Our Team
Keith A. Upkes
Founder & President
Keith is a financial Controller with more than 25 years of experience in financial & business management. In April 2003, Keith left his position in corporate America to start a Controller for hire business, which is the predecessor to The Upkes Group. Prior to starting The Upkes Group, Keith was the Controller for Applied Motion Systems, Inc. a Vancouver, Washington manufacturing and engineering firm. Prior to that, he was Controller at Pac Paper, Inc., a Vancouver, Washington paper converter, for 6 years. Keith also served as the corporate Controller for 18 years at Beall Corporation, a Portland, Oregon manufacturer of heavy trailers.
Keith has significant experience in all aspects of business management with an emphasis in financial management, accounting systems & accounting department management. Keith is a tactical hand’s on Controller. His knowledge does not stop at accounting. He is well versed in all aspects of business management from operations & financial to strategy and tactics. Keith has a natural knack for operating a business.
His community service experience includes an active role in the Vancouver Rotary Club where he is a member of the Vancouver Rotary Foundation board of directors. Keith is also the Foundation Treasurer for the Vancouver Rotary Foundation’s Festival of Trees, which raises more than $200,000 each year for community projects. Additionally he has been a club board director and has served on various community service committees. Keith is a former member of the Columbia Credit Union Supervisory Committee.
Keith is a graduate of Leadership Clark County, a community leadership program designed to train community leadership skills to up & coming community leaders.
Keith resides in Camas, Washington with his wife Kara and their 3 children, Patrick, Hannah and Maggie. They stay very active within the Camas School District and their church. Keith’s hobbies are camping, vacations at the coast, biking, and snow skiing.
Kandi R. Peto
Accountant
Kandi joined The Upkes Group in February 2007. She has more than seven years experience in various accounting applications. Most recently she worked for Jon Goldman Associates in Anaheim, California as a full charge bookkeeper where she was instrumental in a merger of two corporations. Prior to that she was a staff accountant and sales tax preparer for MTI Technical Institute in Irvine, California and a full charge bookkeeper for Continental Vending in Anaheim, California.
Kandi received her accounting education at Western Business College in Portland, Oregon and also attended New Horizons Computer Learning Center. She is highly skilled in Microsoft Excel, Word & Outlook, QuickBooks and several other midrange accounting software systems
In addition to supporting Upkes Group clients with their on-going accounting initiatives, she has also been instrumental with several significant accounting “rescues” for clients as well as providing CPA communication and Liaison support for clients needing to work with their CPA for compilation, review or audit engagements.
Kandi founded and was president of a childrens’ club in California and active in her church and childrens’ school in California. In December 2006, Kandi re-located back to the Northwest She resides in Battle Ground, Washington with her husband, Garry, and their 4 children, Nickalas, Christofer, Hollie and Douglas. The Peto family enjoys hiking, river rafting, rock climbing and soccer.