Our Team
Keith A. Upkes
Founder & President
Keith is a financial Controller with more than 25 years of experience in financial and 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 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, business strategy, accounting systems and accounting department management. Keith is a tactical hands-on Controller. His knowledge does not stop at accounting. He is well-versed in all aspects of business management from operations and 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 the President Elect and will be President in 2009-2010. He is also a member of the Vancouver Rotary Foundation Board of Directors. Keith was the Foundation Treasurer for six years 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 graduate of Leadership Clark County, a community leadership program designed to train community leadership skills to up and 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.
Mary Wiens
Contract Controller
Mary is a Contract Controller with Upkes Group. She has worked for more than 20 years as an Accountant/Controller. She has significant experience in financial management, accounting systems and accounting department oversight.
Prior to joining The Upkes Group in 2008, she worked for 14 years for Sekidenko, a Vancouver high tech manufacturing firm, as Accounting Manager and Divisional Controller. At Sekidenko, she was responsible for financial reporting, budgeting, sales forecasting and results analysis. Mary’s past positions include staff accountant for Moss Adams, staff auditor for KMPG and accounting manager for Mission Aviation Fellowship in Kinshasa, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo). She was a practicing CPA in Colorado.
Mary attended Colorado State University in Fort Collins, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a Concentration in Accounting. She lives in Camas, WA with her husband, Don and two children, who are in college. Mary enjoys hiking, biking and healthy cooking. She is treasurer of her church where she enjoys teaching children and women’s bible studies.
Carolee Doran Dewars 
Accountant
Carolee Dewars is an accountant with The Upkes Group. With five years experience, she is well-versed in QuickBooks accounting. She is responsible for the accounting and payroll as well as administrative tasks within our company. Additionally, Carolee supports our clients with their bookkeeping, accounting and payroll needs.
She joined the Upkes Group in September 2008. Prior to joining our team she was responsible for accounts payable and payroll for a Southwest Washington construction company.
Carolee holds a BA in Romance Languages from Colorado College in Colorado Springs and a MS in Library and Information Science from the University of Texas in Austin. She lives in Camas, WA with her husband and two children. Carolee has been involved with organizations that support education for nearly 10 years and is currently President of the Camas Educational Foundation. Her family enjoys hiking, canoeing and camping in the Northwest.