Working Hard Behind the Scenes – Meet the Accounting Team

05.24.2019 - Kanuga Stories

With the arrival of summer, Kanuga prepares to welcome guests for camps, conferences, retreats, and Summer Guest Period. We’re proud of our employees who work hard to ensure every season is a success. This month, we’re highlighting our accounting team and their contributions to Kanuga.

Derek Stapleton, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

I believe in a servant leadership model—supporting the accounting manager and staff. My job is to ensure the team’s success. I am committed to providing much needed support, encouragement, tools, guidance and resources. I feel a deep connection with Kanuga’s mission, core values, and principles. Together, we drive a strategy that continues to have a positive impact on those we are blessed to serve. It is highly rewarding to be part of this team and this organization.

Miriam Walsh, Accounting Manager

I oversee the day-to-day operations. In addition, I work with the accounting team and our CFO to prepare the quarterly and annual financial statements and manage our relationship with our external CPA firm to process our annual audit. I also work on special accounting projects, board reports, and anything else that comes across my desk! I grew up coming to Kanuga for Guest Period, camp, youth conferences, and as a summer staffer. I have loved this place for my entire life, and now I’m able to be a part of making it run for all the other people that come to Kanuga.

Bill Schneckenberg, Staff Accountant

Kanuga’s Christian atmosphere and beautiful natural surroundings made me want to join the team. Spring is my favorite season here for so many reasons. The weather is perfect and all of the foliage is in bloom, making the campus beautiful. It’s also a good time for our department. Our audit is over, but Guest Period has not yet started. I use spring to get caught up and ready for the next busy season!

Chaz Browne, Account Receivable Specialist

I like to say Kanuga found me. When I visited the campus, the atmosphere was peaceful and everyone was so friendly. It was very different from the corporate world that I came from. After my first interview, I knew I would love it here. I am a “data” person, the accounting team here at Kanuga deals with a massive amount of data! I enjoy sifting through the numbers, finding and fixing errors, and learning new and better ways of looking at things.

Louise Bartasek, Accounting Specialist

After years of working for law firms, I wanted a change of pace. I wanted to work for a company that created greater good for the world and appreciated their employees. I found that at Kanuga. While I mostly manage payables, I offer support to the whole accounting team. Every day is a chance to learn something new.

J. Cantrell, Part-Time Staff Accountant

I began working with Kanuga in 2015, as one of the staff accountants. After a brief hiatus, I returned to Kanuga part time in November of 2018 so that I could also help care for my two young children. I am responsible for the review of all monthly financial transactions into our accounting software, as well as other projects assigned by the Accounting Manager. I really enjoy spending time outdoors so the setting here is ideal.