Meet Our Firm

The Turner of Turner Stauffer & Co., P.A. is Leon H. Turner. A graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Leon received an MBA from the University of Michigan. After serving in the army for 2 years as an auditor for the Army Audit Agency, Leon began his public accounting career as a staff Accountant with a firm which is now a part of KPMG. After three years with this firm he started the Wildwood CPA firm in June, 1959 which is now known as Turner Stauffer & Co., P.A. Leon is a past president of the NJ Society of CPA’s.

The Stauffer of Turner Stauffer & Co., P.A. is George A. (Jerry) Stauffer, Jr. graduated from Lebanon Valley College with a BS in Economics. Jerry began his accounting career with Price Waterhouse from 1969 to 1977, including an interruption for Army duty, serving 13 months in Vietnam. In 1977, he relocated to Ocean City, NJ, and continued his accounting practice with Turner Stauffer & Co., P.A. Jerry is licensed in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and is a past president of the Atlantic Capy May Chapter of the NJ Society of CPAs.

Jerry and Leon became partners in the firm in the early 1980's spending more time with each other than with anyone else. They enjoyed a great working relationship and shared lots of laughs, either because, or in spite of, the long, late hours they found many amusing moments in a rather dry profession.

In January 2006 the mantle was passed from Leon to Jerry. Leon became a consultant to the firm, maintaining an office and a presence in the firm that still retains his name. It took a few years but it seems Leon is a happy to be free retiree while technology provides a way to remote in from Florida when he feels the need to "tax" himself.

January 1, 2012 brought yet a further progression to the accounting firm begun 53 years ago by Leon H. Turner. The STAUFFER, EDWARDS & CO., P.A. name reflects the sale and subsequent retirement by Leon, and is the first time the Turner moniker is not part of the firm's name.

Jerry and Leon became partners in the firm in the early 1980's spending more time with each other than with anyone else. They enjoyed a great working relationship and shared lots of laughs, either because, or in spite of, the long, late hours they found many amusing moments in a rather dry profession.

 

Our Chief in Charge

George A. Stauffer, Jr. (Jerry)

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Jerry graduated from Lebanon Valley College with a BS in Economics and began his accounting career with Price Waterhouse from 1969 to 1977, including an interruption for Army duty, serving 13 months in Vietnam. In 1977, he relocated to Ocean City, NJ, and continued his accounting practice with Turner Stauffer & Co., P.A. Jerry is licensed in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and is a past president of the Atlantic Cape May Chapter of the NJ Society of CPA's. He has been involved in community service over the years, most notably as Treasurer of the Cape May County Special Services School District Education Foundation for more than a decade. Jerry and family moved to North Wildwood in 2009.

 

About the Founder

Leon H. Turner, a graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Leon received an MBA from the University of Michigan. After serving in the army for 2 years as an auditor for the Army Audit Agency, Leon began his public accounting career as a staff Accountant with a firm which is now a part of KPMG. After three years with this firm he started the Wildwood CPA firm in June, 1959 which eventually became known as Turner Stauffer & Co., P.A. Leon is a past president of the NJ Society of CPA’s, AISCPA Council member and long-standing member of various local Boards and service organization. He is now able to enjoy his wife, children and grandchildren after so many years devoted to the firm.

 

Staff

Kari Stauffer Edwards: CPA

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Kari Stauffer Edwards attended The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, graduating with a BA in Accounting in December 2004. During college she worked on the intern program for both this firm and Capaldi, Reynolds & Pelosi in Northfield, New Jersey where she was employed from 2004 through 2006. Immediately following graduation she began the additional course work and examinations necessary to fulfill CPA requirements and was licensed as a Certified Public Accountant by the State of New Jersey.

In September of 2006 she came to work for the firm as a staff accountant. Kari has unwittingly become a bit of an expert on condominium associations as their growth in our client base and her employment favorably coincided. Kari has a daughter and son with her husband Chris and lives in Upper Township.

 

Mary K. Libro: CPA

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Mary graduated from the University of Scranton with a B.S. in Economics/Finance. She later attended Rutgers, Camden in the evening to acquire additional accounting credits while working full time for a small firm in Haddonfield, NJ. While pursuing her certification, she worked for the firm of Alloy, Silverstein, Shapiro, Adams, Mulford and Company in Cherry Hill, NJ for over ten years in their tax department. Missing Cape May County, where she grew up, she returned to the area she fondly calls “Home” and started her career with the firm where she has been for the last sixteen years.

Her down time is spent ever involved with her son and his many activities, sports and family camping outings. Mary has a soft spot for animals and has 2 labs and a Husky.

 

Jacqueline Tilton Stauffer: Administration, Office Manager

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Jacqui first worked as receptionist/secretary for the office in the late 70’s and early 80’s working part-time when the first child came along. After owning and operating a business in Linwood for 10 years, and taking some time off to spend with daughter #2 she returned to the firm full time for the 2006 tax season.

Jacqui has taken over Leon’s role as administrator for the firm and is something of a “woman” Friday. Whether answering the phone or bell, filing extensions, assembling tax returns, processing financial statements, getting returns and files back where they belong or ordering supplies, it’s a whatever has to be done position. Other than paying the bills, it’s very much the same job she preformed 25 (or so) years ago.

 

Janette Kestler: Administration

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Janette Kestler came on board permanently in April 2011. Many years ago Jan had worked for the firm part time helping out with filing, copying and anything else during tax season. She went on to bookkeeping for several mutual clients and full time for the SuperFresh company. Having a career in customer service makes her a perfect fit for our front of house and her organization skills are unsurpassed. Everything has its place and Jan has put it there or made the place for it. Jan has been in our personal lives for so long we no longer mention the number of years. We are grateful that SuperFresh went out of business and wasted no time, literally hiring her on the day the closing was announced.

In this business it's difficult to bring in someone new, but this case of the old being new again has worked wonderfully. Jan has been in this area most of her life and so many of our clients are happily surprised to see her here.