Meet the team

Steve graduated in 1990 from the University of Oregon, College of Business Administration with a Bachelor of Science degree.  In 1993, shortly after earning his CPA and Oregon Municipal Auditors license, he founded the accounting firm in hopes of fulfilling his strong desire to provide quality, affordable accounting services to the local community.  He has managed the practice since then, now employing a full, and growing team of accounting and financial professional serving more than 1000 clients each year. Among his clients served are numerous cities, school Districts, and other special Districts in Oregon for whom the firm provides audit and advisory services. 

Steve delivers significant governmental expertise. He has dedicated the last 28 years planning and performing audits for small and mid-sized governments, accumulating more than 20,000 hours of dedicated audit and advisory services during his career.  His understanding and appreciation of governmental functions have been further enhanced through serving as a Roseburg City Councilor for five years and through participating on numerous government and non-profit Boards and Committees. 

In addition to spending more than 80 hours each year in continuing education classes dedicated to honing his municipal audit skills, knowledge and experience, Steve also spends hundreds of hours each year with his staff in professional development training sessions. Furthermore, a significant amount of time throughout each year is spent with staff and clients researching and discussing GASB standards, analyzing complex reporting matters, and developing tools for government management and audit. Steve takes great pride in translating and summarizing complex information for clients, helping others appreciate and understand what is most often confusing and overwhelming.

Jean came to UVF with over 30 years in Healthcare Financial Management. Here in Oregon, she served at Mercy Medical Center, as Controller for 17 years, and for their Physician Clinics for another 5. Before moving to Oregon, she worked in high level Financial Management for Hospitals in Massachusetts, Maryland, Ohio and as an Auditor in Kansas, where she completed the CPA exam.

While at UVF, Jean has assisted organizations with financial transition coverage, prepared Ground Emergency Medical Transportation, (GEMT) cost reports, and with her experience in not-for-profit organizations, is providing financial and accounting guidance and assistance to Governmental entities.

Ashraf is a Certified Public Accountant based in Texas and has successfully received reciprocation for her CPA license in Oregon. With a master’s degree in accounting from the University of Texas at San Antonio, Ash comes to UVF with experience with over 12 years of experience as a corporate accountant and financial analyst. Her work experience includes reviewing financial statements, assisting audit and tax teams, and providing accounting guidance and compliance to international subsidiaries. Ash is experienced in preparing and filing sales and tax returns, individual returns, and small business/LLC returns. Moreover, Ash has excellent analytical and critical thinking skills, pays attention to details, and is skilled at building and maintaining customer relationships. She is currently an active member of the National Disaster Management Team in her community and is ready to provide help if and when disaster strikes.

Desiree has been with Umpqua Valley Financial since 2021. In addition to her role on various Audit engagement teams, Desiree serves our clients as a Licensed Tax Preparer and is currently working towards becoming an Enrolled Agent. Currently, Desiree is continuing her education at Southern Oregon University, working towards completing their Bachelor of Science program with an emphasis in accounting. This coursework will allow her to sit for her CPA exam in the near future. Desiree also has valuable experience with a variety of business types including partnerships, S-corps, corporations, non-profits, and other entities which allows her to provide consulting services. With ongoing mentoring, training, education, and licensing, Desiree is highly equipped to handle nearly any situation and is committed to both Umpqua Valley Financial and our clients who can benefit from a long-term relationship.  

Savannah joined UVF in June of 2017 as an Audit and Tax Associate. She was the first smiling face you saw when walking through our doors! Since then, through hard work, she has made her way up the ladder and is now the Communications Manager for over 60 Municipal Audits. Savannah comes to UVF with a strong background in customer service and office management. She brings positivity and life to the office, and UVF loves that! Her free time is spent exploring the great outdoors with her family and friends, going to her children’s sporting events, and so much more!

Ely is a first-generation graduate from St. Edward’s University specializing in Finance and minoring in Economics. He is skilled in various accounting, financial, and administrative needs. Prior to joining the team at Umpqua Valley Financial; Ely gained experience in the following core areas: bookkeeping, accounting, financial reporting, financial forecasting, budgeting, and project management. He is a decisive planner and problem-solver with an 8-year track record working with financial and accounting programs, and ERP systems. Seeking to increase productivity and efficiency where placed.

Kassie joined the firm in March of 2021 as a member of our investment team. She is now managing investment operations as well as supporting other business areas as a tax and audit associate. Her background in banking and business management brings a multitude of strengths to the UVF team; of the eight years in banking, she spent the last six managing two different Wells Fargo locations in the Douglas County area. Kassie and her family moved to the Roseburg area seven years ago and has been lucky enough to participate in volunteering locally at Wildlife Safari, Operation Tiny Home, Habitat for Humanity and more. She’s currently working towards completing licensing for tax preparation to better serve our tax and investment clientele. In her free time, her and her family enjoy the outdoors, especially hiking and camping throughout our beautiful state!

Teagan brings a background of customer service, attention to detail, and dedication to getting the job done right. She enjoys engaging with our clients and wants to make sure everyone feels welcome and appreciated. Her ability to always maintain a positive attitude, even in stressful moments, is much appreciated and highly noticed. Having spent many years as a Customer Service Rep and Dispatcher in the Medical Supply Industry, Teagan understand how important even the smallest detail can be.

Chelsea is currently studying Accounting at Portland state University, where she is on track to graduate in 2023 with her Baccalaureate Certificate, as a CPA candidate. She earned her Accounting Certificate at Portland community College, where she was a President’s List Honoree. She also has a B.A. in Production Design. When away from work, she enjoys spending time with her dog, ballet, photography, and gardening.  

Leticia joins our team as an Audit and Tax Associate.  She graduated summa cum laude with a BBA in Accounting from Texas A&M University San Antonio with a 4.0 GPA and received the Outstanding Graduating Student award from the College of Business. Having a 20-year background as a court reporter, along with being an experienced staff accountant, she brings with her a strong attention to detail with the ability to handle complex tasks and consistently produce accurate and quality results.  In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, especially her seven grandchildren.

Francisco joins us from an operations and project management background, with more than 15 years of experience in working with media, film festival and production companies. His keen attention to detail and passion for finding efficient and innovative solutions are adaptable for any situation. He successfully owned and operated a gallery in Austin, Texas which unfortunately closed during Covid but led him to pursue his dream of living in New York City. In his spare time, he loves to travel, watch films and spend time with family and friends.

Josh recently joined Umpqua Valley Financial, coming from a 20-year career in high level management, global business development and strategic growth in private industry. Josh has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Oregon State University and Master’s degree in Business Administration which he earned from Portland State University.

Throughout his career he has worked with a wide array of managers in developing successful business enterprises. His knowledge and understanding of financial reporting and the value of internal controls, in addition to his commitment to effective communication are sure to be valuable as both an auditor and advisor to each of our audit clients.