Campus Connection

Accountancy alum among ‘40 Under 40’ business leaders in Milwaukee

A UW-La Crosse alumna who is breaking age and gender barriers in a male-dominated field was recently named one of Milwaukee’s up-and-coming business leaders. [caption id="attachment_5226" align="alignright" width="214"] Alumna Christa Baldridge, CPA, was recently named one of Milwaukee’s 40 Under 40.[/caption] On Monday, Feb. 22, Christa (Kinyon) Baldridge, ’99, received the Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 award, which honors people under age 40 making a significant difference in the local business community. Baldridge, a certified public accountant, is one of only six female partners in a group of 61 at Schenck, a full-service regional accounting and consulting firm with locations throughout Wisconsin. She’s also one of the youngest; the average age of a partner is 52. While breaking gender and age barriers in the accounting field, Baldridge is also helping attract more young people to her profession — particularly from her alma mater. Since she started at Schenck, Baldridge has taken over the firm’s recruitment efforts at UWL, which has led to doubling the number of applicants from UWL and ultimately tripling the number of new hires from her alma mater. An ironic twist is that Baldridge’s identical twin sister, Carol Voth, who works at a public accounting firm in Minneapolis, also graduated with an accountancy degree from UWL, and comes to UWL to seek out some of the same accountancy graduates. Voth was also recently nominated for the 40 Under 40 award for the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. The two reunite a couple times a year at UWL for recruiting events. “We coordinate to make sure we stay at the same hotels,” explains Baldridge. “It’s a nice reunion.” Both maintain a strong connection to UWL. They were both in the inaugural cohort of students in Beta Alpha Psi, an honor society for UWL accountancy students. Today they stay connected to the group as guest speakers, helping current students develop professionally and intellectually. Baldridge was also the accountancy banquet speaker in April 2015. “We see the value of continuing to stay active [at UWL] because of how good the [accountancy] program is,” explains Baldridge. UWL has consistently had one of the highest Certified Public Accounting exam pass rates in the country. When Baldridge and Voth sat for the exam in 1999, UWL’s pass rate was among the 10 highest in the country. Today UWL’s accounting majors are in the top 25. “They truly prepared you for what to expect if you’re going into accounting,” she says. Baldridge and Voth’s success in the profession affirms the talent of the faculty, staff and students in the program, as well as the student-focused nature of the departments and programs university-wide that share in educating these majors, says William Maas, chair of UWL’s Accountancy Department. Baldridge is thankful for the strong preparation UWL gave her not only in terms of the technical skills to perform well on the CPA exam, but also for the soft business skills and networking she learned through career fairs and accountancy events. Accounting firms and other employers also provide internship opportunities for accountancy majors, which strengthens student education, says Maas.  A public accounting internship Baldridge landed her senior year led to her first career after graduation at the same firm — Baker Tilly. Baldridge later started at Schenck in 2013 where she now provides tax planning, consulting and compliance services to privately held companies and their owners. A nomination letter calls Baldridge “driven,” “ambitious” and “an asset and driving force in the success of our firm.” Baldridge quickly moved into a number of leadership positions at Schenck, including, Manufacturing & Distribution team champion and Trucking & Logistics team co-champion in the Milwaukee office, firm-wide Tax Practice Leadership Committee member and lead tax specialist for the Schenck Merger and Acquisition team. “What I love doing is helping clients save money and taking something that seems complex and scary — like taxes — and helping them understand it,” says Baldridge. She’s also taken a leadership role in mentoring young professionals at Schenck’s Milwaukee office with six mentees of her own. She serves the wider-Milwaukee community through a variety of boards and activities. “She is committed to making her employers and Milwaukee better and does not hesitate to go the extra mile to make that a reality,” writes Terry Strittmater, a partner at Schenck in a nominating letter.  “She is truly someone to watch in Milwaukee, who will continue to make a difference for her coworkers, clients and the community throughout the second half of her career.” Baldridge’s community service

• Board member, Ducks Unlimited of Downtown Milwaukee
• Finance committee member, Susan G. Komen Southeast Wisconsin
• Treasurer, Race for the Cure
• Nominating committee and 100th Anniversary committee co-chair, Junior League of Milwaukee Inc.
• Member, United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County’s Healthy Girls Advisory Council
• Member, Women in Manufacturing – Milwaukee Chapter
• Professional Dimensions
• UWL Alumni Association
• Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
• Member, Wisconsin Institute of Certified Public Accountants