Staff Biographies

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Mary Williams, Partner

Enrolled Agent
Mary Williams was born in Seattle. She grew up in the Shoreline area and graduated from Mount St. Mary’s University in Los Angeles with a BA. She has 25 years experience in the field of taxation, 19 of those years as an Enrolled Agent. She has enjoyed teaching other people about various tax topics as well as preparing thousands of tax returns. Mary has also taken special training courses to help her represent taxpayers who are having trouble with the IRS.

Mary is a member of the National Association of Enrolled Agents and a Fellow of the National Tax Practice Institute. She is married to a retired Boeing engineer and they have three adult children. She enjoys reading, kayaking, walking on our beautiful waterfronts and spending time with her new grandson!
Kristine Fryrear

Kristine Fryrear, Partner

Enrolled Agent
Kristine Fryrear is a Wisconsin native. She received her BA from the University of Wisconsin, Madison before moving to the Pacific Northwest, where she has lived for many years. Kristine is an Enrolled Agent and has 24 years of experience in taxation. She enjoys the problem solving aspects of working on tax returns and helping people understand their own situations and plan for the future. She also enjoys teaching people about their tax situations. Kristine specializes in the needs of small business owners as well as personal taxes, and is a member of the National Society of Accountants and the Washington Association of Accounting and Tax Professionals.

In her spare time, Kristine enjoys reading and tasting the many ciders of the Northwest.
Dirk Rhynsburger

Dirk Rhynsburger

Enrolled Agent
Dirk Rhynsburger, EA, has been a tax practitioner for 16 years. He obtained his tax training in California from a leading tax preparation company. Since then, each year he has taken courses to enhance his knowledge to help individuals and businesses in various tax issues.

He earned his Enrolled Agent License from the IRS in 2014. Dirk specializes in Tax Representation and Resolution services for individuals and entities. Dirk has a varied employment background and uses that experience to help individuals and those with small businesses understand the issues that affect them.

When he is not working, he enjoys home remodeling projects, gardening, woodworking, and going to movies. The other hobby he has added in the last few years is bird watching. Dirk has been married for 45 years, and has three adult children and three grandchildren.
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Elena Papazova

Tax Preparer
Elena Papazova moved from Bulgaria to Seattle in 2003. She has a Master’s degree in Cultural Studies, and an Associate degree from Edmonds Community College in Accounting. She has been doing bookkeeping and taxes since 2018.

In addition to English, Elena speaks Spanish, Russian and Bulgarian. She enjoys spending time with her two sons, ages 10 and 8. In her spare time, she likes cooking and gardening.
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Keith Krueger

Tax Preparer
Keith grew up in Ohio. He has an engineering degree from University of Cincinnati and an MBA in finance from Ohio State. In addition to a 20 year career as a risk strategy and purchasing manager, Keith also has experience in various non-profit organizations as a trustee, Treasurer and other officer roles. He has worked for us for three years, and we are so excited to tell you that he has passed all three parts of the Enrolled Agent exam, and is just waiting for confirmation from the IRS!

Keith and his wife Jeanette have been happily married for 24 years. They have two college-age kids and a number of pets. When Keith is not preparing taxes, he is probably either at Disney or planning for the next Disney vacation.
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Matt Bursell

Tax Preparer
Matt is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in Washington State. He is originally from Everett, and attended the University of Washington, where he received a B.A. in Business Administration (with an Accounting Concentration) and his Masters of Professional Accounting Degree in Taxation. He has spent a number of years in the taxation field and has diverse experience in federal and state taxation for both individuals and businesses, and for a variety of industries. His career includes tax preparation, review, tax research, and IRS and state appeals and protests.

Matt lives in the Queen Anne area of Seattle where enjoys the views, walks, and cuisine of the hill. Matt is an avid soccer follower. He has also participated in community theatre and drama-related classes, and served on the board of Seattle’s Freehold Performance Art Theatre. Additionally, he enjoys all things history, documentaries, current events, movies, and classic TV.
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Valerie Rook

Tax Preparer
Valerie is a New York native, but has lived in the Seattle area for the past 20 years. She discovered her love of doing taxes through volunteering for AARP Tax-Aide. Since her introduction to tax preparation, she finds her happy place steeped in continuous growth, critical thinking, genuine connections, and honesty. Her goal for 2024 is to become EA certified.

As a former professional jewelry photographer in New York City, Valerie has brought her skills in showing attention to detail and an analytical mind ready to solve an array of tax challenges.

When not at work, you can find her spending time with her two teenaged boys and golden retriever, Maya. She enjoys reading, video games, and home improvement projects.
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Lacy Townsend

Bookkeeper, Payroll
Lacy is a Texas native who grew up in Irving, a suburb of Dallas. She received her Associate in Business Administration degree from Oklahoma State University, and moved to the Seattle area in 2010. She has worked in payroll management and bookkeeping since 1994, and has been a Quickbooks Pro Advisor. Lacy enjoys helping people, whether it’s explaining a complex situation or providing information to help manage a successful business.

Lacy and her husband Chris have four children and five grandchildren. They enjoy hiking, waterfall hunting, road trips, sledding, going to the beach, and enjoying all the beauty of Washington state. Lacy is a water aerobics and Crossfit enthusiast, and maintains a large indoor garden of houseplants.
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Shawna Eskew

Bookkeeper
Shawna Eskew grew up in Chelan, WA, and received her BS in Accounting from the University of Idaho. She has been doing accounting and bookkeeping since 1994. Shawna enjoys working with her clients to help them understand their finances, making their financial statements more than just some numbers on paper.

Shawna and her husband Mike enjoy watching their son and daughter play softball/baseball and other sports. The family loves taking vacations to warm places.
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Patty Bieggar

Administration
Patty is a native of Washington state. She received her associates degree in accounting from Edmonds Community College in 2018, and has worked for us for 4 years. Patty loves to cook and entertain. She also enjoys traveling, and spending quality time with her family, friends and pets.