Marina Robinson

Bookkeeper
Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor

Marina joined the Sterling Team in May 2023. A native Floridian, Marina graduated from Florida State University with a BS in International Affairs. Marina has worked in a variety of organizations and industries in client-facing roles performing emergency operations support, inventory management, and operations work.

Marina enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends, including her chocolate standard Poodle, Chewbacca, and her mischievous cat, Vader.

Jerry Sanchy

Tax Assistant
Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor

Jerry joined the Sterling Team in May 2023. Jerry has a B.A. in Mathematics, a B.S. in Business Administration: Accounting, and an M.S. in Accounting.

Jerry moved to Sarasota from Connecticut in 2015. In his free time, Jerry enjoys spending time outdoors, walking, jogging, weightlifting, and practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Emily Najmy, MSA

Tax Specialist
Advanced Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor

Emily was born and raised in Michigan and attended Western Michigan University, completing her Masters of Science in Accountancy in 2014. She moved to Sarasota, FL in 2015 to work at HBK CPAs & Consultants, where she serviced both tax and audit clients. Emily was awarded a Next Gen Recognition from the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance in 2018.

She was excited to join the Sterling team remotely in 2021 to focus on tax and bookkeeping, earning her Advanced Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor certification.

Emily currently resides in the Finger Lakes region of NY with her partner and son. In her free time, you can find her reading, sipping matcha, or dancing to live music. Her goal is to visit all of the National Parks in her lifetime.

Christine Ashley

Office Manager
Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor

Chris grew up in western Pennsylvania but has lived in several states, settling in Nashville, TN for most of her adult years. She brings any years of administrative support experience in various industries to this position.

Chris moved to Englewood, Florida in 2018 with her husband, Jake, and their pets to be closer to his family. She’s a big animal lover and founded a non-profit animal rescue in Nashville.

In her free time Chris enjoys paddle boarding and kayaking. She can often be found working in the garden or curled up reading a good book. Florida is definitely a great place to foster her love of the outdoors and she enjoys spending time on the beautiful beaches along Florida’s west coast.

Erik Cecil

Tax Specialist
Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor

Erik joined the Sterling Team in January 2022. Erik graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a B.S. in Economics. He has worked in the accounting sector for nine years.

Erik’s Public Accounting career began in 2009. He specialized in income tax preparation for businesses and individuals. He took a short hiatus from Public Accounting to work in the private sector as a Manager for several Chick-fil-a restaurants and Lowe’s Foods grocery stores in the coastal North Carolina market.

Erik decided to return to Public Accounting in 2022, and we are lucky to have him!

Erik resides near Wilmington, North Carolina with his wife Stacy and three dogs Dalton, Kona and Penny. In his free time, Erik enjoys long hikes in the state parks of North Carolina and volunteering at his local church.

Connie Wilson-Kral, CPA

Tax Specialist
Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor

Connie grew up in Iowa, along the Mississippi River, where she lives with her husband Andy. She graduated from the University of Iowa and Iowa Wesleyan College, completing a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Accounting degree.

Early in her career she and her family managed a family retail business and she experienced both the challenges and rewards of being an entrepreneur.
Connie pursued her passion for numbers and business with the opportunity to work for a local Public Accounting Firm, becoming a licensed CPA in 2003. She has been privileged to work with and in a variety of small businesses and not for profit organizations.

Connie was glad to join the Sterling team in 2022. When she is not working she enjoys playing with her grandchildren, gardening, and vacationing on the beaches of Florida.

Nicole Kamel

Administrative Coordinator

Nicole Kamel recently moved to Sarasota from Minneapolis to be closer to family and friends. She is excited to have joined the Sterling Team in May 2023, and brings a Bachelor Degree in Communications and Minor in American Studies from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. She is Six Sigma Green Belt certified and a member of the UMN Alumni Association.

Nicole has over 20 years of organizational and administrative experience primarily in Corporate Real Estate and Facilities Management. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering, spending time with family and friends, tennis, dancing, yoga, and anything near the beach. With her love of the water and the outdoors, she is excited to call the sunshine state her new home.

Lacey Nielsen

Bookkeeper
Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor

Lacey joined the Sterling Team in February 2023. Lacey graduated from the University of South Florida (USF), where she obtained a degree in business management. During her time at USF, she gained a solid foundation in various aspects of business, including accounting and finance.

Following graduation, she spent time working in Retail Banking, where she discovered an affinity for numbers and organization, which led her to pursue a career as a bookkeeper. Lacey finds satisfaction in ensuring that financial records are accurate, up-to-date, and in compliance with regulations.

Lacey & her husband share a a deep love for the water where they spend most of their free time whether it be sailing, powerboating or simply enjoying the tranquility of a beach. Lacey has grown up in Sarasota, FL where she raced sailboats, (even lived on one) which taught her many valuable life lessons about focus, determination, teamwork and the ability to adjust course.

Celestina Gonzales

Accounting Specialist
Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor

Cel took their first accounting class while attending Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi. At the time, they were pursuing a degree in music education, but after much self reflection, they realized they were not suited for teaching, and after finishing their B.A. in Music Studies in 2019, they started pursuing their Master of Accountancy in 2020. That same year, Cel started working for a local CPA firm as a Tax Preparer. In 2021, Cel completed the Master program with over a year of public accounting experience.

