Russ-Headshot

Meet Russell Powers, CPA

Russ joined RBG in 2023 and serves as director of the Financial Institutions team. In this role, he provides assurance and consulting services to financial institutions of all sizes, including community banks, credit unions, and farm credit associations. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and Economics along with a Masters in Accounting from Rhodes College in Memphis.

Russ’s wife, Chelsea works in Marketing at FedEx and they have been married for 3 years.  The two have a baby boy, Sully, who turns one in May.  Russ has four younger siblings who all live in Memphis except for his comedian brother, who lives in Chicago.

Fun Questions

If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time?

Honestly, I would probably still sleep because I love it but maybe a little less and spend some extra time running and playing basketball.

What fictional place would you most like to visit?

The Grizzlies championship parade down Beale Street. 

What is a new skill that you would like to master?

I have taken up golf as an adult and have accepted I will never master it, but I would like to at least get to average.

What do you wish you knew more about?

In another life I may have tried to do something in music.  I have Spotify on all day and love all types of music, but I know very little from a technical standpoint.

What’s the farthest you’ve ever been from home?

I did a Maymester in Antwerp for a month and traveled to Brussels, Reims, Paris, and Amsterdam.  I loved every minute but that is the only time I have ever been out of the country.

What question would you most like to know the answer to?

Probably just everything that did not get answered at the end of Game of Thrones.

What is the most impressive thing you know how to do?

  I used to wakeboard a lot and was never great but could hold my own.

What was the best compliment you’ve ever received?

I play a lot of basketball and anytime someone on the other team tells their teammate that they have to actually guard me I blush a little bit.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

I am going to have to go with the honest/cheesy answer of being a dad.

What is your favorite smell?

Would definitely have to go with coffee.

If you had a clock that would countdown to any one event of your choosing, what event would you want it to countdown to? 

Probably the start of BBQ Fest. I am a member of team Grill N Grind and look forward to it every year.

When was the last time you climbed a tree?

Probably when I was 25 to jump off the waterfall in Pickwick Lake.  That may be my last time ever as well. 

What’s the most unusual thing you’ve ever eaten?

I hate to admit I do not have a good answer for this.. Probably just sushi. 

What was your first job? 

I have a lot of younger siblings and cousins so I would have to say babysitter/chauffeur.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

I think teleporting would be pretty cool.   

Business women the stairs in a rush hour to work.

RBG Announces Promotions

RBG is pleased to announce the following promotions:

Thames Kennedy has been promoted to Tax Manager.

Since 2017, Thames has been a valued member of the RBG team. She began her time at RBG as an Audit Intern and quickly advanced to her current position of Tax Manager. In this position, she participates in a variety of tax assignments for various individuals and entities. 

Rachel McManus has been promoted to Tax Senior.

A 2018 graduate of Texas A&M University, Rachel holds a Master of Science in Accounting. Rachel McManus serves as a Tax Senior in the firm’s Tax Department. In this role, she fulfills a variety of tax assignments for various individuals and entities. 

Alexis Crews has been promoted to Audit Senior.

In 2020, Alexis joined the RBG team as an intern in the Audit department but joined the firm full-time in 2021. She now serves her clients as an Audit Senior. 

Ricardo Gonzalez has been promoted to Audit Senior.

Ricardo joined RBG in 2021 as a Hybrid Intern working with both the Audit and Tax Departments. He has since joined the firm full-time as an Audit Senior.

Fred Atkins has been promoted to Audit Senior Manager.

Fred has worked diligently to achieve the best outcomes possible for his clients. He currently serves as an Audit Senior Manager in the firm’s Financial Institutions Department. 

Nick Morris has been promoted to Audit Senior.

Nick joined the RBG team in 2020 as an intern and then joined the audit staff full-time in 2021. He currently serves as an Audit Senior on the Audit team.

The Commercial Appeal Names Reynolds Bone & Griesbeck, PLC A Winner Of The Memphis Top Workplaces 2022 Award

Reynolds Bone & Griesbeck, PLC is pleased to announce that the firm was recently named to Commercial Appeal’s list of the Memphis Top Workplaces for 2022. With this award, the firm has now appeared on the list for ten consecutive years, every year since the survey’s inception.

“We are honored to be receiving this recognition for the 10th year in a row,” said Skeet Haag, CPA, Managing Partner of Reynolds Bone & Griesbeck, PLC. “This award validates all our efforts at creating an outstanding work environment for our employees. We are committed to fostering a healthy workplace culture where our team members are able to thrive and achieve exceptional results.”

