Profiles

William J Headshot

William J. Nasif, CPA

Partner (Tax)

Bill worked for Arthur Andersen & Co. for over eight years as a senior audit manager prior to founding Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co. in 1976. Bill is the Managing Partner of the firm and his primary responsibilities cover supervision of corporate, partnership and individual tax return planning and return preparation for a wide spectrum of clients. He has extensive experience for a variety of commercial and public sector clients. Some of Bill’s significant work experience includes:

  • Extensive experience in tax planning and tax return preparation for individuals and all types of business entities. He works with a network of tax attorneys to accomplish the business and tax goals of firm clients.
  • Specialist in the Construction Industry.
  • Consulting regarding business and investment planning. He is a business owner and partner in a number of real estate and investment companies. He consults with clients regarding mutual fund selection, portfolio diversification, tax-advantaged investments, pension trust investments and business valuations. No products are sold and no referral fees or commissions are ever accepted.
  • Litigation support as an expert witness in accounting and auditing matters. Will also assist in property settlements incident to a divorce.

Bill has Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Accounting from Arizona State University and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the National Association of Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. He has served as chairman of the Committee on Cooperation with Credit Grantors of the Channel Counties Chapter of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. Bill has also served as an instructor for Arthur Andersen & Co. audit staff training programs and spoken on public accounting and auditing topics


Jeffery P. Harris Headshot

Jeffery P. Harris, CPA

Partner (Tax)

Jeff spent two years with the San Jose office of Deloitte, Haskins & Sells and two years in a local San Francisco accounting firm before joining Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP in November, 1986. Jeff is currently a tax and audit partner with Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., specializing in business formation and liquidity events, high technology, manufacturing, import and export and professional clients. Jeff helps business clients make their businesses successful. Work includes strategic planning, cash flow forecasting, inventory and cost control, other business matters, and tax planning. Jeff has an Associated Bachelor’s Degree from the University of California at Berkeley and a Masters of Business Administration from the California State University at Hayward with an emphasis in Accounting. Jeff is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. Jeff has served as an instructor for Deloitte, Haskins & Sells, and Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co, LLP staff training programs, and for the University of California at Santa Barbara Extension programs.


Jody Dolan Holehouse Headshot

Jody Dolan Holehouse, CPA, CMA

Partner (Tax)

Jody serves individual and business clients in tax planning and preparation, accounting and business analysis. She addresses complex issues surrounding the taxation of real estate transactions including tax deferred exchanges, owners in multiple businesses, residents, part-year and non residents, bankruptcy estates, partnerships, corporations, ‘S’ corporations, multiple state operations, trusts and estates. Ms. Holehouse began her accounting career in 1978 first with Sloan Technology Corporation. Her public accounting experience is with Bartlett, Pringle & Wolf from 1981 – 1993 and with Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co. from 1993 to the present. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree with high honors from University of California at Santa Barbara. She was awarded a CPA license in the State of California in 1983 and her Certified Management Accountant designation in 1986. Jody is a past president of the California State Society of Certified Public Accountants Channel Counties Chapter and the Institute of Management Accountants Santa Barbara Chapter. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the California Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Institute of Management Accountants. She serves as an outside board director for American Riviera Bank since 2012. She has served on the board of the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise and its Charitable Foundation and is past president of the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise and of Girls Incorporated of Greater Santa Barbara.


Tom W. Burk Headshot

Tom W. Burk, CPA

Partner (Tax)

Tom Burk serves a large number of individual, corporate and partnership clients. He assists his clients create and maintain wealth by providing complex tax planning and return preparation, IRS representation, entity choice planning, financial statement compilations, business consulting and retirement planning. After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1992, Tom began his accounting career as an accounting supervisor with Circon Corporation. Tom began his career in public accounting in 1996 and has been with Nasif, Hicks, Harris, and Company since 1997. Tom has been a Santa Barbara resident since age 3, is happily married with a twin boy and girl, and has been an avid golfer since an early age.


