OAKLAND — Boal & Associates PC is celebrating 20 years in business in Oakland as of Jan. 1.
The company was founded in 2001 by Brian R. Boal, a certified public accountant. Before that time, he was working for PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers), a large group of accounting firms. He and his wife, Crystal, wanted to move back to Garrett County because they felt that the area was the best place to live and raise a family. After the events of 9/11, Boal said he was even more sure that he made the right choice.
He purchased the business from another CPA, Willetta W. Mateer, and first called it Brian R. Boal, CPA before changing the name to Boal & Associates. Since then, the business has grown from only one employee to seven associates currently working at the 317 E. Oakland St., Suite One location.
They include Shane Grady (CPA, CFP), Cinda Savage, Erin DiBacco, Kasondra Margroff, Mindy Gangler, Lori Frantz, Meghan Foley and Sharon Barnette.
“Brian is hands down the best employer to work for in our area,” said Margroff. “He is very knowledgeable at working through all of the more difficult aspects of being a CPA, but is never above answering a question or assisting with the smaller, everyday office tasks. Brian is dependable, hardworking and understanding. He is not only our employer, but also our friend.”
The company offers such services as business and individual tax preparation and planning, payroll services, small business accounting and estate tax planning.
Boal & Associates began with pencils and paper and has grown to utilize the newest computer software. However, the focus of the business has remained the same — making sure that clients’ needs are never lost in the process.
“Our focus has always been the client — seeing each one as an individual with individual needs,” said Savage. “We are far from cookie cutter. If you are a logger, we find out what loggers do and their concerns; same with farming. We always take the extra step here, and we also don’t treat a client with smaller accounting needs any differently from clients with complex needs. Every one of them gets top-notch service.”
Associates know that when they provide financial services, they are supporting the dreams of small business owners and individuals.
“Brian understands this personally, because when he bought the practice, it was a large commitment to his dream of owning a small business,” Savage said. “We continue to focus on excellent customer service even though we have significantly increased the number of clients we work with.”
One way the focus has expanded is in how Boal tries to give back to the community. He serves on numerous local business and not-for-profit boards. He and his wife started Landon’s Library in 2006 in honor of their son, Landon, who passed away suddenly just after his second birthday.
Landon’s Library is a nonprofit that provides a new book each month to every child born in Garrett County from birth until the start of kindergarten. This is the first countywide effort of its kind in Maryland.
The couple was named “Garrett County’s Most Beautiful Persons” in 2017 and received Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot’s “People Helping People” award in 2018.
Boal is also part owner of the Greene Turtle at Deep Creek Lake and is president of Mountain Top Soccer Association and Landon’s Library Youth Basketball League.
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