Kruggel Lawton Welcomes Three New Partners in 2023

January 4, 2023 - Posted by:

Kruggel Lawton CPAs, a full service accounting and business advisory firm, is happy to announce that three senior managers have been named partners. Kate N. Leichty, CPA, W. Aaron O’Dell, CPA, and Kevin Zink, CPA, CGMA, CIDA, will begin in their new roles effective January 1, 2023. These appointments bring the total number of partners at Kruggel Lawton to 18.

“We are excited to welcome Kate, Aaron, and Kevin to the partnership group. They each bring unique backgrounds and perspectives which will be instrumental as we continue to grow locally and throughout the Midwest and expand our service offerings. Their dedication to our clients, team members, and communities is apparent in all aspects of their work, and we look forward to their leadership for many years to come,” said Managing Partner Barry Hall, CPA.

Kate Leichty, CPA, has more than 15 years of tax compliance and consulting experience in both Indiana and California. She leads the delivery of tax services to clients and coaches and supervises professional staff. She specializes in tax matters for a variety of industries including manufacturing, distribution, private equity groups, and agriculture. Leichty is involved at a high level on tax engagements including tax compliance, specifically in complex pass-through entities, tax consulting, and mergers and acquisitions consulting.

Leichty earned her bachelor's degree from Goshen College, Goshen, Ind. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Indiana CPA Society, and California Society of CPAs. Outside of the office, she is a board member and chair of the governance committee for Everence Association and is a board member and treasurer for the Goshen Theater.

“We are excited to congratulate Kate on becoming partner at Kruggel Lawton,” said Mike Varner, CPA, CGMA, KL Partner. “Kate has made strong contributions to our firm, both in providing excellent service to our clients and in mentoring and investing in the professional development of our team members. Kate is committed to our firm’s values and to making the communities we serve better. This is an exciting career milestone for Kate, and we are thrilled that she is joining our leadership team at Kruggel Lawton.”

Aaron O’Dell, CPA, has more than 15 years of public accounting experience, primarily focused on employee benefit plan audits and financial statement assurance. In addition to auditing qualified retirement plans, including defined benefit plans, 403(b) plans, 401(k)s profit sharing plans, as well as health and welfare and pension plans, O’Dell also has experience consulting on plan improvements, handling mergers and acquisitions, plan terminations and frozen plans, and correcting compliance failures. O’Dell earned his bachelor's degree in accounting and master’s in business administration with an emphasis in accounting from Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, Tenn. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants Employee Benefit Plan Conference Task Force, and is a Knoxville board member of the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants. He was a 2021 participant of the Convergence Coaching Transformation Leadership Program, is actively involved with the Knoxville and Farragut Chambers of Commerce and is treasurer of the Chairman’s Club.

“Aaron has been an asset ever since he joined KL,” said Stephen Beasy, CPA, CGMA, KL Partner. “It has been a pleasure to have someone with his abilities help grow the Employee Benefit practice to a size that ranks in the top 3% of all firms. I’m excited to have Aaron as a fellow partner driving Kruggel Lawton into the future.”

Kevin Zink, CPA, CGMA, CIDA, joined Kruggel Lawton as a Staff Accountant in 1999. Zink is primarily involved in assurance engagements and specializes in serving clients in the manufacturing, wholesale distribution, and construction industries. He also assists clients with tax planning and preparation as well as financial forecasts and projections.

Zink earned his bachelor's degree in accounting from Indiana University, South Bend, Ind. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Indiana CPA Society, and is a graduate of the Leadership South Bend/Mishawaka program. Outside of the office, Zink is a board member and treasurer of the Home Builders Association of St. Joseph Valley.

“We are excited to have Kevin become a partner in our firm and are very proud of him,” said Bill Heffelfinger, CPA, CGMA, KL Partner. “He has earned this with his dedication and hard work over the years.  Kevin is a leader in our assurance practice, and his technical knowledge and expertise have been invaluable to our firm and clients.”