SBF senior manager Michele Shockley: “I really enjoy the work and feel proud.

Lots of people already know in high school what they want to be when they grow up, but not many people start working in their chosen field at that age. Spoor Bunch Franz senior manager Michele Shockley is in that small minority — when other kids were babysitting or flipping burgers, Michele was already working in accounting.

“My father was a tax accountant with his own firm, and I assisted him with easy individual income tax return preparation and payroll processing when I was a teenager,” she said.

After graduating with her accounting degree, Michele went to work right away on what would later become one of her specialties at SBF — employee benefit plans. She worked as a junior pension analyst for a contractor of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, which was created by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to protect the security of private employee benefit plans.

“I had the chance to actually talk with participants of various plans that the PBGC had taken over and really saw how important employee benefit plans are and how so many people depend on them for their livelihood when they retire,” Michele said.

Fourteen years ago, after working as a pension analyst, Michele joined SBF. She continued working on employee benefit plans, and eventually added affordable housing to her portfolio, which gives her a sense of pride and purpose in her work.

“As a child, I lived in an affordable housing community for a time and have had other family members who have also needed to live in affordable housing,” she said. “My work may be mostly from a compliance aspect, but an audit provides assurance to investors that there is oversight and proper reporting regarding their investment. Their investment in these programs is vital to the continued production and operation of the affordable housing developments they invest in.”

One of the things she appreciates most about working at SBF is the ability for each staff person to chart their career’s course. “SBF provides the resources needed for advancement while also communicating that the firm needs individuals with various strengths and at various levels,” she said. “It’s not a ‘move up or move out’ mentality — they don’t stick you in one position or with one industry without the opportunity for change.”

Becoming an accountant was always Michele’s career path, but finding out exactly which areas to focus on within the profession was key to giving her a sense of satisfaction and purpose.

“I really enjoy the work and feel proud of being part of what I believe are very important programs that impact a significant amount of people, more than just our clients,” Michele said.

We strive to create an environment where all team members have a chance to find their sense of purpose and to make a significant impact.