our team
Linda Top, CPA
Linda is a founding partner of Top Kohlbush + Hoem. Her vision and foresight to build one of the first woman-owned accounting firms in the Northwest bridged the gap she saw between offering strategic tax and accounting services while becoming a trusted partner who listened and cared about clients’ needs.
Linda’s experience includes tax preparation, review, and planning, as well as audit representation. She is a recognized expert for her work in stock option planning strategies, becoming a distinguished speaker on tax law, tax planning, and stock option tax planning. She also provides training to business owners and managers in areas of strategic fiscal management.
Linda is a fifth-generation Oregonian whose family made their way along the Oregon Trail before settling in the Willamette Valley. She graduated from Portland State University and has spent her entire career in the region, starting Top Kohlbush + Hoem in 1985. Her love of nature and outdoor recreational activities, including golf and snowmobiling, keeps her rooted to the region.
It was my dream to create an accounting firm that provided excellent accounting services for our clients while nurturing the careers and lives of the accountants who worked with those clients. It wasn’t about starting a business; it was about creating trusted and beneficial relationships.
Linda Top
PARTNER
Michelle Kohlbush, CPA
Michelle has worked in the Portland metro area for over 30 years, joining Top Kohlbush + Hoem in 2003 because of its nurturing atmosphere and commitment to treating clients as more than just numbers on a page.
Her invaluable expertise in income tax preparation and review, estate planning, and compliance for individuals, nonprofit organizations, corporations, partnerships, trusts, and estates has gained her wide respect among industry leaders. She is a sought-out speaker on a range of tax topics, including fiduciary accounting for Oregon trusts and estates.
We try to make all our clients feel very important to us, so that requires a lot of interaction. We really get to know them as much as possible. That relationship helps us understand their pain points, and if any issues pop up, we have the background we need to address them.
Michelle Kohlbush
PARTNER
Brendan Hoem
Brendan joined our firm in 2009 as Business Development Manager and staff accountant and became its Chief Operating Officer in 2012. A year later, he jumped at the chance to join Linda Top and Michelle Kohlbush as a partner, forming Top Kohlbush + Hoem and positioning it as one of Portland’s leading tax and accounting services firms.
Among Brendan’s many accomplishments since joining TK+H include launching our website, creating our first product brochure, and promoting the supportive team-oriented work environment that offers benefits to our staff and the clients we serve every day. His keen business acumen finds opportunities and efficiencies that allow us to maintain the highest standards of excellence our clients expect.
Brendan has served on the Oregon Society of Certified Public Accountants (OSCPA) Group Health Trust Board since 2019, recently elected to another three-year term.
I thoroughly enjoy working here because we care about our clients and servicing them at a higher standard than most accounting firms. We focus on staying modern and continuing to grow so we can offer our hands-on, caring service to as many clients as we can.
Brendan Hoem
PARTNER
Brio T.T. Kohlbush
Aria T.T. Kohlbush
For information on what states our CPAs are licensed from, please contact Catherine Watts at (503) 228-2612. You will receive a reply within 7 business days.
About Lisa
Lisa A. Rowan
Lisa was born and raised in Portland. She graduated from Gonzaga University with a Bachelor of Business Administration focusing on finance and economics. For over 20 years, Lisa held positions in operations management, HR, and as a paralegal with Portland-area law firms.
Lisa joined Top Kohlbush + Hoem in 2015 as Executive Director to assist with all aspects of firm operations and human resources.
Lisa and her husband raised two children and now enjoy their free time as “empty nesters” traveling to visit family and friends. They especially like to visit Hawaii and go sailing.
About Alexa
Alexa Eilerts
Alexa received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Business Administration from Chapman University in Orange County, California, and began her career at regional accounting firms in the area.
She joined TK+H in January 2023 and greatly enjoys working with our amazing clients and providing the excellent level of service that Top Kohlbush + Hoem is known for. She also looks forward to completing her Certified Public Accountant license.
In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, yoga, and fostering cats and kittens through a local nonprofit organization.
About Jordan
Jordan Specht
Jordan was born in Longview, Washington, and was raised in part by his Accountant/State Auditor grandfather, who helped set him on a career path from an early age.
Jordan has been a tax professional since late 2017 after graduating from San Diego State University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. After working in San Diego for three years and navigating through the pandemic, he decided to move back home to the Pacific Northwest to be closer to family in 2021.
Jordan secured a position with Top Kohlbush + Hoem before his move home and has been part of the tight-knit team at TKH ever since. Jordan provides tax guidance and planning for many clients and their unique situations. He enjoys his work with tax return preparation, quarterly tax planning, analyzing financial statements, accounting consulting, and answering just about any question clients may have related to income taxes.
