ROSS HUGHES & ASSOCIATES - Key Persons

Brent D. Ross

Job Titles:
  • Certified Public Accountant
  • Managing Member
  • CFE, CPEC / Managing Member
  • CPEC - Managing Member
  • Founder and President of Brent Ross & Associates
John joined Brent Ross in June of 2010 when Brent Ross & Associates, CPAs, LLC was formed. He was instrumental in maintaining continuity of services with the firm's clients and helped clients with their accounting and tax needs. Brent Ross is a Certified Public Accountant and a managing member of Ross Hughes & Associates, CPAs, PLLC and brings over 47 years of public accounting and consulting experience to the firm. He works with businesses and individuals in all areas related to income tax planning, gift, estate, trust and business succession planning, and organizational and business improvement strategies for small businesses and farmers. Brent is truly an uncommon financial and accounting advisor and accountant. He created and is the driving force behind several of the firm's niche areas, including the cost segregation services, profit enhancement services, the profit equation roundtable, the entrepreneurial leadership boot camp and the firm's leadership and team development processes. He believes that "businesses with a proactive attitude have a major advantage over their competition," and enjoys coaching management teams to create highly profitable businesses and high-performance work environments. He is a Founding Associate of the Integro Leadership Institute and is one of fewer than 100 professionals in the U.S. who are certified in the Senior Team Alignment Process™, the Leadership Development Process™, Engaging LeadershipTM, Adaptable Senior TeamTM,Leadership Coaching ProcessTM, Customer Focused CultureTM, 360 Degree Leadership FeedbackTM. Brent is also a distributor and certified trainer for the Harrison Assessment Talent Solution profiles and Everything DiSC personality assessments. Brent is the founder and President of Brent Ross & Associates, CPAs, LLC. which began in July of 2010. Brent was the Vice President, Director of Tax, for Meeks, Ross, Selander & Associates, CPAs, LLC for eighteen years after merging his independent practice with Jack Meeks and Ken Paulk in 1992.

Chrissy Stephens

Job Titles:
  • Client Accounting Specialist With
Chrissy Stephens is a client accounting specialist with Ross Hughes and Associates. Chrissy provides bookkeeping and payroll services for our clients and prepares payroll tax returns. She is a certified QuickBooks® Online Advisor. Chrissy received her Bachelor's in Accounting from the University of North Florida (UNF). Her work career began while she was in high school working for a veterinarian as a receptionist. She became an office manager just before graduating high school. She started taking classes at Florida Community College at Jacksonville while working full time. After graduating with her Associate's Degree she went on to UNF to complete her Bachelor's. After graduating, she spent several years as a Medical Claims Adjuster. She has also worked as a purchasing/accounts payable specialist for a manufacturing company. After taking some time off to be with her children she joined Ross Hughes and Associates in October 2018 to put to use her training from college and previous experience in the business. Chrissy and her family attend The New Mt Zion Church and have served there since 2005. She has served in many areas including Missions Leader, Treasurer, and currently as the Children's Church Leader. She really enjoys teaching the children not only in what she says but how she acts. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, taking care of their horses, and working on their small farm.

Christina Stephens

Job Titles:
  • Client Accounting Specialist
Chrissy Stephens is a client accounting specialist with Ross Hughes and Associates. Chrissy provides bookkeeping and payroll services for our clients and prepares payroll tax returns. She is a certified QuickBooks® Online Advisor. Chrissy received her Bachelor's in Accounting from the University of North Florida (UNF). Her work career began while she was in high school working for a veterinarian as a receptionist. She became an office manager just before graduating high school. She started taking classes at Florida Community College at Jacksonville while working full time. After graduating with her Associate's Degree she went on to UNF to complete her Bachelor's. After graduating, she spent several years as a Medical Claims Adjuster. She has also worked as a purchasing/accounts payable specialist for a manufacturing company. After taking some time off to be with her children she joined Ross Hughes and Associates in October 2018 to put to use her training from college and previous experience in the business. Chrissy and her family attend The New Mt Zion Church and have served there since 2005. She has served in many areas including Missions Leader, Treasurer, and currently as the Children's Church Leader. She really enjoys teaching the children not only in what she says but how she acts. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, taking care of their horses, and working on their small farm.

