license in Virginia and is an active member of the AICPA. Early in her career, Karen worked in internal audit for a regional bank, and prepared tax returns and tax planning at KPMG. She and her husband moved to New Mexico and she worked for The Gap Inc. for 17 years moving her way up to Senior Manager of Financial Reporting. At Gap, she had exposure to non-profit accounting and wanted to learn more, which made 501(C)PA a great next step in her journey. Karen enjoys helping others and seeing communities come together to make a difference in the lives of others. Spending time with her family is her happy place.
Tiffany Sires
Payroll SpecialistTiffany Sires was born and raised in Silver City, New Mexico, and recently relocated to Albuquerque with her husband and children. She earned both her Bachelor and Master degrees in Accounting and Business, respectively, from Western New Mexico University, and has more than 10 years of nonprofit accounting experience. She has worked with various types of nonprofits in New Mexico and holds each of them near and dear to her heart as all were integral in building her life, career, and education. In her down time, she enjoys spending time in her local community, exploring, hiking, riding bikes, shopping, and spending time with family. Tiffany is looking forward to working with 501(C)PA’s various clients as a Payroll Specialist!
Monica Stapleton
Chief Executive OfficerMonica grew up in New Mexico and, from an early age, was taught the value of community and what it meant to help each other. Monica’s accounting career began in high school as a bookkeeper for a family business. She then became an accountant at the University of New Mexico while studying computer programming. During her time as assistant controller at Mercy Hospital in Colorado, she earned a BS in Accounting with the University of Phoenix. Monica then worked for the Southern Ute Tribe as a Senior accountant. After relocating back to Albuquerque, Monica was employed as the Chief Financial Officer for the Notah Begay III Foundation and during this time, achieved certification as a Nonprofit Professional Accountant (CNPA).
Monica’s extensive experience has included tribal entities, health care, real estate development, and petroleum companies, but those early lessons in community service maintained her passion for the nonprofit sector. Monica’s desire to work for an organization where she could use her skills and knowledge to help many nonprofits succeed, and her years of nonprofit financial management experience, made 501(C)PA the perfect fit!
Christina Solaequi
Staff AccountantChristina earned her Bachelor and Master of Accountancy degrees from New Mexico State University and began her career at a growing healthcare startup company in Las Cruces. After gaining a substantial amount of experience there, she wanted to work in a field where she would gain a sense of fulfillment and be a part of an organization that would benefit her community.
Before switching to nonprofit accounting and joining 501(C)PA in January 2022, Christina realized her dream of living in Seoul, South Korea, and attending language school there to perfect her Korean speaking skills. She is excited to learn more about the non-profit accounting field while also using her established expertise in accounting to help her clients move forward with realizing their goals.
When Christina has free time, she enjoys practicing her Korean language skills with her husband, swimming, playing video games, and spending quality time with her two cats.
Katrina Trujillo
Manager of Systems Design & IntegrationKatrina earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Master of Accountancy from Colorado State University. She began her career in public accounting as an Assurance Associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Denver, CO. After two and a half years with PwC, Katrina then made a career transition and became the Assistant Controller at Mi Casa Resource Center, a Denver nonprofit organization. With over five years of experience at Mi Casa, her career ultimately progressed into the role of Director of Finance. She earned her CPA license in Colorado and is an active member of the AICPA. She made the decision to move back to her home state of New Mexico at the end of 2018. Katrina is passionate about helping others understand financial information and enjoys seeing organizations thrive in their missions dedicated to serving the community. She loves spending time with her family and enjoys hiking and being outdoors.
Geri White
Human Resources ManagerGeri joined 501(CPA in the fall of 2021 as their Human Resources Manager and is delighted to
be working in a nonprofit setting. With more than 25 years of human resources experience in
both private and public sectors, she has a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with us
and with our many nonprofit clients.
Geri’s academic credentials include a BA in Journalism with a double minor in Business and
Economics from Marquette University, a MBA from University of Wisconsin, a PHR certification
and just because she found it extremely interesting, a recently obtained Master’s of Science of
Law from University of New Mexico.
Geri loves to laugh and spend time with her husband, Mark, and their dog, Wile E. Coyote. She
also enjoys bicycling, golfing, reading, doing needlepoint, working out and kayaking.
Martin Epstein, MBA, CPA
MemberMartin recently retired from the accounting faculty at Central New Mexico Community College where he taught for 20 years. He earned his MBA from the College of Santa Fe and worked in a number of industries before entering academia including banking, manufacturing, and not-for-profit. Marty currently serves on the Boards of 501(C)PA, the Vortex Theatre (28 years!), and the Asian Technology Information Program, a scientific research organization. Outside of his accounting profession, his primary interest is in the diverse theater work he has done in Albuquerque. Over the past 30 years his endeavors have included acting, directing and doing anything necessary to put quality productions on stage!
