Quote of the Week:

"Every aspect of shareholder value is increased by a commitment to sustainability."
~ L. Hunter Lovins

Our Story

TriLibrium, founded in 2008 by Brian Setzler and André Furin, breaks the mold of Certified Public Accounting firms. Our profession is full of people who prepare tax returns, audit financial statements, project cash flow and otherwise account for the financial bottom line. Where conventional firms see those services as the sum total of their business, we view them as a starting point.

You notice the difference immediately in our name: TriLibrium is a synthesis of triple bottom line and equilibrium. “Triple bottom line” captures our commitment to the mutually supportive values—people, planet, profit—that distinguish a sustainable business. “Equilibrium” refers to our commitment to establish balance among the three bottom lines in all that we do for our clients and as a firm. (You might also pick up on the slight pun regarding “balancing the books.”)

Inherent in our name is the promise of a different relationship than you’ve experienced with other accounting firms. Honest relationships define TriLibrium. You don’t treat your business, organization or life as a numbers game - and neither will we. In a triple-bottom-line world, numbers rarely tell the whole story or serve as an adequate guide for making decisions or measuring performance.

The human and environmental are as vital as the financial. That’s something other CPA firms don’t get. At TriLibrium, we not only get it, we demonstrate our understanding in every relationship. That’s what we mean by honest.

Like our clients, we’re committed to a sustainable future.

It’s that dedication that gave birth to our business. Brian conceived the concept for a green CPA firm while completing his MBA in Sustainable Business at the Bainbridge Graduate Institute. There he met classmate André, who helped found TriLibrium to provide accounting, tax and advisory services to organizations and individuals who embrace the values of sustainability.

Today, we use our experience, skills, education and passion to serve our clients and community, advance ecological restoration and “raise the bar” for the entire accounting profession.

Our vision is to create a CPA firm that provides exceptional professional services while staying true to our mission, the tenets of sustainability and the practices of a learning organization. We’re taking numerous steps, large and small, to challenge the status quo behavior of most CPA firms, including:

* reducing paper consumption to a small fraction of a typical CPA practice
* offsetting our greenhouse gas emissions
* recycling as much as possible in our municipality
* sourcing local, recycled, energy-efficient and non-toxic products and services whenever possible
* actively encouraging bike riding and other low footprint forms of travel (public transit over individual car travel)
* reducing our rates for non-profits
* offering internships and mentoring services
* making contributions to community groups
* …all while having a good time as we work, learn and grow

Our Professional Staff

Brian C. Setzler, MBA, CPA

Brian has been a licensed CPA in Oregon since 1989 and is a member of the Oregon Society of Certified Public Accountants. He holds a B.A.in Business Administration (Cum Laude) from Washington State University with an emphasis in accounting, and an MBA in Sustainable Business from the Bainbridge Graduate Institute (BGI). As a professional committed to continuing education, Brian has taken over 1,000 hours of continuing professional education on subjects like taxes, law, management, and systems.

Brian has over 20 years of business experience in public accounting, consulting, teaching and private industry. His experience includes Big 5 audit and consulting work as well as a significant amount of both corporate and individual tax planning and preparation. Past titles include Controller and CEO. Brian is a certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor and enjoys helping clients set up and maintain quality accounting systems. Brian serves as Associate Faculty at the Bainbridge Graduate Institute where he teaches Finance & Accounting to MBA-level graduate students. He is an instructor to other CPAs on the subjects of sustainability, accounting and advising startup businesses.

Brian consults to local, socially responsible, and sustainable business organizations and those that aspire to be greener. He serves on the board of directors for Water for Humans and is the Treasurer of the Eliot Institute, both 501c(3) organizations. Brian is an activist at heart and volunteers for numerous community organizations. He and his teenage daughter reside in downtown Portland.

Eric Hasham, MBA, CPA

Eric Hasham has been a licensed CPA since 2007 and is a member of the Oregon Society of Certified Public Accountants. Eric earned a Bachelor of Science in Forestry and an MBA in Accounting from California Polytechnic State University in 1999. From 2000 to 2008, Eric worked in public accounting as an auditor, tax accountant and advisor for the following firms: Deloitte & Touche, Windes & McClaughry Accountancy Corporation and Wayland & Vukadinovich LLP. Eric’s dedication to outstanding client service earned him employee of the year in 2005. Prior to joining TriLibrium, Eric was a Senior Accountant who assisted small businesses, individuals, and non-profit organizations with tax preparation and accounting services. Eric is a certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor and can help clients setup, fix and maintain their accounting systems.

From 1995 to 1997 Eric served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal where he worked on environmental projects, wrote grants and administered aid to rural villages. He saw how people lived much simpler lives that in many cases were sustainable to their environment. Some of Eric’s efforts as a volunteer were to establish sustainable forestry plots, assistance with permaculture sites, and efficient cook stove trainings. From this experience, Eric developed an ethic of living greener, thinking globally and acting locally. He is excited about assisting clients with their accounting and tax issues while helping meet triple bottom line goals. Eric lives in Southeast Portland with his wife.

Jerry Catlin, MBA, CPA

Jerry has been a licensed CPA since 1998. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting and an MBA with an emphasis on taxation, both from Michigan State University. Jerry has worked primarily for value-driven organizations, such as non-profit community development corporations and locally owned small businesses. His background includes Big 5 experience, governmental budgeting; individual, business and estate tax return preparation, and consulting on a variety of affordable housing developments.

After a three-year stint living abroad, Jerry has returned to Portland and is excited at helping the sustainability revolution. He has volunteered for a variety of community organizations, and served on the original Board of Directors for the Alberta Cooperative Grocery. He is passionate about local food systems, intelligent design that fosters discussion, appreciating the peaceful moments where stillness and awareness interact, and nurturing meaningful personal relationships.

Deane Stitt

Deane Stitt is our newest team member. He joined the firm June 2010 after serving as our very first intern during the 2010 tax season. Deane holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting (Summa Cum Laude) from Portland State University. He is planning to sit for the CPA exam before the 2011 tax season.

Besides an internship at TriLibrium, Deane also volunteered with Tax Aide as a tax preparer for low income and elderly taxpayers. It was this experience that helped him realize his passion for tax as a way to serve and assist his clients.

Deane has a widely diverse background. This is his second career after spending 17 years as a professional ballroom dance instructor and 5 years in retail management. Becoming a Staff Accountant for TriLibrium is a natural step for him given his lifelong passion for environmental and social concerns.

Deane is a member of Oregon Society of Certified Public Accounts (OSCPA), and met Brian through the OSCPA Mentorship Program.

Our Social Justice Mission

We are a Triple Bottom Line Accounting Firm located in Portland. We are guided by the values of sustainability and embrace both ecological and social responsibilities to the communities we serve.

We demonstrate this by:

Donate 1% of our gross revenue to groups promoting peace
Direct donations to non-profit organizations and community groups
Employee time off to volunteer
Pro bono work for community organizations
Reduced rates for nonprofit organizations
Internships, job shadows and mentoring for local area students
Teaching and promoting sustainable business practices to others
Banking locally with Albina Community Bank

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