Our History

Since the founding of Moore Colson in 1981 by Greg Colson and Jack Moore, the firm has been committed to building wealth and security for our clients by providing traditional accounting and consulting services to closely-held businesses. As a mid-size accounting firm in the Southeast, Moore Colson has had a history of steady growth from the beginning days when our first office was located on Peachtree Street in Atlanta and housed a staff of two professionals, one bookkeeper and one receptionist.

As Moore Colson began to grow in numbers and experience, our service offerings also began to expand throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In 1985, Tim Ayres joined the firm to continue developing the consulting practice and later became the first partner to join the original founding partners. In 1989, Bob Kiser joined the firm full time and, as a Certified Financial Planner, began developing the financial planning side, which later evolved into Moore Colson Financial Services in 1998. In 1991 and 1993, Bert Mills and Todd McMullen brought in their expertise from working with “Big Four” accounting firms. And, in 1993, Bob Kiser and Bert Mills became partners, with Todd McMullen becoming a partner by 1997.

From 1998 to 2000, Moore Colson doubled revenue while maintaining a 25% annual growth rate. The number of employees reached 35, and the new service line of Information Technology was established. Also, during that time, the firm saw continued growth in the Lender Services area, which was established in 1994, and the financial planning area, which began in 1989 and continued to expand into the formal name of Moore Colson Wealth Management. In the summer of 2000, the firm underwent a brand identity process and evolved with market differentiation through an integrated marketing program resulting in consistent communication and positioning. In 2002, Jason Birmingham was promoted to partner. In 2006, Phil Booth was promoted to partner. In 2007, Bret Roy was promoted to partner. In 2008, Steve LaMontagne joined the firm as a partner. In December 2008, Andy Starnes and Chris Arnone were promoted to partners, and Bob Kiser was named managing partner. In December 2010, Steven Murphy was promoted to partner. In 2012, Elizabeth S. Miller joined the firm as a partner, and, in 2013, Brian Renshaw was promoted to partner. In 2014, Bert Mills was named the firm’s new managing partner. In 2015, Chris Tierney joined the firm as a partner, and, in January 2017, Jonathan Levens was admitted as a partner of the firm. In December 2018, Billy Boyd, Christopher Fagan, Adam Bateman and Jon Powell were added as partners, and in January 2020, Steven Bailey was promoted to partner. In January 2021, Candace Jackson, Sydney Trew, Marcia Nally and Tyler Wright were promoted to partners. And in January 2022, Kelly Bird-Keith and Stephanie George were promoted to partners. In January 2023, Andy Starnes was named the firm’s new managing partner and Chris Arnone was named vice-chair. Also in January 2023, Geoff Braun, Journet Greene and Hudson Ireland were promoted to partners, and Brit Lanier joined the firm as a partner.

In 2001, Moore Colson earned two Bowman All-Star designations in Bowman’s Accounting Report for Fastest Growing Firms (ranked 9th with 32.5% growth) and for Percent of Revenue from Management Consulting and Other Services (Moore Colson ranked 7th with 59.8% of revenue generated from MCS/other). In October 2002, for the second time, Moore Colson received a Silver Medal in Bowman’s “Best of the Best” list. In 2005, Moore Colson was named as one of the Best of The Best Firms by INSIDE Public Accounting (IPA) and placed #1 for the highest percentage of revenue in Management Consulting Services. Moore Colson was also named an A+ Employer, Best Places to Work by the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

More recently, Moore Colson has been named one of the Fastest Growing Atlanta Firms and as one of Atlanta’s Top 25 Accounting Firms since 2002 by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Every year since 2011, Moore Colson has been named a Top Workplace by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and in 2023, the firm was named a Top Workplace USA.

Moore Colson is also consistently named one of the Best of the Best Top 50 CPA Firms in America by IPA. The firm has also been named a Top 200 largest CPA firm in America since 2014. In 2017, Moore Colson was ranked the #1 Best of the Best CPA and Advisory firm in the United States by IPA. In 2022, the firm broke into the Top 110 largest firms category.

In June 2004, Greg Colson was named Chairman of the Board for IGAF Worldwide, North America and Board Member and Treasurer for IGAF Worldwide. In June 2006, Greg Colson was re-elected as Chairman of the Board for IGAF Worldwide, North America. Rebranded PrimeGlobal in 2012, it is one of the 5 largest associations of independent accounting firms in the world, comprised of over 300+ highly successful independent public accounting firms in 90 countries. Formed from a merger in 2011, PrimeGlobal provides its independent member firms with tools and resources to help them furnish superior accounting, auditing, tax, and management services to clients around the globe. Through PrimeGlobal, independent member firms offer the strength and capabilities of a large, worldwide organization with technical depth and geographic reach impossible for a local firm alone. Bert Mills was named a World Board member of PrimeGlobal in 2016.

In 2019, Moore Colson launched Magnolia Trust Company in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Magnolia is owned by the shareholders of Moore Colson. Magnolia provides individualized and independent trust administration services for high-net-worth individuals and families, including regional privately held business owners, foundations, family offices and charitable organizations in the southeast. It takes a client-centered approach to helping individuals and families achieve their aspirations and create long-lasting legacies. The team works with the clients’ investment managers, CPAs, legal counsel, insurance professionals, valuation consultants, bankers and other advisors to provide strategic, coordinated collaboration and holistic trust administration. As independent advisors, Magnolia works alongside the client’s existing team of advisors to develop and execute dynastic trust planning strategies with an emphasis on tax planning. In 2022, Todd McMullen was named the company’s new president and chief executive officer. Also in 2022, Magnolia opened its Atlanta office, the company’s second location.

As of April 2023, Moore Colson has a total of 28 partners, 170 employees and is ranked in the Top 15 Atlanta Accounting Firms list by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. We remain focused on our clients’ needs and continue to develop quality, timely and innovative solutions.