Sara A. Kurtz, CPA

Partner

Sara A. Kurtz

I enjoy working with my clients because they have a passion for what they do. They have a genuine interest in making their business the best that it can be and value recommendations or advice we provide.

OVERVIEW

Sara has 20 years of audit experience and has specialized in the government industry throughout her career. She provides technical and accounting expertise for government clients that need to understand the professional accounting standards they must adhere to in order to issue General Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) financial statements as well as single audit requirements. As continuous education and training is crucial within the government sector, Sara is a firm resource for staff training, and she supervises audits during all phases of the engagement and participates in the report delivery. She is the former chair of Eide Bailly's Government Technical Issues Committee and continues to remain responsible for reviewing new guidance and providing firmwide training on these topics.

Sara's working style is collaborative. She listens to clients' needs, concerns and challenges and works with them to find a solution, delivering information and explainations a way that makes sense. Sara believes that timely communication is key during an audit and she demonstrates this by being on-site with the client and team, facilitating the successful completion of the audit. She is accessible to clients not only during an audit, but throughout the year.

Outside of work, Sara likes pretty much anything outside, particularly hiking and running. She's run in a Ragnar Trail relay, a 24-hour relay where teams of eight run different trail loops covering about 14 miles each. She also tries to hike a new Colorado 14er (peaks of the mountain higher than 14,000 feet) every year.

QUALIFICATIONS

Memberships

  • American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
  • Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants

Designations/Licensures

  • Certified Public Accountant

Education

  • Bachelor of Arts, Accounting – University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA

KNOWLEDGE

Client Work

  • Works with clients on best practices to implement controls to prevent single audit findings, such as reducing one client's findings from more than 25 to less than five over the process of several years.
  • Provides training to clients and staff on government reporting/annual report topics.
  • Works with clients on special projects to evaluate their internal controls and provide recommendations for improvements.
  • Serves internal clients by researching technical topics and providing recommendations as part of the National Assurance Office.

COMMUNITY

Community Involvement

  • Colorado Government Finance Officers Association Education Committee, Member and Presenter at annual conferences
  • Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants Governmental Issues Committee, Member
  • American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Technical Issues Committee Telephonic, Member