Although it's been a Russellville fixture since 1964, Strickland & Barksdale, CPAs, is more than just a long-standing local business.
It's a family affair, and the third generation of the family, Will Barksdale, recently earned his designation as a Certified Public Accountant. Barksdale follows his mother Donna and his grandfather Glen Strickland in becoming the third family member to successfully complete the CPA training and test.
Strickland started the company in 1960. His two daughters, Donna (Barksdale) and Cynthia (Fennel) both work at the office, along with his grandson Will. And that family togetherness is the primary reason Strickland, now in his 80s, loves coming to work every day.
“If not for them I probably would have retired already,” Strickland said. “Some people can't work with family but we have always worked together well and that keeps me going.”
Strickland's CPA career began in Birmingham, but he returned to Russellville to open his own practice in 1964. Donna joined her father's firm in 1983, and Will joined the firm in 2015.
After earning his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Auburn University, Will received a Master's Degree in Business Administration from the University of North Alabama with a concentration in Accounting.
He began studying for the four-part CPA exam in 2019 and he completed the final part of the 16-hour exam last year. In addition to passing the CPA test, candidates must have at least one year of experience in public accounting working with a licensed CPA.
Barksdale said he was never pushed to go into accounting by his mother or grandfather. Instead, he decided on that career after working at the office while he attended Northwest-Shoals Community College.
“I kind of grew up around (accounting),” Barksdale said. “After I worked here during my time at NW-SCC, I decided I liked the work and that was for sure what I wanted to do.”
After he graduated from Russellville High School in 2009, Barksdale saw many of his classmates move away to pursue educational or professional opportunities elsewhere. But that was never in the cards for Will.
“I had my time at Auburn and loved it, but at the same time, this is home and I always wanted to come back. No where else feels like home except here,” he added.
As with most professionals, accountants have faced challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, including learning the tax implications of Paycheck Protection Program loans, stimulus payments and other federal programs designed to help the economy.
“The PPP loan program is constantly changing,” Donna said. “I read all the time and there are changes all the time. And those rules change each time Congress passes new legislation.”
The challenge of keeping up with an ever-changing tax code is one of Will's favorite parts of his job.
“Every client's needs are different. Each return includes different challenges as to how I can best serve them and get the most for them,” Will said. “I really enjoy helping each client individually.”
Working within the confines of ethical accounting practices, Strickland said he wants his clients to see their fees as an investment rather than an expense.
“With the fees I charge, I want to provide more value to the client than what my fee is. That is the goal with all of my clients,” Strickland said. “We try to get back all the money we can get ethically for them.”
When it comes to accounting, the Strickland family tree also branches out into Birmingham, where Donna's daughter Alison (Montanaro) has her CPA practice.
One of the essential traits for a successful CPA is being a good listener, as Will explained.
“It starts with listening to your clients and what their concerns are. You make sure to put in all the work to resolve their issues or questions. And you do it in a trustworthy and ethical manner to make sure everything is handled correctly for them,” Will said.
When he began in 1960, changes in the federal tax code came “every five years or so,” Strickland said.
“You could do an individual return on two pages and make a copy on the Thermo-Fax,” Strickland explained. “Now, the law is changing constantly.”
With no plans for retirement, Strickland said he'll continue working as long as he's physically able to do so.
“I still enjoy coming to work every day. And having an office with my family is a big part of that,” Strickland said. “When they were growing up, all of them used to say because I worked long hours they would never want to go into accounting, but they all ended up doing it.”
