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Milgard’s Accounting Advisory Board works to support accounting education at the University of Washington Tacoma by providing strategic thought partnerships and community connections to Program leadership and accounting faculty. It is comprised of a diverse set of professionals who share a commitment to the Milgard School of Business and its accounting programs, faculty, staff, and students. The Accounting Advisory Board invests its time, energy and resources on a pro bono basis for the betterment of the Program and its stakeholders. The School and Program value and recognize these multifaceted contributions.
Preston Crane
Senior IT Audit Manager, Weyerhaeuser
Preston Crane is a Senior Manager in Weyerhaeuser’s Internal Audit department where he manages the IT Audit team. He has a broad range of audit, project, and operations management experience including: financial planning and analysis (FP&A), mergers and acquisitions (M&A), data analytics, and business intelligence. He has also lectured for the University of Washington Tacoma’s Milgard School of Business MBA program. Prior to his career with Weyerhaeuser, Preston held roles at Symetra Financial, Gensco, Russell Investments, and KPMG in the US and Australia.
Preston earned a BA in Business Administration and a BA in Communications from Washington State University, a MBA from the University of Washington Tacoma’s Milgard School of Business, and is a CPA licensed in Washington and Alaska.
Shelley Drury
Director of Business Valuation and Litigation Support Services, USXA
Shelley Drury, CPA, CVA, ABV, CFF, is a distinguished Shareholder and the Director of Business Valuation and Litigation Support Services at USXA in Tacoma Washington. With an extensive career spanning over 25 years, Shelley specializes in valuing businesses and professional practices, catering to needs such as marital dissolution, shareholder transitions, gift and estate taxation, business sale preparation, lending, and more. Her proficiency extends to forensic accounting, pension valuation, economic loss calculations, lost business profit assessments, social security computations, and fraud investigations, all of which are vital in litigation contexts, particularly within the domain of marital dissolution.
Professional affiliations include memberships with organizations such as the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants (WSCPA), National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts (NACVA), and National Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (NACFE).
Shelley's educational foundation was laid at Central Washington University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA), Accredited in Business Valuation (AVB), and Certified Financial Forensics (CFF).
Jason Embick
Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer, TrueBlue, Inc.
Jason Embick serves as Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer of TrueBlue, Inc. In this role, he leads the company’s financial reporting, accounting, and related internal controls functions. Headquartered in Tacoma, WA, TrueBlue is a leading global provider of specialized workforce solutions with annual revenue of over $2 billion.
Prior to TrueBlue, Mr. Embick spent nine years at the Walt Disney Company in various positions, including the Segment Controller for the Film Studio. Mr. Embick started his career in public accounting at Deloitte & Touche, where he served as an audit Senior Manager in the Southern California practice and later as a Senior Manager in the Firm’s National Office in Wilton, CT.
Mr. Embick earned a BS in accounting from the University of Southern California. He is a certified public accountant and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Susan Fennedy
Partner, Deloitte
Susan Fennedy is a partner in Deloitte’s Seattle Audit & Assurance Practice where she audits large multinational audit engagements. Ms. Fennedy has also spent several years in Deloitte’s National Office Accounting & Reporting Services group focused on providing consultative accounting services and drafting Deloitte accounting and SEC-related publications.
Ms. Fennedy also spent three years as a Professional Accounting Fellow in the Office of the Chief Accountant of the SEC where she was responsible for reviewing pre-filing submissions from registrants and consulting with the Commission Staff on accounting matters. She also advised the SEC Chairman and the Commission on various international accounting, auditing, and regulatory matters.
Ms. Fennedy earned a BS and a Master’s of Accountancy from the University of Missouri. She is a certified public accountant and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Marie Franklin
Accounting Officer, Fiscal Supervisor, Department of Defense (Student Representative)
Marie Franklin serves as an Accounting Officer and Fiscal Supervisor for an element of the Department of Defense in Pierce County, WA since 2019. In this role, she supervisors the total accounting function for a military component in Washington State. Prior, Ms. Franklin held various roles in public and private accounting.
Ms. Franklin returned to school later in life as a single parent, earning a BA with a focus in Business and Economics in 2011 from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA and a BA in Accounting in 2017 from the University of Washington in Tacoma, WA. Currently, Ms. Franklin is in her final year as a graduate accounting student at the University of Washington Tacoma.
When Ms. Franklin is not busy working or studying, she enjoys working out, home projects, traveling and spending time with her pets, friends and family.
