JENKINS CPA, LLC, is a Certified Public Accounting firm faithfully serving Southwest Missouri since 2001, located in the Jenkins Executive Center, 204 Village Center St, Nixa, Missouri. Heather Jenkins, owner and staff Certified Public Accountant, is a member of the Missouri Society of Certified Public Accountants. Jenkins CPA, LLC is concerned with the health of the communities in which we live and is actively involved with several groups such as the Nixa, Clever, and Ozark area Chambers of Commerce, Rotary Club of Nixa, CCCC Sertoma, local PTA’s, the LEAP Program and other community outreaches. Our name is on the door, but our HEART is in our community!
Heather L. Jenkins, CPA
Heather was born and raised in Nixa, MO. After completing college in Joplin, MO at Missouri Southern, she and her husband, Vance, moved back to Nixa with the intention of creating a company to help local businesses understand and thrive in an ever changing economy. During her childhood, her parents were independent contractors in the construction industry. This gave Heather insight at a very young age of the joys and hardships of entrepreneurship.
As college progressed Heather began working for a manufacturing company as an accounting clerk. This basically meant picking up the bits and pieces of all the different facets of accounting, (A/P, A/R, Billing, Collections, Bank Reconciliations) that others didn’t have time for or just plain didn’t want to do.
After graduating college with honors, Heather started a family. Returning to Nixa and a career at Lakeland Regional Hospital where she moved from Payroll Clerk to Accounting Manager and finally to Assistant Controller in six years. While at Lakeland, Heather learned many aspects of corporate accounting and the interoffice relationships that exists within each department and the facilities as a whole.
During that time Heather was also building a tax practice and bookkeeping clients. In June 2001, she stepped away from the corporate world to start her dream of owning her own firm with 90 tax clients and one monthly bookkeeping client. Today Jenkins CPA employees 5 fulltime and 3 part time employees. The office serves over 1300 tax clients and nearly 100 monthly bookkeeping clients.
When not working Heather enjoys weekend trips to the lake with Vance and their three kids, Dakota, Mason and Madison. She loves to read when time allows and stays very active in her community as a state licensed foster parent. She’s also an active member in several local clubs and organizations such as the Nixa Area Chamber of Commerce, The Rotary Club of Nixa and the Nixa Mighty Mites Football league.
Vance Jenkins
Vance Jenkins has been a lifelong resident of Nixa and is a 1991 graduate of Nixa High School. After high school Vance moved to Joplin, MO to attend Missouri Southern State University in pursuit of a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration degree. While living in Joplin and going to school he married his high school sweetheart, Heather, and the two began their family together. After completing his bachelor’s program in May 1995 Vance and his family returned to Nixa and he began work with the Greene County Juvenile Court program as a probation officer.
During his two and a half years with the juvenile office, Vance was afforded many opportunities. He established and managed the court’s intensive probation program, initiated several outreach programs for youth in the county and was an integral part of forming the county’s first alternative school program. In July 1997, Vance left the juvenile office to join the Springfield Missouri Police Department.
While at the police department Vance held many positions including patrol officer, narcotics officer, major crime scene investigator and hostage negotiator. During his nearly 10 years with the police department he developed his ability to see the big picture while managing some very uncomfortable situation, which he believes to be an asset to his current role at Jenkins CPA.
In the Fall of 2009 Vance’s wife, Heather, expanded her business, Jenkins CPA, by acquiring another local tax service. With the acquisition of the new business Vance transferred his “behind the scenes role” as a seasonal or as needed tax preparer at Jenkins CPA to a fulltime position working with clients on a daily basis. Vance has conducted most of the functions at the firm during his tenure but currently focuses his attention on the company’s daily financials working hand in hand with Heather to ensure that the company stays on a true and accurate trajectory so that they can continue to help their clients find success in their businesses.
Madison Buxton
Madison (Jenkins) Buxton grew up in Nixa, Missouri. She graduated from Nixa High School in the fall of 2016 and started attending OTC in the spring of 2017. Madison has been member of the Jenkins CPA team since August 2016 as an Operations Clerk. Her personality is sure to bring excitement and positive energy to the Jenkins CPA team this tax season!
Mason Jenkins
Mason Jenkins grew up in Nixa, Missouri. He Joined the Army after graduating from Nixa High School and was stationed at Fort Polk, Louisiana as an Infantryman with Third Brigade 10th Mountain Division. When the time came to re-enlist, Mason felt that he wanted to rejoin the civilian work force. Mason has always been a member of the Jenkins family but this November he has rejoined the Jenkins CPA team as the office Operations Team Leader and tax preparer. Preparing all members of the Jenkins CPA team for a busy and exciting tax season.
Zachary Buxton
Zachary Buxton grew up in Lebanon, Missouri. Graduated from Missouri State University in 2015 with his Masters in Accounting. He moved to Nixa and started here at Jenkins CPA in 2017 and since has been a seasonal Tax Preparer. Zac and Madison Buxton married in 2019 then had their daughter, Everylyn. Zac While working full time at Xtreme Exteriors in Nixa he spends his tax season working nights and weekends preparing tax returns.
Tanner Jones
Tanner grew up in a small town in Southwest Missouri and has applied those values in both his professional and personal life. After graduating top of his class in high school, Tanner attained both his Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Master of Accountancy degree from Missouri State University. During college Tanner worked at a local bank and volunteered at various charities such as Ozarks Food Harvest.