Larry W. Brown Headshot

Larry W. Brown, CPA

Partner (Tax)

Larry provides tax planning, entity choice planning, financial statement compilations, business consulting, and other services to his diverse individual, corporate, and partnership clients. Larry joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP in 2002. Prior to beginning his career in public accounting, Larry was a staff accountant at a rapidly growing telecommunications startup. This entrepreneurial environment provided him with exposure to issues a startup must overcome to both grow and eventually become marketable. Larry graduated in 2000 from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Economics with an Emphasis in Accounting. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants.


Sarah E. Turner Headshot

Sarah E. Turner, CPA

Partner (Attestation)

Sarah provides attestation and taxation services to a variety of clients including corporations, including both foreign and domestic, partnerships, employee benefit plans, non-profit organizations, and individuals. She manages the firm’s attestation practice, which includes audits, reviews, compilations, agreed-upon procedures engagements, and SSAE 16 engagements. Sarah joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP in 2003. Sarah graduated in 2003 from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Economics with an Emphasis in Accounting with highest honors. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants.


Tom A. Olson Headshot

Tom A. Olson, CPA

Partner (Tax)

Tom Olson joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP in 2009 and provides both tax and audit services. Tom Olson graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences. He later went back to school to pursue Accounting. Tom is a registered Certified Public Accountant with the state of California. Tom is a member of California Society of Certified Public Accountants and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Tom is also a Leadership Santa Barbara County graduate and a former board member.


Joe Bishop Headshot

Joe Bishop, CPA

Partner (Tax)

Joe graduated with an accounting degree from San Diego State University in 1997. Joe has been a licensed California Real Estate Broker since 1997, and is currently not actively practicing any real estate services. Joe is a member of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. Prior to beginning his career in public accounting, Joe was the operations/accounting manager at a local mortgage banking company.  Joe enjoys working with family businesses and has a good understanding of the dynamics having worked with his own parents in their family business to begin his accounting career.  Joe also worked in accounting and management at a local Fortune 500 company before joining Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP in 2010. Joe provides tax services for corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies and their owners.  He specializes in the wine industry, international exporters and the implementation and maintenance of a Domestic International Sales Corporation. Joe moved to Santa Barbara from Lake Tahoe in 1986 and is a proud Dos Pueblos Charger alumni. Joe enjoys golf, skiing, snowboarding, fishing and recreational lobster diving at Santa Barbara’s Channel Islands.


Rachelle O. Barnier Headshot

Rachelle O. Barnier, CPA

Partner (Tax)

Rachelle Barnier joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP in 2006.  Rachelle’s practice includes tax planning and consulting for individuals and closely held businesses. Her practice also focuses on tax planning associated with marriage dissolution matters, including property division (i.e.: stock options, real estate, deferred compensation and business entities) and obligations outlined in the divorce decree (i.e.: alimony, life insurance policies and retirement plans).

Rachelle attended Baylor University 2000-2001 and graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara in 2006 where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Economics with an Emphasis in Accounting.

Rachelle grew up playing competitive soccer and played on the Division I women’s team during her attendance at both Baylor University and UCSB. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, 2 children and their first baby, Finn, their yellow Labrador.  Her favorite activities include hiking, running city college stadiums and occasionally returning to play on the soccer field to give it her best attempt at keeping up with the game.

Rachelle is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants.


Elena Mund Headshot

Elena Mund, CPA

Partner (Tax)

Elena Mund joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP in 2011. She provides tax planning, consulting, compliance and tax preparation services for individuals and closely held businesses. Elena specializes in international tax issues as a significant number of her business and individual clients live or operate outside the U.S. She also has extensive knowledge of inbound tax planning for non-U.S. persons planning a move to the U.S.

Elena graduated from the University of California Los Angeles, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics with a minor in Accounting.

Prior to settling in Santa Barbara, Elena grew up living and traveling in Europe, the Middle East and South America. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, traveling, cooking and being active outdoors through hiking with her dog, Marley, and snowboarding.

Elena is on the board of Coastal Housing Partnership and is a member of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.


Mitchell Thomas, CPA

Partner (Attestation)

Mitch joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co. LLP in 2017 after beginning his public accounting career in 2012. He provides attest and tax services to a variety of clients including individuals, corporations, partnerships and non-profit organizations. Mitch graduated from California State University Northridge in 2008, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. Outside the office, Mitch enjoys spending time with his wife and two children, traveling, golf, bowling and Dodgers baseball.