Janet Garcia, MS
Janet recently retired from a 40-year career as a passionate advocate and counselor for disabled children and adults. She managed, directed, and worked as a vocational counselor, medical case manager, wrongful termination consultant, and life care planner while employed by public-sector and for-profit companies, including owning her own consulting business. She received a master’s degree from UNM in Rehabilitation Counseling, completed post-graduate work in Life Care Planning, was a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, and a Certified Case Manager. Janet was attracted to serving on 501(C)PA’s board because it allows her to continue to help NPO’s in ways that empowers them to help themselves.
Mark Joiner, CPA, Chair
Board ChairMark has been a CPA in New Mexico for about 40 years and is an independent consultant providing volunteer assistance to not-for-profit organizations. In addition to 501(C)PA, he currently serves on the boards of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation, Outpost Productions, and Ensemble Music New Mexico. He is a past board member of Sandia Preparatory School and the New Mexico Repertory Theatre.
Lilia Ruiz, CPA, Treasurer
Lilia holds CPA certificates in both Nevada and New Mexico and now spends her time volunteering with the non-profit organizations, 501(C)PA, Musical Theatre Southwest, Oasis Intergenerational Tutoring and the Animal Humane Society of New Mexico. For most of Lilia’s professional career she was a Special Agent with the Internal Revenue Service, either conducting or overseeing financial investigations in Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado. The latter part of her distinguished public service career was dedicated to leading the Tax Fraud Division of the New Mexico Taxation Department. Lilia enjoys learning tap dancing, walking 10K races, hiking, yoga, reading and taking UNM continuing education classes.
Jabeen Vagh, CPA
Jabeen joined the accounting profession in 1997 after graduating from UNM and worked primarily as a non-profit auditor for almost 20 years. She ended her public accounting career as an Audit Manager with BPWC, CPAs in Albuquerque, after deciding she wanted to serve from within the non-profit sector. Since 2017 Jabeen has been with the Lannan Foundation as their Financial Controller.
In working with many critically important non-profits, Jabeen observed that they often lacked access to strategic financial administration resources from accountants specializing in this very complex area. It was also evident that this absence usually reduced mission productivity and financial stability. Her desire to see more of these vital organizations and their missions benefitting from services provided by non-profit accounting professionals made her a perfect fit for 501(C)PA’s Board!
Mike Wilson, CPA
MemberAfter graduating from Texas Tech University and obtaining his CPA designation, Mr. Wilson decided to work as a forensic accountant. His experience includes thirty-five years with Travelers Insurance and over ten years as Director of Risk Management for the State of New Mexico and Albuquerque Public Schools. Tax season finds him working at a large national tax preparation company helping individuals with their tax returns. His belief is that the most important area of our life should be helping people, and that doing so makes our world a better place. Mr. Wilson enjoys being on our board because it allows him to assist a nonprofit whose mission is all about helping other nonprofits achieve their goals.
Kim Wong, JD, MBA, MS, Secretary
Kim holds a JD from Boston College Law School, an MBA from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College and a MS from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Kim has a passion for education. He is currently a full-time faculty member in the College of Business Information & Technology at Central New Community College, where he has served for over 27 years. In addition to teaching, Kim is very active in school administration, student organizations, and community outreach. Kim currently serves on the Boards of 501(C)PA, New Mexico First, and the Vortex Theater, and his many interests include travel, cooking, downhill skiing, and public policy.
Martin Epstein, MBA, CPA
MemberMartin recently retired from the accounting faculty at Central New Mexico Community College where he taught for 20 years. He earned his MBA from the College of Santa Fe and worked in a number of industries before entering academia including banking, manufacturing, and not-for-profit. Marty currently serves on the Boards of 501(C)PA, the Vortex Theatre (28 years!), and the Asian Technology Information Program, a scientific research organization. Outside of his accounting profession, his primary interest is in the diverse theater work he has done in Albuquerque. Over the past 30 years his endeavors have included acting, directing and doing anything necessary to put quality productions on stage!
Janet Garcia, MS
Janet recently retired from a 40-year career as a passionate advocate and counselor for disabled children and adults. She managed, directed, and worked as a vocational counselor, medical case manager, wrongful termination consultant, and life care planner while employed by public-sector and for-profit companies, including owning her own consulting business. She received a master’s degree from UNM in Rehabilitation Counseling, completed post-graduate work in Life Care Planning, was a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, and a Certified Case Manager. Janet was attracted to serving on 501(C)PA’s board because it allows her to continue to help NPO’s in ways that empowers them to help themselves.
