Happiness Found: Family, Friends, Fly-Fishing & Financial Advising

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From the Sept. 2007 Issue

Not everyone can get paid to do something they love, and while more accountants may be so fortunate than those in other professions, few are as lucky as Jason Smith, a CPA in Elberton, Georgia. Being a partner in a 52 year-old accounting practice gives him the opportunity to focus his professional endeavors on something he would likely do as a hobby even if he weren’t able to bill for it: offering financial advisory services for his clients.

In addition to the Elberton office, his firm, Smith Burch & Company, LLP (www.smithburch.com), has an office in nearby Hartwell, nestled between the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains and the South Carolina border. Living in such a tranquil setting also has its perks for Jason, whose favorite hobbies include fly fishing, motorcycle riding, camping trips to nearby lakes with the family and golf. “We have some of the most beautiful lakes in the country, with great fishing and a tight-knit family oriented community,” he said.

But this idyllic setting also has the advantages of being only a short drive from larger cities for shopping and cultural activities, with the college town of Athens only 30 miles to the west and Atlanta 90 miles away. While certainly not a suburb of these cities, this proximity has driven development of Elberton and Jason’s accounting and financial services practice, with an increasing number of residents making those daily commutes.

“This is also a great retirement area because it offers a peaceful setting with lakes and a small town feel,” Jason said. “So many people are building their dream homes here while finishing their careers in Atlanta.”

As a mortgage loan officer, his wife Leann has certainly benefited from this trend. The growth has also resulted in an increase in residents with higher wealth, which has helped Jason’s firm evolve from what was originally a tax-focused general accountancy practice founded by former IRS agent John Ethridge in 1955, to a full service public accounting and wealth management firm. His father, Larry, a CPA and attorney, joined as a partner in 1973, which started the firm on its way toward more diverse client services. Larry is currently managing partner of Smith Burch & Company, with his legal training adding considerable value to their estate planning services.

Jason initially intended to get a degree in political science and perhaps continue to law school, but, while working his way through Georgia Southern University, he had a minor epiphany: “I enjoyed political science, but I realized that if I didn’t go to law school that employment options for a poly-sci major were pretty limited. So I changed to accounting, passed the CPA exam and joined my father’s practice.”

The firm’s advisory services really took off after Jason joined Smith Burch & Company and obtained his Series 7 and 66 licenses, which allow him to advise and trade in securities. While growing the individual and business planning, investment and wealth management offerings through a separate entity called Compass Financial Advisors, he also oversees the accounting firm’s internal and external audit functions, which specialize in serving financial institutions. Jason also holds a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) credential, which aids in small business transfers, estate and gift taxes, and litigation support.

Smith Burch & Company has grown to be one of the larger firms in the local area, with a staff of 15 that draws large business clients from Atlanta and neighboring states. Other services include nonprofit auditing, business valuations, estate and gift tax planning, business consulting, general write-up, and a broad array of compliance services. They are also embracing the growing travel and tourism industry around Lake Hartwell.