Akop Balayan Headshot

Akop Balayan, CPA

Akop joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP in 2016. He provides tax and attestation services to a variety of clients including individuals, corporations, partnerships and non-profit organizations. Akop graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2009 where he earned a degree in Economics and a minor in Accounting. Prior to his career in public accounting, he worked in the real estate industry as a licensed real estate broker. In his free time, Akop enjoys running, scuba diving, meditating and spending quality time with friends and family.


Alejandro Robles, CPA

Alejandro joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris, & Co., LLP in 2021 and provides audit, accounting, and tax services to both businesses and individuals. He is a graduate of Cal State Channel Islands with a degree in Managerial Economics and of UCSB Extension with a certificate in Professional Accounting. Alejandro was previously an audit and tax accountant for another local accounting firm and as well as an accounting manager for a large local nonprofit organization.  He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. He enjoys traveling, hiking, and playing a variety of games with friends and family.


Annarose Mitchell Headshot

Annarose Mitchell, CPA

Annarose Mitchell joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP in 2012. Annarose provides audit and tax services to a variety of clients including corporations, partnerships and individuals. Annarose graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2011, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Accounting. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. Prior to her career in public accounting, Annarose worked in the accounting department of a growing medical device company. She has also provided bookkeeping services to her church since 2009. In Annarose’s free time, she enjoys playing baritone saxophone with the SBCC Concert Band, baking and reading a good book.


Ashley Burnett Headshot

Ashley Burnett, CPA

Ashley Burnett joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris, & Co., LLP in 2011. Ashley provides consulting, tax preparation, and financial statement audit, review and compilation services to a variety of clients including corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, and individuals. Ashley graduated from UC Santa Barbara, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Economics with an Emphasis in Accounting. Ashley is currently a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. In Ashley’s free time, she enjoys traveling, cooking and spending time with her friends and family.


Blake Rogers, CPA

Blake Rogers joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP in 2022 and provides audit, accounting, and tax services to both businesses and individuals. Blake graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2016, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Accounting. Blake began his career in public accounting at a firm in the San Francisco Bay Area with a focus on audits before moving back to Santa Barbara. Blake is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. Outside of the office, Blake enjoys cycling and other endurance sports, spending way too much time brewing espresso and spending time with his wife and dog.


Bryan J. Beach, CPA

Bryan J. Beach, CPA

Bryan joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP in 2022. He provides tax and attestation services to clients including individuals, corporations, partnerships, and charitable organizations. He graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics & Accounting. After working as a tax associate for a small practice in Bakersfield, CA for two years, he moved back to Santa Barbara to join the NHH family. In his free time, Bryan enjoys grabbing a drink with friends, playing pool, watching football, and attending concerts at the Santa Barbara Bowl.


Camby Li Headshot

Camby Lin, CPA

Camby joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP in 2014. She provides clients with a variety of tax, financial statement compilation and 401k audit services. Camby has a Bachelor degree in Economics and Accounting from University of California, Santa Barbara, and a Master degree in Business Taxation from University of Southern California. Camby is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. Camby is a foodie and loves running. In her free time, she enjoys trying out new dishes and running with her colleagues throughout Santa Barbara. Her favorite is running on Saturday mornings down State Street and along the beach. She also enjoys reading, learning, and spending time with her family and friends.


Chris Grabis, CPA

Chris Grabis, CPA

Chris Grabis, CPA, CISA, PMP, is a Staff Accountant at Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP and a graduate of UC Santa Barbara. He joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP with a background in public accounting at PwC, where he spent over twelve years providing consulting, internal, and external audit services spanning the healthcare, higher education, technology, and consumer/industrial products industries, largely in Southern California. With a proven understanding of client-driven management and cross-functional team building, Chris thrives by creating and growing long-lasting business partnerships to help organizations achieve their strategic objectives in a methodical, risk-based, and pragmatic way. As an enthusiastic and empathetic people leader, he understands the importance of mentorship, professional development, and coaching through clear communication to foster trust and compassion to drive high performance and an environment geared toward continuous learning and innovation.


