Steve began his career in accounting working as a hospital accountant in 1973. From 1973 to 1986 he worked in various key financial positions in three major hospitals in the Chattanooga area. In early 1987 Mr. Gentry opened a CPA firm in Chattanooga, TN with a desire to help individuals and small businesses to achieve their financial goals. Since then Steve has continued to sharpened his skills in accounting, tax preparation and business evaluation.
Steve earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia. He continued his academic pursuits and earned a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee. Steve became a Certified Public Accountant in 1985, and became a Certified Valuation Analyst in 2009.
Steve is active in a number of professional organizations including the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA.) Steve treats every client with respect and integrity. Steve provides independent financial analysis in addition to tax and accounting services.
Steve Gentry starting the firm in 1987 and was joined in 2002 by Jim Buffington, CPA to form Gentry & Buffington CPAs. Jim retired in 2010 Ellen joined the firm in 2004 and became a partner in 2006. Steve and Ellen believe that their combined knowledge and experience will achieve remarkable results for all of their clients.
Steve enjoys singing karaoke in his spare time.
Jielan “Ellen” Yu, CPA, was raised in China where she taught statistics at the University of Shanghai for Light Industry. She speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese. Then she moved to the United States to continue her education in 1995. She is dedicated to helping clients make intelligent financial decisions and ethically minimize tax liability. Her hard work and determination ensure that every client is treated with high regard.
Ms Yu earned a Masters degree in accounting from Eastern Carolina University in 2002. Ms Yu then went on to become a Certified Public Accountant in 2005. She is a Member of the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants.
In her spare time, Ellen enjoys getting together with friends, working out, and spending time with her daughter Karen.
Cory leads the wealth management side of our practice. He is a CPA but focuses on financial planning and investment advisory services. With over 16 years of experience in the financial industry, Cory is licensed as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the state of Tennessee as well as licensed in life and health insurance in Tennessee. He is a partner and Chief Investment Officer at his advisory firm, Optivise Advisory Services, LLC. He enjoys serving as a fiduciary advisor and helping clients make the best decisions about their money.
Cory received his undergraduate and Master of Business Administration degrees from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. When not working, he enjoys spending time with his family, on the lake and working out.
Holly hails from Atlanta, Georgia. She graduated from Georgia State University with a degree in Accounting. She speaks two languages, Vietnamese and English. Holly enjoys learning new things, meeting new people, and gaining new experiences. She loves to travel abroad to Asia and Europe and spends her free time creating memories with her husband and little boy.
Lina speaks Chinese and English. She graduated from Georgia State University with a master’s degree in accounting. She specializes in bookkeeping and tax preparation with six years of experience in the accounting industry. She plans to earn her CPA in 2024. She enjoys swimming, traveling, and spending time with friends in her free time.
Office Administrator
Tax Preparation
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