KT will be hosting our annual Construction Industry Lunch & Learn from 12-1pm on Wednesday, December 13th. Our presenters will be returning from the AICPA Construction Industry conference with the latest updates on legislation, cash management, and the changing labor landscape. RSVP sooner than later as space is limited.
Thank you for serving and protecting this great nations of ours!
Heather Grace
I served from 1994 – 1997, Army, Specialist (E4). I was stationed in Fort Gordon, GA and Ft. Bad Aibling Germany during my time. My husband served from 1981 – 1996, Army, Sargent (E5), and was in Desert Storm War. We have been married 26 years in January 2024.
Kate Schmidt
I was in the Army, for 2.5 years, did my basic training at Ft Leonard Wood, MO and was stationed at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah GA in support of the 82nd Airborne Division after basic training. I was enlisted as an 88M MOS which is transportation but ended up working most of the time as a clerk for the 1st Sergeant and Commander of the company I was attached to, 416 Transportation.
My husband was the first sergeant’s driver and had been there 2 months when I arrived. We were married at the base chapel nine months after we met and have been married for 30 years.
Dustin Fuhriman
I was U.S. Navy. I made rank E-5 (in the navy that I was an SK2(SW)). I served 4 Years. I was stationed in San Diego and did two deployments to the gulf, one in 2003 and another in 2005. I did Logistics.
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.
Ketel Thorstenson, LLP announces the promotions of Amanda Dennis to Manager in the Client Accounting Services department, and Catherine Shoun and Jessica Harwood to Senior Associates in the Client Accounting Services department. All three are in the firm’s Rapid City office.
Amanda Dennis has worked in the Client Accounting Services Department since October 2013. Her expertise includes compilation of financial statements, year-end tax forms, sales tax reporting, payroll processing, accounts payable, and accounts receivable. She specializes in the hospitality industry and is a certified QuickBooks Professional Advisor.
Amanda graduated from Black Hills State University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with emphases in Accounting and Management. Outside of work, she enjoys camping, fishing, and spending time with her family and friends.
Catherine Shoun specializes in the hospitality and construction industries and earned her Master of Business Administration degree from National American University.
In her free time, she enjoys hiking, crafts, and “has one teenager left at home that helps keep me on my toes with technology and she laughs at me about it.”
Jessica Harwood has worked in the Client Accounting Services Department since May 2019, and her expertise is in payroll. She earned her Associate degree in accounting from Western Dakota Technical College.
Outside of work, Jessica enjoys fishing, reading, cheering on the Denver Broncos, and playing the Willy Wonka machine at Cadillac Jack’s.
Ketel Thorstenson, LLP announces the addition of new Partners, Sarah Davis, CPA and Jeff Yennie, CPA. Both Davis and Yennie work in the Rapid City office.
Davis joined the firm’s Client Accounting Service (CAS) team in 2013. Sarah specializes in the hospitality and construction industries. She is also the CAS lead for client acceptance and on-boarding, and the firm’s team leader on Employee Retention Tax Credit calculations and related payroll filings.
Davis graduated from Black Hills State University in 2013 with a bachelor’s in Business Administration and Accounting/Business Management. In her free time, Sarah has two little kids, ages three and five, that keep her on her toes. She enjoys being outside, hiking, biking, running, and working in the yard. She also has no issue watching any sort of sporting event, but basketball is by far her favorite. In addition, Sarah is a proud volunteer with Youth and Family Services and the United Way.
Yennie started full time with the firm in 2012. His focus is on audit and advisory practices, providing services to governments, nonprofits, construction companies, and various manufacturing and retailers in the region. In addition, Yennie is involved in leading the firm’s learning and development efforts.
Yennie is a member of the South Dakota CPA Society and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He is a graduate of Leadership Rapid City Class of 2016, and a 2021 graduate of the Convergence Coaching Transformational Leadership Program.
Jeff is a proud graduate of the University of Wyoming (Go Pokes!) with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in accounting. When not in the office, he can be found raising his two children with his wife, Hailey, and cheering on the Wyoming Cowboys. In the summer, Jeff enjoys fly-fishing at his family’s cabin in Wyoming and camping in the Black Hills. He is also an active member of Emmanuel Episcopal Church.
Ketel Thorstenson, LLP announces the promotion of Kim Richters, EA, to Manager in the Tax Department, and Audrey Moore, EA to Senior Associate in the Tax Department. Kim works remotely from Texas and Audrey works remotely from Wyoming.
Richters started with the firm’s tax department in 2017. Kim’s main area of expertise is in the construction industry, but she also has experience in the hospitality and medical industries. She also works with the Client Accounting Services department to coordinate 1099 season and deadlines and is the firm’s remote employee lead.
In 2017, Kim received her bachelor’s degree in accounting with a specialization in business administration from the Colorado State University – Global Campus. That same year Kim graduated from the SD CEO Women in Leadership program, and in 2020, she became an Enrolled Agent with the IRS.
When she is not working, Kim and her husband spend their “free time” at their two kids’ youth sports activities, outdoors, or attempting to train their golden retriever puppy not to chase their cat.
Moore has been in the tax industry for five years. She is very experienced with the trucking industry and specializes in the construction and clergy professions. As one of the faces of the firms’ ICE team, Audrey will assist clients by calling the IRS to help resolve notices and other tax issues.
Audrey graduated from the University of Wyoming with bachelor’s degrees in accounting and philosophy. In 2020, she became an Enrolled Agent with the IRS.
Outside of work, you can find Audrey exploring the mountains of Wyoming and Colorado, reading, working on intricate art projects, and cooking some mean enchiladas for loved ones.
Ketel Thorstenson, LLP announces the addition of new Tax Director, Tom Alvarez, CPA, in the firm’s Rapid City office. Alvarez recently moved to the Rapid City area with his wife and son and is excited to be closer to family.
With the addition of Alvarez, Ketel Thorstenson and its clients will have access to over 30 years of private sector and public accounting firm tax experience. “By combining my extensive client service strategic tax planning experience and Ketel Thorstenson’s powerful platform,” says Tom. “I plan to provide our clients with service that is nothing short of excellent!”
Prior to joining Ketel Thorstenson, Tom began his career at one of the Big 4 accounting firms, staying several years as a Senior Tax Manager. He then worked more than 30 years as a tax advisor, including serving in the private sector as a Tax Director for an international enterprise headquartered in the U.S.
Tom has extensive experience in strategic planning and research for closely held businesses including partnerships, S-Corporations and C-Corporations in a wide-variety of industries and many with operations in foreign jurisdictions. He also has extensive experience assisting high-net worth individuals with their tax planning and compliance requirements and has been published in several major tax journals.
His private sector experience provides Tom with a different perspective than someone working solely for an accounting firm. “I served for several years on the client side with the responsibility of hiring outside tax advisors,” he explains. “This has heightened my awareness of how to better serve my clients. I view things from my client’s perspective.”
After moving to the Black Hills, joining Ketel Thorstenson wasn’t a given to Alvarez. Like any good accountant, he analyzed everything he could before making a decision. “Of all the firms I looked at as far as client service, talent, and a culture of giving back to the community, Ketel Thorstenson rose to the top,” says Tom. “My research was spot on, not to mention they treat everyone who works here as family.”
Tom holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from California State University, Sacramento, and a Master of Business Taxation degree from the University of Southern California. He is a licensed CPA in California, Indiana, North Dakota and South Dakota, and a longtime member of the American Institute of CPAs Tax Division.
When he’s not at work, you can find Tom helping at his church, finding new hiking trails with his family, and helping his son with Boy Scouts.
