Meet BE Partner, Melissa Price

Melissa joined BE in 2018 when Gibbons & Kawash merged into BE.  She started at Gibbons & Kawash upon graduation from Marshall University in 1998 and has been with the firm ever since! She started her career as an auditor but had a strong interest in small business advisory, so she switched gears years ago and now leads our firmwide Outsourced Accounting and Advisory practice and provides tax compliance and advisory services to a variety of small businesses and nonprofits. She feels fortunate that she has been able to chart a successful career path at her first job out of college.

She is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) and a Certified Quickbooks ProAdvisor.  She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), and the West Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants (WVSCPA) and the Charleston Chapter.

We interviewed Melissa to get to know her outside of her profession, and we were surprised to learn that she is the "baby" of the family and not the first born!  Apparently she possesses quite a few of those first born traits.

Where are you from and where did you grow up?

I was born and raised in the small town of Logan, WV in the southern part of the state along with my two older siblings. My dad was a coal miner and I was raised by a stay-at-home mom who instilled the values of hard work at a very young age.

What are some of your hobbies?

Until the last couple of years, I spent my free time following my kids' sporting events. Now that my kids are past that phase of life, spending quality time with family, and friends, and her Golden Retriever, Tucker, top the list. Each year, I make sure a trip to the beach with a good book and an annual trip to the Virginia wineries make the list. I also love to cook and have set a goal to learn to make sourdough bread from a starter this winter! My friends joke that I have  entered my homesteading era.

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

I'm not an adventurous traveler, so a trip to the Gulf Coast of Florida to one of the many great beaches will fit the bill for me.

If you starred in your own hero action movie, what would be your superhero name and superpower?

This question asks for a bit of creativity for an accountant! Since time seems to be our most scarce resource, I'd like to have the superpowers of The Flash - superhuman speed, agility and reflexes to deal with anything quickly and efficiently!

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

I grew up in the era of the Friends sitcom and recently read Matthew Perry's memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing. It was a great reminder that no matter how good things look on the surface, people have struggles, which emphasizes the importance of giving grace, understanding, and support and finding reasons to laugh and smile - good lessons for all of us!

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

Mexican food! I am a big fan of Taco Tuesday!

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

A lighter, a flashlight and knife - can you tell I was a Girl Scout?

Why did you choose a career in public accounting?

Like many accountants, I started out in public accounting to gain experience. I was fortunate to work with many great people and great clients that made it a very rewarding career choice. I've always enjoyed helping clients solve challenges in their business, advising them on how to achieve their business and financial goals, and providing opportunities for staff to learn and grow in their own careers.