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Jessica Richter

Manager
Kiesling Associates LLP
West Des Moines, IA

 

Accounting can be a complex business, but sometimes getting into it is simple. “At first I wanted to be a lawyer,” says Jessica Richter, manager at Kiesling Associates LLP. “But that was just too much school. I was always very good at math and I love money, so a CPA career seemed like the way to go.”

Sure enough, it was. Since graduating, she’s worked for the State of Iowa Auditor's office and a public accounting firm that focused on governmental audits and for not-for-profit organizations like schools, cities, and the Red Cross. Now Jessica is a respected accountant who specializes in telecommunications.

“I also help handle the design, maintenance, and updating of our firm’s audit programs, along with the checklists and forms we use. It’s all paperless,” she points out.

It’s a great match for someone with a knack for simplifying things. With her organization and time management skills, Jessica stays current on the latest trends in technology and uses what she learns to make the firm’s audit processes better. In addtition to being a CPA, Jessica also is a CITP (Certified Information Technology Professional).

Not to say that she doesn’t occasionally “complicate” things with a little fun. “Our office has lots of group outings,” she says. “And as you’d guess, I’m always a planner.” She loves hosting parties and events too, and plays on a co-ed softball team with her husband, as well as sand volleyball in the summer.

An active lifestyle, no doubt. But ask her for career advice, and it all comes down to a few words: “Do what interests you and makes you happy.” Simple enough.

Got questions of your own? Ask a CPA.