Harris, Cotherman, Jones, Price & Associates, Certified Public Accountants - Chartered is a local public accounting firm located in Vero Beach, Florida. The Firm's five Directors and staff have a strong commitment to quality that began even before it was formed. Robert R. Harris and P. Ross Cotherman, II, partners in the Vero Beach office of Berger, Harris, Toombs, Elam & McAlpin, founded Harris, Cotherman & Associates, Certified Public Accountants - Chartered in September 1996. After several years of steady growth, the firm expanded in January 2004 to become Harris, Cotherman, Jones, Price & Associates, Certified Public Accountants - Chartered, currently with 19 full-time employees. Our growth rate over the past years is directly attributable to our unrelenting dedication to providing the highest quality, responsive, professional services attainable to our clients. Our Firm was founded on the belief that clients deserve high quality service from a well-managed firm, and we are committed to quality.
We are a locally recognized leader in providing services to for-profit companies, not-for-profit agencies, and governmental clients in the Treasure Coast area. We are the independent auditors for Indian River County, the Indian River County Housing Authority, the City of Vero Beach, the City of Sebastian, the City of Fellsmere, Saint Edward's School, Inc., and many other not-for-profit and for-profit companies.
We are a local Firm that cares about our community, and we encourage all of our staff to actively participate in community affairs. Managing Director Robert Harris, a resident of Indian River County for over 30 years, has been involved in numerous nonprofit organizations. Most notably, he has served as Treasurer of the Board of Directors, Chairman of the Finance Committee, and member of many committees of the Indian River Medical Center in Vero Beach, and he is also a Life Trustee and Past Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Vero Beach Museum of Art. Director Ross Cotherman, a resident of Indian River County for over 20 years, serves as Vice President and Treasurer of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Indian River County, and has served as President on the United Way of Indian River County Board of Directors.
On September 10, 2009, the United Way of Indian River County awarded our firm the prestigious "Richardson Award," part of the Spirit of Indian River County awards program sponsored by the United Way. These awards are presented to a company or organization whose support of United Way and the community excels in the areas of community contributions, community volunteer programs, and United Way employee giving campaigns. We were chosen from among all of the participants in recognition of our excellence in community contributions.
In addition to being active in the community, the Firm's members are also very active in the accounting profession. We are members of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Robert Harris is currently the Immediate Past Chair of the AICPA and the first FICPA member to ever receive this honor. Over the years, he has served on numerous committees and task forces of both the AICPA and FICPA. Ross Cotherman is the Firm's designated Audit Quality Partner and is responsible for ensuring that we comply with all AICPA standards.
The Firm is also a member of the Private Companies Practice Section (PCPS) of the AICPA which assures that we meet the highest standards in the profession. Membership in this practice section requires that our Firm meet standards that are much more stringent than those of regular AICPA membership. These more stringent requirements include periodic peer reviews by another independent CPA firm and annual Continuing Professional Education (CPE) for all accounting staff, whether CPA or non-CPA. To date, our Firm has completed ten successive Peer Reviews, all of which received an unmodified opinion or a rating of passon our quality control program and work procedures.
Harris, Cotherman, Jones, Price & Associates, Certified Public Accountants - Chartered cares about its clients, and has committed substantial resources to provide you with quality, personal service you deserve.