Mark Joiner, CPA, Chair
Board ChairMark has been a CPA in New Mexico for about 40 years and is an independent consultant providing volunteer assistance to not-for-profit organizations. In addition to 501(C)PA, he currently serves on the boards of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation, Outpost Productions, and Ensemble Music New Mexico. He is a past board member of Sandia Preparatory School and the New Mexico Repertory Theatre.
Lilia Ruiz, CPA, Treasurer
Lilia holds CPA certificates in both Nevada and New Mexico and now spends her time volunteering with the non-profit organizations, 501(C)PA, Musical Theatre Southwest, Oasis Intergenerational Tutoring and the Animal Humane Society of New Mexico. For most of Lilia’s professional career she was a Special Agent with the Internal Revenue Service, either conducting or overseeing financial investigations in Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado. The latter part of her distinguished public service career was dedicated to leading the Tax Fraud Division of the New Mexico Taxation Department. Lilia enjoys learning tap dancing, walking 10K races, hiking, yoga, reading and taking UNM continuing education classes.
Jabeen Vagh, CPA
Jabeen joined the accounting profession in 1997 after graduating from UNM and worked primarily as a non-profit auditor for almost 20 years. She ended her public accounting career as an Audit Manager with BPWC, CPAs in Albuquerque, after deciding she wanted to serve from within the non-profit sector. Since 2017 Jabeen has been with the Lannan Foundation as their Financial Controller.
In working with many critically important non-profits, Jabeen observed that they often lacked access to strategic financial administration resources from accountants specializing in this very complex area. It was also evident that this absence usually reduced mission productivity and financial stability. Her desire to see more of these vital organizations and their missions benefitting from services provided by non-profit accounting professionals made her a perfect fit for 501(C)PA’s Board!
Mike Wilson, CPA
MemberAfter graduating from Texas Tech University and obtaining his CPA designation, Mr. Wilson decided to work as a forensic accountant. His experience includes thirty-five years with Travelers Insurance and over ten years as Director of Risk Management for the State of New Mexico and Albuquerque Public Schools. Tax season finds him working at a large national tax preparation company helping individuals with their tax returns. His belief is that the most important area of our life should be helping people, and that doing so makes our world a better place. Mr. Wilson enjoys being on our board because it allows him to assist a nonprofit whose mission is all about helping other nonprofits achieve their goals.
Kim Wong, JD, MBA, MS, Secretary
Kim holds a JD from Boston College Law School, an MBA from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College and a MS from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Kim has a passion for education. He is currently a full-time faculty member in the College of Business Information & Technology at Central New Community College, where he has served for over 27 years. In addition to teaching, Kim is very active in school administration, student organizations, and community outreach. Kim currently serves on the Boards of 501(C)PA, New Mexico First, and the Vortex Theater, and his many interests include travel, cooking, downhill skiing, and public policy.
John Williams Ph.D., Board Chair
Dr. Williams has been a Human Resources executive for 31 years working at fortune 500 companies. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and is co-author of two books on human relations. Through his leadership, Mosaic Potash in Carlsbad, NM received the New Mexico State Corporation of the Year award in philanthropy. He has retired from corporate business and is doing social purpose work.Cheryl Silcox, CPA, CITP, Treasurer
Ms. Silcox is an audit and accounting department manager with Burt & Company CPAs. She has 24 years of experience in public accounting. Many of her clients are nonprofit organizations and she has an AICPA certificate in nonprofit accounting. She has been a technical speaker for the Nonprofit Center for Excellence related to various nonprofit accounting issues. In addition to being a Certified Public Accountant, she is a Certified Information Technology Professional and has received additional training in areas of emerging trends, security and privacy, business solutions, IT assurance and risk. She is a technical speaker related to internal control and accounting best practices.Mark Joiner, CPA, Member
Mark has been a CPA in New Mexico for thirty-eight years and is an independent consultant providing volunteer assistance to not-for-profit organizations. In addition to 501(C)PA, he currently serves on the boards of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation, Outpost Productions, and Ensemble Music New Mexico. He is a past board member of Sandia Preparatory School and the New Mexico Repertory Theatre.Elena Seaberg, Vice-Chair
Ms. Seaberg is the Director of Finance & Administration for the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History. She has over 20 years' experience in non-profit accounting. She received her Bachelor of General Business from New Mexico State University.Patrick Wilkins, CPA, Member
Mr. Wilkins is a CPA and the leader of the audit practice for a local CPA firm. Prior to that, he was the CFO of The United Way of Central New Mexico and also served as an assurance partner of a national CPA firm. Mr. Wilkins has specialized in the audits of nonprofit organizations for over 18 years. He has also served in various capacities on other nonprofit boards, including as board chair and treasurer.Mike Wilson, CPA, Member
