Company Leadership
Yuriy Akopyan, CPA - Founder
A Certified Public Accountant since 2002, Yuriy Akopyan has provided business owners with expert accounting services, tax preparation, and other financial guidance for over 20 years. Today, as the founder of the Akopyan Group, he leads an experienced team of professionals who create and execute operational and tax strategies for businesses of all sizes.
Yuriy and his team have the unique ability to gain a deep understanding of each client’s individual needs, and then offer tailored, personal support and insights to help their business thrive.
As an entrepreneur who grew his business from the ground up, Yuriy knows how important it is for business owners to have trusted advisors—and how hard it can be for small businesses to find them. That’s why no client is too small for the Akopyan Group.
Yuriy enjoys travel and fine dining, and also is a firm believer in giving back to the community: He’s an active participant in charitable work for the Armenian community in the PNW.
Stella Akopyan
Longtime accountant Stella Akopyan joined The Akopyan Group in 2004, and has been instrumental in the company’s growth and development.
She has extensive knowledge in several aspects of accounting and day-to-day operations, including payroll and QuickBooks.
Stella’s attention to detail and diligence helps provide each client with personal service and advice tailored specifically to their needs. She has five years’ experience as a senior staff accountant, along with work as a staff accountant.
She also is a dedicated and proud mother of two children. Her hobbies include reading, traveling, walking, sightseeing and helping her daughter with piano lessons.
Jennifer Berry, EA – Director of Accounting
An industry veteran with over 20 years of experience, Jeni Berry leads our small-business accounting department; her responsibilities include onboarding new clients along with helping manage workflow and processes. She loves working with these businesses to get everything “cleaned up,” providing reports and information they can use to make better decisions.
Jeni is an Enrolled Agent with a degree in accounting from the University of Idaho. She lives in Maple Valley with her husband, Jake, and has two adult sons—one in Montana and one in Utah. When she’s not helping small businesses, she loves traveling and getting outside to hike and camp.
Garnik Akopyan – Tax Manager
After spending five years as a financial planner with Boeing, Garnik Akopyan joined the Akopyan Group in 2019. Today, he leads the tax department and supports our business-development efforts.
A graduate of the University of Washington with a degree in accounting and finance, he enjoys helping his clients understand the financial side of their business in order to reach their goals.
Garnik lives in Bellevue and has a young son who “always keeps me on my toes.” He loves travel, playing soccer and chess, working out, and grilling while gathering with friends and family. Garnik is a huge NBA and NFL fan as well.
Diana Akopyan - Brand & Business Growth Manager
Diana Akopyan brings more than 20 years of business-development experience to The Akopyan Group—she enjoys working with small-business owners to build relationships, solve problems, and help their businesses grow. Before joining our team, she was a program manager for a firm providing private-jet travel, a product manager for an expedition-cruise line, and worked in strategic business development for Amazon.
Diana, who earned a degree in history from Moscow Humanitarian University and studied project management at Edmonds College, lives in Edmonds with her husband of more than 25 years; they have two sons, ages 24 and 18. When she isn’t helping our clients, Diana volunteers for her church and the local Armenian community. She also loves planning complicated international travel itineraries, taking daily walks, reading, and cooking.
Small Business Accounting & Tax
Mark Murray, CPA - Tax & Accounting Manager
A CPA with more than two decades of experience, Mark Murray became part of the Akopyan team in fall 2023 after owning his own practice for 14 years and spending nearly 10 years as an audit manager for a large regional firm. He loves analyzing financial information to help clients optimize income while limiting tax liability. Mark lives in Liberty Lake, Washington, and enjoys hiking and watching movies. He’s a 2000 graduate of the University of Montana, where he earned a master’s degree in accountancy.
Ronni Whitacre – Client Accounting Specialist
Ronni Whitacre is a former business owner who now loves helping other business owners grow with the community. An industry veteran of over 15 years, the Pacific Northwest native also was a bookkeeper for a general contractor and worked at another accounting firm before joining The Akopyan Group in 2017.
When Ronni’s not helping our clients, she volunteers with her local congregation, works in her garden, and enjoys exploring the outdoors with friends and family. She also learns new languages to assist the growing West African French-speaking communities in Western Washington. Ronni lives in Tacoma with Paul, her husband of over 25 years.
Heather Wright - Client Accounting Specialist
A longtime accounting professional, Heather Wright came to the Akopyan Group in 2022 after spending more than 25 years in financial roles—including positions at her family’s small office-equipment store and a local landscaping company.
She says she loves helping business owners manage “what most of them don’t want to do—their books!” Getting accounts to balance perfectly is her specialty and always gives her immense joy.
