The members of Smith Elliott Kearns & Company, LLC recently announced that Kara M. Darlington, CPA and Kristi M. Glass, CPA have been elected as associate members of the firm.

Darlington joined the firm in 1997 after graduating magna cum Laude from York College of Pennsylvania. Darlington earned her CPA certificate in 1999 and was promoted to manager in 2003. Darlington manages the Hanover office audit practice as well as a significant number of the firm's employee benefit plan audit engagements. She also specializes in providing accounting and auditing services to local nonprofit and governmental organizations.

Darlington's continuing education has included tax and audit considerations of nonprofit organizations and audit and compliance considerations of employee benefit plans for the past 13 years.

She is a member in good standing with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) as well as the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA). She is also a member of the PKF North America's Employee Benefit Plans Committee.

An active member of the local community, Darlington is a board member of Sweet Charities of Hanover and Hanover Symphony Orchestra. She also remains active in various volunteer capacities with the Hanover Chamber of Commerce, Soroptimist International of Hanover, and Junior Achievement.

Glass joined the firm in 1996 after earning a bachelor's degree in accounting from Frostburg State University.  Glass earned her CPA certificate in 1998 and was promoted to manager in 2006.

Glass provides tax and consulting services to local businesses and individuals, specializing in accounting and tax reporting for medical practices. She also is a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor offering training and support to local businesses.

Glass is a member in good standing of the AICPA and the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants (MACPA). She is a Leadership Washington County Graduate, Class XX (2007) and serves on the Academy of Finance Advisory Board. Glass teaches students about rewarding careers in public accounting, delivering presentations, and leading discussions in several local high school business classes.

Smith Elliott Kearns & Company is a full-service accounting and consulting firm with offices in Hagerstown, Maryland; and Hanover, Carlisle, and Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. The firm, founded in 1963, has 21 partners and a total staff of 150. SEK&Co services individuals as well as business clients in a variety of industries, including construction, financial institutions, health care, local government, manufacturing, and nonprofit. The firm offers financial statement preparation, auditing and assurance services, small business accounting, tax and payroll services, QuickBooks and Peachtree training and consulting, tax return preparation and planning, estate planning and administration, business valuations, and employee benefit plan design, administration, and audit.