After graduating from Texas Tech University and obtaining his CPA designation, Mr. Wilson decided to work as a forensic accountant. His experience includes thirty-five years with Travelers Insurance and over ten years as Director of Risk Management for the State of New Mexico and Albuquerque Public Schools. Tax season finds him working at a large national tax preparation company helping individuals with their tax returns. His belief is that the most important area of our life should be helping people, and that doing so makes our world a better place. Mr. Wilson enjoys being on our board because it allows him to assist a nonprofit whose mission is all about helping other nonprofits achieve their goals.Albert N. Thiel, Jr, Member
Albert has been a trial attorney for over 40 years and has worked with Will Ferguson & Associates, a plaintiff’s personal injury firm, for almost 20 years. He moved to New Mexico in 1973 after serving in the US Army. He earned his Masters in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from the Robert O. Anderson School of Management at UNM in 1983 while heading up the Prosecution and Public Safety Divisions of the City of Albuquerque Legal Department. He previously served on the Board of A Child’s Garden and has been a founder, director and officer of the nonprofit New Mexico Karate Association, Inc. and is a founder and advisor to the Japan Karate Association/World Federation America, Inc., the non-profit 501(c) 3 corporation that oversees karate training and testing and co-ordinates with JKA headquarters in Tokyo, Japan.Leslie Oakes, Ph.D., Ex-Officio Member
Dr. Oakes is the Accounting Chair and professor at the UNM Anderson School of Management. Dr. Oakes has worked with nonprofit organizations for over thirty years. She has published research on museums, healthcare organizations and other charities. She serves on the board of several nonprofits and has taught financial management for nonprofit organizations across New Mexico and around the world.Craig White, Ph.D., Ex-Officio Member
Dr. White is the Dean of the UNM Anderson School of Management. Dr. White has worked with a variety of nonprofits. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the New Mexico Society of CPAs, on the Board and as Treasurer of the New Mexico Business Leadership Network, as Financial Secretary of Grace Lutheran Church, and on the Audit Committee of New Mexico Voices for Children.
STAFF ACCOUNTANT
New Mexico’s nonprofit accounting firm 501(C)PA wants to hire a Staff Accountant. We are bringing new clients onboard and need additional staff to help service these clients and our current clients.
The Staff Accountant is the primary point of contact for assigned client relationships and, as such, becomes a trusted, integral part of our clients’ administrative team. The Staff Accountant is a fundamental participant in the month-end close process and on a monthly basis, has responsibilities that include bank transaction downloads, journal entries, and account reconciliations. Additionally, this position prepares variance analysis with the selected candidate having a deep understanding of the underlying activity associated with each transaction being recorded and requires constant collaboration with team members from several different departments within the organization. Collaboration, curiosity, ability to work independently and be self-motivated are all important characteristics. Prior experience with nonprofit accounting is preferred.
Salary Range is $46,000 to $60,000 annually. Please apply by submitting a cover letter and your resume at https://www.indeed.com/job/staff-accountant-85d73825907b5595?_ga=2.246187911.2042967766.1668529353-998958694.1640188055
Essential Job Functions
• Manage all accounting transactions.
• Handle monthly, quarterly, and annual closings.
• Reconcile accounts and investigate discrepancies.
• Prepare accurate financial statements and other reports for assigned clients on a timely basis.
• Present client financials to the organization internal staff members.
• Ensure supporting documents are prepared and filed according to our work standards.
• Assist clients with annual budget preparation.
• Assist client auditors by providing reconciliations and internal financial reports.
• Ensure clients are well informed of work progress, challenges, and maintain friendly and professional client relations.
• Comply with financial policies and regulations.
• Work with MIP Fund Accounting software, EWS, Microix, Excel, Word, Practice CS, and other software as assigned. Training is provided.
• Continuing professional education.
Competencies
• Solid knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
• Organized and methodical approach to work assignments with great
attention to detail and accuracy of work
• Strategic thinking
• Ability to be flexible while working on concurrent projects of equal importance
• Demonstrated mature judgment and collaboration skills
• Strong accounting skills, including all aspects of the accounting cycle and non-profit financial statement preparation
• Ability to work independently, complete work timely, and work well as a team member
• Strong interpersonal communication skills and customer-focused service attitude
• Sound grasp of grant reporting and related account structures
Required Qualifications
• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Business, Financial or related degree
• or Masters’ Degree in Accounting, Business, Financial or related degree
• Plus, three years of directly related accounting experience of which one year must be in financial statement and budget preparation and proficiency in Excel
Work Environment
New staff will work on-site during orientation week and have a hybrid in-office/at-home operations going forward. Dress code is business casual.
Position Type/Expected Hours of Work
This is a full-time position, and hours of work and days are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. Occasional extra work may be required as job duties demand, and as a professional employee, the Staff Accountant is expected to recognize when deadlines or other work demands require such extra time and effort.