Meet Our Team
Andrea Ward, CPA
Principal
With over 30 years of experience, Andrea is licensed as a CPA in Texas. She started her career as an auditor with the Fort Worth office of KPMG. In 1990 she joined the family tax practice where she worked with individual and self-employed clients. In 1995, she was a founding member of New Century Partners, a fee-only investment advisory firm specializing in no-load fund portfolios. And in 2010, Andrea took over the tax practice. She transformed it from a small tax practice to a full-service accounting firm, offering bookkeeping, payroll, tax services and tax planning. She helps clients improve their financial lives, helping them make life a lot less taxing!
Chris Ward, CPA
Tax Manager
Chris joined the firm in the summer of 2020. Prior to that, he worked for the KPMG Denver office in the state and local tax group, focusing on pass-through entity tax, particularly asset management partnerships. Currently, he predominantly handles Corporate tax returns and individual 1040s that involve cryptocurrency activity and related concepts. Additionally, he is actively engaged in Federal and State Tax or Accounting projects. Chris attended the University of Texas at Austin as well as the University of Colorado at Boulder and is a licensed CPA in the state of Colorado and a credentialed blockchain accountant.
Kevin Velez
SENIOR TAX ACCOUNTANT
With over 6 years of experience, Kevin was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where he obtained a BBA in Accounting from the University of Puerto Rico at Cayey. He speaks fluent English and Spanish and enjoys helping clients of all backgrounds to understand their unique financial situation. On his spare time, he enjoys hiking, traveling, and video games.
Daniel Galvan
TAX ACCOUNTANT
A recent transplant from Eastern Tennessee to Texas, Daniel was originally born and raised in Southern California. Daniel is a graduate of California State University, Fullerton with a BA in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting (Go Titans!). After graduating, his focus has been on non-profit accounting, taxation, general ledger, and payroll. During his career, he has managed to touch on all of these areas of interest (and more) over the course of the past 20 years. While not working, Daniel can be found streaming funny content online, binge watching his latest Anime craze, playing/watching video games, reading/studying the Bible, and/or seeking out his next great local food experience (preferably Asian)!
Paola Martinez
Tax Accountant
Paola obtained her undergraduate degree in Accounting and will be completing her Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Texas A&M Commerce in December 2024. Paola brings over 10 years of accounting experience and over 3 years of tax experience to our office, making her an asset to several areas of the business. She has a strong passion for helping businesses achieve their financial goals and is known for her attention to detail, analytical thinking and effective communication. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her family and traveling.
Steve Ward
General Manager
As a Texas A&M graduate and more than 15 years of Bookkeeping and Payroll experience, Steve focuses on helping clients with all their accounting needs so they can focus on growing their business and increasing revenue. With the help of Andrea and her tax team, Steve can help save you taxes and protect you from unnecessary IRS exposure by providing bookkeeping support. When he’s not working, Steve enjoys playing golf and traveling.
Melissa Ward
Accounting Manager
Melissa Ward, our team’s lead payroll and accounting specialist, brings 10 years’ experience in managing workforce teams within multiple service industries. Melissa is enrolled in the Financial Accounting program from the University of California, Berkeley Extension and is continuing her path towards advanced accounting and beyond. Melissa is very clearly driven to both better herself and to deliver exceptional service to our clients. In her free time, Melissa enjoys taking long daily walks to consistently maintain good posture and focus.
Briana Perez
BookKeeper
Briana Perez is a Certified Notary as well as a Bookkeeping and Payroll Specialist. She is currently enrolled at UCLA University of California, Los Angeles studying accounting. She is on a mission to assist business owners with managing their accounting needs. In her free time, she loves attending live shows and camping in the Rocky Mountains.
Jacob Elders
BOOKKEEPer
Jacob joined our accounting team in December 2024, recently graduating at the University of North Texas with a BBA in Accounting. He brings a fresh perspective to our team, utilizing the latest accounting principles and technologies. With a keen eye for detail, Jacob is committed to helping clients optimize their financial strategies and achieve their goals. Jacob in his free time can be seen enjoying his favorite hobbies such as hockey and golf.
Kalee Saul
PAYROLL CLERK
Having several years of experience in the Service Industry and a history of taking care of clients, Kalee joined our firm's Payroll Department in October 2024 and is excited about the opportunity to begin a new Journey in Payroll. Her strong work ethic, commitment to attention to detail and her desire to go the extra mile to help clients make her a perfect fit for her new role. She is a mom to 4 beautiful children and, when not working, has a passion for watching her kids play sports, enjoying outdoor adventures like camping, and spending quality time with her family.
Madilynne Crye
Bookkeeper
With over 8 years of experience in customer service and management, Madilynne brings the ability to foster relationships with clients as well as fellow employees. Her passion for helping others combined with her strong attention to detail makes her a perfect fit for our bookkeeping team by helping our clients maintain strong financials to better grow and manage their business. When not working, she enjoys staying active and spending time with her family.
Faith Harrison
Office Administrator
Faith began working for us in October 2024 as an Office Administrator, bringing over 6 years of Customer Service experience to our firm. Her focus on Continuous Improvement combined with her strong work ethic and attention to detail, drives her to meet or exceed customer expectations thus creating long term relationships. In her spare time, Faith enjoys hosting football gatherings and spending time with family and her 2 cats Elliott and Jinx.
Amanda Crothers
Office Administrator
Born and raised in Ft Worth, Amanda has worked in the Optical business for over 20 years and brings over 10 years of administrative experience. She has also spent years studying and learning about cybersecurity, which makes her a perfect fit for our office due to the nature and importance of handling sensitive client information. She has a passion for helping others and loves bringing a smile to everyone around her. Amanda is a mother of four and, in her down time, enjoys spending time with her kids, event planning, working in the film industry, traveling and loves watching football (Go Cowboys!)
Matt Ward, CPA, CFP®
Matt Ward is a CPA and the president of New Century Investments, an independent investment advisory firm serving business owners, pre-retirees, and retirees. Matt is passionate about integrating investing, planning, and tax management into a holistic approach. Matt’s breadth of knowledge and experience in both taxes and investment management sets him apart, giving him the ability to design, advise on, and manage business strategies, tax efficiency, and retirement planning. Matt graduated from Texas Tech University and is a certified public accountant, a certified financial planner™ professional, and chartered retirement planning counselor™. He is known for his care and attention to detail and works hard to develop personal relationships with each of his clients so they can benefit from his customized service and guidance. When he’s not working, you can find Matt hiking, playing the guitar, and spending time with his family.