Darien Accountant Works with Dollars and Sense

Barbara Vondra has two great passions – numbers and physical fitness. They both led to her career and brought her to Darien, where she established her .

As a young woman in Stickney, Vondra took accounting courses at Morton Junior College.

“Then life went a different way,” she said.

Vondra found herself as a single mother with a family to support. She worked as a waitress while her parents watched her two young sons.

As her children grew, Vondra realized something had to change.

“The gals I was working with… I kept looking around and thinking, ‘I can’t do this when I’m their age! What am I going to do?’” she said.

So one August morning, she decided to go back to Morton Junior College.

“I had no idea when registration was,” she said. “And it just happened to be registration for the fall semester.”

Vondra took just one accounting class to see if she could manage classwork and family and her job. She succeeded, earning an associate's degree.

But she couldn’t find a job. So she went back and got another associate's degree, this time in business.

She was still waitressing.

So she enrolled at the University of Illinois at Chicago. “Three years later,” she said, “I got my Bachelor of Science degree and thought ‘NOW I’m going to get a job.’”

She got interviews, but no job.

Then her other passion intervened.

Vondra is a lifelong member of American Sokol, a not-for-profit organization that promotes physical fitness. The treasurer wanted to retire and asked Vondra to take over the responsibilities. She agreed, and they paid a visit to the accountant in Clarendon Hills who managed the books. He surprised her by offering her a job.

“He had a public-accounting practice,” she said. “He did some audits. So I was able to get a mixture of things.”

In 2003, with experience and her new CPA, Vondra decided to open her own practice. 

She already had her own clients and needed office space. Someone told her that had extra office space in his suite after the Darien Chamber of Commerce moved into new quarters.

“They moved out. I moved in,” she said. “And I’ve been here ever since.”

Right now, Vondra’s business is mostly taxes. Throughout the year, she also works with small businesses on their accounting, payroll taxes, sales taxes and financial statements. Her Darien clients include Higher Health Chiropractic,  and The Vaughn Group, Inc.

And Michael Overmann, Ltd.

“Because I’m here in this office with Mike, I have been doing a lot of estate and trust tax returns,” she explained. “So I’ve developed a niche for that particular service.”

As do many accountants, Vondra has also advised clients on investments. But with all the changing regulations that impact people’s financial lives, she’s decided to limit her focus.

“I do have some securities licenses,” she said. “(But) this past summer, I merged my financial services practice in with another financial advisor. If someone wants an IRA, now I call up my partner.”

Vondra enjoys helping people save money.

“I try to help people, too, with (what) I call ‘value added,’” she said. "Especially in my newsletters. I’ve been trying to hit on things that are not necessarily related to a tax return, but they could be saving. Like (Illinois Treasurer Dan Rutherford's) .”

The personal touch is important to Vondra.

“I prepare taxes in a personable and professional manner,” she said. “Regardless of how people bring in their information, I always personally talk to the people to say ‘Here’s your tax return. Here’s where you’re at. Here’s what I understand. Is there anything else you want to tell me?’”

Vondra is happy to share her knowledge through presentations, whether 10 minutes or an hour long. Topics include areas of business and strategic planning as well as information specific to not-for-profit organizations.

“I try to help people,” she said. “I know it’s a number business, but it’s really a people business. And I really love to work with the people.”

Barbara Vondra’s office is located at 7702 S. Cass Avenue, Suite 135, in Darien. For more information or to request a consultation, call 630-327-8202 or go to www.bjvondracpa.com.