Don Franty, CPA Principal
Don is a Pittsburgh native and 1985 graduate of West Virginia University. Don has been helping business owners navigate through the complexities of a fast-paced business and tax environment for over 30 years. Through all of the changes we’ve experienced, Don’s mission has been constant – to help our clients achieve their goals. Franty & Company has grown by identifying our clients’ needs and by providing them with high quality, timely, and proactive services. The Company has grown because our clients have found value in our relationship.
Don resides in McMurray with his wife, Ellen, and the official Franty & Company Mascot, Shih Tzu Freddy Franty. Don & Ellen try to visit their adult children, Nick (Raleigh, NC) and Emily (Atlanta, GA) as much as possible.
Tom Kress, CPA
Prior to joining Franty & Company in 2002, Tom had 15 years of experience working with small business clients and their owners. His understanding of business and individual tax issues has helped his clients recognize significant tax savings over the years. Tom earned his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Tom and his wife, Christine, reside in South Park.
Setal N. Patel, CPA
Setal has more than 10 years of experience in public accounting offering consulting and tax compliance services for closely-held businesses and individuals. Setal has experience servicing clients in a broad range of industries such as agribusiness, ranching, investments, real estate, professional services firms (specifically physicians, attorneys, and engineers), oil & gas, and nonprofits. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
Setal resides in Corpus Christi, Texas with her husband Nilesh and two sons Nayan and Sahil. In her free time, you can find her shuttling her kids around town for extracurricular activities or at the beach.
Stuart M. Cunningham, EA
Stuart earned his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Washington & Jefferson College in 1998 and received a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Wheeling Jesuit University in 2001. Stuart is an Enrolled Agent and enjoys working closely with clients to help them achieve their goals as business owners. Stuart is experienced with small to medium sized businesses, along with high-net-worth individuals.
Stuart resides in South Park with his wife Jennifer, twin sons Parker & Troy, and the family dog, Cody. When not at work, you’ll find Stuart at his sons sporting events, football, wrestling, and baseball, or helping with the teams boosters organizations.
Tina Frost, Staff Accountant
Tina has over 25 years of tax experience in both the public and private sector. Tina received her CPA license in 1994, from the state of Minnesota. She has worked in both large and small entities, and on various business returns as well as individual, fiduciary and non-profit returns. Tina has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting from Hofstra University and a Master’s of Business Taxation degree from the University of Minnesota.
Tina currently resides in New Jersey with her husband, Ray, and children Bella and Ray. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, watching football and soccer games (especially ones her children play in) and exercising.
Ellen Franty, Director of Communications
Ellen serves as the Human Resources and Production Manager for the Company. Her goal is to make sure that all of our clients are receiving excellent service. Ellen earned her undergraduate and graduate Nursing degrees from the University of Pittsburgh and is also a certified health coach and graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Ellen also has extensive training in Communications and Management from Sterling Management in Glendale, CA.
Ellen is Don’s wife and mother to Nick and Emily. Their beloved Shih Tzu “Freddy” is the official office greeter. Outside of the office, Ellen enjoys running, yoga, and cooking. Ellen visits Nick and Emily, each currently residing in different southern cities, as often as she can!
Christie Hayes, Office Manager
Christie graduated from the Sawyer School of Business and has over 35 years of administrative experience in office management. Before joining Franty & Company in 2007, Christie was employed at Mercy Hospital for 20 years. Christie takes pride in making sure the office runs smoothly and efficiently.
Christie resides in Andover, Ohio with her husband Jeff and their dog Honey Bee. Christie and Jeff have three grown children, Dan, Greg and Brianna. Christie moved north in late 2020 after her husband retired. She works remotely three or four days a week and works in the office one or two days a week. She enjoys spending time with her family – especially camping – tackling home remodeling projects and interior decorating.
Merritt Blake, Client Service Specialist
Merritt is a Peters Township native and a graduate of Westminster College with a B.A. in Organizational Behavior. Prior to becoming a mom to two wonderful children, (now both married and live nearby) she had a career in Human Resource Management. She has been with Franty & Company since 2008 and loves interacting with and serving our clients and our staff any way that she can.
Merritt loves being “Grammy M” to her two beautiful granddaughters and spends her free time hanging out with them! She also enjoys various outdoor activities with her dog, Gunnar.
Christine Bradford, EA
Franty & Company has re-evaluated our business model. We have decided to primarily focus on our business clients and their accounting and tax needs. Christine has retired from Franty & Company but has branched out and formed her own practice for individual tax preparation. We will continue to work closely with Chris and it is our belief that all will benefit from this change.
Please contact Chris directly at ChristineBradfordEA@gmail.com, 412-443-6002.
Christine Bradford EA, 800 Old Pond Road, Suite 706A, Bridgeville, PA 15017
