Bland & Associates Announces Five Promotions
Bland is pleased to announce fourth quarter promotions. Read the following biographies to learn more about our promoted leaders.
RACHEL TUREK, CPA, CFE – MANAGER, AUDIT DEPARTMENT
Growing up in Omaha, Rachel Turek aspired to be a veterinarian but shifted gears when she started getting B’s, in place of her typical A, in college chemistry. She was ultimately inspired to join the accounting profession by her CPA mother.
“My mom was a CPA and I always looked up to her,” said Turek. “She was a rockstar mom and business woman and it was so inspiring.”
In her new role as Manager in the Audit department, she performs audits, reviews, and compilations of a variety of industries, specializing in not-for-profits and audits of 401(k) plans. She also works on commercial and governmental entities. Turek joined Bland & Associates in 2013, most recently serving as a Supervisor in the Audit department.
Turek earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting at Bellevue University in 2011, where she was named Student Athlete of the Year in 2009 in volleyball. She also holds anAICPA Not-for-Profit Certification II.
She met her husband, Ryan Turek, when he moved from Michigan to play for the Omaha Lancers. He played semi-professional hockey for about five years and they traveled and lived in various places including Charleston, South Carolina, Salt Lake City, Utah, Anchorage, Alaska, and Victoria, British Columbia, before settling back in Omaha.
CARA ZIMMER, CPA – SUPERVISOR, AUDIT DEPARTMENT
Cara Zimmer joined Bland & Associates in 2012 and was recently promoted to Supervisor in the Audit department. She works with clients in the health care and not-for-profit industries, specifically long-term care facilities and small not-for-profits.
Zimmer originally majored in dance at Oklahoma University before realizing she was better suited to accounting. The Omaha native returned home to attend the University of Nebraska-Omaha. She graduated Sum Cum Laude and with honors, earning a Bachelor of Sciencein Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting in 2013. She went on to complete a master’s degree in Accounting at UNO in 2014.
CHRIS PURDY, SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, GOVERNMENT CONSULTING
Chris Purdy joined Bland & Associates in 2017 and was recently promoted to Senior in the Government Consulting department. In this role he works with descriptive materials and serves as the public reporting task lead for the Next Generation and CEC Model. He also works on AD-HOC terminations and remedial actions.
The Grand Island, Nebraska native previously spent nine years doing accounting work on Medicare Advantage documentation auditing and processing. Purdy has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
JACOB HARNEY, SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, AUDIT DEPARTMENT
Jacob Harney joined Bland & Associates in 2016 and was recently promoted to Senior. In this role he is in-charge of compilations, reviews, and audits.
The Clarkson, Nebraskanative had various internships prior to joining Bland, including serving as an inventory analyst and a tax intern. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Public Accounting and Criminal Justice from Wayne State University.
STAR ROCHELL– SUPERVISOR, CLIENT ACCOUNTING SERVICES
Star Rochell joined Bland & Associates in 2015 and was recently appointed to Supervisor in the Client Accounting Services department. In this role, she does training, and monthly accounting for retail, construction, and professional services.
Born and raised in Orlando, Florida, Rochell moved to Omaha with her husband who is in the United States Air Force and stationed at the Offutt Air Force base in Bellevue, Nebraska. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of South Florida in 2015 and served as an accountant for a large company prior to joining Bland.
KALE WOLKEN – SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, GOVERNMENT CONSULTING
Originally from Tecumseh, Nebraska Kale Wolken was inspired by his aunt to become a CPA. He says the key to success in the field lies in work ethic and problem-solving abilities.
Wolken was recently promoted to Senior in the Government Consulting department, specifically focusing on Medicare-related audits. In this new role he will be delegating tasks, serving as the main point of contact on engagements, reviewing delegated tasks and providing feedback.
He joined Bland & Associates in 2016, most recently serving as an Associate II, preparing workpapers and teaching newer staff how to complete various tasks.
Wolken earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Doane University and volunteers with Angels Among Us and Habitat for Humanity. In 2016, he was an Olympic Trials qualifier in the decathlon.
LEE HENNING – SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, GOVERNMENT CONSULTING
Gretna, Nebraska native Lee Henning was a Sergeant in United States Army and served in the Iowa Army National Guard. He joined Bland & Associates in 2016 and was recently promoted to Senior in the Government Consulting department.
Henning performs consulting and auditing for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
ALEX ABBOUD – SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, GOVERNMENT CONSULTING
Alex Abboud joined Bland & Associates in 2016 and was recently promoted to Senior in the Government Consulting department, where he works on Medicare Advantage prescription drug audits.
Born and raised in Omaha, Abboud excelled at math and was originally pursuing engineering until he says he found he was more interested in the innerworkings of business.
“Accounting seemed like the logical choice since it gave a full perspective of a business down to the numbers,” he said.
Abboud earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentrationin Accounting with a minor in Spanish at the University of Nebraska-Omaha in 2014.
JUSTIN ISKE – SENIOR, GOVERNMENT CONSULTING
Justin Iske spent 22 years coaching college football across the Midwest and Southern Plains before joining Bland & Associates in 2017.
Iske was recently promoted to Senior in Government Consulting where he serves as the task lead within the Next Generation ACO Contract for Initial Readiness Review, Annual Compliance Review, Change in Control and Voluntary Alignment.
The Omaha native earned a Bachelor of Science in General Studies in 1999 and a Master of Science in Public Administration in 2001 both from the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
ABBY WELSH – ASSOCIATE II, TAX DEPARTMENT
Abby Welsh joined Bland & Associates in 2015 and was recently promoted to Associate II in the Tax department, where she prepares business and individual tax returns for clients in various industries. She also manages bookkeeping tasks for numerous clients on an ongoing basis.
Welsh says her personal service philosophy is to build long-lasting relationships with the clients. “Establishing relationships allows me to use my service as a vehicle for collaboration, learning and creativity,” she said.
In 2016, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and, in 2018, she completed her master’s degree in Accounting at the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
CAMERON ROSE, ASSOCIATE II, GOVERNMENT CONSULTING
Cameron Rose joined Bland & Associates in 2017 as an intern. Originally from Omaha, Rose graduated from the University of Nebraska-Omaha in May 2018 and became an Associate I in the Government Consulting department at that time.
Rose says he was motivated to pursue accounting because of the various types of fields accounting applies to. He was recently promoted to an Associate II and works on Medicare compliance monitoring.
Please contact us at 402.397.8822 for additional information.
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 website at blandcpa.com for additional information on our award-winning team and services.