Ed Pershing and Doug Yoakley were troubled by the client service limitations they experienced while working together in a “Big Eight” accounting firm, so they set out to found a company built on a commitment to long-term relationships. In 1983, Pershing and Yoakley, CPAs was born.

That focus on client relationships was a formula that resonated. In less than 10 years, the Firm outgrew its office space twice. In 1992, the Firm renovated a historic 1927 schoolhouse to accommodate its rapid growth. By 2010, the Firm needed even more space, renovating a 1917 textile mill for the development of a nearly 200,000-square-foot campus.

The Firm is now known simply as PYA, and our promise remains to deliver Vision Beyond the Numbers,TM a rare combination of unmatched personal service, genuine concern for every client’s success, and our continuing commitment to long-term relationships.

From its meager beginnings 40 years ago, PYA and its affiliated firms now comprise more than 350 employees with offices in six cities serving more than 3,500 clients in all 50 states. The PYA Enterprise of affiliated firms includes Realty Trust Group, PYA Waltman Capital, and Crux Strategies.

Today, PYA is listed by Forbes as one of America’s Best Accounting and Tax firms, is consistently ranked among Modern Healthcare’s Top 20 healthcare consulting firms, has been ranked third-highest in female ownership among Top 100 Accounting Firms by Inside Public Accounting, and is a Top 15 auditor of the nation’s largest health systems.

PYA’s core values are the touchstone for every decision we make. It’s “The PYA Way,” and the results are measurable. We are immensely grateful that hundreds of clients have chosen relationships with the Firm for more than a decade, with many relationships spanning multiple decades. 

To this day, the original sign that once hung at the small office where it all began is on display in the lobby of PYA’s headquarters. It serves as a reminder of the journey’s humble beginnings; the opportunities that lie ahead; and, as all the PYA owners believe, “the best that is yet to come!”

  • 1983

    Ed Pershing & Doug Yoakley launch PYA and open an office on Lyons View Pike.

  • 1992

    PYA renovates Perkins Place schoolhouse and moves to One Perkins Place.

  • 1995

    Tampa Bay office opens.

  • 1998

    Affiliate company Realty Trust Group is founded — Greg Gheen named president.

  • 1999

    Atlanta office opens.

  • 2005

    Affiliate company PYA Waltman Capital, LLC is founded — Bill Waltman named president.

  • 2007

    Modern Healthcare lists PYA as a Top 20 Healthcare Consulting Firm for the first time.

  • 2010

    PYA expands Knoxville location by renovating and moving into historic Cherokee Mills building.

  • 2012

    Teknovation.biz — a technology, innovation, & entrepreneurial initiative — is launched. Tom Ballard named director.

  • 2012

    Kansas City office opens.

  • 2014

    Nashville office expands.

  • 2015

    Modern Healthcare ranks PYA as the nation’s 9th largest privately held healthcare consulting firm.

  • 2017

    PYA ranks 3rd in female percentage ownership among Top 100 U.S. accounting firms by Inside Public Accounting.

  • 2017

    Atlanta office growth results in move to a new Buckhead location.

  • 2018

    PYA recognized for the first time as a “Top Workplace.”

  • 2018

    Tampa office growth results in office expansion.

  • 2018

    PYA becomes one of 79 firms worldwide to be certified as a HITRUST Authorized CSF.

  • 2020

    Annual PYA Tom Ballard Innovation Award established.

  • 2021

    Helena office location opens.

  • 2021

    Center for Rural Health Advancement established.

  • 2021

    Forbes lists PYA among the nation’s Top Tax and Accounting Firms.

  • 2022

    Crux Strategies joins the PYA Enterprise as an affiliate.

  • 2022

    Charlotte office location opens.