In 2022, Cel took a short break from accounting for a unique opportunity to work on a short-term project with an independent game development company as a Level Designer. Once the project was completed, Cel was excited to return to accounting, and joined the Sterling Team in July 2022.

Cel currently resides in South Texas with their two fluffy cats, Katy and Tulip. In their free time, they love playing games, solving puzzles, and spending time with friends.

Amber Livingston

Accounting Specialist
Advanced Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor

Amber spent the majority of her younger years in Sarasota and is a proud Riverview alumni. She graduated from the University of South Florida in Tampa with a BA in Business Administration and a BA in Accounting. Prior to joining Sterling, she spent 14 years managing a chain of independent college bookstores in the Southeast U.S. in a variety of roles.

She and her husband, Ben, moved back to Sarasota to put down roots and be closer to family and friends. In her spare time, Amber enjoys reading, getting lost walking around Myakka State Park, spending time with loved ones, and making candles.

Dawn Owens, EA

Accounting Manager, Onboarding Specialist
Advanced Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor

Dawn joined the Sterling Team in March 2017. Though she holds a degree as a Legal Assistant, life steered her in another direction, and she is happy it did! Dawn has over 10 years of experience in bookkeeping and tax preparation. She is also an Advanced Certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor, a distinction that few in the industry hold. Dawn is also an Enrolled Agent (EA), which allows her to better serve clients by representing them before the IRS.

Dawn was born in Kansas, but grew up in Michigan, where her Midwest ideals of loyalty and hard work were instilled. Dawn first moved to the Sarasota area in 2006. She briefly moved back to Michigan from 2013-2015, but quickly came to realize that Florida was where she needed to be.

In her free time, Dawn enjoys reading, watching movies, and visiting the beautiful beaches Sarasota has to offer. While she currently lives in Sarasota, Dawn makes frequent trips back to Michigan to visit her daughter and grandson, along with other family there.

James Ostrowski, CPA

Tax Specialist
Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor

Jim Ostrowski is a CPA and Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor who joined the Sterling Team in March of 2021. Jim graduated from Grand Valley State University with a BSB in Accounting and Finance. Jim has both public and private accounting experience. Jim’s experience ranges from accounting and tax, to over twenty years’ experience as a Controller and CFO for privately held manufacturers. He specializes in budgeting, forecasting, and key performance indicators, coupled with cost accounting and margin analysis.

Jim resides in Mount Morris, Michigan with his wife Karla spending time with their three young adult children. In Jim’s free time he enjoys golfing, traveling, and long walks any chance they get.

Lance Woodall, CPA

Tax Manager
Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor

Lance joined the Sterling Team in 2021. Lance graduated from the University of Montana with a B.S. in Business Administration Accounting emphasis. He has worked in the public accounting sector for over thirty years.

Lance specializes in tax planning and compliance for small and midsized business. He is excited to help business owners navigate the tax code to arrive at the best possible answer for their tax problems.

Lance resides in Post Falls, Idaho with his chocolate lab. When he is not busy tax planning for clients, Lance can be found in the fields and mountains with his dog chasing upland game, shooting sporting clays and swinging flies for Steelhead and Salmon in the rivers of his area.

Valerie Schranz

Sales & Marketing Assistant
Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor

Valerie joined our team in 2023 and brings with her nearly 30 years of administrative support and a wealth of sales and marketing experience. Throughout her career, she has mixed her sales and administrative skills to bring success to various companies in the software, recruiting, and retail book industries. She has also enjoyed giving her time to volunteer opportunities, including being President of Phi Theta Kappa at Palm Beach State College and Vice President of Mid South Reads in Memphis, Tennessee.

Valerie resides in Sarasota, Florida with her husband Tom where they enjoy cooking and spending time with Tom’s father and sister in law who also live there. She has two daughters, one who is attending UCF in Orlando and the other who is an assistant manager at a hunter jumper farm in Tennessee. In her spare time, Valerie is an avid reader and loves taking her dog Buddy for long walks in the area parks.

Jeremy Deme, MBA

Sr. New Client Advocate
Business Tax and BPO Strategist

Jeremy joined our team in 2020, bringing with him both a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, and a Master’s of Business Administration (MBA). Early on, Jeremy embraced the mantra of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) to allow businesses to focus on their core strengths, and regardless of size, be able to compete on a level playing field based on their abilities.

Throughout his career, Jeremy has helped countless organizations understand the ins and outs of business process outsourcing, and actively works as a partner to help businesses transition to their new platform.

Jeremy originally hails from the Northeast, but has called the Sunshine State home since 2016. Of all the distinctions Jeremy holds, his proudest is that of father and husband to his beautiful daughter and wife. He loves running around at the beach and theme parks with his family — and in his quiet time can be found reading a good book or doing yoga.

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Get your copy of Tax Saving Strategies for FREE.

Get your copy of Tax Saving Strategies for FREE.

Get your copy of Tax Saving Strategies for FREE.

Get your copy of Tax Saving Strategies for FREE.