Calculating

BY ASHLEY GORDON

How three formidable women rose to the top ranks in a male-dominated field

SITTING AROUND THE conference room table with Sara Downing, Linda Gibson and Cherie Odom—the three managing partners in TWRU CPAs & Financial Advisors—there is a sense that this would be a good group to go to lunch with, or to meet up with for drinks after work. Laughter filled the space, stories of children and community work were shared, and a genuine appreciation for one another and the clients they serve was apparent. All in all, it didn’t feel like a lot of math and spreadsheets.

“People think that accountants just sit behind a desk all day,” says Gibson. “But it’s a very personal field. We are dealing with people’s finances and their future. We build relationships. We want to create an environment where people want to remain with our firm.”

That is true of the clients TWRU serves as well as its employees. Today, the firm has 12 CPAs on staff with about 30 employees total. Not the traditional 80- to 90-hour work weeks during the tax season, TWRU prides itself on its family-friendly flexibility with its employees as well as cultivating a culture of dependability, excellence, and dedication with its clients. The three female principals joined the firm in the 1990s and have seen the shift in both how accounting services are delivered and who is invited to sit at the table.

“When I joined in 1991 it was still very male dominated,” says Downing, recalling keeping quiet and taking notes when she first sat at the board table. “Today we are over two-thirds women throughout the ranks.”

When Gibson became pregnant in 1997, the managing partners came forward and asked “What will it take for us to keep you employed here?” Gibson recalls. Traditionally, women who wanted to spend time with children simply left the field when they became pregnant. Personal computers were still a rare luxury and the World Wide Web for everyday men and women was still in its infancy. Gibson suggested to work three days a week while her twins were growing up, and they accepted the offer because they didn’t want to lose her. A flexible work schedule at TWRU was born.

“Technology really changed everything,” says Odom, remembering a few years later being able to go on her children’s field trips and leaving early to go to sporting events when they were younger. “I loved my work, but I didn’t want to sacrifice my family to do it. The managing partners were very accommodating.”

And accommodation is the name of the game, even in the accounting world. According to Catalyst, a global nonprofit leading companies to help build workplaces that work for women, 94 percent of accounting firms now offer modified work arrangements for all employees with the most popular being flex time. It also notes that women are 50 percent of all full-time staff at CPA firms, but make up just 27 percent of all partners and principals.

“Honestly, our partners were forward thinking and generous,” says Downing.

“Moms are the master multi-taskers. They juggle so much, and they are extremely efficient. And our managing partners weren’t afraid to invite women on board. Now that their children are grown, Linda and Cherie are back full time and leading the firm.”

While this isn’t your grandfather’s accounting firm, the foundation of TWRU’s spirit of excellence was laid 75 years ago by some formidable men who are still revered in the firm today. In 1948, Edgar Thomas launched the accounting firm that would ultimately become TWRU. Stewart Wilson joined the firm in 1965, Jake Ragusa came on in 1968, and Kerry Uffman joined the team in 1985. Thomas, Wilson, Ragusa, Uffman and Co. was formed with a number of other men dedicated to hard work and a commitment to the clients they served. With many other partners coming up through the firm, the name was officially shortened to TWRU CPAs & Financial Advisors in 2011. The last of the original four, Kerry Uffman, retired at the end of 2021.

“When Kerry retired, we had to regroup and recognize that we have a big firm we are leading,” says Downing. “But in 2022, we had great growth. We all are dedicated to the clients we serve, the community and to our employees. And we are thankful for the 75 years of hard work from those who paved the way before us.” While technology has helped with communication and flexibility, it has also led to online tax services available to all. That does not seem to be an issue at TWRU, where clients are known by name. The managing partners say that clients like to have someone in their town that can come to their business and who they can call for advice. It’s all about personal relationships. It was about personal relationships when Thomas first opened for business and that still rings true today. Thankfully, the personal relationships within the office at TWRU reflect positively outside the office to its clients and the community.

“We work really well together,” says Gibson, who notes that the each stay flexible and work well with the staff. “This is a great firm with a great reputation. We intend to continue to be great ambassadors for TWRU for years to come.” 

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