Gary Reid, CPA - Member

Before his career with Crippen, Reid & Bowen, L.L.C., Gary Reid was both a military and civilian auditor for the U.S. military. After leaving the military in 1973, he became the first professional accountant hired by the firm. Gary became a partner in 1979 and currently serves as the firm's Chief Financial Officer.

In addition to professional activities, Gary has served on

the finance committee of Riverside United Methodist Church in Moline, treasurer and trustee of the Robert R. Jones District Library in Coal Valley, and member and director of the Geneseo Rotary Club, including receiving the Paul Harris Fellowship Award.

Kenneth Bowen, CPA - Member

Ken Bowen has 33 years of diversified experience
in the accounting, audit, employee benefits, and
strategic business consulting fields serving closely-held businesses. He is our CEO and is responsible for the quality control of our audit and accounting practice.
Ken enjoys helping our clients achieve their goals.
He taught continuing education programs for auditing
of retirement plans to CPAs throughout the country for more than 10 years.

Ken is an avid basketball enthusiast. After coaching his boys for twelve years, he now takes refuge in weekly games with old players his age. Ken enjoys golf and dreams of beating Ray Harrison someday.
He also enjoys fishing trips with his family.

Ray Harrison, CPA -Tax Member

Ray D. Harrison is the tax member for the firm. With 33 years of tax experience, his specialties include individual and business income tax returns, as well as estate and trust taxation. In addition to income taxes, Ray also performs business valuations for clients for a wide variety of reasons, including divorce and for mergers and acquisitions.

Ray enjoys speaking to various organizations on various tax topics. He testifies often for local courts and has provided special testimony before the Joint Tax Committee in Washington, D.C. Ray has served on various local and state boards, as well as Kiwanis, holding numerous offices.

When not in the office, there is considerable likelihood that Ray is on the golf course. He claims to not check weather forecasts unless he has a tee time. He enjoys a round

with Susan, his wife, and he especially likes playing in preferred ball tournaments.

Darrell Thorpe, CPA - Member

Darrell is an audit member of the firm, specializing in the audit of private companies and retirement plans. He also enjoys consulting on business practices. He has taught accounting courses at two local colleges, and is the treasurer of the local Girls and Boys Club of the Mississippi Valley.

Outside the office, Darrell enjoys spending time with his wife, Julie, and his twin children, Skylar and Shawn. He enjoys a round of golf once a week, but that seems tough with the children's activities.

Randy Skipton, CPA - Manager

Randy Skipton is a manager with the firm. He has more than 25 years of experience, with a primary focus in the accounting and audit fields. He also has experience with personal and business income tax, and is active with the firm's quality control practice.

Randy is an active member of Rotary and has served as president, treasurer, and board member of the local Quad Cities Illinois Rotary Club. He appreciates spending his free time with family and friends. Randy enjoys all sports and grew up bleeding "black and gold" as an avid Hawkeye football fan. He also has a passion for coaching

youth sporting activities.

Carol Mansker, CPA - Tax Manager

Carol Mansker is a tax manager who joined the firm in November 2008 with more than 15 years of experience in public accounting. Carol specializes in individual and business tax returns. She works with clients in various industries, including service providers, manufacturers, and farmers. Carol looks forward to developing relationships and serving clients, especially in the Geneseo community where she will spend much of her time.

Carol appreciates small town life and believes in the importance of faith and family. She resides outside Cambridge, IL with her husband and three children. She enjoys attending sports and music events for her children who participate in teams and organizations at Galva Schools. Carol likes to spend summer time off in the great outdoors with her family, biking, hiking, horseback riding, and camping.

Brenda Thompson, CPA - Firm Manager

Brenda Thompson is the Firm Manager. With the firm since 1984, she has many years of accounting and tax experience. Brenda is responsible for overseeing firm recordkeeping, for handling human resource matters, and for supervising other administrative staff.

Brenda's service in helping the firm's daily operations run smoothly parallels her focus on service in her personal life. Brenda actively serves in her church as an Elder and a youth Sunday school teacher and in the Rock Island Noon Kiwanis Club. She is her Kiwanis Club's liaison with the K-Kids Club at her sons' elementary school. Her service to her family includes working with her husband in raising their two sons who are active in Cub Scouts and youth sports.

