Bland & Associates Announces Nine Staff Promotions
Omaha, Nebraska, October 10, 2017—Bland & Associates (Bland) is pleased to announce that nine employees have been promoted within the company. Read the following biographies to learn more about Bland & Associates’ recently promoted staff.
DANIELLE SENSKE, CPA – MANAGER
Although Danielle (Danie) Senske explored various majors in college, ranging from Criminal Justice to Education, she says her coursework in Accounting I and II ultimately determined her career path.
“Accounting just clicked for me,” said Danie. “The job market and security made the profession an easy choice.”
Senske initially served at Bland & Associates as an intern during the 2010-2011 school year. In December 2011, she graduated Cum Laude from the University of Nebraska – Omaha receiving a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting. She officially joined Bland as an Associate in January 2012, a position she held until promoted to a Senior Accountant in 2014. In just one year, she was promoted to Supervisor. She now serves as a Tax Manager, focusing on partnership, corporate and individual taxation with a heavy concentration in the real estate industry. Her client base consists primarily of real estate investors, brokers, developers, property managers, and construction contractors.
She says it’s important to have on-going opportunities to learn and develop.
“Working in the Tax department definitely fits the bill,” she said. “Researching and learning occurs almost every day. The job is challenging in a good way and mentally rewarding.”
RACHEL DEATON – SUPERVISOR
As a young child, Rachel Deaton says she originally wanted to be a banker because she loved counting coins. Growing up in Beatrice, her high school accounting teacher spent extra time helping her grasp certain concepts and the extra help led to her decision to focus on the subject for her future career.
Deaton was recently promoted to Tax Supervisor at Bland & Associates and spends her days preparing returns and tax plans for individuals and businesses, with an emphasis on the medical field. She joined Bland in 2015 as a Senior Tax Associate.
Prior to joining the company, Deaton worked for a CPA firm in Lincoln, where she started as an entry-level Associate in 2007. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a concentration in Accounting from Doane College in 2009.
ALEX FURLEY, CPA – SENIOR ACCOUNTANT
Alex Furley, said he originally wanted to go into Actuarial Science but switched to accounting after one class. Both fields were very different from his childhood aspiration of becoming a Veterinarian.
Originally from Omaha, Furley earned his Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in Accounting from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln in 2014. He joined Bland & Associates shortly after graduation as an Intern. He serves in the Government Consulting department.
NICOLE HAMLIN – SENIOR ACCOUNTANT
Born in Anchorage, Alaska, Nicole Hamlin moved to Omaha when she was eight years old. She then attended Loyola University to receive her Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in Accounting but returned to Omaha to earn an MBA at the University of Nebraska – Omaha.
Despite her extensive coursework and degrees in accounting and business, Hamlin spent seven years working as a pastry chef before joining Bland & Associates in 2014. Hamlin started as an Associate and has been promoted to Senior Accountant in the Government Consulting department, focusing on compliance audits and desk reviews of entities that receive Medicare funding.
R.J. SCHULTE, CPA – SENIOR ACCOUNTANT
Born and raised in Omaha, R.J. Schulte earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from St. Louis University in 2013. He is currently doing graduate work at University of Nebraska – Omaha, and has his CPA accreditation.
Schulte joined Bland & Associates in 2014 as an Associate, following various internships. He was recently promoted to Senior Accountant and works in the Tax department. Schulte is in-charge of client accounts, preparing individual and business tax returns, and consulting clients.
STAR ROCHELL – SENIOR ACCOUNTANT
Star Rochell was born and raised in Orlando, FL and moved to Nebraska two years ago because her husband was stationed at the Offutt Air Force Base.
She says she has always loved and excelled in math, so accounting was a natural fit. Rochell earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of South Florida in 2015. She joined Bland & Associates the same year and does training and monthly accounting for retail, construction, and professional services. Prior to joining Bland, Rochell was an accountant at a large pest control company in Florida.
DEVON BILLUPS – ASSOCIATE II
DeVon Billups says accounting interested him because it is like a continuous jigsaw puzzle and everyone needs an accountant.
DeVon earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from the University of Nebraska – Omaha in 2016. He joined Bland & Associates in 2010 and served as a high school Intern until college graduation when he became an Associate I. He was promoted to Associate II in July and works in the Tax department.
SERENNA RUSSELL – ASSOCIATE II
Serenna Russell says her natural curiosity and attention to detail made accounting appealing. Originally from Emporia, VA, Russell earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Sciences and English Literature before earning a graduate certification in accounting from the Keller Graduate School of Management. She went on to earn an MBA from the University of Mary Hardin Baylor.
Russell joined Bland & Associates in 2015 and works in the Government Consulting department. She was recently promoted to Associate II. She previously worked as a revenue agent with the Nebraska Department of Revenue for 10 years.
WILL SCHWALB – ASSOCIATE II
According to Will Schwalb, he became an accountant for the love of numbers. He said math was always his favorite subject, so it was his goal to go into a profession where he could deal with numbers daily.
Schwalb joined Bland & Associates in 2016 and was promoted to Associate II. He works in the Government Consulting department, acting as a secondary reviewer for Repayment Mechanisms and Track 1+ Model applications. He also serves as the Team Lead on AIM desk reviews. He previously worked as a Financial Analyst for the United Way of the Midlands, a position he held for two years. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Please contact us at 402.397.8822 for additional information on Bland & Associates.
For over 40 years, Bland & Associates, P.C. has embraced the diversity of its client base and offers customized accounting solutions to fit personal, business and government clients, winning Best of Omaha awards each year since 2011. Visit our web site at blandcpa.com for additional information on our award-winning team and services.
###