For Friends Cove native Brad Koontz three years of city-life was enough of the “bright-lights and big city” for him. A 1988 graduate of Bedford High School and 1992 graduate of Penn State University with a degree in accounting, Koontz landed a job with one of the country’s “Big 6” accounting firms after college and lived in Arlington, Va., a Washington, D.C. suburb. “But after spending a couple of years in the traffic and pace of the city I wanted to get back to Bedford,” he said. “I missed the friendliness and hometown atmosphere of Bedford.” Luckily, his father’s firm, Ritchey, Ritchey & Koontz, was able to invite Brad to return to Bedford as its audit manager.

Nine years later, Brad spends much of his professional life overseeing local audits for government agencies, businesses, non-profits and school districts such as Everett area, Northern Bedford County, Spring Cove and Claysburg. In addition, Brad helps businesses set up and maintain accounting procedures using QuickBooks software.

To be a certified public accountant, “you’ve got to like math and working with computers; have a knack for paying attention to details and be willing to spend at least five years in school once you graduate from high school,” Brad said. “And school doesn’t end after you’re certified - we must earn at least 40 hours of continuing education a year to maintain our license.”
Brad recommends his profession to young people - even though it can entail long hours and stressful deadlines. “It’s a very rewarding career, you get a real sense that you’re helping people and providing a service that they need,” he said. “If you have an interest, by all means take a couple of courses, talk to accountants to find out more about their jobs.”

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