Jay Ferkel, CPA - Supervisor

Jay Ferkel is one of the firm's experienced "Tax Guys" with over 20 years of public accounting experience assisting individuals and businesses with tax planning and compliance. His major area of specialization is in trusts and estates. Working with attorneys, trust departments, and individuals serving as executors and trustees, he feels especially rewarded when he can assist with the administration of estates and with post-mortem tax planning.

In addition to being a Certified Public Accountant (CPA),
he holds the designation as an Enrolled Agent (EA) awarded by the Treasury Department. His focus on continued professional growth has earned him recognition as a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning (CSEP) and as a Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM).

When not at his desk, he enjoys life on a small acreage plot of trees and hills in rural Mercer County where as a young man he built the house that has been home for over thirty years. He serves his community as a Township Supervisor. His best days are spent with his son working together on projects around their homes, vacationing, biking or watching the latest of what they both hope will not be the last of the Clint Eastwood movies.

Angela White - Supervisor

Angela White has been with Crippen, Reid & Bowen, LLC since 2001. She currently works in a variety of areas including auditing, accounting, tax, QuickBooks consulting, and payroll. She is also a QuickBooks ProAdvisor. Angela loves her job except for the long hard hours during tax season!

Angela enjoys watching her daughter, Alexandra, participate in a variety of school activities. Homework, volleyball, and now cheerleading keep Angela busy as a spectator, supporter, and chauffer. Another passion is
her backyard swimming pool. Many weekends are
spent with family and friends enjoying themselves on
a hot summer day.

Christal Falk, CPA - Supervisor

Christal Falk returned to Crippen, Reid & Bowen, LLC in 2008 to provide seasonal assistance after taking a few years off from public accounting. She currently works in the areas of accounting, tax, and QuickBooks consulting.

Christal and her husband are active farmers who are enjoying raising their daughter, who loves every sport that she can participate in, plus piano. Christal enjoys coaching, traveling, gardening, outdoor activities, and time with family and friends.

Michelle Davenport - Supervisor

Michelle Davenport has more than 10 years of accounting and tax experience working in public accounting. Her main responsibilities within the firm are corporate and individual income taxes. In addition, she manages a variety of payroll tax matters.

Michelle is Treasurer of the Clinton County Ducks Unlimited and is involved with her local community and school district. She enjoys spending her free time boating with her family, as well as camping and other outdoor activities.

Aaron Kayser - Staff Accountant

Hope Robbins - Staff Accountant

Hope Robbins is a 2005 graduate of Western Illinois University. Hope has been associated with CRB since February 2006. She is a resident of Rock Island, Illinois.

Hope enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and traveling. She especially likes to travel with her family to tropical islands where they can explore the reef system

and underwater wildlife.

Michael Melchi - Staff Accountant

Michael Melchi is a staff accountant for the firm. His specialties include individual and business income tax returns. He enjoys working with business owners to develop strategies to minimize taxes and maximize profits.

Michael joins the firm with over 12 years military experience which includes jumping out of airplanes (which he thinks is perfectly fine) and a tour in Iraq.

He enjoys spending time with his family and manning the outfield in co-ed softball games.

Sheri DeDecker - Administrative Assistant

Sheri is the administrative assistant in the Geneseo office. She joined the firm in August, 1978. She performs various bookkeeping functions, as well as payrolls, payroll tax returns, and sales tax returns.

Sheri has served on the Geneseo Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. She resides in Sheffield, IL, where she has been an elected Township Supervisor since 1993.

Sheri will be retiring in July, 2010.

Sheila Dhaemers - Administrative Assistant

Sheila A. Dhaemers, the firm's Moline Administrative Assistant joined the CRB team on a full-time basis in October, 2009.  She worked with the firm for a number of years on a part-time basis and performs many administrative and clerical duties.  Sheila has over 25 years experience working with accounting firms.

When Sheila is not at work, she enjoys spending time with her daughter and son, and with her friends in the small community of Sherrard, Illinois.  She enjoys attending community events, watching movies, baking, sewing, and she loves most all types of music.