Leadership Spotlight | Jessica Hewitt

Brown Edwards is excited to welcome Jessica Hewitt as the newest Partner in the firm. She began her career in 2011 as an intern for Dixon Hughes Goodman and joined BE in 2018 with the acquisition of DHG's Newport News office.

She earned her Bachelor’s degree in accounting from Christopher Newport University and her M.S. in Accounting from Liberty University. She is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and a member of the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants (VSCPA).

We interviewed Jessica to really get to know her, outside of her profession, and we were surprised to learn that she can juggle! She is also a fairly decent golfer and a solid ringer for any work tournament.

Where are you from and where did you grow up?

I was born and raised in Smithfield, Virginia and I still live there today.

What are some of your hobbies?

I enjoy being outdoors with my family. We like to go camping (i.e., glamping) at the lake and state parks, and I have a passion for gardening.

What's the next place on your travel bucket list and what will you do there??

There are a handful of National Parks out west where I would love to take my family, but beyond that I'm perfectly content lazing about a lake.

What's the last book you read or what is your favorite book/series you ever read and why?

The last book I read was one I pulled from a camp store "library" and is titled "The End of Her". I tend to abide by the advice of my high school English teacher and alternate between educational and sophisticated reads and fun reads. I suppose the next read will be educational.

What is one food you can’t live without and why??

Tacos! I love to cook and entertain and tacos are so versatile and accommodating to varying palates.

If you knew you were going to be stranded on a deserted island, what three things would you bring with you?

If you really want to stress out an accountant - make them answer this question for public consumption!

For the sake of this hypothetical situation, let's pretend my precious children are grown and happily living out their dreams at this point.

So, throwing all practical and lifesaving answers aside, because that is way too much pressure to answer,

I would bring my husband, a book, and a dog.

Why did you choose a career in public accounting?

Public accounting, or accounting in general, felt sensible as a career choice. It's a boring answer, I know, but it is why I chose the field initially. I continued in the field because of how varied the work is. Each day I get to work with different clients in different industries. I am able to be a part of my community and help impact growth. It's fun and different each day, giving me the best of both worlds; both sensible and diverse.