Author: Chris Seljeskog

KT is pleased to announce the promotion of Stacey Laub to Senior Associate in the Accounting Services department, the promotions of Luke Bates, Kelsey Cropsey, and Erin Kremers to Senior Associate in the Audit department, and Kale Lytle, Angie McDonnell, Brian Pereira, and Melanie Thiele to Senior Associate in the Tax department.

Stacey Laub holds an associate degree from Black Hills State University and joined KT in 2021. She enjoys working with clients and learning about their business. Stacey specializes in the medical and hospitality industries.

Luke Bates, CPA, joined KT in 2021 after getting his BS in Professional Accountancy from Black Hills State University. He works in the audit department performing audits, reviews, and compilations. He specializes in employee benefit plans, and the hospitality and construction industries.

Kelsey Cropsey joined KT in 2021 after getting her BS in Professional Accountancy from Black Hills State University. She specializes in audits for non-profits, foundations, and employee benefit plans.

Erin Kremers, CPA, joined KT in 2021 after getting her BS in Professional Accountancy from Black Hills State University. She specializes in the government and non-profit industries, working on the audits for various cities, school districts, and non-profit organizations.

Kale Lytle, EA, joined KT’s Tax department in 2021. He specializes in agricultural tax returns and also assists agriculture clients with their bookkeeping and tax planning. He is part of KT’s Valuation team, assisting with business valuations and present value calculations. Kale obtained his BS and master’s degrees in business administration from Chadron State College.

Angie McDonnell, CPA, attended Black Hills State University and graduated with a BS in Professional Accountancy, Business Administration with an emphasis in Entrepreneurial Studies, and Mass Communications with an emphasis in Photography. She started with KT in 2021. She currently specializes in the agriculture industry and serves as a member of the SD CPA Society’s Young Professionals Advisory Council. Angie works to promote the profession by assisting with recruiting and speaking to students about the accounting field.

Brian Pereira joined KT in 2022. He holds a BS in Accounting and Operations Management from Rhode Island College. He is part of KT’s agriculture and 1040 team and helps train new hires as part of the New Hire Onboard Committee.

Melanie Thiele joined KT in 2021 after graduating from Wayne State College with a BS in Accounting and an MBA. She recently passed the CPA Exam and is waiting for her official certification. Melanie works in the Spearfish office, specializes in the non-profit industry, and is also part of KT’s Staff Development Committee.

KT is pleased to announce the promotion of Linda Horsley to Manager in the Accounting Services department, and the promotions of Wes Hanson, Elijah Houchens, Jordan Jones, and Nick Michael to Manager in the Audit department.

Linda Horsley has worked in the accounting industry since 2002. She assists businesses with compilations of financials, sales tax, payroll processing, payroll tax, quarterly and year-end payroll services, preparation of W-2 forms, Form 1099 reporting, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and tax preparation. Linda specializes in the hospitality and agricultural industries.

Wes Hanson, CPA, joined KT in 2019 after graduating from the University of South Dakota. He specializes in audits of commercial businesses and employee benefit plans, focusing on the hospitality, construction, financial, and retail/manufacturing industries.

Elijah Houchens, CPA, joined the firm as an auditor directly after graduating from the University of South Dakota. He specializes in audits for non-profit organizations, commercial businesses (typically construction), federal grants, and rural electric cooperatives.

Jordan Jones, CPA, assists the audit department with staff development including new employee orientation and leadership and development training. Jordan is a key member of the governmental audit team and enjoys assisting clients with the intricacies of such a specialized accounting framework.

Nick Michael, CPA, joined KT in 2019 after working as a police officer for the Rapid City Police Department. Nick specializes in non-profit and commercial business audits, fraud investigation, and litigation support.

Ketel Thorstenson, LLP announces the promotion of Joei Tieman, CPA to Senior Manager.

With a passion for helping people, Joei is where she is supposed to be, and she gets to share this passion with both coworkers and clients. She strives to help individuals grow within the firm and works towards providing them with a set of tools to help them be successful. Joei enjoys answering client questions and helping grow their business.

Joei started working with Ketel Thorstenson, LLP in 2014 and has grown tremendously in her career since then – and she is not done growing or learning! There are so many moving parts in this profession that she feels like she will always be learning and challenged. Being a leader in the tax department has provided Joei with several responsibilities that allow her to be a part of a firm that is continuing to grow, be a destination employer, and provide top-notch client service.

Joei assists clients with individual tax returns, business tax returns, and serves as a member of the niche group for Agriculture clients. Growing up with a farm/ranching background helps Joei provide great service to these individuals.

Her strong work ethic and passion for people shines through both personally and professionally. Joei is fortunate to have a large extended family and solid foundation of friends. She is married and has three children that she and her husband raised in Sturgis, SD. They enjoy outdoor activities such as riding ATV’s, hunting, lake life, camping, and traveling to new places. Joei also enjoys reading, hiking, shopping, and being present in whatever each day brings.

Joei is a goal setter, and she does a good job at meeting goals that she sets for herself – both personally and professionally. She is always striving to get better and be better. “We all have strengths and weaknesses, and I may talk too much or ask too many questions,” says Joei. “And my kids would agree with that! But it is because I want to learn about someone or something. You should strive to learn something new every day – even if it is something super simple.”

As a Senior Manager, Joei’s responsibilities will include management duties, strategic planning, ensuring a positive client experience, seeking training and education opportunities for staff and clients, and mentoring staff.