About Us

Aaron Patel

Tax and Consulting Partner

Aaron Patel, CPA, is the Tax and Consulting Partner of the firm and in charge of the Charlotte office. He has over twenty years of experience in public accounting, working with small to medium sized businesses and individual taxpayers.

Aaron and his team will work with you to make sure you are meeting your tax compliance needs, while also making sure you are using everything in the tax code available to you.

Accreditation and Licenses  

Aaron Patel is licensed as a Certified Public Accountant in the State of North Carolina. He has received his degrees in the Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Management and Finance from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Clayton Mitchell

Tax Partner

Clayton B Mitchell, CPA, is a Tax Partner in the Charlotte office of Sharpe Patel, PLLC, and practices in the areas of taxation and consulting, going above and beyond just tax services, providing a customer service experience involving everything from basic support regarding day to day business operations, managing and streamlining bookkeeping processes, outsourced CFO work, and of course tax preparation and complex tax planning with an eye toward helping the client understand the why's and how's. He has over thirteen years of experience on a wide variety of engagements for closely held businesses and individuals in real estate, construction, manufacturing, technology, salons, restaurants, captive insurance, foreign owned subsidiaries, non-profits, all from inception, growth, maturity and exit.

Accreditation and Licenses  

Clayton is licensed as a Certified Public Accountant in the State of North Carolina. He has received his degrees in the Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He is also a member of the American Association of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants (NCACPA).

Megan RIDGLEY

Tax Partner

Megan Ridgley, CPA, is a Tax Partner in the Raleigh office of Sharpe Patel, PLLC. She has over 11 years of experience in Public Accounting working with individuals and small to medium sized businesses. She also works with many not-for-profit businesses and charter schools to ensure tax compliance.

Accreditation and Licenses  

Megan is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the states of North Carolina and South Carolina. She earned degrees of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Master of Public Accountancy from West Virginia University. She is a member of the American Association of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants (NCACPA).

Rebecca Fisher

Nonprofit tax manager

Rebecca Fisher, CPA is a Tax Manager at our Raleigh Office. She has over 13 years of experience in public accounting, working with a variety of nonprofits, including associations, foundations, social service and religious organizations, and higher educational institutions.

Accreditation and Licenses  

Rebecca earned her Bachelor of Accounting degree from Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in both Pennsylvania and North Carolina.

Jessica Haltom

tax manager

Jessica Haltom, CPA, is a Tax Manager in the Charlotte office specializing in tax and accounting services. Since 2012, she has worked in public accounting, serving closely held businesses and their owners across various industries, including construction, real estate, healthcare, law firms, energy, retail, and not‑for‑profit organizations. She focuses on business and individual tax preparation, proactive tax planning, and year‑end readiness. As a Certified Advanced QuickBooks ProAdvisor, she also provides support with QuickBooks implementation, cleanup, and consulting—ensuring clients maintain accurate records and achieve compliance while maximizing financial efficiency.

Accreditation and Licenses  

Jessica is a licensed North Carolina Certified Public Accountant. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a master’s degree from Western Governors University.

Tim Ring

Senior Associate

Tim Ring retired from the Marine Corps after more than 22 years of service. He is a senior associate in the Wilmington office with more than 20 years of experience in corporate and individual tax preparation and financial statement preparation.

Accreditation and Licenses  

Tim received his Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Accountancy from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. He is also a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington’s Master of Science in Accountancy program.

STEVEN GIARDINA

SENIOR Associate

Steven Giardina is a Senior Associate in the Charlotte office of Sharpe Patel PLLC. He has worked in accounting since 2019 and has over three years of experience in public accounting.

Accreditation and Licenses  

Steven obtained his Bachelor’s of Science and Master in Accounting from Saint Joseph’s College in Patchogue, NY and is actively pursuing his Certified Public Accountant certification.

Danielle Diamond

ACCOUNTING MANAGER

Danielle Diamond is an Accounting Manager with Sharpe Patel and works in the Raleigh office. She has over 10 years of experience with governmental municipalities, not-for-profits and small businesses.

Accreditation and Licenses  

Danielle received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Accounting and Business with a minor in Economics from Monmouth College. She is a QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor for QuickBooks Online.

Bryan Baulsir

Senior Tax Associate

Bryan Baulsir is a Senior Tax Associate in the Raleigh Office. He has been working in public accounting for 8 years working closely with a variety of not-for-profit businesses on both audits and taxes. In additional, he also has experience preparing personal, sales, and payroll tax returns, as well as providing bookkeeping services.

Accreditation and Licenses  

Bryan received his Bachelor Degree in Accounting from SUNY New Paltz.

Maryanne Ryu

Tax Associate

Maryanne Ryu is a Tax Associate of the Firm and works in the Raleigh office. She has experience in accounting across a variety of industries and tax compliance for small to mid-sized businesses.

Accreditation and Licenses  

Maryanne is a licensed Chartered Professional Accountant of Ontario, Canada and Certified Public Accountant in the state of North Carolina. She earned degrees of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, and completed post degree diploma in Accounting from Douglas College in New Westminster, British Colombia, Canada.

Alexis Martin

Accounting Associate

Alexis Martin is an Accounting Associate in the Charlotte Office. She graduated in 2020 and has been in public accounting since 2021. She assists with QuickBooks, 1099’s, property tax listings, and corporate and individual tax returns.

Accreditation and Licenses  

Alexis received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in Finance from University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Kendra Therrien

Accounting Associate

Kendra Therrien is an Accounting Associate in the Charlotte office. She began her career in industry accounting in 2021 and transitioned to public accounting with Sharpe Patel PLLC in 2025. Kendra’s experience includes preparing personal tax returns, sales and use tax filings, payroll tax compliance, and providing comprehensive full-charge bookkeeping services.

Accreditation and Licenses  

Kendra received her Bachelor of Science in Human Services from Springfield College and her Master of Science in Accounting and Finance from Southern New Hampshire University. Kendra also received a Graduate Certificate in Tax Compliance and Planning from Southern University. Additionally, Kendra is certified as a QuickBooks Level Two ProAdvisor and trained Bookkeeper.

Julie Schatz

Administrative Assistant

Julie Schatz serves as the Office Manager and Administrative Assistant in the firm’s Wilmington office, bringing over 30 years of administrative experience to her role. She began her career as a commercial real estate paralegal in Atlanta, GA and most recently worked as the office manager and paralegal for an intellectual property law firm. Most of Julie’s career has been centered in the education sector, where she served in administrative leadership roles at several independent schools in the metro-Atlanta area.

Accreditation and Licenses  

Julie received her Bachelor of Science in Speech Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.