Whittaker & Associates, CPA's, PA

At Whittaker & Associates, 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

Tom 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 audits, reviews and all tax 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. An aviation enthusiast, Tom spends some of his free time in the air.

Roni Saucier, CPA

Roni 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 7 years and is quite passionate about it! In her spare time she enjoys traveling, football and her family time.

Cindy Handrick, CPA

Originally from Minnesota, she has been in Englewood Florida for the last 28 years. Cindy is a CPA and has over 28 years of experience in accounting and tax preparation. Cindy enjoys her horses, dogs, and grandchildren. In her free time she enjoys camping, boating, snorkeling and reading.

Lucy Dowd, Staff Accountant

Before coming to the firm in 2004 Lucy had several years experience in bookkeeping and QuickBooks. As a staff accountant she prepares corporate and individual tax returns as well as other accounting and bookkeeping services for her clients.

Krista Laderer, Staff Accountant

Krista 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.

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.

Bobbi Edmonds, Staff Accountant

Bobbi joined our firm in 2010 and has over twelve years of accounting experience. She is a leader on our ebookkeeper team providing accounting, bookkeeping and payroll services for several of our clients. She has been a volunteer for the Siesta Key Master Sand Sculpting Competition via Mote Marine.

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 outsourced bookkeeping department in addition to her administrative duties including answering phones and processing tax returns and compilations.

Rosalie Matthews, Receptionist & Staff Accountant

Rosalie came to the firm in 2016 after a lengthy retirement. She is the voice you will most likely hear when calling our office. She takes pride in seeing that you are taken care of by our most capable staff and is also a key player on the ebookkeeper team. Most importantly, she is a lot of fun! And we all appreciate that.

Holly Pryba, 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.

Bill Logan, Staff Accountant

Bill earned his accounting degree from Bentley College in Massachusetts. His working career includes experience in financial management, auditing, tax preparation and process improvements. He performs audits and reviews of homeowner associations and non-profit organizations for the firm. Bill is a former tae kwon do instructor and his hobbies include collecting rhythm and blues recordings.

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.

Diane Mayford, Staff Accountant

Diane earned her accounting degree from the University of Wisconsin. She joined the firm in April 2018 after serving more than 20 years at a publicly traded software company in Wisconsin where she was Director of Financial Reporting. Her extensive experience in accounting, audit preparation and financial reporting provide for a wonderful addition to our outsourced accounting department.

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!

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.

Denise LaBelle , Staff Accountant

Originally from northern Minnesota, where she owned her own accounting and tax business, Denise moved to Venice in 2018. In 2020 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.

Katrina Esparra, Staff Accountant

Katrina graduated from the University of South Florida, Sarasota-Manatee in May of 2016. In July of 2015, she was a tax and audit intern for a firm in Sarasota, Florida. After graduation, she continued auditing with the firm before working for a local government. She decided to return to auditing and is excited to be a part of Whittaker & Associates. In her spare time, Katrina likes to hang with her family, work out, and be with her cat.