From taxes to BlueJackets, Chuck Huddleston is there

A stranger to the area, Charles “Chuck” Huddleston opened his own accounting firm in Old Town Silverdale and now, 15 years later, he has become a familiar face in the community.

Huddleston’s office, however, is no longer in Old Town, but can now be found on Anderson Hill Road. A partner in Huddleston, McKenzie & Associates, PLLC, Huddleston now operates a thriving public accounting firm. In recounting that first year in business it was one that Huddleston is quick to describe as “lonely.”

“I opened an office without knowing anyone,” he said. “It was a base year, it’s where you start.”

It was in 1985 when Huddleston first ventured out to Kitsap County from Illinois. Working for a certified public accounting firm in the windy city of Chicago, it was while on a vacation trip to the Northwest that Huddleston first set his sights on Silverdale.

“I loved the place and moved out here in ’89,” he said. “My wife got a job with the Navy.”

About a year after opening, Terri McKenzie came on board and later Vicki Finney joined the team.

Both beginning at the firm as office staff, McKenzie and Finney went on to become certified public accountants.

“They both passed the CPA exam, they wanted it and it was an environment that was conducive to getting it done,” Huddleston said.

Being a small and independent business, he says, it allows the three of them to get to know their clients.

“It’s about the people you work with and your clients,” he added.

With tax season quickly approaching, Huddleston says clients’ familiarity with taxes often varies.

“People are all over the board, there are those who are meticulous and those people who haven’t filed in years,” he said with a chuckle. “It feels good to help people. We try to do the best we can. The last

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