The Top Workplaces list includes public, private, and nonprofit organizations and is developed solely based on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey. The anonymous survey consists of 24 questions designed to measure several aspects of workplace culture. This year 1,887 organizations were invited to participate, with 51 employers making up the final winners list. Please visit commercialappeal.com to view a complete list of the 2022 honorees.  

“The fact that this award comes as a direct result of employee input means so much to us,” continued Haag. “It speaks volumes about the values the firm holds and the way that we put them into practice every day to make a difference for our employees, clients, and community.”

RBG Tax Senior Managers Speak at Financial Education for Female Athletes event hosted by Simmons Bank

Last week, Rebecca Jacobs and Lauren Ruddle, both RBG Tax Senior Managers, spoke to female athletes at the University of Memphis about the tax implications of the NCAA’s NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) Policy during a Financial Education for Female Athletes event hosted by Simmons Bank. Thank you to Simmons Bank and to the University of Memphis for allowing us to participate!

RBG is pleased to announce the promotions of Claire Cornelius to Tax Senior and Lauren Ruddle to Tax Senior Manager!

* Claire joined RBG in 2019 as a Tax Intern and came on as a full-time staff member in 2020. She currently serves as tax senior. Originally from Corinth, Mississippi, Claire now lives in Memphis. Outside of the office, she enjoys traveling and cheering on the Mississippi State Bulldogs. 

* Lauren joined the RBG team in 2020 where she currently serves as a Tax Senior Manager. Lauren brings 6 years of experience in public accounting, focusing on pass-through entities, corporate and consolidated tax returns as well as state and individual returns. Raised in Collierville, TN, Lauren now resides in Germantown, TN with her husband, Cameron, their son, Waylon, and their two rescue dogs, Levi and Annabelle. Outside of the office, she can be found cheering on the Memphis Tigers, hosting family and friends by the pool, exercising, and spending time at her family farm.

Memphis Accounting Firm Claims Two Accounting Today Awards

MEMPHIS, TN – Reynolds, Bone & Griesbeck PLC (RBG) is pleased to announce that the firm was recently named to Accounting Today‚Äôs 2021 list of the Best Accounting Firms to Work For and Best Firms for Young Accountants.

This is the second consecutive year that RBG has been acknowledged as Best Accounting Firm to Work For and the first time it was named to the Best Firms for Young Accountants list.

“It is a great honor to be recognized as one of the best accounting firms to work for,” said Skeet Haag, CPA, managing partner of RBG. “It’s amazing to receive these two sought-after awards, especially at a time when staffing and retention has been hardest for our profession. We take great pride in fostering growth and creating career opportunities for our younger staff.”

Firms from across the United States entered the survey process to determine Accounting Today’s Best Accounting Firms to Work For. The survey program is designed to identify, recognize, and honor the nation’s 100 best employers in the accounting profession. Each nominated company was evaluated based on workplace policies, practices, philosophies, systems, and demographics. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, firms were also assessed based on their response to employee safety matters. Seventy-five percent of the combined score was attributed to an employee survey that measured engagement and satisfaction. Best Companies Group managed the overall registration and survey process, analyzed the data, and determined the final ranking.

To qualify for the Best Firms for Young Accountants, firms needed to have at least 15 employees under the age of 30 or have employees under 30 constitute at least 10 percent of their total employee count. An anonymous employee survey was distributed, and the response rate for employees under the age of 30 was required to be at least 40 percent. Firms were then ranked according to the average positive response rate.

Since 1905, Reynolds, Bone & Griesbeck has delivered the highest quality accounting, audit, tax, and advisory services to its clients. Over the last century, much has changed, but RBG’s  principals have not. RBG continues to uphold the legacy of its founders, who were among the first certified public accountants in the state of Tennessee. Through dedicated service to clients and employees, RBG continues to commit to its core values of passion, respect, ownership, stewardship, teamwork, elevation, and community.

Reynolds Bone & Griesbeck PLC Welcomes New Intern

Reynolds Bone & Griesbeck PLC (RBG) is pleased to announce the addition of Alejandra Lopez, who joins the firm as an intern in the Client Accounting Services Department. In this role, she assists with bookkeeping, answering tax-related questions, and other tasks for clients in a wide variety of industries.

Lopez is a student at Christian Brothers University where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Applied Science in Accounting degree. She anticipates earning her degree in 2022. Prior to interning with RBG, she completed accounting internships with the Downtown Memphis Commission and FedEx Services. Lopez is currently affiliated with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).

Born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, she spends her time outside the office volunteering at various nonprofits throughout the area.