Edith Ortega Headshot

Edith Ortega, CPA

Edith provides consulting and taxation services to a variety of clients including corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, and individuals. She also provides financial statement reviews and compilations. Edith joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP in 2005. Edith graduated in 2005 from the University of California, Santa Barbara where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Economics with an Emphasis in Accounting and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants.


Elizabeth Fechtman Headshot

Elizabeth Fechtman, CPA

Elizabeth (Lisa) provides consulting, tax planning and preparation services to individuals, corporations and partnerships.  She has experience with litigation calculations, forecasting, forensic analysis and helping businesses develop or improve accounting procedures and internal controls. Lisa is originally from San Jose, California she graduated from University of California, Santa Barbara in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a minor in linguistics.  She worked in private accounting for nine years where she set up and ran a small accounting department for a local startup that manufactured and sold medical diagnostic instruments. She joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co. in 2012 and returned to school, earning an Associates Degree in Accounting with high honors from Foothill College in 2016 and became a licensed CPA in 2017.  Lisa is currently a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the California Society of Certified Public Accountants, and an associate member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.  In her spare time, she enjoys baking, knitting, playing video games and board games with friends and family.


Elizabeth Olson Headshot

Elizabeth Olson, CPA

Elizabeth Olson has been with Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP since 2013.  She provides business consulting, tax planning and tax preparation services to individuals, corporations, partnerships and tax exempt entities.  She has a keen interest in small business accounting and taxation, and in the relationship between the small business and its owners.  This focus is a natural outgrowth of her experiences as manager and owner of several different small businesses, including a medical services contractor, home medical supply company as well as a manufacturing jewelry store.  Elizabeth has a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and a Master’s degree in Accountancy. Elizabeth is an avid chamber musician, she enjoys playing the cello and appreciates the many artistic offerings that are available in Santa Barbara. She is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants.


Ellen Chase Headshot

Ellen Chase, CPA

Ellen joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP in 2014 and specializes in estate, trust and individual matters. Ellen has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from the Ohio State University, a Masters in Engineering Administration from Virginia Tech and later received a Certificate in Accounting from University of California, Santa Barbara.  Prior to her career in accounting, Ellen worked in manufacturing for technology companies.  She has been a licensed CPA since 2009 and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants.


Emily Tsai Headshot

Emily Tsai, CPA

Emily joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP in 2017. She provides both tax and audit services for individual and business clients. Emily graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics & Accounting. Emily is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. In her free time, she enjoys creating art, watching documentaries and spending time with friends and family.


Eric Hammer, CPA

Eric joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP in 2018. He provides tax and audit services to a variety of clients including corporations, partnerships and individuals. Eric graduated from Westmont College in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics & Business and went on to get a Masters degree in accounting from University of Southern California (USC) in 2018. Eric is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. Eric enjoys reading, playing board games and spending time with friends and family when he is out of the office.


Evgeniya R. Zakharneva, CPA


Gabriella Little Headshot

Gabriella Little, CPA

Gabriella Little joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris, & Co., LLP in 2013 and provides both tax and audit services. Gabriella graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics & Accounting. Gabriella is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants.


Jennica Harris, CPA

Jennica joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP in 2018. She provides tax and attestation services to a variety of clients including individuals, corporations, partnerships, and non-profit organizations. Prior to joining Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP, Jennica obtained a variety of work experiences in tax return preparation and bookkeeping.

Jennica earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an Accounting Concentration from California State University, East Bay in 2012, and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Sweet Briar College in 2008. Jennica holds Certified Public Accountant and Enrolled Agent licenses and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Jennica serves on the board of a local nonprofit organization, Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health. In her free time, she enjoys singing with the Santa Barbara Choral Society, playing board games, and spending time with friends and family.


Joan Green, CPA

Joan (Joanie) K. Green joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP in October, 2016.  Joanie is an experienced tax practitioner and has worked for a number of high profile CPA firms in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties over the course of her career.

Joanie graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) in 1980 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Economics with an emphasis in Accounting. She began her career at a small Santa Barbara branch office of Arthur Andersen in 1982. The Arthur Andersen office later became the firm of Damitz, Brooks, Nightingale, Turner & Morrisett, where Joanie continued to work until 1985.  In 1985, Joanie began working in Oxnard and became a Certified Public Accountant in 1987 after receiving her required audit hours at the Oxnard office of Deloitte Haskins & Sells.

