Deetra B. Watson, CPA, CGMA

Deetra B. Watson, CPA, CGMA

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Deetra joined Blackman & Sloop in 2005 as a staff accountant and quickly climbed the ranks to her current position as a principal in the assurance department. She is skilled in helping nonprofit and educational clients identify opportunities to strengthen their financial governance, business strategy, and operational efficiencies. Furthermore, she challenges the status quo by helping them anticipate future trends and drive innovation. Her experience is vast, having worked with a variety of nonprofit organizations, as well as colleges and universities.

A devoted member of both her professional and local communities, Deetra has authored articles for industry publications and presented seminars on a variety of nonprofit accounting and management topics. In addition, she volunteers her accounting services to local small businesses and community organizations, and by serving on boards for various local nonprofits.

Deetra describes herself as “a quiet storm”—she’s calm and peaceful on the outside, but inside she is full of ideas. Her peers consider her dedicated and hard working. Deetra’s driven nature, along with the consistent support of her family and the mentors she has had along the way, are the major factors to which she attributes her success.

Raised in Durham, North Carolina, Deetra continues to reside in her hometown with her sons. When she isn’t volunteering or preparing audits, Deetra enjoys spending time with her family and friends, playing sports, and getting in some stress-relieving exercise.

Designations

  • Certified Public Accountant (CPA) – North Carolina #28086
  • Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA)
  • AICPA Advanced Single Audit Certified
  • AICPA Not-for-Profit Certified II

Memberships

  • American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
    • “Start Here, Go Places” CPA of the Month
    • AICPA 2010 Leadership Academy
    • Former Assurance Services Executive Committee
  • North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants (NCACPA)
    • NCACPA Not-for-Profit Committee
    • NCACPA Board of Directors 2015 – 2017
    • NCACPA Financial Literacy Committee – Former Member

Education

  • University of North Carolina at Greensboro
    • Master of Science in Accounting – 1999
    • Bachelor of Science in Accounting – 1998
      • Minor in Communications
Elizabeth D. Mauch, CPA

Elizabeth D. Mauch, CPA

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Elizabeth joined the Blackman & Sloop team in 2016 and currently serves as a manager in the firm’s tax department. In this capacity, she works primarily with nonprofits, private foundations, high net worth individuals, expatriates, and foreign national individuals. She is considered the go-to person in the office for Form 990 questions. A professional in the accounting field since 1988, Elizabeth’s prior experience includes serving as president of a local medical center as well as working for various accounting firms.

Focused on providing excellent customer service, Elizabeth’s detail-oriented nature is a great advantage for her clients. She’s good with numbers and likes helping people, which is why she chose to pursue a career in accounting. In her daily life, Elizabeth finds inspiration in this quote from Gail Sheehy: “If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we aren’t really living.”

Raised in Connecticut and New Jersey, Elizabeth now resides in Chapel Hill, North Carolina with her husband of 27 years. Together they have two grown children. Elizabeth enjoys living in Chapel Hill because of its good weather and abundance of sunny skies. She likes to spend her free time traveling, cooking, and bicycling.

Designations

  • Certified Public Accountant (CPA) – North Carolina #40099

Memberships

  • American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
  • North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants (NCACPA)
    • Not-for-Profit Committee member

Education

  • Lehigh University
    • Bachelor of Science in Business and Economics, Accounting Major – 1988
Katie Ledford, CPA

Katie A. Ledford, CPA

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Since 2017, Katie has been a valuable member of the Blackman & Sloop team. She currently serves as an audit manager, specializing in performing nonprofit audits. In addition to working with non-profit clients, Katie serves membership organizations and clients in the construction and education industries. She is very experienced in using QuickBooks and frequently fields client inquiries concerning the software. Prior to joining Blackman & Sloop, Katie spent one year as audit staff with a public accounting firm and over 12 years working in internal finance at a local private business.

A positive and happy professional, Katie is a joy to work with. She loves working in accounting because of how the pieces fit together. Katie attributes her career success to her motivation and attention to detail. Part of her motivation to constantly be learning comes from one of her favorite quotes, by Henry Ford: “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”

Raised in Drexel, North Carolina, Katie currently lives in Raleigh. She enjoys Raleigh because it offers many of the benefits of large cities without being overwhelming. She also appreciates that the beach and the mountains are both within driving distance. Katie enjoys giving back to the community and serves on the board for a local nonprofit. She has a lot of hobbies, including crocheting, bicycling, baking, and cooking. She also loves to read—her favorite author is Agatha Christie.

Designations

  • Certified Public Accountant (CPA) – North Carolina #39294

Memberships

  • American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
  • North Carolina Association of CPAs (NCACPA)

Education

  • North Carolina State University
    • Master of Accounting – 2014
    • Bachelor of Science in Communications – 2001