Heather Hughes

Job Titles:
  • Certified Public Accountant
  • Manager
  • Managing Member
Heather Hughes is a Certified Public Accountant and a member manager of Ross Hughes & Associates, CPAs, PLLC. She brings over 20 years of public accounting experience to the firm. Heather leads the firm's bookkeeping practice and is always looking for opportunities to advise clients about improving their processes and procedures related to managing their accounting records. She understands that designing the process is key to a strong foundation on which to build your business. Heather enjoys serving in her church in the youth and children's ministries. In the past she has served on the stewardship committee of her church, is the current treasurer of All Things New, an orphanage in Haiti. When she is not at work, Heather likes spending time with her husband, Trevor, and their children, Cutter and Camryn. They enjoy Disney, watching sports, fishing, and boating together. Heather purchased Graham Warner's CPA practice in 2010 after having worked for Graham since 2001. She continued building the practice and hone her skills working with small businesses for the next three years. While working for Graham Warner, she earned her Master's Degree from the University of North Florida and passed the CPA exam. Heather became interested in accounting after taking a bookkeeping class in the 10th grade. She was introduced to small businesses early in her life while working for a local hardware store during high school and college helping in the back-office and assisted with month-end and year-end accounting procedures. She initiated a computerized accounting process for the business.

John S. Murk

Job Titles:
  • Certified Public Accountant
  • Client Manager
As a Certified Public Accountant with Ross Hughes & Associates, CPAs, PLLC, John S. Murk provides tax and accounting services for high-income individuals, real estate development companies, construction contractors, software developers, restaurants, and wholesale and retail businesses. Being a well organized and detail-oriented professional, with over 25 years of experience in public accounting in the state of Florida, John is a unique and valuable asset to our client base. John provides year-end tax planning, prepares reviewed and compiled financial statements, and is well experienced with the preparation of returns involving partnerships, S and C Corporations, disregarded entities, private foundations, mergers and acquisitions, and the taxation of stock options. John enjoys participating in Civil War Reenactments in the Jacksonville area from Olustie to Fort Clinch you will find John volunteering in uniform reenacting battles and telling the stories of the soldiers of the day. John S. Murk, Certified Public Accountant joined Ross Hughes & Associates, CPAs, PLLC when Brent Ross and Heather Hughes merged their practices in January of 2014. He is an important team member providing tax and accounting consulting and tax preparation with a complex partnership, C-Corporation, and S-Corporation business returns and high-income individual returns. John also works with clients involved in mergers and acquisitions advising on the best tax strategies of proposed transactions. John also assists in training others in the firm on firm systems and procedures. In September of 1997, John joined the accounting firm of Meeks, Ross, Selander & Associates, CPAs, LLC. He specialized in individual and corporate tax and accounting and utilized his knowledge to train other staff members on various tax and accounting issues. While working with Meeks, Ross, Selander, and Associates, CPAs, LLC, John also provided support with litigation projects and gave depositions when called upon. For about seven years prior to working with Meeks, Ross, Selander & Associates, CPAs, LLC, John was a Tax Accountant at Brooks, Wiley, Young, Padget & Kleiser, CPA, where he further developed his individual and corporate-side experience in tax and accounting. He also provided clients with tax planning and assistance with mergers, redemptions, and transfers of assets to heirs. As a Senior Accountant/Auditor at Soldavini & Gualario, PA, CPA, John performed a wide range of responsibilities in the audit, review, and compilation of financial statements and prepared federal and state tax returns for individuals and businesses. During this time, he exemplified his leadership ability as he assisted in various management consulting functions including managing the receivership of a local restaurant, supervision and accounting, and the preparation of court-mandated financial statements.

Shannon Corwin

Job Titles:
  • Director of Operations & Client Accounting Specialist

Stephanie Lay

Job Titles:
  • Staff Accountant
  • Staff Accountant With
Stephanie Lay is a staff accountant with Ross Hughes & Associates, CPAs, PLLC. Stephanie assists clients with bookkeeping, tax, and payroll questions related to their businesses. She also completes end of year accounting processes for clients and prepares personal, business, and exempt organization tax returns. Stephanie joined Ross Hughes and Associates in November of 2015 as an accounting intern while she finished her Bachelor's in accounting at the University of North Florida. After graduating in August of 2016, Stephanie joined the firm full-time as a staff accountant. Stephanie enjoys the variety that comes with her job. Every client has a different situation and a different need, whether it is bookkeeping, payroll, or tax-related. She also enjoys getting to establish relationships with all the clients she works with. Stephanie is currently working towards her Masters of Business Administration with an accounting concentration at UNF. When not at the office or at school, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Marc, and their dog Moose.

Tracee Samuel

Job Titles:
  • Client Accounting Specialist