Joanie then took some time off from public accounting to pursue an M.A. in Education from UCSB from which she graduated in 1995. She taught accounting for Santa Barbara City College for a number of years and then returned to public accounting in 1998, at which time she joined the Santa Barbara firm of Bartlett, Pringle & Wolf.   At Bartlett, Pringle & Wolf (BPW), Joanie specialized in individual, fiduciary, estate, partnership and corporate income tax planning and compliance.  Joanie worked at the Montecito office of Hocking Denton Palmquist for four years, providing consulting, planning and income tax compliance to a variety of clients with highly complex tax situations.

Joanie enjoys working closely with her clients in order to maintain a relationship whereby each client feels as if they are her top priority (which they are). She is experienced in working with high net worth clients, specifically in managing the tax compliance requirements for their individual returns as well as partnerships, family limited partnerships, limited liability companies, C-corporations, S-corporations, trusts, estates and gift taxes.  She also assists a number of local exempt organizations and private foundations in adhering to their tax compliance requirements.


Jonathon Magaña, CPA

Jonathon joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP in 2017. He provides accounting, tax, and audit services to individuals and businesses. Prior to his career in public accounting, he worked in various service industries where he learned the importance of building relationships and the value of customer service. In 2016, Jonathon earned his bachelor’s degree in professional accountancy from California State University Northridge. He became a licensed CPA in 2019 and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. When he is not crunching numbers, Jonathon enjoys playing recreational softball, snowboarding, and spending quality time with his family.


Joseph Van Scoyoc, CPA

Joey Van Scoyoc joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP in 2013 and received his CPA license in 2015. He provides tax and consulting services to a variety of clients and enjoys working closely with clients to help them execute complex tax planning and achieve their financial goals. Joey graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics & Accounting and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling, surfing, biking, playing guitar, catching a Dodger game, and walking his golden retriever Brady.


Josh Puckett, CPA

Josh Puckett joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP in 2015 and has assisted clients with bookkeeping, tax preparation, business transactions, as well as audit and attestation services.  Josh graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2015 and earned his CPA license in 2016. Prior to joining Nasif, Hicks, Harris, & Co., LLP Josh played a variety of different roles in multiple industries including retail and local government. Josh has turned his lifelong love of spreadsheet data analysis into a career in public accounting. Although Josh spends many hours navigating income statements and balancing balance sheets in his day job, he will take that same spreadsheet enthusiasm home with him to perform a careful analysis of which player is the best addition to his fantasy football team.  In the off chance you catch Josh away from some type of data analytical number-crunching activity, you might find him playing or watching some type of sporting event or at the gym.


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Line Jetté, CPA

Line Jetté joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris, & Co., LLP in December 2013. She has worked as a CPA in Santa Barbara for over 20 years. Line enjoys serving her clients that include individuals, corporations, partnerships, and limited liability companies and assisting them with their accounting and taxation challenges. Originally from Québec, Canada, Line received her Bachelor Degree from Laval University in 1981 and completed her certificate in accounting at UCSB in 1991. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. Line has served as the Treasurer of SCORE, a business mentoring association, and the Goleta Valley Toastmasters Club. She has volunteered at the Women’s Economic Ventures by providing financial advice to new entrepreneurs.


Madison Niell, CPA

Madison joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP in 2019. She provides both tax and audit services for individual and business clients. Madison graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics & Accounting. She is a member of the member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants.


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Mariah Cotnoir, CPA

Mariah is a Santa Barbara native, born and raised.  She graduated in 2015 from University of California, Santa Barbara with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Accounting and joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP shortly thereafter. She provides personable and effective client service while working on a combination of tax and attestation services for individual, partnership and corporate clients in a wide range of industries. Prior to her public accounting career she worked in a variety of small businesses primarily in the accounting departments. Mariah enjoys chocolate, traveling, writing and spending time with her friends and family at the beach.