Len Heritage
Professor, Tacoma Community College
Len Heritage was born into a family of accountants, a tradition Len has perpetuated. Len is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) as was his father, uncle, cousins, and Len’s daughter. In addition to being an accountant Len is an attorney.
Len holds bachelor (B.A.) and master (M.B.A.) degrees from the University of Puget Sound and a juris doctorate (J.D.) from Seattle University School of Law. Len’s career focuses primarily on taxation and forensic accounting. Over the past fourth-five years Len has been employed in government, industry, and academia. Len has taught accounting, law, and statistics in the United States, China, Afghanistan, and Eastern Europe.
Len currently teaches at Tacoma Community College and has been associated with the Milgard School of Business since 2008.
Michael Hurst
Tax Partner, Moss Adams LLP
Michael Hurst is a certified public accountant and Tax Partner at Moss Adams, LLP where he provides strategic tax planning and tax compliance services to clients in the construction, real estate and manufacturing industries as well as high net worth individuals. Prior to his career with Moss Adams, Michael was a captain in the United States Army serving with 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment.
Michael holds a BS in Business Administration from The Citadel, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Washington Tacoma’s Milgard School of Business and a Master of Professional Accounting (taxation) from the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business.
Sara Elizabeth Jones
Shareholder, Tax Practice Leader, Clark Nuber PS
Sara Elizabeth Jones is a shareholder and the Tax Practice Leader for Clark Nuber, a 250-person public accounting firm in Bellevue, WA. As the Tax Practice Leader, she is responsible for a team of nearly 70 professionals who have a wide range of experience and specialized skills. In addition, Ms. Jones works with tax-exempt organizations, such as colleges and universities, primary and secondary schools, health care organizations and other charitable and non-charitable organizations. Prior to Clark Nuber, Ms. Jones spent 9 years at Deloitte Tax in Seattle.
Ms. Jones earned a BA in economics from Duke University and an MBA in accounting and finance from the University of Washington. Ms. Jones is a certified public accountant and a member of the Washington Society of CPAs. She is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accounts, including an associate member of the AICPA Exempt Organizations Technical Resource Panel.
Jake Murphy
Manager, Digital Risk Consulting
Jake Murphy is a manager in the Digital Risk Consulting practice at Ernst and Young (EY) where he has experience with internal and external audits, program, and project management, and is the leader of the Seattle chapter of EY’s Veterans Network. Jake served for a decade in the United States Army Infantry before graduating from the University of Washington Tacoma, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with an emphasis on accounting.
When Jake is not busy with client work, he enjoys spending time with his family, staying active in the Veteran community, working out and practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Dan Thompson
Controller for Catholic Community Services, Southwest Region
Dan Thompson currently serves as the Controller for the Southwest Region of Catholic Community Services (CCS). Currently, he oversees all areas of accounting and is heavily involved in the technological transformation CCS is currently undergoing. He has spent the past few years working in the Not-For-Profit sector and has experience in grant administration, net asset management, and audits. Dan got his start working for TrueBlue Inc. located in downtown Tacoma.
Dan earned a BA in Business Administration with a focus on Accounting from the University of Washington, Tacoma and is a Certified Public Accountant. He also has a degree in Mathematics and a Masters Degree in Education. These last two degrees were the foundation for his first career as a high school math teacher.
Stacey Wilkerson
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Sound Credit Union
Stacey Wilkerson serves as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Sound Credit Union with over 25 years of expertise in financial management, particularly within credit union operations. In her role, she is accountable for driving both top and bottom-line financial results and oversees the accounting, finance, and risk management functions. Stacey earned a BA in Finance, Management Information Systems and General Business from Texas Tech University and holds an MBA in Financial Services from the University of Dallas.
University of Washington Tacoma - Accounting Programs
Karen Janz
Interim Director, MSAcc Program and the Accounting Hub
Karen Janz is the Interim Director, MSAcc Program and the Accounting Hub for the Milgard School of Business at the University of Washington – Tacoma. Prior to her career at the Milgard School Karen worked for the Boeing Company in Supplier Credit, General Accounting and Finance Support. She has also previously held an ownership interest in a construction company and a property development company where she used her accounting background in tax planning, project evaluation, and cost management.
In her spare time Karen spends her time helping young people achieve their dreams. She has served on the board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County and the Olympia School District Education Foundation. She currently is a member of the finance committees of The Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County and Hilltop Artists. .
Karen earned a BA in Accounting and Finance from Central Washington University and an MBA from the University of Washington-Tacoma. She is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the Washington Society of CPAs.
