Eric J. Lewis, CPA

Member Ours, Lawyer, Lewis & Company, PLLC

Photo by Taylor Mendzela.

By Katlin Swisher

Before he discovered his passion for numbers, Eric Lewis wanted to be a pilot. He was on his way to fulfilling this dream at the U.S. Air Force Academy when he was ruled too tall to be a pilot or navigator. Over time, his definition of adventure changed from high-altitude flights to the thrilling risk of a new business venture. In 1997 at the age of 24, he quit his job as a staff accountant to join a 10-person internet startup.

“I learned so much taking that risk,” he says. “It made me better for the clients I serve today, and the friendships and connections I made then have lasted all these years.”

Today, Lewis is a certified public accountant (CPA) and member at Ours, Lawyer, Lewis & Company, PLLC, a company he built with fellow accountants Tom Ours, CPA, and Chad Lawyer, CPA, after combining their three Eastern Panhandle practices in June 2007.

“We saw an opportunity in the Eastern Panhandle to create a larger full-service CPA firm with a focus on hands-on client service,” says Lewis. “I was fortunate to link up with Tom and Chad. Rolling up these three CPA firms into one has allowed me to work in the community in which I live, which is very important to me, and gave me time to dedicate to public service in my community.”

Lewis credits growing up in Shepherdstown as the foundation for his successful accounting career. For him, creating a solid future for his family and trying to make West Virginia and Jefferson County a better place is what keeps him motivated.

He is driven to make a difference in his hometown and achieves this through community service. He currently serves on the board of governors at Shepherd University and the board of directors for the Shepherd University Foundation, Shepherd Research and Entrepreneurial Corporation, Shepherd University Athletic Club and Vision Shared. He is also the president of the Jefferson County Development Authority and a member of the investment advisory council for the INNOVA Commercialization Group, and he gives financially to support Shepherd University, Court Appointed Special Advocates, Shepherdstown Day Care Center and Hospice of the Panhandle.

Lewis also mentors college students and business owners just embarking on their careers as part of his commitment to service.

“I derive a great deal of personal satisfaction from trying to help young entrepreneurs and students,” he says. “I was very fortunate to be appointed to the board of governors of Shepherd University by Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, and I take that role very seriously. I hire interns from Shepherd’s accounting department every year, and I recently hired two Shepherd accounting graduates. I really enjoy working with these young, enthusiastic graduates and entrepreneurs, and I do my best to help them any way I can by pointing them in the right direction; giving them tools, pointers or suggestions; and just being there to bounce ideas.”

Lewis also supports students through his volunteer work with the Shepherd University Athletic Club, an organization he co-founded with fellow athletic boosters to support fundraising and provide more scholarships to the university’s student athletes. Through this program, he assists in teaching athletes about basic household finances, taxes and general economic issues.

“In addition to raising funds for athletics operations and scholarships, we strive to better prepare them for life after college,” Lewis says of the Shepherd University Athletic Club. “I am a huge believer in the value of athletics in the total college experience.”

For his commitment to hard work, perseverance and heart for giving back to others, Lewis credits his father, who passed away in December 2014.

“From my dad I learned the value of doing things right the first time and doing everything I can do to produce the highest quality product,” says Lewis. “Dad thought if something was worth doing, it was worth doing well. He had an attention to detail that he imparted on everyone who worked for him. I try to carry that same attention to detail to this day into my accounting and tax work and my volunteer boards.”

1995 Graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Shepherd University

1997 Hired as CFO at HuskyLabs/Ultraprise Corporation

1999 Licensed as a CPA

2000 Hired as the CFO of Butterfly.net

2004 Joined Jefferson Security Bank’s board of directors

2007 Co-founded Ours, Lawyer, Lewis & Company, PLLC

2014 Joined Vision Shared’s board of directors

2016 Appointed by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin to Shepherd University’s board of governors

2017 Founded Advisor Alliance, LLC