Forty Under 40: Katie Lejong

Katie Lejong was fortunate to identify her ideal career early and easily.

“I didn’t know exactly what accounting was, but I liked the thought process and the idea of being in a business environment, and somehow I landed in the right place,” she said. “It’s such a good fit for me.”

Lejong graduated from Arkansas State University and took a job with Beall Barclay in 1999.

Lejong is seen as a well-rounded and trusted member of the firm and was admitted as a partner in January. She’s spent her entire career at Beall Barclay, which isn’t unusual, she says.

“There are a lot of deadlines and pressures in this field, and there has to be balance,” she said.

“We are highly committed, but we take breaks when we need to and there is a lot of flexibility. There is a lot of both variety and challenges here, and it fits my personality.”

Lejong is passionate about supporting her community, and has been active with the United Way of Fort Smith and the Bell Park Foundation. She is a member of the 2014 Leadership Fort Smith class, a director for the Arkansas Society of CPAs, and a recipient of the organization’s 2012 Outstanding Emerging CPA Award.

Lejong discovered she had Type 1 diabetes as a teenager, and supports the American Diabetes Association. Advances in treatment of the disease during her lifetime have been tremendous, Lejong said.