Your Financial Success.
Our Mission.
Griffin & Furman, LLC is a full-service accounting & auditing firm in the heart of Louisiana. Founded in 2000, our team of Certified Public Accounts specializes in providing financial and tax services to individuals, businesses, not-for-profits, and financial institutions.
We strive to provide our clients with the highest quality of service, no matter the size or complexity of their needs. Our experts look forward to incorporating strategic solutions to make the most of your financial future.
Braving Financial Waters:
A Story of Dedication
Our firm began with one goal: to provide personalized services to each and every client.​
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Stephen Griffin, Managing Partner, began his career in public accounting in 1992. Upon graduation, he dove into the industry as a Certified Public Accountant at a firm in New Orleans, Louisiana. Mr. Griffin began his own practice in September of 2000.
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Soon after the firm was founded, Mr. Griffin and a contract employee discovered fraud at a local Credit Union. When the Board of Directors was obligated to terminate every staff member of their accounting department, the Credit Union utilized Mr. Griffin's expertise and requested that he staff the new department—beginning the firm of Griffin & Company, LLC and developing the firm's niche in the Credit Union world.
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Robert Furman, who had worked with Mr. Griffin during their early years in the industry, joined as a partner in 2001, evolving the firm into Griffin & Furman, LLC.
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In 2005, disaster struck New Orleans. When Hurricane Katrina devastated the city, the Board President of that same Credit Union discovered that their management department had evacuated with the wrong backup tape. In a moment of desperation, he called Mr. Griffin & Mr. Furman, requesting that they return to the city and obtain the correct tape from the Credit Union. Without hesitation, they entered the city via boat with an armed escort to reach the Credit Union.
We strive to exemplify that same dedication in every client, in every engagement, in every interaction. Together, we can brave the financial waters.
Meet The Team
Partners.
CPA, Managing Partner
Stephen M. Griffin
Mr. Griffin is the founding member of the firm. He began his career in public accounting upon graduating from the University of New Orleans in 1992. His emphasis is on Credit Unions, state retirement systems, accounting, individual & business taxation, and a variety of attest services. Mr. Griffin is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the Society of Louisiana CPAs where he has served on their financial institution committee. He also recently served on the Finance and Capital Campaign Committees for Raphael Village in New Orleans. He was selected by City Business as one of their 2018 Money Makers.
CPA, Partner
Robert J. Furman
Mr. Furman has been a partner in the firm since 2001. He received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Alabama in 1991. Since that time, Mr. Furman has accumulated diversified experience in accounting, auditing, and tax matters in a variety of industries including construction, healthcare, non-profits, governmental entities, and Credit Unions. He oversees all of the firm's opinion audit engagements. Mr. Furman is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the Society of Louisiana CPAs.​
CPA, Partner
Howard P. Vollenweider, Jr.
Mr. Vollenweider graduated from the University of New Orleans with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. After, he began his career in public accounting as an auditor for a local firm in New Orleans, acquiring knowledge in individual & business taxation, as well as personal & business consulting and planning. He was a partner in two local firms for approximately fifteen years before opening his own firm in 2015. He joined Griffin & Furman, LLC as a partner in 2023. He is a member of the American Institute of CPAs, the Society of Louisiana CPAs, and the Louisiana Society of Independent Accountants.​​
Partner
Jessica S. Benjamin
Mrs. Benjamin received her public accounting degree from Spring Hill College in 2006. After working for a public accounting firm in her hometown of Mobile, Alabama for two years, she relocated to the Northshore area and joined Griffin & Furman, LLC. As Partner, Mrs. Benjamin oversees our individual and small business clients. She enjoys the daily interaction with those clients and loves getting to know them on a personal level.
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Partner
Racheal D. Alvey
Mrs. Alvey began her career in banking upon graduating from Southeastern Louisiana University in 2009. She served as Manager, then Director of Credit Union and State Retirement Systems for several years, during which she had direct oversight of our attest and accounting services. Racheal loves to work on-site with clients whenever possible. She especially enjoys using her Excel knowledge to help streamline monthly and quarterly services, including Call Report preparations and data entry. Recently, she has helped various Credit Unions with prepaid setup, accrual posting, and updating their Fixed Asset listing.
