Local accounting firm gets new owner and new name

The accounting firm known as Seydel, Lewis, Poe, Moeller and Gunderson, LLC will welcome new owner Yvonne Roberts as of June 1. Roberts has worked for the firm since 2007 and has been a CPA since 2004.

Prior to working as a CPA she was an assistant vice president and manager with a local bank. Roberts is a graduate of Union High School and Eastern Oregon University.

The firm name will change to Lewis, Poe, Moeller, Gunderson and Roberts, LLC effective June 1. The firm has been proudly serving and supporting local communities since 1950.

North Carolina author to share insight on local investing

Carol Peppe Hewitt is coming to Northeast Oregon to share community capital ideas and innovations she experienced as a founder of the Slow Money chapter in her home state of North Carolina.

Hewitt published “Financing Our Foodshed: Growing Local Food with Slow Money” that describes successful peer-to-peer lending examples. Her book focuses on food-related efforts, but the lessons in local investing are salient across all areas of business.

Hewitt will be accompanied by author Lyle Estill, who spearheaded the start-up of a local distillery that uses sorghum molasses to make spirits and turns local wine into port.

He was involved in the re-financing of a co-op grocery store by local investors and the purchase of a 75-acre farm for a community arts center.

Peer-to-peer lending is one of the expected outcomes of the upcoming Local Impact Investing Opportunity Network events sponsored by Northeast Oregon Economic Development District and Springboard Innovation in Baker, Union and Wallowa counties.

The Local Impact Investing Opportunity Network events will be held at 6:30 p.m. June 2 at the VAIO Center, 1901 Main St., in Baker City; noon June 3 at Community Connection, 702 N.W. First St. in Enterprise; and at 6:30 p.m. June 3 at

La Grande’s The Market Place Upper Room, 1101 Washington Ave.

Elsa Steen Esthetics opens doors in downtown Joseph

Joseph’s bustling business district welcomed a newcomer this weekend – Elsa Steen Esthetics.

Steen graduated from Enterprise High School in 2013 and studied at Beau Monde in Portland. She is now offering beauty wax, facials and makeup in a studio located at the back of Tempting Tea.

The official launch of Steen’s business was May 10 during Pamperfest, an annual spring customer appreciation event at Tempting Tea.

At an early age she developed an interest in skin care and becoming an esthetician was a natural fit. In high school, she took advantage of an extra-curricular entrepreneur class offered by Stacy Green. Steen started two businesses her junior year. She sold customized wine glasses at Sports Corral and by word of mouth, and as a senior she sold cupcakes using Facebook, flyers and business cards.

For her facials, Steen said she will be using all Wild Carrot products, a skin care company based in Enterprise.

“I was using their product when I went to school and thought it would be a good niche for county business and keeping things local,” she said.

After esthetician school Steen had planned to work at a spa in Beaverton.

“I never thought I’d end up having my own business, but I knew I wanted to be home so I feel like this is a good opportunity.”

– WesCom News Service staff