Tanner has nearly a decade of experience in banking, tax, and accounting. He specializes in S-Corporations and partnerships which have allowed him to fulfill his passion for helping small business owners achieve their financial goals. His other professional passion is coaching and training other staff to help them grow professionally.
While in college Tanner married his high school sweetheart, Destiny. Together they have two children and two shih-tzus. In his free time, Tanner enjoys hunting, watching football, and spending time with his family.
Joshua Laffoon
Josh is part of our full-time staff here at Jenkins CPA. Josh is coming up on his first anniversary with Jenkins in June of 2023 and plans to sit for his CPA exams in the 2023 year. He graduated with his Masters in Accounting from Missouri State University and over has four years of experience in public accounting. When he isn’t working he is either spending time with his wife watching a movie or trying to find the newest hotspot to eat, spoiling his dog Scooby, or doing one of his diverse set of hobbies including tabletop games, video games, hunting, and fishing.
Vonda Eckley
Vonda is a lifelong resident of Nixa, graduating from Nixa High School in 1994. She joined our bookkeeping and payroll team in 2021 after 16 years of assisting her husband in his business and staying home being a “mom taxi”! Previously she had experience in the printing and car industry working in reception, bookkeeping, and payroll. Vonda wears many hats around the office but enjoys working and helping clients the most.
Scott Morgan
Scott Morgan grew up and graduated high school in Stockton, MO. Following high school, Scott attended Missouri Southern State University in Joplin and graduated with his Bachelors in Business Administration. He worked his way through high school and college on Stockton Lake helping to grow a small business that specialized in sailboat sales, repairs and restorations. After 17 years in the sailboat industry, he switched career paths and became a high school history and civics teacher in El Dorado Springs from 2007-2010.
During this time Scott married the love of his life Christy and in 2011 they picked up and moved their lives to Nixa, where they now raise their children Melora and Alex. Scott started in the insurance business that same year and started what would come to be his passion for the next 12 years and counting. Before joining the Jenkins team in 2022 he had experience as an agent with Mutual of Omaha and Country Financial, he also had experience in training agents with Selectquote.
His passion is to help our clients solve problems and protect what is most important to them and believes that everybody deserves to have access to sound, quality help and advice. Scott is a true outdoorsman and on his days off you can usually find him hunting, fishing, gardening, or barbecuing. He also loves spending time with his family whether it’s keeping up with his kids in their activities or going to Chiefs games!
Emma Cutbirth
Emma Cutbirth joined us in 2021 as a bookkeeping and payroll clerk and loves the numbers world she is living in. She loves working with her clients to help problem solve and make their lives easier so they can get back to focusing on their businesses and families. Emma is a Christian county native growing up in Clever where graduated high school from, following high school she attended OTC and Missouri State University.
When not working at Jenkins CPA, you will find her working on her family beef farm in Stone County along Crane Creek where they get to witness some of the prettiest land you will ever see. She has been blessed with a wonderful spouse and four children that keep them extremely busy outside of work. They enjoy going on trips and playing sports and she says you can find her at a practice or game any given night of the week.
Jacob Dralle
Jacob was born and raised in Ozark, Missouri. After graduating from Ozark in 2019 he earned his associates at Ozarks Technical Community College. Jacob has a passion for fitness and has played tennis for seven plus years. He also participated in multiple powerlifting competitions and held multiple state records. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his fiancee Emily, his family, his friends, and his adorable dog Charlie. Jacob joined the Jenkins team in 2023, and has since been eager and passionate to learn about accounting.
Cheryl Schwind
Cheryl Schwind has been a resident of Republic since 1999. Cheryl received her Bachelors of Science in Education in 2011 and her Masters of Educational Leadership in 2015, both from Missouri State University. Although Cheryl has a fulfilled career in education, she has also worked in the Accounting industry and field for more than 30 years. Cheryl has been a tax preparer with Jenkins CPA since the 2008 tax season.
Emily Foley
Emily Foley grew up on a farm in Central Illinois. After obtaining a bachelor's degree from the University of Missouri - Columbia in 2019, she moved to Republic, Missouri with her husband, Nathan. Emily has been a member of the Jenkins CPA team since May 2019, where she started in our marketing department, but quickly switched to bookkeeping and payroll where her skill set is better suited. Emily is a great asset to the team, she always goes above and beyond to ensure her clients are happy with their businesses. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her dog, Fiona, and growing house plants.
Taylor Daugherty
Taylor Daugherty joined the Jenkins team in 2023 as a full-time bookkeeping and payroll clerk but is not new to the accounting world. She grew up in Hurley, MO and was very involved in athletics, playing three sports. After high school, Taylor attended Missouri State University and obtained her Bachelors in Accounting and Masters in Business Administration, graduating in 2021. Taylor has experience working directly alongside CPA’s as an auditor and is excited to learn the bookkeeping side in hopes to become a well-rounded accountant. She is now a Clever, MO, resident with her wonderful family. Taylor married her high school sweetheart and had two handsome boys together. As a family they love to spend time outside playing with their three fur babies, and attending Kansas City Chiefs games at Arrowhead Stadium!
