Meet Our Team
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Cheryl Gehlen, CPA
Chief Financial Officer
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Cheryl Gehlen, CPA
Chief Financial Officer
Cheryl is a Certified Public Accountant with a career in public accounting dedicated to exceptional client service with a diverse array of small and medium-sized private companies. Cheryl leads high-performing remote and hybrid-remote teams on multifaceted operational, project, and client functions. Cheryl is well-versed in GAAP and IFRS financial reporting, internal control process improvement, people development, and complex accounting issues.
As CFO, Cheryl oversee the operational and financial aspects of AMA and assists in establishment of and adherence to best practices, oversees risk management and assists in executing the owner's vision of the evolution of the company.
Cheryl has a passion for dogs and volunteers with a local Siberian Husky rescue. She also enjoys hikes in the Pacific Northwest.
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Brent Mickelson, EA
Tax Manager
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Brent Mickelson, EA
Tax Manager
This individual is a seasoned public accountant transitioning into individual finance and accounting operations from the public sector. He has honed their skills in data analysis and workpaper preparation over the years and is eager to leverage these abilities in a new context. This transition is expected to bring about significant benefits, including improved efficiency and accuracy in financial processes, enhanced risk management, and the ability to provide more timely and accurate financial insights to stakeholders. Brent provides a knowledge base in the accounting sector, building relationships with the clients he serves, and values the trust that they place in him.
Brent loves spending time with his family, camping and hiking in the great outdoors, and swimming. He also enjoys cooking and baking often with his wife and kids. He and his wife Janice have two daughters and a son, and their family plays card games and board games often. Brent and his brother created a company making family games.
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Hillary McFarlane
Accountant III
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Hillary McFarlane
Accounting Specialist
Dedicated Finance and Human Resources Specialist with a proven track record of maintaining meticulous financial records, optimizing financial performance, and managing human resources functions. Strong analytical and communication skills, with a history of driving operational efficiency and compliance.
Hillary McFarlane has lived in eastern Washington her entire life. Her journey initially led her to pursue a degree in music education, followed by shifting and spending 8 years working as a dental assistant. A twist of fate resulted in her taking a job in the accounting world, and it was there that she discovered her true passion.
Hillary and her husband have six children, ranging in age from 16 to 2 years old. Outside of work, Hillary enjoys traveling, camping, college football, and actively supporting her children's activities.
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Thom Ngo
Accountant II
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Thom Ngo
Accountant II
A Business Graduate from London UK, now based in Rathdrum ID. Worked in Banking, Finance, and accounting departments for 15+ years, with accounting focused in the last 5 years. Most recently worked in a Public Accounting Firm in North Idaho assisting CPAs with Bookkeeping and Payroll duties for Tax Prep. Past roles include GL Accountant, Franchise Accountant, and Accountant Overseeing AP & AR departments.
As a British Citizen from immigrants coming with an Asian-Pacific background, I was afforded the luxury of being raised in a multicultural environment. Having lived and traveled freely throughout all corners of the United Kingdom as well as most of mainland Europe, my life has been enriched with experiences meeting and working with people from diverse backgrounds. Other than traveling and learning about different cultures and new environments, I also love reading, playing music, and playing sports. It's not only in accounting that I like to have the books clean and tidy! - I also like to help with the upkeep of local community projects too; be it volunteering at my local Church or helping with clean-up at other non-profit events. Always keen to learn and willing to help wherever I can, I very much look forward to my next adventures both professionally and personally. Working for Archimedes MA LLC, especially at this phase of my journey, really correlates with my own drive to learn about new projects and explore different challenges. I feel truly blessed to be part of such an innovative company and very excited to experience the development and growth, especially with the embracing of creative ideas and newer solutions, such as using AI technology in this space. Archimedes said it best himself: "Give me a fulcrum, and I shall move the world."
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Robyn Theng
Accountant ll
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Robyn Theng
Accountant ll
Experienced, detail-oriented accountant. Highly expert in problem-solving skills and development of analytical skills, as well as an advanced understanding of popular accounting and tax software.
