So, lots of questions immediately come up when I tell them I am starting a Sole Practitioner Planning and Tax firm, after 27 years working for The Coca-Cola Company. The main one is, “Why don’t you just stay retired?”

I want to fill what I perceive to be a unmet need for people looking for help in navigating the sometimes complex world of tax planning and investment strategies. Here are the qualifications I have to meet that need.

I’ve held a Certified Public Accountant license in the State of Georgia since 1995. After retirement, I completed all qualifications to become a Certified Financial Planner.

I have been preparing tax returns on a volunteer basis through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program since 2014, currently serving as the Site Coordinator for VITA at North Fulton Community Charities. In addition, our team provides free tax services to refugee clients served by ICNA Relief in Decatur GA. I also volunteer annually with the Filing for Freedom program, providing tax preparation for reservists stationed at Dobbins Air Force Base.

Other volunteer activities include serving as Treasurer for the Spring Ridge Homeowners Association, nd from 2018-2020, I served a three-year term as one of two Georgia representatives on the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP). The mission of TAP is to identify taxpayer issues and make recommendations to the IRS for improvement. In my third and final year, I was elected as the National Chair.