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CPA, Partner
Michael J. Caparotta
A lifelong resident of Metairie, Mr. Caparotta graduated from the University of New Orleans in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. With over 27 years of experience in public accounting, he has worked at several respected local CPA firms, building a strong foundation in diversified auditing. His expertise includes governmental and nonprofit audits, as well as audits of employee benefit plans. Mr. Caparotta is an active member of the American Institute of CPAs and the Society of Louisiana CPAs He also currently serves on the board of Athlos Academy of Jefferson Parish.
Directors.
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CPA, Director of Baton Rouge Services
Michael R. Choate
Mr. Choate obtained his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from LSU in 1980 and his Master of Business Administration from LSU in 1989. In 1981, he passed all four parts of the CPA exam, placing him in the top 10% of candidates. Michael was named one of Baton Rouge's top "40 Under 40" by the 1995 Baton Rouge Business Report. His professional organizations include the Louisiana Society of CPAs, the AICPA, the Baton Rouge and St. Tammany West Chambers of Commerce, the Baton Rouge Better Business Bureau, and the EBR Lions Club.
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Director of Finance & Marketing
Sydney M. Griffin
Ms. Griffin graduated from the University of Alabama in 2017 with a Bachelor of Art in English Literature and a minor in Creative Writing. Before joining Griffin & Furman, LLC, she gained copywriting, brand strategy, and client relations experience at a marketing agency for the beauty industry, working with clients across the United States and Europe. Her knowledge as a Certified QuickBooks User and Karbon Expert is essential in assisting both clients and team members in project and account management. She brings a keen insight into marketing, creative, and financial strategy and looks forward to working with the firm's staff and clients. ​
Director of Administration & Operations
Brian K. Webster
Brain Webster graduated from the University of Alabama with a Bachelor of Science. He grew up in New Orleans, LA and attended Jesuit High School. He formerly worked as a PGA golf professional in West Tennessee but moved back to the area to be closer to family.
Managers.
Manager of Tax & Accounting
Leslie R. Gainey
Mrs. Gainey began her career in accounting in 1988 after graduating from Delgado in New Orleans. After working in various industries over the years and acquiring unique work experiences by wearing many different hats, she found her home with Griffin & Furman, LLC in 2016.​​​​​
​Manager of Credit Union Compliance
Angela M. Warden
Ms. Warden is a member of our auditing team. She graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University in 2014 and began her career in the Credit Union world in 2015. She quickly moved through the operational positions of a Credit Union and secured a role in Operational and Branch Management. Ms. Warden works remotely for the firm, where she enjoys performing the behind-the-scenes preparation for many of our Credit Union attest engagements. She also heads the majority of our Credit Union compliance engagements. She enjoys assisting Credit Unions with the convenience of performing their audits remotely with less interference in their daily operations.
Marketing Manager
Bella M. Hall
Mrs. Hall holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Tampa and brings experience as a Data Analyst across both the financial technology and non-profit sectors. She is passionate about leveraging data to inform marketing strategies and looks forward to contributing to the marketing team’s efforts to expand the firm’s presence in the accounting industry.
Audit.
Senior Auditor
Blake C. Scott
Mr. Scott joined our auditing team in January 2021 after graduating from LSU with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. He specialized in Internal Auditing and recently achieved his Master of Business Administration through the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Since starting at Griffin & Furman, LLC, Mr. Scott has enjoyed interacting with clients and looks forward to future engagements.​​​​
Senior Auditor
Griffin A. Hakenjos
Mr. Hakenjos graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Before joining Griffin & Furman, LLC, he gained three years of audit and accounting experience at a Certified Public Accounting firm in South Louisiana. He recently completed his MBA at LSU Shreveport in December of 2024. Mr. Hakenjos enjoys working with and getting to know our audit clients.​​​​
Senior Auditor
Noah S. Griffin
Mr. Griffin graduated from Loyola University in New Orleans with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance. He received the prestigious Dean's College of Business Award upon graduation and was an All-Conference Academic member of the Loyola New Orleans Wolfpack basketball team. Mr. Griffin's previous work experiences include working with a financial services organization, where he learned strategies that make him an asset to the firm.​​​
Senior Auditor
Andrew J. Barré
Mr. Barré graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Bachelor of Science in Finance. After an internship with a local Certified Public Accounting firm, Mr. Barré joined our auditing team in January 2022, where he enjoys attest and audit engagements.
