Tobbie J. Wells, CPA

When Tobbie says she's "a people person," it's an understatement. (So is calling her a "high-energy" person.) "I love people," she says. "I think of our clients as friends. And you never let down your friends."

Tobbie is in charge of Bowman's Audit Department, which has her overseeing the firm's quality control on a daily basis and peer review every three years. (Bowman has successfully passed all of its CPA Society peer reviews.)

She grew up along the Delta, joining Bowman in 1993 after earning her MBA degree from California State University at Hayward and a bachelor's in Accounting from Cal State Fresno. Asked what inspired her to go into her profession, she grins and says, "When I got an 'A' in an accounting class at Fresno State."

Tobbie shares her formidable accounting and people skills with clients in the following industries: non-profit organizations, low-income housing, healthcare services, closely held businesses, and real estate construction and development.

When not at the office — or performing her duties as president of the California Council for Affordable Housing — Tobbie and her husband, Joe Wells, an agriculture banker, enjoy traveling with their two young children and entertaining at home.

Affiliations: Tobbie's professional activities include serving as President of the California Council for Affordable Housing, and memberships in the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the California CPA Society. She holds "sustainer" status with Junior Aid of Stockton and serves on the Board of Directors of the Stockton Arts Center Alliance.

Off The Record: "Just because the work we do is very serious doesn't mean we can't have a fun work environment," she says.