Vesta receives national recognition for ‘making the world a better place’

Cheryl Hentz

Contributor

February 10, 2025

FOND DU LAC – Each year, Employ Humanity gives an award to one employer in the United States that has demonstrated excellence to the comprehensive well-being of its employees, industry and communities. 

Recipients of the award – according to its website (employhumanity.com) – are top-rated employers of choice who have demonstrated excellence in servant leadership, workplace culture and, above all, making the world a better place for humanity.

It was recently announced that the 2024 award was bestowed upon Vesta, a CPA-led advisory firm whose roots began in Fond du Lac, but which has branched out during the last 40-plus years to three other Wisconsin locations.  

In announcing the winner, Employ Humanity’s founder/CEO Bill Marklein said he’s followed Vesta’s journey and has met many of its team members over the years.

“They have demonstrated excellence in leadership, culture and community impact,” he said. “Vesta has always been innovative with culture and has been a steadfast champion of emotional intelligence in the workplace.”

Though it began as a small, local company operating under the name of Huberty & Associates, HR Senior Manager Kristin Olson said Vesta’s corporate principles have always centered around being innovative, caring and a company whose leadership believed in doing the right thing at all times.  

A purposeful name

Though there is very little recorded company history, mainly, Olson said, because the company prefers to focus on the future, Huberty & Associates was founded by Wayne Huberty in Fond du Lac in 1981. 

Back then, she said, it was strictly an accounting firm, but over the years, the company has expanded both in size and scope of the services they provide. 

In 2014, Olson said Huberty acquired Sheboygan-based Biwan & Biwan, consolidating the Plymouth office with the Sheboygan location.

That office, she said, has recently been remodeled and a ribbon-cutting for it will be held this coming summer.  

Over the past few years, Olson said the company also acquired a North Shore office in Mequon and Vanden Heuvel & Associates CPAs in Madison. 

Additionally, as a result of its changing its profile of what it does and the various services it offers, she said the company name was changed in September 2023 to Vesta. 

“The reason we decided to change our name was because of our profile,” she said. “Who we are as an organization is we’re very invested in data and our communities and that’s kind of where the name Vesta comes from. We’re invested in our people, our communities and our markets. That was why we chose to make that switch.” 

With the name change, Olson said, came a new list of services divided into three areas: accounting, wealth and advisory. 

“We’ve shifted in the last few years from just offering the traditional accounting services to offering a variety of advisory services,” she said. “Our clients’ businesses are so complex that we are able to offer them different planning, strategy, coaching and valuation services that their businesses need.”

Olson said Vesta is proud to partner with growth-oriented organizations seeking a collaborative relationship with a CPA-led advisory firm.

“Our ideal clients value our adaptable and forward-thinking approach, entrusting us with their legacies across industries such as construction, retail, manufacturing, professional services, real estate and nonprofit…,” she said. “Our mission is deeply intertwined with theirs – fostering mutual success and growth every step of the way. Together, we navigate challenges, embrace opportunities and build lasting impact.”

‘Outstanding employer, community neighbor’

Olson said there are three areas within a company that Employ Humanity looks at when considering companies for its Excellence Award – including servant leadership, workplace culture and making the world a better place for humanity.

Servant leadership

According to Olson, Vesta has about 80 full-time and flexible full-time employees, five to 10 part-time people and a handful of interns throughout the year.

As an organization, she said Vesta focuses heavily on giving back to each other and the communities in which it has offices. 

That, Olson said, includes several staff members who serve on boards for different nonprofits and other organizations that they are passionate about.

“It really is important to all of us to give back to the community and give back to others,” she said. “I think that’s something we truly display on a daily basis. We’re each always willing to lend a helping hand. If someone has something going on in their personal life, our team is always there to support each other.”

Olson said that also goes back to what Vesta can do in the community.

“We strive to stay engaged with the community, whether by organizing school supply or toy drives, supporting local organizations through volunteering at fundraisers or finding meaningful ways to give back and make a difference,” she said.

Like many other local companies, Olson said Vesta is involved in assisting local Big Brother Big Sisters organizations, as well as the annual fundraising campaign for United Way. 

“That’s the foundation of what we do on an annual basis,” she said. “As far as additional ways we contribute to the community, (the company does annual school supply drives,) bell ringing with Salvation Army, participates in the Mental Health America Lakeshore walk, participates in the Nicole Moniz 5K, sponsors groups like Boys & Girls Club, Milwaukee Tennis Education Foundation, the Plymouth Arts Center, Habitat for Humanity and Dogs2Dog Tags… There are many things we do that are just part of our day-to-day routine.”

