LEGACY STORY

Conway, Deuth & Schmiesing, PLLP

CDS logo

Foundation:

Willmar Area Community Foundation

Award:

2017 WACF Community Builder Award

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Empowering employees to serve the community is a core value of Conway, Deuth & Schmiesing, PLLP (CDS). CDS was formed in 1985 by Richard Conway, Roger Deuth and Milan Schmiesing. These three founding partners created CDS with a mission to help clients achieve their goals and reach their maximum potential. Their vision was to become a client-driven firm by providing the highest quality of professionalism in the areas of auditing, accounting, tax and management advisory services.

Today, CDS continues to carry out their founding mission and vision while growing into one of the top 25 CPA firms in the state. The firm has expanded to include a total of 12 partners and 63 staff with locations in Willmar, Benson, Morris, Litchfield and St. Cloud-Sartell. Earlier this year, CDS earned the well-deserved distinction of being named in Minnesota Business magazine’s list of 2017 ‘100 Best Companies to Work For.’

Maintaining a spirit of service and giving back to the community is a key component of CDS’s workplace culture and a cornerstone of their continued growth. In 2016 alone, the partners and staff gave more than 3,400 hours of their time in service to our communities. More than 100 organizations benefited from this amazing outpouring of generosity where the staff and clients of CDS live and work. Some of the additional organizations impacted include: the Willmar Area Community Foundation, KCEO, United Way of West Central Minnesota and its Empower program, The Salvation Army, Safe Avenues, several community events and numerous other organizations.

Many of us have seen the impact of these gifts of time and talent without realizing it, perhaps most recently in the marketing assistance for Willmar’s Destination Playground and the Food Truck Fest co-hosted by CDS and Anderson Larson to benefit the Willmar Area Women’s Fund. Whether organizing a team of staff members for a single project or paving the way for a major initiative within Kandiyohi County, CDS has connected people to better the lives of everyone in our community. Heather Thompson, Firm Administrator, explains, “We have a talented team and encourage them to share these talents with the community in ways that are meaningful to them. We’ve seen that when our team members commit, they go above and beyond to further a cause or project.”

Managing Partner, Brett Aamot, says, “Volunteerism and giving back to the community is a core value at CDS. It is humbling for CDS to be recognized. The credit goes to our staff for their extra efforts and engagement they have around our communities. The extent to which our staff gets involved is amazing.”