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Emily Kliethermes

Comptroller
Missouri Republican State Committee
Jefferson City, MO

 

Don’t tell Emily Kliethermes that it can’t be done.

“No high school student, no matter what their circumstances, should ever think their path in life has already been set,” she says. Emily grew up with eight brothers and sisters in a town with of 300 people, in a house with no air conditioning. Her father passed away when she was 18, and her mother worked long hours in a factory. But she wasn’t about to let any of that get in her way.

“I worked three jobs to pay for college at the University of Missouri and took out loans to make it happen,” Emily says. “And I still went on spring break. I had a blast in college.”

Today, Emily is the comptroller of the Missouri Republican State Committee, which means she oversees the political group’s finances. It’s a job that keeps her moving. “One day I could be flying to Washington, DC, to meet with the Federal Election Committee, or attending a dinner for a senator, governor or presidential candidate,” she says. “And the next day I could be licking stamps. Nothing is too great or too small in this job.”

Even with such a busy professional life, she has plenty of time for her own pursuits – from spending time with her children at taekwondo, soccer, t-ball, or piano lessons to running 5Ks and volunteering in her community.

“When I was in high school, I wish I had known that no dreams are too big,” Emily says. “And being a CPA can make a lot of them happen sooner than you think!”

Take it from someone who knows.

Got questions of your own? Ask a CPA.