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Staff Auditor
Rudyard Barrera-Padron
Mr. Barrera-Padron is originally from Havana City, Cuba. He graduated from Hector A. Pineda Zaldivar University with a Bachelor of Education & Economics and has obtained a Master of Business Administration from Southeastern Louisiana University.​​​​​
Staff Auditor
Trevor C. Schott
Mr. Schott is originally from Covington, LA. He obtained a Bachelor's degree in Accounting from Louisiana State University. Upon graduating, he began his work in the accounting field before branching out to gain experience as an entrepreneur—and now brings a unique set of skills to our team at Griffin & Furman, LLC.
Staff Auditor
Justin E. Boudreaux
Originally from Houma, Louisiana, Mr. Boudreaux earned his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Louisiana State University. Driven by a passion for auditing and a desire to build his career in Baton Rouge, he is currently pursuing his MBA at LSU Shreveport to further expand his expertise.
Tax & Accounting.
Tax & Accounting, Supervisor
Amanda D. Boles
Mrs. Boles graduated from the University of New Orleans with a Bachelor of Science in Finance in 1986. In 1991, she attended pre-Certified Public Accounting courses at the University of New Orleans. She has accumulated over 20 years of experiences in public accounting and tax while working for local Certified Public Accounting firms in New Orleans and Covington, Louisiana.​
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Tax & Accounting, Supervisor
Linda L. Clement
​Mrs. Clement joined our firm in December 2023 as a Tax and Accounting Senior, bringing over 30 years of experience in public accounting. She specializes in tax, accounting, and auditing across a range of industries including construction, retail, nonprofits, and government entities.
Tax & Accounting
R. Keith Griffin
Mr. Griffin started his career in the quality control department for a start-up product manufacturer in Austin, Texas. He quickly worked his way up to Production Supervisor and Processing Lead and he now brings those skills to our firm: analyzing data, investigating issues, and identifying solutions.
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Tax & Accounting
Chandler E. Hendrick
Ms. Hendrick joined our team in 2018 as an intern while earning her Bachelor of Science in Accounting and minor in Internal Auditing at Louisiana State University. She went on to obtain her Master of Accountancy in 2022 and joined our tax & accounting department full-time in 2023.
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Tax & Accounting
Bridgett A. White
Ms. White graduated from the University of Phoenix with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting in 2015. Since then, she gained invaluable experience in bookkeeping for a small business and accounting for a Northshore Certified Public Accounting firm before joining Griffin & Furman, LLC in 2023.​
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Tax & Accounting
Hailee R. Fernandez
Ms. Fernandez is a member of the tax & accounting department at Griffin & Furman, LLC. She recently graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Accounting at Southeastern Louisiana University. Ms. Fernandez previously worked as an accounting intern in the corporate offices of a publicly traded company and is enjoying the application of her education at Griffin & Furman, LLC, exploring tax, accounting, and auditing work.
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Tax & Accounting
Victoria L. Gainey
Ms. Gainey joined Griffin & Furman, LLC in 2022 as a part-time employee in the tax & accounting department. She has a variety of experiences across industries, which provides a valuable knowledge base when working with our small-business clients. Ms. Gainey received her Associate's degree in Business Management from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in 2015. After working as a substitute teacher, she is now pursuing a degree in the Art of Teaching at William Carey University.
Administrative.
Administrative Assistant
Leah G. Sacco
After attending Midwestern State University, Mrs. Sacco joined our administrative department in 2023 with a background in retail management, café management, and journalism. Originally from East Texas, she now resides in Baton Rouge with her husband and two dogs.
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Social Media & Copywriting Intern
Alaina L. Appe
Ms. Appe joined our team in 2025 as a Social Media & Copywriting Intern while attending Southeastern Louisiana University (SLU) as a Senior Strategic Communication major. Previously, she gained experience in the marketing world as a Social Media Coordinator for the Tinsley Learning Center at SLU.
Marketing Intern
Riley M. O'Rourke
Ms. O'Rourke is currently a senior at Loyola University New Orleans, pursuing a degree in Marketing with an expected graduation in Spring 2026. She has a strong interest in digital media, market research, and strategic communication, and is actively preparing for a dynamic and impactful career in the marketing industry.