Member, Murray, Queen & Company PLLC
By Samantha Cart
Kristen Queen has always had an interest in finances and saving money. As a child, she looked forward to visiting the bank with her parents, and from a very young age she tracked the progress of her own bank account. Queen didn’t dream of growing up to be a CPA, though. Influenced by TV shows like “The Paper Chase” and “Perry Mason,” she planned to be an attorney.
“Let’s face it, there aren’t really any popular TV shows about CPAs,” she says. “But I am sure I would have been interested in becoming a CPA when I was little if I had known all of the places it was going to take me in my career.”
Queen’s first professional job ended up being the perfect place for her to launch her career. Now a member at Murray, Queen & Company PLLC in Bridgeport, WV, she started as an accountant at the firm but returned to school to garner enough hours to sit for the CPA exam, which she passed in 2010.
“We changed the name of the company to put my name on the door, and I haven’t looked back,” she says. “I love what I do and could not be more thankful to be in this position. Every client who walks through my door has a different situation, and it is always a challenge. It keeps my job interesting.”
The lessons Queen learned through her adolescent love for basketball and competition have proven to be beneficial in her rise to member at the firm.
“I have always been competitive,” she says. “I have a drive to be the best I can possibly be in anything I set out to do. That drive has led me to realize that preparation is a key to success. While preparation can be boring and repetitive, it is paramount to performance at game time. Also important to my success is my willingness to work hard. In high school, I spent every day I possibly could practicing and getting in shape for the next season, and I do that now for each tax season. Also, while it can be hard to possess both a competitive spirit and be thoughtful, I find that going the extra mile and helping someone means more than winning. There is always an opportunity to do something thoughtful, and I try to take that opportunity when it is presented to me.”
Hard work and thoughtfulness are carried out in every area of Queen’s life, from striving to balance her professional and personal life to giving back to the community she loves. She is a board member for the Charles Pointe Economic Opportunity Development Board and the Central West Virginia Community Action Association, where she serves as treasurer, and she sits on the investment committee for the Humane Society of Harrison County, where she helped establish an annual 5K fundraiser. She also volunteers her time as a judge for the homemade wine contest at the Annual West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival and is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars ladies auxiliary, Associated Businesses of Bridgeport and Bridgeport Country Club Women’s Golf Association.
Queen is most passionate about her service to the United Way of Harrison County, where she served as the 2016 campaign chair and sat on the community investment committee for seven years. Today, she is the board treasurer and serves as a 2018 campaign cabinet member.
“There are people all around who are just waiting on one small break to make their lives better,” she says. “I especially like the United Way because the donations help so many people across so many walks of life in Harrison County. In 2016 when I was campaign chair, United Way allocated money and served 21 nonprofit agencies in 33 different programs across the county.”
Queen’s motivation lies in reaching the goals she has set for the future. Her bucket list ranges from starting a small business venture to breaking 100 in a round of golf to spending more time with her family—all of which she is excited to do in her home state.
“I have a strong, personal commitment to see the community I grew up in thrive, and I am not alone,” she says. “There are so many people here that are just like me, and we want nothing more than to see it flourish. That’s what keeps me here in West Virginia.”
