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 a Senior Audit Manager, leading and managing audits for a variety of clients. She is known for performing nonprofit audit work, for her knowledge of day-to-day accounting, and for being technologically savvy. Prior to joining Blackman & Sloop, Katie worked primarily in private accounting.

A knowledgeable and patient professional, Katie performs meticulous work for her clients. She seeks to always exceed expectations and do the best that she can. Katie attributes her career success to persistence—she is not afraid to try new things, and pivots if failure looms. She enjoys working with organizations and helping them be the best they can be. Katie loves working with numbers and making things orderly, which made pursuing a career in the accounting field an easy choice for her.

Raised in Drexel, North Carolina, Katie now lives in Raleigh. Her favorite features of the city are the greenways and wooded trails throughout the triangle—they allow her to “get away from it all” without having to go very far. In her free time, Katie pursues a variety of hobbies, including cooking, bicycling, reading, home improvement, painting, crafting, hiking, walking, and crocheting.

Designations

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

Memberships

  • American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
  • North Carolina Association of CPAs (NCACPA)
  • First in Families of North Carolina (FIFNC)
    • Treasurer

 Education

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