ATA Advisory, LLC

When it comes to money, everyone wants the peace of mind a large firm can provide, but they also want to feel like more than just a number. They want to know that there are real people invested in their financial security and success.

ATA Advisory, LLC offers individuals, businesses and organizations the sweet spot, a personal relationship close to home, backed by decades of experience from dozens of experts.

With brick-and-mortar offices in Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi and Arkansas, ATA serves clients including businesses big and small, individuals and municipalities across the country.

ATA is a full-service accounting firm, offering CAS (client accounting services), preparing tax returns, tax planning, tax consulting, assurance, payroll services, full HR department for consulting, IT support and security, employee benefits (auditing or third-party administration).

Elizabeth Russell Owen, CPA is a partner at ATA in Paris. The McKenzie native has spread her roots throughout the tri-county area. She lives in McKenzie in Carroll County, her office is in Henry County and her husband, Kody, farms in Weakley County.

Owen has been with ATA for ten years. She graduated from McKenzie High School, then from UT Knoxville and Belmont (Masters). She began with the firm as a staff accountant and later became a manager. She was named a partner in 2021. Owen is also the chair of the ATA training committee.

Owen’s mother, Robin Russell, is a senior manager for ATA who began her tenure directly out of school in the 1980’s. She started in the McKenzie office (as did her daughter), which was eliminated in 2020. Russell still works in McKenzie from a home office.

Asked by The Banner if her career choice was influenced by her mother, Owen said, “Actually, no. So when I went to school I was undecided, and one thing I was adamant I would not do was be an accountant, because Mom’s job just seemed so boring. Who wants to sit in front of a computer all day?

“It wasn’t until I took my first accounting class at Knoxville that I figured I was pretty good at it and could see a future in being an accountant. This is an accounting mindset, but it was a really stable job. There was a lot of stability in that decision. So I chose that path. And I will say, after being in this profession, it is definitely not a ‘sit behind the computer all day’ profession, that is definitely not what I do. There’s a lot of consulting and advising and really trying to better people’s business and make them successful.”

The firm started in the 1940’s in Jackson as Branham & Arnold and has gone through many iterations over the years with acquisitions and mergers. In 1984, with the purchase of Crawford and Company, offices in Paris and McKenzie were added.

Owen expounded on the company’s growth. “We started out as a very small West Tennessee firm, and where we are now is pretty exciting. We’re just on the cusp of being a top 100 accounting firm in the nation. So, a lot bigger than people in the area might think, because we’ve really built ourselves on just being a local accounting firm. And we try to still have a local feel, because that’s what we were born and bred on, is being a local accounting firm to individuals. But we reach a big audience, we’re able to service a big audience because of our extensive reach. We have a lot of expertise that we can tap into if any of our clients need an expert in a specific niche or industry.”

Among the ten brick-and-mortar locations in Tennessee are the Paris office at 165 Peppers Drive (731-642-0771) and the Martin location at 304 North Lindell Street (731-587-5145).

Owen expressed her hometown sentiment and how she brings it to her work. “The reason I live in McKenzie is because it’s my home, and that’s where I want to continue to make my home for my children and generations in the future. And so, even though I don’t have a brick-and-mortar location [in McKenzie], I still feel a sense of service to every person in McKenzie and the Tri-County area. That is my neighbor, my friend, my family member that I want to serve and help and be there for support and guidance in any accounting or financial aspect.”