Robyn is based in Saint Paul, Minnesota where she was born and raised. She is a second-generation daughter to immigrant parents from Thailand. Robyn is very family oriented and spends most of her time with her family. She is a mother to her son, Bowen, and their dog, Jijo.
Robyn enjoys staying active, playing sports and spending time outdoors. In the winter months of Minnesota, she enjoys staying in and doing DIY projects in her home. She does not enjoy the snow as much as everyone does.
Robyn has worked in bookkeeping and tax accounting for the last 6 years in various firms and positions, including freelancing in 2022. Robyn became a part of Archimedes MA in October of 2023 as an Accountant. Robyn believes she has found a company that is just as passionate and driven to providing quality service to clients.
About Archimedes MA
Our previous name is widely known in the region, and we intend to honor their 73 years
of stellar practice by introducing an online presence and new brand recognition. We are
gracefully disrupting the sector. Offering a three-fold value proposition: high-quality
service, cost-effectiveness, and social impact encouraging the financial goals of our
clients and our employees while promoting work life balance.
Our mission is to become a
knowledge base in the industry with an open-door policy to share knowledge and eliminate
the gap between those who understand financial language and tax code and those who struggle
to retain revenue.
Over 1,000,000 CPA baby boomers are retiring in the United States, causing a sharp
increase in demand for accounting services and a spike in salaries. Firms are cutting
clients and unable to compensate new in-house talent. Our infrastructure's cornerstone
is our employees. We attract top talent supporting their skills with state-of-the-art
technologies and cross-referencing processes that support high performance and ensure
accuracy.
Our eye is on the future of intelligent informed clients. We promote financial
education engaging client-centric relationships with businesses and individuals
overcoming the boundaries of complex tax code. We make accounting fun and lucrative.
While the demand for remote work is increasing, there is a significant shortage of firms offering remote CPA employment. Our firm, based in the Northwest, fills this gap. Employing satellite CPAs allows the firm to keep rates below the competition. Conversely, we attract the top talent by offering competitive benefits and a healthy share of the profits. Our remote model protects our employees and our clients from unforeseeable disasters brought by mother nature, economic downturn, and security breaches.
Small to medium sized businesses cannot afford a CPA.
Our business model mitigates this
problem by employing remote CPAs, reducing overhead, and passing savings on to our clients.
Our remote CPA model offers competitive predictable costs, making it affordable for such
businesses to receive the crucial financial advice and services they need to streamline
operations and take advantage of tax strategy and planning.
Businesses lack awareness of changing tax regulations, for example, small businesses are unaware of hundreds of tax strategies that would significantly increase the percentage of revenue they keep. We address this by providing real-time tax strategies that can save businesses significant amounts of money. Applying innovative technologies to create a practical plan for them to immediately implement.
The founding team, led by HF Magnuson in 1950, has a longstanding commitment to philanthropy.
This reputation not only adds an ethical layer to our business, but the previous owners have
committed to facilitate the transition and create a magnetic brand image that attracts clients
and talent alike. Strategically aligning our business practices with philanthropy embracing
technology for greater impact, we not only maintain a strong brand reputation but also generate
savings in the form of tax deductions. These savings become a cushion, enhancing resilience
against economic downturns. Our remote CPAs become exponentially affordable enabling us to provide
competitive benefits, retirement planning, and profit sharing. Client acquisition is rewarded
with a share of profits generated by those clients.
Implementing state-of-the-art technology to expedite the development of modern AI software for
accounting services enables us to be ready for the future as a Firm that keeps the CPA in control
of the AI. Our business model is fortified with a unique blend of gracefully disruptive
problem-solving solutions in the sector through remote talent, innovative technology, philanthropy,
and meritocracy.
Our business is not going anywhere and CPAs who use AI will be the future of accounting. We are
a proactive part of a paradigm shift in accounting services. The firm "The firm will continue to
work closely with the previous owners to ensure a seamless transition to existing clients."