Beyond that, Olson said Vesta works with high school and college students to prepare them for the workforce – ideally in the field of accounting and tax preparation – through year-round internships or apprenticeships.

“We’re heading into tax season, so we’ll train them in tax preparation or have them work alongside our audit team,” she said. “We also are part of the Youth Apprenticeship program in Wisconsin. So, we do have three high school students who also work for us.”

Apprentices, Olson said, learn the same things as Vesta interns and are essentially trained on the same things as consultants.

“They are learning the same steps and processes that we would train a new consultant on, which has been great (for them),” she said. “It’s also a great way to build that pipeline for accounting students or for business students and give them a better taste of the accounting industry.”

High school students participating in the Youth Apprenticeship program through the Department of Workforce Development and CESA-6, Olson said, get released a little early from school on days they’re working.

She said they receive both a paycheck and college credits for working for Vesta through that program.

“They’re making another step into the workforce that, historically, high school students haven’t always had the chance to get,” she said.

Olson said Vesta employees also speak to students about personal finance, taxes, auditing and accounting at high schools throughout its different markets regularly.

“Those are things all of our staff like to be involved in,” she said. “Inspire Wisconsin works alongside CESA-6 and specifically with the high schools, linking high schools with professionals to help bridge some of those gaps in learning.”  

Olson said Vesta had a program called Premiere Student Program (PSP), a program the company used to bring in interns for the following season.

The last few years, however, she said they’ve been doing something called a Client Panel Discussion.

“We’ll bring in some of our clients and our potential intern candidates can ask our clients questions,” she said. “It’s kind of fun, but it also gives our clients an opportunity to help pick the next round of Vesta staff.”

Olson said one client told them that the Client Panel Discussion initiative was how he knew Vesta was the right accounting firm for him.

That was 15-20 years ago, and Olson said he’s still with Vesta today.

Many of the programs offered at Vesta, Olson said, help deepen those advisor-client relationships.

“A lot of those things happen because we’re here to listen and some of our client relationships have turned into friendships,” she said. “It’s like we’re an extended member of some of our clients’ families. For us, that connection is so truly important. We have that internally with each other, but it definitely extends out to our clients, as well.” 

Workplace culture

Olson said the Vesta culture can be described as unique, inviting and comfortable.

Part of that, she said, comes from having borderless offices that allow staff members to work virtually from different facilities.

Whether inside the corporate offices, remote from home or a hybrid combination, Olson said Vesta team members are empowered to choose the environment that helps them perform and serve at their best.

Thirty percent work fully remote, 30% work hybrid and 40% work on Vesta premises. 

“We have a very open, innovative group of people that we work with,” she said. “We’re a very collaborative bunch, and our core values all align with each other, so I think that has been (wonderful and we’re fortunate). You don’t always find that when you bring on different team members. But we’re just all here to be collaborative and be a greater part of the community and the clients we serve.”

Olson said Vesta has no real dress code, but rather a Dress for Your Day policy. 

“We’re not formal suit and tie people,” she said. “You can walk into our office, and you’ll see people in jeans and a t-shirt or in the summer, you might see people in golf attire if they’re (playing golf after work).”

Olson said it all depends on what individuals have going on that day.

“It also gives them a chance to express themselves through what they want to wear to work,” she said. “If you want to dress up, you can dress up. There are some clients we work with who are more formal, so our staff dresses more formally or professionally to meet with those individuals. But then we have clients who may own or work in a machine shop, or they might work in the automotive industry. So, if we’re going to visit them, we might dress a little more comfortably.” 

Olson said Vesta also has a pet-friendly office and several staff members will bring their dogs to work from time to time. 

“During tax season, we have Tito Tuesdays,” she said. “One of our co-workers has a little dog named Tito, who serves as our ‘director of puplic relations.’”

Olson said clients who come into the office are usually greeted by Lynn Zimmerman, Vesta’s client service administrator, who on Fridays, often brings her dog to help greet clients.

“Our clients like seeing the dogs, and we’ve even had some clients request that Tito be part of their tax planning appointments,” she said. “This exemplifies and gives you an example of what our culture is.” 

Making the world a better place for humanity

Besides the various charitable things Vesta does throughout the year and the many ways employees volunteer with nonprofits they feel passionately about, Olson said team members regularly participate in local events, like parades.

“It’s very heartwarming to see our team members out and about, trying to be the best they can be,” she said, “and at the same time helping others and the communities they live in be the best that they can be, too.”

Vesta CEO Nathan Volkomener said being recognized with the award is a true honor.

“Our approach is uniquely our own, and we often ask ourselves if we’re on the right path,” he said. “This recognition affirms our vision and reinforces the impact of what we’re building.”