Heather has played softball since she was a teenager and still cannot wait to get on the field. She also plays golf, snowboards, and enjoys game nights at home in Maple Valley with her two sons and fiancé.
Elise Garavito - Client Accounting Specialist
Elise Garavito joined The Akopyan Group in 2024 after her previous role at a private home-care clinic in Virginia, where she did accounting and payroll. She says she loves the rhythm and steadiness she finds in accounting—and that “there’s nothing like the feeling of supporting small businesses and watching them thrive.”
Elise and her husband, Javier, live in Renton; she’s a stepmom to two sons and a “pup mom” to two chihuahuas. When she’s not helping clients, she writes and records music with Javier, along with tending to her home garden of fruit trees, berry bushes, perennial herbs, and annual veggies.
Lidia Avakyan - Client Accounting Specialist
University of Washington graduate Lidia Avakyan provides the Akopyan Group clients with accounting services.
Lidia has over 10 years of experience as an accounts payable lead, and also puts her professional talents to use for her condominium association, volunteering as treasurer and helping the organization maintain financial stability.
When she’s not working with numbers, she enjoys spending time with her family.
Thomas High – Accounting Supervisor
Tom High began his public accounting career more than 30 years ago and has been with The Akopyan Group, CPAs P.S. for more than a decade. He says he loves the new challenges and learning opportunities the field provides—and he truly means it, having earned a master’s degree in taxation from Portland State University in June 2023 to go with his longtime CPA designation.
Tom and his wife live in Sammamish and have four adult children—their oldest was born on Saipan and the other three were born on Guam. The couple enjoys visiting their children and their granddogs, and Tom stays active by riding his bike to work as often as possible.
Tax Team
Paul Kramlich, CPA - Tax Consultant
Paul Kramlich provided accounting services for individuals and businesses at Toyer, Dietrich & Associates for nearly a decade before joining The Akopyan Group in 2025. His career also includes more than 30 years as a partner in his own firm specializing in all aspects of financial statements, business acquisitions, and consulting—along with extensive work in commercial real estate.
Even after 40+ years in the industry, Paul still loves learning and tackling challenges head-on. He is known for his outstanding service and a unique ability to keep clients informed without overwhelming them.
Paul is an avid hiker and loves to be outside—even just walking the dog. He and his wife live in Lynnwood.
Ted Deaton, EA - Tax Preparer
Ted Deaton loves learning about our clients’ businesses and families so he can provide full-service tax preparation and planning—reducing their tax liability as much as possible even in unique and complicated situations.
He’s been in the industry for several years, and while he works for The Akopyan Group remotely from Bella Vista, Arkansas, Ted has deep Seattle roots: He grew up in the Seattle area and tries to visit friends and family here as often as possible.
Ted has a bachelor’s degree in economics and an MBA in finance. Married with two daughters, he enjoys walking, hiking, running, and golf.
Operations Team
Scott Hancock – Operations Manager
Scott Hancock loves Seattle’s entrepreneurial spirit — he joined the Akopyan Group because the firm’s focus on small businesses allows him to play a part in our city’s innovation and growth.
Scott’s attention to detail, passion for client service and technical background keep the office (and our systems) running efficiently and effectively.
When he’s not working, Scott enjoys cooking, spending time with his family and taking in the glorious natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest.
Jill Martz - Client Support Specialist
Known as the “Director of First Impressions,” Jill Martz single-handedly managed the Toyer, Dietrich & Associates social media presence, helped with website design, and wrote for the firm’s blog. She joined The Akopyan Group when the firms merged in 2025.
Her experience includes not only 10 years in accounting, but also 25 years in management and customer service roles—so it’s no surprise she is highly skilled at growing relationships with clients and ensuring their needs are met.
Jill lives with her husband and two cats in Carnation, where she involves herself with all sorts of artistic endeavors from painting to photography and scrapbooking. The couple enjoys travelling, trying different foods, and watching sumo. She is mom to two adult children, and has one granddaughter along with stepchildren and grandchildren on her husband’s side of the family.
Jennifer Pacheco - Client Success Specialist
Jennifer Pacheco joined The Akopyan Group in 2022 after working in several industries, primarily real estate—she served as a mortgage loan processor and administrative assistant in addition to roles in other areas such as title and escrow.
Today, Jennifer loves helping our clients, building relationships, and constantly learning new things; she studied accounting after high school and is considering furthering her education. Jennifer, who loves cooking, all things food, and traveling, lives in Everett with her husband, John. Married in December 2023, they have seven kids and a dog.