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)!
Stuart McCallum, CPA
TAX ACCOUNTANT
Originally from Tampa, Stuart is a licensed CPA and has a bachelor’s degree in accounting & finance from the University of South Florida and an MBA from the University of Tampa. Stuart has over 20 years of experience as a CFO for several companies in the DFW area. With his vast experience running accounting departments, his focus will be working with clients who have small businesses. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and son, playing golf, and fishing.
Steve Ward
Accounting 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
BOOKKEEPING/PAYROLL SUPERVISOR
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.
Linda Riegel
BOOKKEEPer
Having recently relocated from Lubbock to Fort Worth, Linda owned and operated her own small business while raising her 3 children. She has over 25+ years of Bookkeeping, Payroll and Accounting experience which makes her the perfect fit for helping our clients maintain solid financials so they can focus on doing what they do best, running their business. When not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and family, playing golf, and watching black & white movies.
Lydia Nichols
PAYROLL CLERK
Lydia joined our firm's Payroll and Bookkeeping Department in May 2023. She is a Fort Worth native who has worked in the Real Estate Industry for 10+ years and brings 3+ years of Payroll and Booking experience. Lydia is the mother of 3 teens and is enrolled in school full-time at Central Christian College of Kansas online program. In her spare time, Lydia enjoys working with animal rescues to help relieve the overpopulation of our local animal shelters. Lydia’s goals at the firm are accuracy, understanding our client’s needs, and ongoing education.
Jody Chmielewski
Payroll Clerk
With over 13 years of experience in the financial industry, Jody is enjoying her new career path in payroll and helping clients with all their payroll needs. She and her family recently moved to Texas in 2021 from New York City and is originally from Minnesota. Her husband is currently in the military, so they have moved around the country quite a bit! She is a mother to 3 wonderful children and in her free time enjoys being active outside. She loves to golf, hike, fish, camp, swim, and travel.
Tricia Blobaum
OFFICE MANAGER
Tricia is a detail-oriented Office Manager with years of experience in marketing, non-profit work, as well as HR support. She is passionate about helping others thrive and do what they do best. She graduated with a bachelor’s in marketing from Cedarville University and has enjoyed using her background to help bring everything to the next level at the office! Tricia recently moved to Fort Worth from Michigan and loves spending quality time with her husband, toddler son, and beagle-lab mix.
Sandie Spivey
OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
Sandie is our Office Administrator. With over 13 years of customer service experience, she focuses on making people feel heard and important. She has a get-it-done mentality and understands the importance of being communicative with clients. When she’s not working, you can find her on the baseball field cheering on her son.
Matt Ward, CFP®
INVESTMENT ADVISOR
Matt Ward is a financial advisor and the president of New Century Investments, an independent investment advisory firm serving business owners, pre-retirees, and retirees in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and beyond. 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 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.