We combine the experience and resources of a large firm with the personal attention that only a smaller firm can provide. Our customers return year after year because they trust our staff to be efficient, accurate and cost effective. We work to develop long-term relationships with all of our clients whether they are business accounts or individual accounts. We strive to provide the same quality professional services whether the tasks are simple or complex. We are here to assist every one of our clients with all of their accounting, tax preparation and financial planning needs. We take pride in making clients for life.
Bruce L. Bruns, CPA/PFS
Bruce began his career, thirty years ago, with Wellinger, Nickel & Company, Certified Public Accountants. During his tenure with the company, he served in many capacities, culminating as the Senior Manager of the sole-proprietorship accounting and tax practice. He left this position in 1989 to found Bruce L. Bruns, Certified Public Accountant, a sole-proprietorship accounting and financial planning practice. As his firm grew over the years, his staff also increased. In 1996, he and Paul S. Gelles, CPA joined their resources to form Bruns Gelles & Company, PC.
Bruce has served as Chief Financial Officer of B.R.S. International, Inc. and is a Registered Investment Advisor with Hefren-Tillotson, Inc. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1978 from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, majoring in Accounting with minors in Economics and Math. He attained a Certified Public Accounting (CPA) designation in 1983 and a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation in 1991. He is a Personal Financial Specialist and a Registered Investment Advisor. In addition, Bruce is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA), and the Financial Planning Association (FPA).
Bruce is an active member of the community and has served as the President, Vice-President, and Treasurer of the local Chamber of Commerce. He has been a Council Member and the Chairman of the Finance Committee for a local church. In his leisure time, he enjoys golf, fishing, reading, investing, and traveling. He has three children.
Paul S. Gelles, CPA
Paul initiated his career, over thirty years ago, with Hawkeye Security Insurance Company. In 1978, he joined the accounting firm of Reiser Jennings & Company, CPAs as a Staff Accountant and Supervisor. He was employed as the Assistant Controller and Tax Manager with Sargent Electric Company and was later employed as Senior Manager with Thomas R. Hileman, Certified Public Accountant. In 1988, he founded Paul S. Gelles, Certified Public Accountant. After eight successful years of providing accounting services to his clients and increasing staff to meet their needs, Paul joined his resources with Bruce L. Bruns, CPA/PFS to form Bruns Gelles & Company, PC.
Paul earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington & Jefferson College in 1977. He received his Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation in 1985. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Pennsylvania Institute of Public Accountants (PICPA).
Paul has served his local community as President and Treasurer of the local Chamber of Commerce and President and Treasurer of the local YMCA. He is a Finance Committee Member at a local church and served as the Treasurer and a Member of the Finance Committee at the Alcoma Country Club. Paul was awarded the Orin Sampson Memorial Award Business Person of the Year in 1993. He enjoys public service, golf, and reading. He is married and has two children.
Our experienced and professional staff includes Wendy Mink, Jerry Hammill, Susan L. Webb, Ray Rager, MBA and Susan S. Webb.
Bruce L. Bruns and Paul S. Gelles founded Bruns Gelles & Company in January 1996. By combining their expertise and extensive resources, the new company could now offer an even wider variety of accounting, tax preparation, management consulting, and financial planning services. To celebrate the formation of Bruns Gelles & Company and to make access easier for their increasing client base, they built a new office in the Murry Ridge Professional Center.
Bruce L. Bruns and Paul S. Gelles are licensed and maintain extensive credentials and memberships, as listed below.
Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
http://www.aicpa.org
A Certified Public Accountant is a trusted financial advisor who assists individuals, businesses, and other organizations in planning and attaining their financial goals. Short¬term and long-term goals vary between individuals, businesses, and organizations and a Certified Public Accountant provides a specialized plan to address each individual, business, or organizations' unique needs.
Certified Financial Planner (CFP)
http://cfp.net
Certified Financial Planners are individuals who have met the Certified Financial Planner Board's education, examination, and experience requirements, agree to the high standards of the Code of Ethical Conduct, and complete the Certified Financial Planner Board's biennial certification requirements, which includes continuing education. A Certified Financial Planner is a financial professional authorized to use the Certified Financial Planner certification, identifying himself or herself as actively engaged in providing financial planning services. All Certified Financial Planner certificants have voluntarily submitted to the regulatory authority of the Certified Financial Planner Board.
Registered Investment Advisor (RIA)
http://www.sec.gov
Registered Investment Advisors give advice about securities to their clients. Investment Advisors give professional advise on investments in stocks, bonds, or mutual funds. Investment advisors also manage complete portfolios of securities.
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
http://www.aicpa.org
The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants is the national, professional organization for all Certified Public Accountants. Its mission is to supply Certified Public Accountants with the necessary resources, information, and leadership so their members can provide valuable, quality services, in the highest professional manner, to the public, as well as, to employers and their clients.
Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA)
http://www.picpa.org
The Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants is a professional association of more than 19,000 CPAs working together to improve the profession and better serve the public interest. Founded in 1897, the PICPA is the second oldest CPA organization in the United States. Membership includes practitioners in public accounting, industry, government, and education. Headquartered in Philadelphia, the PICPA has a government relation's office in Harrisburg and a western regional office in Pittsburgh.
Financial Planning Association (FPA)
http://www.fpanet.org
The Financial Planning Association is a leadership and advocacy organization for those who provide, support, and benefit from financial planning. The members of the Financial Planning Association research and develop information and practices for financial planning, share best practices among members, and facilitate professional development. The primary long-term goals of the Financial Planning Association are fostering the value of financial planning and advancing the financial planning profession.
Personal Financial Specialists (PFS)
http://pfp.aicpa.org
CPAs who specialize in personal financial planning can earn the designation of Personal Financial Specialist. This designation can only be acquired by CPAs who belong to the AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, which binds them to the Code of Professional Conduct), possess 1,400 hours of financial planning business experience, earned continuing education credits over the past five years, and passed a comprehensive personal financial planning exam.