About Midwest CPA

Leadership

Chris Barrett, CPA

Founder and Managing Director

Chris founded Midwest CPA in 2022 after seeing that most accounting firms weren’t built for people buying and growing companies. He has since advised on hundreds of acquisitions and writes and speaks regularly on entrepreneurship through acquisition.

Read Chris’s bio

Our team

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  Alyssa Harp, CPA, MBA

  Transaction Advisory Manager

  Financial analysis, accounting management and internal controls, with a CPA and an MBA from the University of Minnesota.

  Read Alyssa’s bio

  Alyssa Harp brings a wealth of expertise in financial analysis, accounting management, and internal controls to our team. With a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation and an MBA from the University of Minnesota, she has extensive experience overseeing accounting functions, implementing financial policies, managing cash flow, and conducting in-depth financial reporting. In her free time, Alyssa enjoys playing pickleball, sand volleyball, hiking, and exercising. She also enjoys spending time with her husband, friends, and dog Cassius.

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  Hayley Berthiaume, CPA

  Tax Manager

  Partnership, S corporation and C corporation returns, multi-state filings and high-net-worth individuals.

  Read Hayley’s bio

  Hayley Berthiaume brings a strong background in business and individual tax compliance, planning, and team development to the Midwest CPA team as our Tax Manager. Prior to joining the firm, Hayley spent her career at Froehling Anderson, where she began as an intern and progressed from Staff to Senior to Advanced Senior before advancing into a Manager role. Her experience spans partnership, S corporation, and C corporation returns, complex multi-state filings, and high-net-worth individuals. She is also passionate about mentoring and developing others. Outside of work, Hayley enjoys time with her husband and their four children.

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  Alison Brennan, CPA

  Accounting Manager

  Financial reporting, internal audit and accounting operations, from a multi-entity Fortune 300 environment.

  Read Alison’s bio

  Alison Brennan, CPA, brings a strong background in accounting and financial reporting experience to the Midwest CPA team. Prior to joining the firm, Alison spent her career at a Fortune 300 Company, where she progressed from Staff Accountant to Associate Internal Auditor before advancing into financial accounting roles, most recently as a Senior Financial Accountant. Her experience spans internal audit, financial reporting, and accounting operations within a large, multi-entity corporate environment. Outside of work, Alison enjoys spending time with her family and traveling.

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  Dillon Patterson

  Accounting Manager

  More than a decade as a controller and CFO, including ERP implementations and multi-entity reporting.

  Read Dillon’s bio

  Dillon Patterson brings over a decade of experience in accounting and financial leadership to our team. He has served as Controller and CFO for clients across industries including hotel management, real estate development, healthcare, and non-profits. Dillon’s background includes leading ERP system implementations, overseeing multi-entity financial reporting, managing teams of accounting professionals, and driving business development initiatives. His career began in audit before moving into controllership and outsourced CFO roles. Outside of work, Dillon enjoys spending time with his wife, two kids, and two dogs.

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  Gonna Mae Bacla‑an, CPA

  Onboarding Specialist

  Financial reporting, audit and technical accounting, with prior roles at EY and Scrubbed.

  Read Gonna Mae’s bio

  Gonna Mae Bacla-an is a seasoned CPA with a background in financial reporting, audit, and technical accounting. Prior to joining Midwest CPA in 2023, she held roles at EY and Scrubbed where she specialized in quality assurance, GAAP compliance, and process improvement. At Midwest CPA, Gonna Mae leads with a client-first mindset and sharp technical acumen. Clients value her responsiveness, attention to detail, and her ability to make even the most complicated financials easy to understand. When she’s not working, Gonna Mae loves relaxing with her cats and binge-watching episodes of Modern Family.

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  Isabella Ward, MBA

  Tax Senior

  Individual and business tax preparation, planning and compliance, with clear communication on requirements and deadlines.

  Read Isabella’s bio

  Isabella Ward brings a strong background in tax preparation and client service to the Midwest CPA team. Prior to joining the firm, Isabella worked as a Tax Associate where she prepared individual and business tax returns and supported tax planning and compliance projects across a wide range of clients. She is known for her positive attitude, organization, and ability to clearly communicate tax requirements and deadlines to clients. Isabella is currently working toward CPA eligibility. Outside of work, Isabella enjoys baking sourdough, hiking and spending time with her husband and cat.

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  Neshat Javidpour

  Tax Associate

  Individual and business tax returns, planning and compliance, after starting her career at a Big Four firm.

  Read Neshat’s bio

  Neshat Javidpour brings a strong background in tax accounting and compliance experience to the firm. Prior to joining the firm, Neshat was a Tax Associate at a Big Four accounting firm, where she prepared individual and business tax returns and supported tax planning and compliance projects for a diverse range of clients. She is detail-oriented and committed to continued professional development as she pursues her CPA while completing her master’s degree. Outside of work, Neshat enjoys spending time with her friends, attending Pilates classes, learning new skills, and trying new recipes.

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  Connor Murphy

  Business Development Manager

  More than six years in service leadership and B2B sales, focused on understanding what owners need.

  Read Connor’s bio

  Connor Murphy has more than six years of experience in service leadership and B2B sales. He is passionate about helping small business owners gain clarity and confidence in their financials as they grow and scale. At Midwest CPA, Connor brings an owner-focused mindset and a practical approach to relationship building. Clients appreciate his ability to listen first, understand operational pain points, and align solutions that move the business forward. Connor graduated from Luther College, where he wrestled competitively. Today, he enjoys time with his wife and two children and trains in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

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  Lauren Bredesky

  Executive Assistant

  Keeps projects, scheduling and firm processes running smoothly behind the scenes.

  Read Lauren’s bio

  Lauren Bredesky is the Executive Assistant to Chris, Midwest CPA’s founder. She supports him with behind-the-scenes projects, scheduling, and administrative tasks, and enjoys helping find ways to make processes and systems more efficient. Before joining Midwest CPA, Lauren spent six years as a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, working with couples and families. After a desire to try something new, she landed in administrative work, bringing the same care, organization, and people skills to her role here. Outside the office, Lauren enjoys reading, baking, tending to her plants, and playing volleyball and pickleball. She also loves spending time with her husband and friends.