top of page
Author Educator Mentor Presenter-2.png

  Tressa Lacy - Author, Speaker, Mentor, Educator

Riveting audiences with her personal story of working as a child lumberjack and the accident that nearly took her life, Tressa weaves themes of mentoring, support, education, and becoming a champion for change.

Tressa is an author, speaker, accountant, educator, and champion for change around the issues of gender, diversity, education, mentorship, and sustainability.

  • She is a compelling speaker, weaving her story of being injured as a child lumberjack into the themes of personal growth, mentorship, and the role of community  

  • She enjoys speaking about the power of mentorship and becoming a changemaker

  • She is always up for a new endeavor: learning new things, seeing new places, and meeting new people ​

 

Her Story - Her Book:   Life as a Child Lumberjack

After much inner turmoil, she completed her most recent endeavor: writing a book about her life, including the profound effect mentors have on her life and experiences as a child lumberjack. The writing was the easy part. Dropping the blindfolds, learning to accept reality, and beginning the arduous journey of untangling identity from past, faith, and family is her most challenging endeavor yet. 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

 

Practice Areas

Practice Areas include: Presenting; Career and Leadership Development; Team Building; Mentorship Facilitating: Teaching; Training; Business Consulting; Human Resource Consulting; and Nonprofit Consulting

Accounting Firm Owner

Tressa’s accounting practice focuses on financial education and creating financial infrastructure to meet the unique needs of individuals, nonprofits, and privately held businesses relating to their Accounting, Tax Planning, and Other Business needs. Her services range from selecting and forming new entities and start-ups to more complex planning and preparation of business plans, tax returns, and financial reports to creating processes for data security, budgets and forecasts, and human resource compliance. Tressa provides insight on leveraging resources to maximize services through process improvement, organizational governance, mentoring, and bridging differences for more equitable workplaces.

 

“Tressa was an invaluable resource as she assisted in establishing my S-corporations, creating a business plan, applying for start-up loans, and educating me on payroll and employee issues. Through her assistance, I have been empowered to realize my potential, thrive financially, and give back to the community in a way I never dreamed possible.” Dr. E

Educator

As an adjunct accounting professor at Brigham Young University Idaho, Tressa focuses on empowering a successful hybrid workforce and addressing pipeline challenges by inspiring young people to join the accounting profession. Tressa authored a first-of-its-kind accounting textbook that focuses on competencies and skills relevant to the accounting profession as it evolves and the numerous professional paths available with an accounting degree. She prioritizes meeting with each of her students to provide mentorship and to gain an understanding of the individual so she can value cultural and learning differences and create an environment for growth beyond their academic studies.

 

“Want a great teacher who wants to help you succeed in accounting? Then look no further. Lacy is an amazing teacher. She gives her students every chance to do well. You're in good hands if you take her class.”      · Accounting Made Simple; Co-Author; 2021

 

Founder of Undaunted Women

Tressa’s willingness to gain an understanding of individuals and their environment led to the timely creation of a nonprofit that assists refugees in reaching self-reliance through mentorship, education, and financial training. Tressa volunteered thousands of hours of her time to create the infrastructure necessary for the nonprofit to thrive; gathering resources and creating successful partnerships to work with refugees as they seek new skills, start businesses, prepare taxes, budget, and save. Tressa works closely with existing organizations to help refugees reach their self-reliance goals; bridge differences to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion; and create meaningful mentorship that benefit volunteers as much as those they mentor.

 

“Through my volunteering experience, I have truly gained a friend. We’ve been able to bridge gaps and come to a better understanding of each other and our cultures. I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn from her the value of community. Seeing how willing she is to give all she has to those around her is humbling.”- T.S.

SPEAKER, KEYNOTE, INTERVIEW GUEST AND WORKSHOPS

 

FOCUS Areas: Personal Story growing up as child lumberjack, Eyes wide open, Mentoring 

Focus

In her speaking engagements, Tressa focuses on the role of meaningful connection in influencing personal and professional identity, providing ethical and moral guidance, empowering employees in a hybrid work environment, and creating financial infrastructure in impoverished communities.

Former Speaking Engagements

· Zonta International Convention, June 2022 (Hamburg, Germany)

· Zonta International’s Remarkable Women, Powerful Stories, Worldwide Series, March 2021 (International Audience)

· American Association of University Women (AAUW) National Conference of College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL) May 2022 (Washington DC)

· University of Washington Milgard School of Business Accounting Recognition Night Keynote Address, May 2022 (Tacoma, WA)

· Zonta for Women District 8 Conference, October 2019 & 2021 (Olympia, WA; Blackfoot, ID)

· Brigham Young University-Idaho All Employee Conference, February 2022 (Rexburg, ID)

· American Association of University Women (AAUW), Washington State Conference, October 2022 (Bellevue, WA)

· Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty, July 2022, (Lexington, VA) 

Upcoming Speaking Engagements

· Finance, Accounting, and Auditing Professionals Rocky Mountain Area Conference September 2022 (Denver, CO)

· American Association of University Women, October 2022, (Seattle, WA)

EDUCATION + COMMUNITY INVOLVMENT

 

EDUCATION

Degrees

Tressa received her Master’s in Accounting from the University of Washington Tacoma. Before attending the Milgard School of Business, Tressa received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Brigham Young University-Idaho.

 

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Volunteer and Mentor

Tressa has dedicated her passion, intellect, heart, and resources to bring about sustainable change through mentoring and community partnerships, demonstrated by her timely insight, personalized outreach, collaboration with other professionals, and service to volunteer organizations.

 

With Tressa’s guidance, I organized a small conference as part of my financial education project in my hometown in Africa. During the presentation, I got the opportunity to meet with a private professional technical school headmaster who desires to implement the financial education course in his school. I am grateful for Tressa’s guidance and counsel.” - M.K.

Affiliated Organizations

· American Association of University Women (AAUW); PR Committee Member, Seattle Branch; 2022- Present

· Association of International Certified Professional Accountants; Member; 2019-Present

· Pacific Northwest Regional Council of the Institute of Management Accountants; Secretary: 2019- Present

· Washington Society of CPAs; Member; 2019-Present

· Zonta District 8; Women in Business Scholarship Committee Member; 2021-Present

· Zonta South Puget Sound; Service and Advocacy Committee Member; 2020-Present

Founded Organizations

· Undaunted Women; Co-founder and Vice President of Communications; 2019-Present

· Distinguished Young Women of Buckley and Enumclaw; Founder and Chairwoman; 2007-2012

SUPPORTERS


IMPACT MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH GENEROUS SCHOLARSHIP, GRANT, AND MENTORSHIP SUPPORT FROM THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS

  • Accounting and Financial Women’s Alliance

  • American Association of University Women

  • Discover Card

  • Educational Foundation for Women in Accounting

  • Fall River Rural Electric

  • Institute of Management Accountants

  • John and Olive Adams Foundation

  • Lytle Enterprises

  • Puget Sound Business Journal

  • University of Washington Tacoma and the Milgard School of Business

  • Washington CPA foundation

  • Zonta International, Zonta District 8, and Zonta South Puget Sound

bottom of page