Our Team

Brian Toennies
Owner

Brian earned his Bachelor's Degree in accounting from Illinois State University in 1986. Two years later he passed the CPA exam and started his career in public accounting. In 1997 he started Brian Toennies & Associates with himself and one other employee. Today the the team has grown to more than 14 employees and provides tax, accounting, and business advisory services to more than 3000 clients. The firm prepares individual, corporate, partnership, trust, and payroll tax returns for clients primarily in the St. Louis Metro area but also across the United States.

Brian and his wife Mona have 3 sons, Eric, Zach and Jack.  When he gets time away from work, Brian enjoys spending time with family and traveling. He believes the success of the firm is based upon hiring great employees and providing true value to clients.

Kip Buettner
CPA

Kip graduated from East Texas State University in 1985 and has been practicing in the tax accounting area for over 35 years. He earned his CPA license in 1990.

Although Kip is new to Toennies & Associates, he has known Brian for years and trained him at his first public accounting position out of college.

Kip is from the Belleville area and enjoys all aspects of taxation.  

Kip is an avid St. Louis Blues fan and other sports as well. Kip has two daughters and a grandson and enjoys family time.

Brittany Smith
Staff Accountant
Brittany joined our firm in October, 2012, and she holds the position of Staff Accountant. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in accounting from Saint Louis University in Business Administration with a concentration in accounting. She has several years of experience in accounting and payroll services and has a passion to serve other people in any way she can. She endeavors to work diligently with honesty and integrity. Brittany and her husband, Brian, live in the St. Louis area with their dog, Lily. In her spare time she is devoted to serving at her church and spending quality time with her family.
Mackenzie Gottlob
Staff Accountant
Mackenzie earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2017. She has been with Brian Toennies and Associates since December of 2017. In the future, Mackenzie would like to go back to school to get her MBA and sit for the CPA. Outside of the office, Mackenzie loves the outdoors, binge watching shows on Netflix/Hulu and spending time with her two older sisters.
Craig Eden
Staff Accountant
Craig joined our team in October of 2018. Craig obtained his Bachelor’s Degree from Central Methodist University. He double majored in Accounting & Business Management with a minor in Economics. He has several years of experience in Individual Income Tax Returns. He is currently studying for his CPA Exam license. Craig is married to his wife Adrienne and has one son Carson. In his spare time he enjoys playing with Carson outside, and watching the Blues or Cardinals.
Pete Bothmann
Staff Accountant

Pete is a Staff Accountant here at Brian Toennies.  He works mainly on tax returns, bookkeeping and various projects for our clients.  Pete graduated from Southeast Missouri State University in 2018 where he earned his degree in Business Administration-Accounting and minored in Computer Science.  He joined Brian Toennies and Associates in the Summer of 2019 and he continues to study to sit for the CPA. Outside of his work he enjoys Fishing, Cardinals baseball Games, Hockey and Cooking.

Cullen Demarest
CPA
Brian hired Cullen about three years ago. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Missouri – Kansas City. He is licensed as a CPA in Missouri and Kansas. Cullen now works remotely for the firm while attending the University of Dayton School of Law. He still enjoys working for Brian’s great team and likes to see small businesses thrive. Cullen is originally from the Kansas City area; he loves to see the Royals win whenever they can. He also likes spending time with the family, especially the family dog, Mongo.
Jacob Coogan
Staff Accountant
Lucas Bennett
Staff Accountant
Makayla Golden
Staff Accountant
Jacob Kempen
Staff Accountant
Joe Meyer
Staff Accountant
Austin Grimshaw
Intern Staff Accountant
Paige Jensen
Office Administrator
Paige Jensen is an Office Manager who has been with Brian for 15 years. She attended some college, but prior to joining Brian’s team, gained most of her skills working at Six Flags and in the banking business (where she met Brian). Paige specializes in Payroll Taxes and Bookkeeping work with an emphasis on corporation set up. Paige enjoys live music of any kind, finds baking and John Cusack therapeutic, and enjoys Cardinal baseball any day of the week. She loves road trips and has a dream to retire in the mountains of Utah someday.
Arian Walden
Administrative Assistant
As office admin, Arian is often the first face you see when you walk in the door, or the first to answer your phone calls. She takes pride in helping people, is hyper-creative, enthusiastic and incorporates both traits into problem solving, and function in the office. Arian has some college experience in the culinary arts, with which she worked a short while as a cook and at a bakery. She later found her niche beginning her office administrative career a few years prior to joining our team in 2015. Arian, at home with her wife Mikah, enjoys cooking, gardening, Netflix, RuneScape and playing with their two rambunctious dogs Erza & Jack.
Kathryn Lorenz
Administrative Assistant

Kathryn will welcome you with a smile when you step into the O’Fallon, IL office.  Joining Brian’s team in January of 2020 as an administrative assistant, she brings Years of customer service in the banking industry with her.

When she’s not behind the desk she enjoys staying active with her three kids and Her partner, Tom.  She teaches and studies Taekwondo and is currently training for Her second-degree black belt.

Peggy Pickel
Administrative Assistant
Kara Rutledge
Administrative Assistant