Nowadays, Jordan lives in Portland with his girlfriend and two cats (Toast and Bill), where they enjoy all the activities the Pacific Northwest has to offer.
About Emma
Emma Carter
Emma grew up in Eastern Washington and attended Washington State University, from which she graduated in December 2020 with her accounting degree.
Joining the TK+H team in 2022, Emma is a Senior Tax Associate who works fully remote from her home in Idaho’s Treasure Valley. Here at TK+H, Emma enjoys working with our trust and estates clients and many of our business clients.
Emma and her husband love exploring the outdoors together, hiking, paddleboarding in the summer, and snowboarding in the winter.
About Laurie
Laurie Ellis
Born, raised, and educated in Houston, Texas, Laurie received her Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Houston in 1998. After obtaining her CPA license and working for four years in the oil and gas industry, Laurie took a break to raise her two sons. In 2018, she began her “second” career in public accounting.
After working for several Houston firms, Laurie found her home when she began working remotely for Top Kohlbush + Hoem in 2023. Laurie has practiced in many areas of taxation, most recently focused on high-net-worth individuals and complex partnerships. She enjoys these types of clients because of the challenges they offer. They fulfill her favorite aspect of the accounting field — finding solutions to complex problems. Laurie also prides herself on providing excellent client service.
Outside of work, Laurie’s favorite pastime is reading, but even better is reading at the beach. She and her husband enjoy their proximity to Galveston, Texas. Laurie also enjoys music and cooking and is an avid Houston Astros fan.
About Cassie
Cassie Lewis
Born and raised in Montana, Cassie moved to Portland to begin her career in Hospitality and the Culinary arts. After 6 years, a change was in the air and Cassie moved to further her learning about Hospitality and Culinary Arts around the western side of the US, including San Antonio Tx, Pebble Beach CA and Tucson AZ. With a love of people and a passion for learning, Cassie made the switch into the administrative side of things.
Joining the Top Kohlbush + Hoem team in 2024 has allowed Cassie to continue to connect with people and to further her enjoyment of learning new skills. In the accounting industry, she enjoys working in a company that recognizes individual team members as invaluable and trusts their team to deliver top notch service to their valuable clients.
Outside of work, Cassie spends her time reading, staying active, connecting to the community, letting the day unfold as it will, spending time with family and friends, Karaoke, and of course exploring everything the restaurant industry has to offer.
About Alexis
alexis garrett
Alexis grew up in a small town in Eastern Oregon, loving the great outdoors. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Washington State University. Along the way, she’s lived in places like Corvallis, OR, and the Tri-Cities, WA. Alexis began her career in Vancouver, WA, as a Bookkeeper for a regional firm and continues to call Vancouver home.
Alexis joined TK+H in November 2024 and is excited to be part of the team. With a strong eagerness to learn and grow, she looks forward to contributing her skills and enthusiasm to the firm. She is currently working toward completing her Certified Public Accountant license.
Outside of the office Alexis loves to stay active whether that be outside or at the basketball court. Her other interests include crochet, Star Wars, baking and reading.
About Catherine
Catherine Watts
Catherine is a native Portlander and attended Washington State University (Go Cougs!). She worked in the insurance, leisure, and hospitality industries before moving to tax.
She joined the TK+H team in March 2024 as Office Manager and is excited to bring her skills to the Firm.
Catherine likes to travel, bake, watch the Blazers and the Timbers, and spend time with her amazing daughter.
About Marie
Marie Swanberg
As a Portland native, Marie has being a “foodie” in her genetics and started her career primarily in the food industry. Before entering the wonderful world of accounting, she managed a Papa Murphy’s, ran the café at a local college, and owned a catering business. Deciding that her love of food was much better enjoyed as a hobby, she jumped at the chance to switch industries to something that is now a lifelong career and passion.
Marie joined the accounting industry in 2013 and became a part of the Top Kohlbush + Hoem team in 2019. As the firm’s Marketing Coordinator and part of the administrative team, she has brought a passion for improving processes and procedures to everything she does at TK+H. She loves working for a firm that is always moving forward and continually working to provide the best client experience.
When not at work, Marie loves trying new restaurants, entertaining, karaoke, working on a plethora of crafts, playing local bar trivia, and spending time with family and friends. She is always happy to recommend somewhere to eat or something to do in our amazing city.
About Brooke
Brooke Tomasino
Brooke grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, where she earned her bachelor’s in accounting at UMKC. She now lives in the Lake Tahoe area with her husband and young daughter.
Brooke has worked in the tax accounting industry for almost four years and joined Top Kohlbush + Hoem in 2023 working remotely as a tax senior. She has experience in many areas of tax preparation but specializes in trust, estate, gift, and individual taxes.
Some of her favorite things to do are traveling the world, hiking, aerial yoga, and cooking/baking with her family.