Our Talent
At Whittaker & Saucier CPA's we wouldn’t be who we are without our gifted accountants and warm, knowledgeable office staff. Over the years, we’ve hired some of the area’s most accomplished financial professionals, and the result is an accounting team with diverse industry experience and specialized knowledge. We share a belief in straight talk and respectful communication—and above all, a fierce commitment to our clients.
Thomas E. Whittaker, CPA - Senior PartnerTom is the president and senior partner of the firm. Originally from Wilmington, Delaware, he is a graduate of Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA. He joined the firm, then known as Dowd & Ryder in 1994 and became a partner in 1997. In addition to managerial duties Tom is involved in all tax and accounting matters. A hands-on kind of leader, Tom searches for high tech solutions to accounting issues and has brought the firm to the forefront of the technologies. Outside the office he has served on the board of the Venice Christmas Boat Parade, Venice Circus Arts Foundation and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of the Suncoast. A boating enthusiast, Tom spends some of his free time on the water.
Roni Saucier, CPA - Junior PartnerRoni has been with the firm since November 2019 and became a partner in January 2021. Originally from Michigan, she moved to Florida in 1997, graduated from the University of South Florida, and obtained her CPA license. She has been in tax preparation for 9 years and is quite passionate about it! In her spare time she enjoys traveling, football and her family time.
Bob De Cecco, Director of AccountingAs the Director of Accounting, Bob oversees the Outsourced Bookkeeping Division. He is a graduate of Franklin Pierce University, graduating Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor's degree in accounting and a minor in finance. In addition to his regular duties, Bob provides Outsourced CFO services to our clients. This includes, but is not limited to, assisting clients with Strategic Planning, Financial Modeling, and establishing operational Best Practices to help his clients scale faster and more profitably while increasing cash flow, all while avoiding potential pitfalls of growth.
Bob began his career in public accounting at PricewaterhouseCoopers - Boston/Tampa. He audited some of the largest public and private companies, including initial and secondary public offering engagements. After departing public accounting, Bob spent the next 20+ years as CFO for small to medium sized businesses, some of which he owned all or portion of the business. Having personally raised more than $50M in public and private capital, Bob has had two successful exits, both to large publicly held companies (Adobe & Opteum Financial). Prior to joining Whittaker & Saucier CPA's, Bob was the CEO of the Infomercial Company, As Seen On TV.
Bob has two beautiful daughters, and recently became a grandpa! He is active in his Church and has many hobbies - including acting on stage at the Venice Theatre.
Patti Giunta, Staff Accountant
Originally from New York, Patti has lived in Florida for the past 35 years. She has 40 years of experience in bookkeeping and accounting with 10 years in the medical field, 10 years in the interior design field, and running her own music business with her husband. Hired as a member of our eBookkeeping team, her focus is to provide outstanding customer service for our clients. When not at the office she loves to travel and spend time with family.
Dianna Koller, Staff Accountant
Originally from Michigan, Dianna moved to Venice in May 2017. She brings with her 44 years’ experience in bookkeeping and accounting with the past 35 years being spent in the property/real estate management field in the mid-Michigan area. Dianna joined the firm in November 2017 and was hired as a member of the eBookkeeping team. Her main focus is providing outstanding customer service and providing support to her team members whenever needed.
Denise LaBelle , Staff Accountant
Originally from northern Minnesota, where she owned her own accounting and tax business, Denise moved to Venice in 2018. In 2019 she joined our Outsourced Bookkeeping department. With her 26 years of experience she has become a valuable member of the team. Denise loves what she does and now enjoys everything Florida has to offer.
Krista Laderer, Staff AccountantKrista joined the firm in 2006 and was hired as a member of the eBookkeeping team. Since her time here, the department has doubled in size and has become a substantial aspect of services the firm provides. She has been certified as a QuickBooks Pro Advisor since 2010 and has prior management experience in the healthcare and hotel industries. She also has been a partner and owner in two small business. Her focus is providing outstanding customer service and making each client feel as if they are her only client.
Ken Murtha, Staff Accountant
Born and raised in the New York City metropolitan area, Ken moved to Florida in 2018 and started as a staff accountant with the firm. His background as the Tax Manager of a Fortune 500 Company headquartered in New York City has brought us a wealth of knowledge in the business tax arena. Ken is a graduate of Iona College and holds a master's degree from Long Island University. An avid sports fan, Ken’s loyalty still lies with the Yankees and the Rangers!
Kim Nekic, Staff Accountant
Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Kim moved to Florida in 1986. She has over 25 years experience in accounting, bookkeeping and payroll. Before joining the eBookkeeping team she owned a outsource virtual bookkeeping business in the local area. Other previous experiences include dealership and medical accounting. Kim also has a real estate background as a licensed realtor in the Florida marketplace. Her favorite part of the job is helping her clients become more efficient and organized.
Jenifer Nugent, Staff AccountantOriginally from Michigan, Jeni moved to Florida in September of 2021. Shortly thereafter she joined the team as a staff accountant with an emphasis on tax preparation. She brings with her 20 years of banking experience and outstanding customer service.
Nancy Richards, Reception & Staff Accountant
Born and raised in Northern New Jersey, Nancy moved to Florida in 2022. With over 20 years of front office experience, her goal is to provide outstanding service with a smile for every client. When not working she enjoys family time at the beach with her husband and two children, gardening, playing with her two energetic Jack Russell's and exploring all her new home state has to offer.
Jeff Rimmel, Staff Accountant
Jeff moved to Florida after living in Atlanta for more than 40 years. He is a graduate of Emory University with a BBA in accounting and finance. He later earned an MBA from the Keller School of Business. Jeff started his career in the tax department of Arthur Andersen. He enjoys advising clients in tax and finance strategies to best utilize the tax code to minimize their tax liabilities. In his spare time he is an avid sailor.
John Scaffidi, Staff Accountant Originally from Bellport, NY, John came to our firm in 2003. His previous experience includes working for the Internal Revenue Service for fifteen years. As a result he has extensive knowledge with tax preparation and the IRS codes. His duties include accounting and tax preparation.
Holly Serafino, Staff Accountant
Holly joined the firm in 2017 and brought with her 15 years of bookkeeping experience along with a wealth of knowledge about Homeowners' Associations. She started her career in the banking industry when she first moved to Venice in 1977 and continued on that path until she decided to move to bookkeeping almost 20 years later. Her understanding of automated bank association collection systems along with her extensive bookkeeping skills have been invaluable in creating our niche market in homeowner association outsourced bookkeeping.
Ann Slabaugh, Clerical & Staff Accountant
While Ann’s role with the firm is more administrative than most, she brought 20 years of accounting experience with her when she joined the firm in 2013. She does a lot of bookkeeping tasks for the outsourced bookkeeping department in addition to her administrative duties including answering phones and processing tax returns and compilations. She enjoys travel and spending time with family and friends. In her spare time she volunteers for "Turkey in the Hole" at the Gator Wilderness Boys Camp.
Julie Whittaker, Firm Bookkeeper
Julie joined the firm in 2004 and was hired as a member of the eBookkeeper team. In 2010 she took over the job of doing all payroll, accounts receivable for our clients and all daily bookkeeping for the firm. When not working, she loves to spend time in her garden, baking and spending time with friends and family.