I began my accounting career at local CPA firms, focusing on small business in the area of financial statements and tax preparation. After a "Big Six" accounting firm bought out the firm in which I was employed, I chose to work for GTE Corporation in February of 1982.

During my seven years at GTE, I worked in Financial Accounting, and then Financial Reporting and Analysis. I was primarily responsible for consolidating the domestic operations of their non-telephone companies, as well as preparing the financial statements for reporting to the SEC.

During my employment at GTE, I continued to work with former business clients. My tax practice continued to grow as I took on more individual tax clients, along with additional business clients. Eventually, my tax practice became too large to manage on a part-time basis, forcing me to leave GTE in 1989 to fully pursue my own CPA practice.