Lesley Beerends Receives the 2026 Bruce Myers Legacy Award
Bruce Myers, along with Darrell Stauffer, started this firm with a handful of associates in a small office in Topeka, Kansas. Through hard work and dedication, he helped build the company to what it is today – a firm with more than 1,000 professionals in 21 offices, having provided services to government agencies in every state.
As one of the primary leaders of the firm, he understood the importance of building a solid foundation of committed employees. Respect, honesty, and hard work permeated his life.
To honor Bruce’s memory, Myers and Stauffer created the Bruce Myers Legacy Award. This award is presented annually to one associate who embodies Bruce’s example by putting our four core values in action. This person can be at any level within the firm, from staff to senior manager.
The Executive Committee is proud to recognize Lesley Beerends (senior manager, Des Moines) as this year’s Bruce Myers Legacy Award recipient. This honor celebrates individuals who exemplify unwavering dedication, unshakable determination, and commitment to service — values deeply rooted in the legacy of Bruce Myers. Lesley’s dedication to quality and her mentorship of junior staff make her truly deserving of the honor.
“Lesley has meaningfully contributed to Myers and Stauffer’s success during her career, having expertly worked on a variety of different projects since she joined us in 2005,” said Chuck Smith (executive committee member, Richmond). “She has been and continues to be fully invested in the growth of our people, our clients, and the firm. Not too long ago, Lesley took on the leadership of the Iowa attest work. What stood out to the EC was that her nominator, a peer, described how in this new role she has positively impacted the careers of several people in the office, and that she has made meaningful to change to further modernize processes to enhance quality and to better serve our Iowa client.”
In addition to being nominated this year, Lesley was co-nominated by 8 colleagues in 2024, a true testament to the impact she has made across our firm.
“Myers and Stauffer has given me the opportunity to not only make a positive impact for our clients, but also to have a positive impact on my team and the firm. Making things more efficient and allowing people to enjoy what they do are some of the most rewarding things about my role. I’m proud of what the Iowa office has undertaken and achieved in the past two years and hope to continue making this a great place to work. I am extremely honored to accept this award.”
– Lesley Beerends
Read on to see what Lesley’s nominators had to say about her impact and how it connects to the Myers and Stauffer Core Values.
Empower Our People
“I have witnessed Lesley encourage growth in several of the mid-level staff on the attest team. It has been great watching them own projects and trusting their own instincts with encouragement from Lesley,” said Chris Urwin (senior manager, Des Moines) in Lesley’s 2026 nomination.
Lesley’s natural ability to uplift junior colleagues has made a significant impact on her team and the firm at large. Within the firm’s home and community-based services (HCBS) engagements, she has taken on the role of subject matter expert, working with staff to introduce, train, and develop their skills. Lesley has fostered a supportive environment that empowers others and encourages continual growth on her team.
Be the Expert
“With her vast knowledge, Lesley is an expert in many areas,” Chris wrote. “Although very busy, she always has time to help others or assist with issues another may be struggling with. She demonstrates deep care for her direct reports as well as her coworkers on the management team in Des Moines.”
Lesley not only shares her knowledge generously with her peers, but she also continually seeks to further her own knowledge and skills, a valuable attribute in our ever-changing industry.
In 2024, one nominator wrote, “Lesley consistently demonstrates a willingness to learn and is receptive to colleagues’ perspectives.”
Focus on the Client
“Lesley oversees quality in our office,” said Chris. “She sets the tone from the top and makes herself available for process improvement and ensures quality in all work done by the Iowa office! Lesley was instrumental in helping both attest and consulting work move into a paperless environment this past year and continues to be a leader in the push to get all work into FX.”
Lesley’s not only meets expectations but exceeds them, frequently putting in extra effort to stay on top of multiple projects at any given time. Her reputation for going above and beyond for clients speaks for itself, and her dedication to quality results in high client satisfaction.
Grow the Firm
“Lesley is always willing to ‘throw her hat in the ring’ when opportunities present themselves,” wrote her 2024 nominators. “Additionally, she demonstrates considerable skill in identifying client needs.”
Not only does Lesley grow the firm through client relationships, but she has also been instrumental in projects that improve the firm’s efficiency.
Her 2024 nominators said, “She developed a cost reporting tool that can be modified for each project and has been used as the basis for many cost collection efforts. She also built a rate calculation tool that will allow modeling and selection of various inputs. This tool can be used and modified for any HCBS project, which builds efficiencies, so tools do not have to be continuously re-built.”
Lesley’s commitment to quality and building efficiencies exemplify the Grow the Firm Core Value.
In Conclusion
“I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this award than Lesley,” said Jeff Marston (principal, Des Moines). “She consistently puts the team’s needs before her own, and her work ethic is truly unmatched. Lesley has played a pivotal role in making positive changes within our office and contributes to projects across multiple engagement teams.”
Congratulations to all the 2026 Nominees
We’d also like to take a moment to acknowledge and congratulate all of this year’s nominees. Being nominated for the Bruce Myers Legacy Award is a meaningful recognition in itself. Each nominee exemplifies the firm’s values through their dedication, leadership, and contributions to our mission. We celebrate their outstanding achievements and thank them for the impact they’ve made.
2026 Bruce Myers Legacy Award Nominees:
- Cartier Smith (senior manager, Atlanta)
- Charlotte Leske (manager, Kansas City)
- Daniel Carman (senior manager, Atlanta)
- Jessica Steele (senior manager, Denver)
- Katharine Poore (staff accountant, Richmond)
- Kendra Gardner (marketing senior specialist, Kansas City)
- Kim Usher (manager, Austin)
- Libby Eilers (human resources senior manager, Kansas City)
- Mariya Baranova (health care senior manager, Indianapolis)
- Wendy Malone (senior manager, Richmond)
