2022 tax season review: Turning challenges into opportunities

Tim Downing
Owner of Downing & Company, LLC

Tim is the owner of Downing & Company, LLC, a local firm located in Portland, Oregon.

He started his career as a manufacturing company's cost accountant before transitioning to public accounting. As a CPA for over 20 years, Tim now works primarily in the tax arena, advising his clients on various tax and estate planning topics. With a preparation team located locally, remotely, and offshore, Tim continues to refine workflow procedures to provide an efficient workflow process while maintaining the integrity and security of client information.

Outside the office, Tim spends time with his wife and children. He is also a lieutenant in his local fire department, an Oregon Intermediate EMT, and a certified rope rescue technician. Tim is a six-time participant in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Scott Firefighter Stairclimb.

Brent Forbush
Partner at Forbush and Associates

Brent Forbush, a Partner at Forbush and Associates, carries licenses in Nevada and Texas. He is a BYU graduate with a master’s degree in accounting and a minor in information systems. Brent began working for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) in Austin, Texas, in auditing. In 2008, Brent returned home to Reno, Nevada, to work at his father’s firm. Brent’s responsibilities include all accounting technology, firm operations, development and deployment, and cloud accounting strategies to make decision-ready information available to business owners.

Brent is a graduate of the 2010 Northern Nevada Chamber of Commerce’s ON Pace Leadership program, the 2016 AICPA Leadership Academy, a presenter at the Alliance of Nevada Nonprofits conference, a presenter at the National AICPA ENGAGE conference, President of  BYU Alumni Reno Tahoe Chapter, Boy Scouts Nevada Area Council Audit Committee Chair, and advisory board member to multiple not-for-profit organizations.

Chris Peden
Tax and Accounting

Chris Peden began his career in the tax and accounting field in 1988 and since then has provided various consulting services to a very diverse group of companies and economic sectors. Chris’s professional background includes executive roles as President of Revolution Drill Bits; President & COO of BouMatic; CFO for CapRock Oil Tools; Executive Vice President at Linus Products, Inc.; Vice President-the Americas at Tri-Star Industries, PTE Ltd; and Managing Partner of Peden & Associates. In these hands-on leadership roles, Chris designed and implemented a materials requirement planning (MRP) system, developed a return on investment (ROI) calculator, analyzed and improved performance processes, and brought about increased financial returns for investors. 

Chris launched Peden & Associates in 1996. As the managing partner for this CPA consulting firm based in Friendswood, Texas, Chris’s responsibilities included traditional CPA services and start-up and turn-around consulting services. At Peden & Associates, he facilitated the purchase and sale of several companies, including but not limited to Martec Crane Services, Inc. and Online Insurance Services, Inc.  In both cases, Chris was instrumental in transforming and marketing the businesses for the new owners. In May 2005, Chris was elected to a three-year term as a Friendswood, Texas, council member and became Mayor Pro-Tem in June 2006.

Chris has served on the boards of several for-profit, not-for-profit, and government organizations, including the Waypoint 2 Space aerospace training company, Gulf Coast Authority, and Gulf Coast Industrial Development Authority. In 2000 he was elected President of the Board of Directors of Hope Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the mission of Hope Village, and he served on the board until 2011. Chris has a BBA in accounting from Stephen F. Austin State University.

Carrie Bellinger
Thomson Reuters

Carrie has been with Thomson Reuters for over five years and is passionate about her career as a Solution Consultant. She enjoys providing firms with product knowledge, solutions, and expertise to contribute to their success and growth. She enjoys continually learning and researching industry trends and challenges to stay on top of real-life experiences for our firms.

Outside of Carrie’s career, she enjoys spending time with her kids and friends and working on renovations to her turn-of-the-century home. She also enjoys any outdoor activity, including hiking and camping.