The Buckeye Bookkeeping Team
Melissa Mercer
Founder and President
Connect with Melissa on LinkedIn
Melissa's interest in accounting and bookkeeping was inspired by several volunteer treasurer positions she held in organizations when her children were young. She completed her Professional Bookkeeper designation and opened Buckeye Bookkeeping in 2006. Shortly thereafter she earned the Intuit Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor status.
Melissa has worked with businesses in a variety of areas including retail, daycare, restaurant, professional services, legal and construction. Melissa has also honed a niche working with not-for-profit organizations, recalling her initial experience as a volunteer treasurer.
She and her husband have two children who are currently pursuing careers of their own. Melissa and her husband love spending time with their family and their corgi. They also enjoy traveling, hiking and time with long-term dinner group friends.
Meg Patton
Staff Accountant
Connect with Meg on LinkedIn
Meg fulfills the role of Accountant at Buckeye Bookkeeping Services and brings with her a valuable skill set and extensive experience in the accounting industry. Her experience includes positions with White Consolidated Industries/Electrolux and Union Tools, Inc. She possesses a strong work ethic, is proactive, reliable and a good communicator. Meg is also a Certified QuickBooks Desktop ProAdvisor and has been with us since 2016. She enjoys seeing clients go to the next level with their business dreams knowing they have a true partner taking care of their books.
She and her husband live in Lewis Center and have two older children. She enjoys reading, bird watching, choral singing and playing cards with friends.
Meg's core work schedule is 9am – 5pm Tuesday through Thursday.
Lori Pflaum
Staff Accountant and Client Services Coordinator
Connect with Lori on LinkedIn
Lori joined the team in 2017 and brings an extensive background in Accounting and Business Management. After graduating from OSU where she earned her BSBA in Accounting, she quickly launched her accounting career at Coopers & Lybrand. Now she brings with her a solid knowledge base in the accounting cycle processes and procedures to ensure the production of an accurate and timely financial package. Lori focuses on client communications and managing accounts for the team.
She and her husband live in Worthington along with their daughter and furry family members. Lori enjoys cooking, yoga, tennis and travel.
Lori’s core work schedule is 9am – 3pm Monday through Wednesday.
Lisa Powers-Herndon
Staff Accountant
Lisa is a Staff Accountant at Buckeye Bookkeeping Services who joined us in June, 2020. She is a graduate of Franklin University with a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting. She brings over 20 years of diverse financial accounting experience in property management, hospitality and sports management.
She is a proud mom to identical twin boys and spends her free time cheering for them in an ice rink and on the baseball field. She and her boys love dogs and enjoy spending time with friends.
Lisa is routinely available Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 4:00 pm.
Elizabeth Aulino
Bookkeeper
Elizabeth Aulino is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a B.S. in Business Education with continued education in Accounting at DePaul University in Chicago. Liz has worked as an accountant and bookkeeper in the construction industry in Central Ohio, as well as with a software development firm in Chicago. Liz is a Certified Bookkeeper with the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers and is in the process of acquiring Quickbooks© certifications.
Over the years, Liz has also taught Financial Accounting and Bookkeeping at Columbus State Community College for over 14 years and enjoys teaching and helping others in the field.
Liz currently lives outside of Delaware with middle school twins and a daughter who will be a sophomore at Ohio State this year. Her interests are running, genealogy, gardening, and cooking. Liz looks forward to working with clients and providing worry-free transaction and financial statement management.
Liz's core work schedule is 9 am – 2 pm Monday through Thursday.
Cheri Carter
Bookkeeper
Cheri joined the Buckeye Bookkeeping team in April 2021. She previously served as the Chief Financial Officer for a non-profit, behavioral health organization for 20 years. She was responsible for the fiscal planning, implementation, managing and running all the finance activities from budget through tax filing and audit oversight. She led the fiscal activities of the organization from its founding through a merger in 2020. She understands and appreciates the importance of the fiscal role in supporting the vision and mission of a small business. She is currently in boot camp to become a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor.
Cheri and her husband, John live in the Berwick neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio.
She thrives in warm weather, walking on beaches, watching the sunset over water and flower gardening.
Cheri's core work schedule is 8:30-4:00 Tuesday through Thursday.
