CROW SHIELDS BAILEY NAMES GINA MCKELLAR NEW MANAGING SHAREHOLDER

February 8, 2019 – Crow Shields Bailey PC (CSB) is pleased to announce Gina McKellar, CPA, CVA has been elected to serve as the firm’s new Managing Shareholder effective January 2019.

Gina assumes this role from long-time Managing Shareholder, Kenny Crow, who has served in this position since 1986 and will now lead CSB’s business consulting. Gina looks forward to guiding CSB’s growth, strategy and vision by continuing in Kenny’s footsteps to build the Gulf Coast’s premier full-service accounting and consulting firm.

“Gina’s leadership experience makes her an ideal fit to continue guiding our firm’s strategic growth plan,” said CSB former Managing Shareholder Kenny Crow. “She is well-respected by her peers and exudes resilient problem-solving skills, even in the face of adversity. Our firm has been preparing for this successful transition, and we can’t wait to witness the positive impact she will bring to CSB’s future success.”

With more than 30 years of experience in public accounting, Gina has been part of the CSB team since 1997, and was admitted as the firm’s first female shareholder in 2002. Gina has exemplified leadership as the firm shareholder responsible for overseeing the success of its human resources department. Among her many accomplishments, Gina was recently awarded The Lagniappe 2018 Nappie Award for Best CPA. She specializes in accounting and auditing, tax, business valuations, tax planning, business consulting and litigation support.

“Crow Shields Bailey PC is proud to serve our clients as their trusted advisor, and we look forward to growing with them and our Gulf Coast community,” said Gina McKellar.

CSB’s team and management congratulate Gina, and remain dedicated to ensuring a seamless transition for the firm.

Gina is married to Charles McKellar and mother to three grown children Brian (Ellie) Russell, Bradley Russell and Thomas Russell. In her free time, Gina enjoys running and gardening. She currently serves as President of the McGill-Toolen Catholic Foundation and on the Finance Council for Our Lady of Lourdes Parish.

For more than 33 years, Crow Shields Bailey PC has served as the Gulf Coast’s premier full-service accounting and consulting firm by reaching beyond the numbers. Headquartered in Mobile, with locations in Daphne and Gulf Shores, CSB’s dedicated team of financial experts is committed to helping its clients maximize their wealth and reach their financial goals. Through its affiliation with the RSM US Alliance, CSB has the resources of a national accounting firm matched with proven local leadership the community has come to know and trust.

The Big Question: Should You Work At A Large Firm Or A Small Firm?

January 17, 2019

Kenny Crow, III, CPA | Supervisor | Published by Crow Shields Bailey

Exploring the Benefits and Challenges of Large vs Small Firms

Throughout my career, I have had the pleasure of working for two successful accounting firms. Both of these have provided me with valuable experiences where I have gained a diverse perspective for the unique benefits of working for different sized public accounting firms.

My first job out of college allowed me to work at one of the largest firms in the southeast that was located in Central Alabama. After working in Birmingham for six and a half years, I decided to move to Mobile, AL in early 2018 and began working at Crow Shields Bailey PC (CSB), a mid-size public accounting firm.

Experience level. One of the main differentiators of working in a large vs. small firm is the pace matched with the level of experience you gain. At the start of your career, joining a smaller firm always helps in rapidly gaining a larger breadth of experience. At a firm like CSB, you get to see jobs from start to finish and truly understand the scope of what you are working on in its entirety. In the larger firms, the work is distributed into smaller chunks between more employees, so the experience you gain is narrowed to one focused area or industry.

Big name clients. Working at the larger-sized accounting firm, I was able to partner with some of the largest private companies in the southeast. Partnering with large clients provided the opportunity to support complex financial statements and face issues that could take CPAs at smaller firms many years to obtain a similar level of experience.

Industry expertise. At larger firms, you tend to get concentrated experience in certain industries and work strictly in either audit or tax. This creates an avenue to become a proficient expert in the areas that you specialize in, but prevents you from being able to comprehensively consult with your clients on all accounting-related matters. At CSB and other similar sized firms, you have the opportunity to gain experience in all types of industries and every line of business. This allows you to be your client’s preferred advisor in tax, audit, financial consulting, forensic accounting, and many other matters.

Path to Partner. With the bifurcation of audit and taxes or industry specializations occurring so frequently in large firms, younger CPAs at major firms may find it more challenging to serve their client in every financial consulting facet as they move towards the path of partner. As younger CPAs at larger accounting firms trend towards industry specialization, they have to invest a significant amount of time to staying updated on industry and accounting literature for areas they lack experience in. CPAs in small firms naturally gain this experience and knowledge more quickly as they progress in their “multiple hat” career paths. Many Baby Boomers and Generation X CPAs that are currently serving in a partner-level position began their careers in an environment where they were involved with all levels of business and worked in several types of industries, similar to CSB.

Leadership opportunities. I have also found that as you progress throughout your career path, you have more opportunities in smaller firms to positively influence the firm’s culture and take on leadership roles, but one can still bring invaluable leadership impact to larger firms if you find the right mentors and support teams.

Regardless of the path of public accounting you choose, you can’t go wrong with a career in this industry. Working at both large and small accounting firms has its benefits and the key to choosing the right one is truly understanding the differences between the two and prioritizing what is important to you. If you have any questions or want any additional information about working at a large accounting firm versus a smaller accounting firm, please contact Kenny Crow, III at [email protected].

 

Why CSB?

December 5, 2018

Kenny Crow, CPA | Managing Shareholder | Published by Crow Shields Bailey

Why CSB?

At Crow Shields Bailey PC (CSB), the culture is focused on putting our team first. As a result of that, we experience tremendous success in recruiting the best and the brightest—professionals that bring fun and passion into our work environment every day.

We work hard for the opportunity to play hard. Our creativity is fostered through open dialogue and being receptive to new ideas and better ways to combine our diverse talents to achieve a desired result.

CSB takes great pride in our community involvement. Individually, we encourage our team to explore passions, utilize their talents, and openly give time and resources to worthy causes that positively impact our region. Each year, CSB selects an annual charity focus, and our team donates 20 or more hours a month to other philanthropic efforts.

When you join CSB, we invest in your future. We help you identify a meaningful career path and train you to optimize your potential. We discovered a long time ago that the success of our team members in climbing the ladder to the top only fuels our practice growth. Everyone wants to help each other expand their skill set, and work together to support our firm’s mission.

Our RSM alliance partnership provides consistent training and leadership development opportunities. So, if you were a bit shy about making presentations to professionals, speaking to a group of bankers, or having a high-level conversation with an important client or prospect, your confidence will soar after attending peer training programs across the country. CSB has evolved into a well-respected firm known for its consultative approach to helping clients achieve their financial goals.

So my question is, why not join a firm like CSB, where peers respect you, where you are challenged to become the best version of yourself, and where you have a high probability to succeed personally and professionally?