Our Team

Pat graduated from Vanderbilt University and has been a practicing CPA since 1984. After gaining exceptional experience at area firms, she opened her own firm in 1988. She provides consulting, tax and accounting services to medical practices and business owners. She specializes in assisting clients in interpreting the language of finance and tax so they can better understand their options and be in control of business decisions and strategies. Pat is married with two daughters and enjoys volunteering for local organizations.

Lynne attended both the College of William and Mary and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and graduated with a degree in accounting. She has been a practicing CPA since 1979, starting her career with the national CPA firm of Peat, Marwick & Mitchell.  Her career with the firm began in 1990, and she currently serves as CTC’s Director of Tax.  In the 30+ years she has worked with the company, she has concentrated in the areas of tax and small business, including the tax effects of acquisitions and sales of businesses, and owner buy-ins/buy-outs. Her love of fitness became a second career, and she taught group fitness classes in the Knoxville area for over 30 years.  Lynne believes that the key to a happy life is striving for balance between work, family, and leisure time.

Raised in Madisonville, TN, Tammy graduated from King College with a degree in Business and Economics. She has been a practicing CPA since 1989 and later added the CITP credentials to her resume.  As Director of Technology for Conry-Taylor & Company, Tammy works with small business clients to provide tax and accounting services as well as ensuring CTC is on the edge of technology advances in the accounting field.  Tammy is a member of the AICPA and TSCPA and serves on the TSCPA tax liaison committee.  She is also a Certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor. Tammy has lived in Knoxville with her husband, David, and their children for over 20 years and is active in their church.

Holly graduated from UT Knoxville with a BS in Business in 1982. After several years training and competing sport horses, she passed the CPA exam in 1989. In the following years, she developed valuable skills in tax and financial accounting while in public practice and in controllership positions in multi-state corporations. Having joined Conry-Taylor & Company in 1999 as a tax manager, her focus has been on individual, partnership and corporate tax and multi-state issues. Out of the office, Holly farms with her husband, raising grass-fed cattle, heritage breed pigs, and goats.

Alesia graduated from The University of Tennessee’s Master of Accountancy program with a concentration in taxation in 1991 and worked as a practicing CPA in area firms until 1999.  She then took a position as the Director of Taxation for Regal Entertainment Group where she managed the company’s tax compliance.  This included valuable experience with mergers & acquisitions, multi-state filings, audits and the company’s tax provision for its SEC filing.  Since joining the firm in August 2012, Alesia now manages Estate and Trust accounting and income tax filings, Gift Tax filings, as well as Individual and Business taxes.  She has also assumed the role of Firm Administrator.  When not working, Alesia is normally at a baseball or football field watching her sons play, at the gym, or spending quality time with her family.

Sarah graduated from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Accounting in 2003. Prior to joining Conry-Taylor & Company, Sarah obtained 12 years of valuable accounting experience in Knoxville area firms, and has been a practicing CPA since 2007.  Sarah lives in Knoxville with her husband and their two children and two dogs.  When not working, Sarah enjoys working out, cooking, and watching her children play sports.

• Krista Sellers, CPA

  Senior Tax Accountant
  • ksellers@ctmcpas.com

  Krista graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Accounting in December of 2009 and a Masters of Accountancy in August 2012.  She was a member of the Chattanooga Women’s Leadership Institute and was a class of 2012 graduate of their Women Mentoring Women program.  In 2010, she started her accounting career at a regional CPA firm in Chattanooga performing financial statement audits, reviews, and compilations and later moved into Tax Services.  She spent three years working in the income tax department of a large publicly traded insurance company before moving back to Knoxville, where she grew up.  She has been a practicing CPA since 2011.  Krista joined the firm at the beginning of 2018 and now lives in Oak Ridge with her husband and three children.  When Krista is not working, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, exploring the outdoors, and being around horses any chance she gets.

Maggie joined the firm upon graduation from The University of Tennessee in December 2016 with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Accounting. She returned to Rocky Top in 2018 to obtain her Masters of Accountancy in Taxation. She is currently studying for the CPA exam while working full time. Maggie enjoys spending time with her husband, Matt, and golden retriever, Maisie, during her free time. She also loves attending concerts, sporting events, and traveling!

Rebecca joined the firm as an intern after graduating from Middle Tennessee State University with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration degree in Accounting in December 2018. After her internship, she went back to school and received her Masters of Accountancy degree from Middle Tennessee State University in 2020. Rebecca returned to the firm full-time in September 2020.  When not working, Rebecca enjoys playing with her dog, Louis, seeing all the latest movies at the theater, and spending time with family.

Laura Higdon joined the firm upon the retirement of CTC’s beloved Karen Smith in December 2021.  Laura will be managing the front desk, providing administrative support to the staff and assistance to clients.  Laura graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.  She has always worked in small businesses and has also even owned her own.  The common thread throughout her career and volunteer work has always been customer service.  She looks forward to getting to know our clients and continuing to give the personal touch that CTC is known for.  Laura is a married mother of 3 grown children and enjoys a good book, knitting, cooking and time at the gym.

Laura, a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, graduated from Pellissippi State Community College with an AS in Business Administration. She joined the staff of CTC in 2013, and plays a major part in the administration of the firm. Her main duties include firm billing and the document scanning and auto flow process, and she continues to perform a key role in the firm’s transition to a paperless environment. Outside of the office, Laura enjoys spending time with family, and has a passion for photography.