Barghausen: Accounting Day 2023

The History of Accounting Day

Accounting Day occurs each year on November 10th to recognize the accounting and finance professions for their underlying support to businesses and organizations. The date originated from the book titled "Summa De Arithmetica, Geometria, Proportioni et Proportionalita" published in Venice on November 10th, 1494. It was the first ever published book on double-entry bookkeeping by Luca Pacioli, a collaborator of Leonardo da Vinci. The first Accounting Day was recognized in 1972 by the San Diego Chapter of the California Society of CPAs to inspire future generations to pursue a career in accounting.

About our Accounting Department

This year, we are celebrating Accounting Day to recognize our exceptional accounting professionals. The field of accounting is in a constant state of evolution, demanding a proactive approach to stay ahead. Our dedicated team of accounting experts plays a pivotal role at Barghausen, upholding the profitability of the firm. They perform critical tasks such as project setup, employee payroll, billing, compliance, and licensing. Jen Sullivan, the Controller of the accounting department, characterizes her team as passionate, caring, and innovative. While each member has different responsibilities, they all share a collective commitment to ensuring the accuracy and efficiency of our accounting cycles. It is important to sustain strong, valued relationships with both our clients and internal team members. This team has been crucial to driving the success we have achieved here at Barghausen. We want to thank our accounting team for the dedication and contributions that they bring to Barghausen, and wish them a happy Accounting Day! 

Meet Barghausen's Accounting Professionals 

Jen Sullivan 

Controller 

What inspired you to pursue a career in accounting?

• I took an entry-level job in accounting and just fell in love with it. I went back to school for an accounting degree and kept growing in my career. 
  

How do you collaborate with other professionals on your team?

• My favorite part is when we are all in person as a team. It is a lot of fun. Like others, I collaborate through email/Teams if we aren't in person.
  

How do you keep up with the latest trends and developments in the accounting industry?

• Typically, through larger CPA firms, they consistently share general information/updates, trends, and industry outlooks. We have a CPA that we have worked with since Barghausen began, so she is very familiar with our business. There are also construction/ AEC groups (e.g., CFMA).
  

What are some of the most rewarding aspects of your job here at Barghausen?

• The most rewarding aspect is contributing to financial decisions that benefit the company and employees. Although some people find the accounting process cumbersome, tight controls and quick cycles are essential to keeping a company profitable. Seeing process improvement and efficiencies is very rewarding as we are always looking to work smarter and not harder. 
  

Carla Miller 

Project Accountant

What inspired you to pursue a career in accounting?

• I came into accounting by accident while I was trying to get out of the sales world. I started as a finance assistant and worked my way up. I never thought I would like it as much as I do because math was never my favorite subject. I really can’t imagine doing something different now. I like the challenges and the problem-solving aspects of finance. When you can find a discrepancy, and everything balances out it is a good feeling!

How do you collaborate with other professionals on your team?

• As an accountant, I rely on Jodi and MacKenzie to get information on payments and deposits. This includes the information on adding invoices to a project and determining if a project invoice payment has been received. Ronda, Chuck, and I are usually always able to step in to land a hand to each other if they are busy. It is a very valuable part of a team or department. 

What are some of the most rewarding aspects of your job here at Barghausen?

• The daily challenges and problem-solving that allow you to find answers or solutions. That always feels like a win, and I enjoy that very much. 
  

Chuck Schafer 

Project Accountant

Chuck is a project accountant here at Barghausen. He primarily works with billing, sending invoices to clients, contacting project managers, and setting up projects for the firm. Chuck always has a positive attitude. He is extremely proactive, consistent, reliable, and funny! He is an asset to the accounting team and they are grateful to have a coworker like Chuck!

Ronda Huerta 

Senior Project Accountant 

What inspired you to pursue a career in accounting?

• I centered all my classes in high school around Accounting and Business Communications during my graduating year. I tried a few other things along the way but have always been a numbers person.

How do you collaborate with other professionals on your team?

• We all work together while having our core responsibilities.  

How do you keep up with the latest trends and developments in the accounting industry?

• I mostly learn new business/accounting trends while complying with our client requirements.

What are some of the most rewarding aspects of your job here at Barghausen?

• I have felt like I belong here from day 1, it has only been 5 years, but there are many more to go. The connections, work ethic, and all-around atmosphere of the office are the best!!

Jodi Fields

Senior Staff Accountant

What inspired you to pursue a career in accounting?

• I just fell into accounting when I started working for my Dad's roofing manufacturing company 30 years ago. I started working for Glenda the bookkeeper doing AP, AR, and helping with payroll and other tasks in accounting. Since then, I have worked in different accounting positions for the companies I have worked for. 
  

How do you collaborate with other professionals on your team?

• Mostly, I collaborate through email. When new things are happening in our department, we have a yearly meeting as needed. Sometimes, we go to lunch as a department for special events like a new employee or when we need to get together as a team. As a team, we work well together. 
  

How do you keep up with the latest trends and developments in the accounting industry?

• When I first came to Barghausen, I went to a seminar about Ajera in Denver. It was very informative and helpful.
  

What are some of the most rewarding aspects of your job here at Barghausen?

• When I first came to Barghausen, the accounts payable were very disorganized. I organized it so would run more smoothly. I have also updated the vendor's payments so they are paid in a more timely manner. 
  

Mackenzie Dammel

Staff Accountant

What inspired you to pursue a career in accounting?

• During my senior year of college, I was taking online classes due to COVID-19, and I wanted to gain real-world work experience while I was finishing my degree. I majored in criminal justice and criminology so a lot of the higher-level courses I took had analysis and problem-solving at the core of the curriculum. Although criminal justice and accounting Differ, I wanted a career that would challenge me and enable me to utilize those skills I refined in college. Once I secured a position in accounting, I realized how many different career paths I could take in this field. That inspires me to continually learn more about the accounting industry so I can advance in my career. 
  

How do you collaborate with other professionals on your team?

• Since I am new to my current team, I collaborate with them by consistently asking questions to familiarize myself with the system and the team itself. I also participate in daily/weekly check-ins with management on my team to ensure that I'm on the right track with certain projects or daily tasks I'm working on. 
  

How do you keep up with the latest trends and developments in the accounting industry?

• I have a lot of connections with people on LinkedIn who are in the finance and accounting industry. My feed is consistently filled with the latest accounting trends as well as how the accounting landscape is changing. 
  

What are some of the most rewarding aspects of your job here at Barghausen?

• One rewarding aspect is that I'm able to interact with a large group of people from project accountants to project managers, as well as the clients of those projects. Although I'm interacting with a large group of people, Barghausen is one of the smaller companies I've worked for. The connections I make feel very genuine. Another rewarding aspect is that there's a lot of room for growth and opportunity within my department as the company grows and gains more clients.