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Melissa Hansen, CPA

Melissa has been a Santa Barbara resident since 1981. Melissa began her accounting career at Deloitte & Touche (formerly Deloitte, Haskins & Sells) in Orange County, CA, working in the audit department. Melissa returned to Santa Barbara and joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP in 2005. Melissa is currently a Tax Manager specializing in estates, trusts, and individuals. Melissa graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara with a degree in Business Economics with an Accounting Emphasis. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants.


Michael Macias, CPA

Michael Macias joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP in 2020. He provides tax and attestation services to a variety of clients including individuals, corporations, and partnerships. Michael graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara in 2014, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics with an emphasis in accounting. Prior to his career in public accounting, he worked as a staff accountant at a local distribution company, and as a bookkeeper for small business owner in construction and property management. Michael is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. In his free time, Michael enjoys traveling with his wife, reading, running, sharing meals and playing board games with family and friends.


Miguel Mendez, CPA

Miguel joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris, & Co., LLP in 2021 and provides audit, accounting, and tax services to both businesses and individuals in a wide range of industries. Prior to joining Nasif, Hicks, Harris, & Co., LLP Miguel spent six years as an auditor in two national accounting firms. He then transitioned into private accounting where he was a controller for two large manufacturing companies in the area. Miguel earned his bachelor’s degree in professional accountancy from California State University Northridge in 2013. He became a licensed CPA in 2015 and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, hiking, working out, and grabbing a drink with friends.


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Robert Lyons, CPA

Bob began his CPA career with Hood & Strong, CPA’s in San Francisco in 1976. His practice areas included individuals, fiduciaries, small corporations and estate taxation. In 1979, he began a legal career with Cullinan, Brown & Helmer in San Francisco as a tax attorney, specializing in real estate, business formation, foreign tax, domestic estate planning, probate and trust administration as well as partnership and corporate tax. In 1983, he became a partner and tax attorney in Cullinan and Lyons, specializing in estate planning, probate and trust administration, as well as individual and business tax matters. In 1986, Bob moved to Santa Barbara, California, practicing as a tax attorney on a full time basis, until joining Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co, as a CPA in 2000. Bob assists clients with business formation and tax compliance issues with special attention to foreign tax issues impacting individual and business clients. He also supports clients with trust administration, estate and gift tax, and fiduciary income tax matters. Bob is heavily involved in complex tax research and planning for the firm’s clients. Bob has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California, a Juris Doctor degree from UC Hastings College of the Law, and a Masters of Business Administration in Taxation from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. He is a member of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants, Santa Barbara Estate Planning Council and is a member of the State Bar of California. Bob has also served as an instructor for the California Continuing Education of the Bar.


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Susan Mowatt, CPA

Susan Mowatt joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP in 2002. She is a Senior Tax Manager and her clients include individuals, sole proprietors, partnerships, LLC’s, corporations, trusts and charitable foundations. She assists her clients in tax planning, tax compliance and tax return preparation. Susan’s clients have included real estate developers, doctors, farmers and ranchers, security system specialists, manufacturers, investors, motivational consultants, film developers, book publishers, lawyers and many others. Prior to joining Nasif, Hicks, Harris and Co., Susan worked for many years with several other CPA firms in town. She has found that, by far, NHH & Co. is the most forward thinking and client service oriented than any other firm with whom she has worked. Susan graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara with a degree in English Literature. After several years of bookkeeping positions for a variety of businesses, she became the Business Manager of a private school. She later returned to UCSB to study accounting in order to sit for the CPA exam. She is proud that she passed the entire examination in only one sitting and scored in the top 10% of California CPA candidates. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants.


Taylor E. Gunderson, CPA

Taylor E. Gunderson, CPA


Victoria Gamper, CPA

Victoria joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris, & Co., LLP in 2021 where she provides both tax and audit services. She graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants.  Victoria enjoys traveling, spending time with her family and friends as well as anything to do with the Los Angeles Chargers.


Yeni A. Fichtenbaum Headshot

Yeni A. Fichtenbaum, CPA

Yeni A. Fichtenbaum serves individual and business clients in tax planning and preparation, accounting and business analysis, and provides financial statement audits, reviews, and compilations. Yeni joined Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP in 2006 after earning her degree in Business Economics with Emphasis in Accounting at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. In her free time, Yeni enjoys running, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.