ENTERPRISE Coming from the metropolitan area of Seattle to the smaller, slower-paced environment of Wallowa County suits CPA Craig Mayers just fine.

With a background that includes work for military intelligence, a stint as an IRS agent and years as audit manager for a firm in Tacoma, Wash., Mayers is happily settling into his new job as a manager for Edison, Perry & Co. PC in Enterprise.

The local firm, which offers a wide range of financial services from tax preparation to auditing and estate planning is a growing business that employs about 15 people. Its headquarters is the professional building around the corner from the city library.

Ironically, Mayers said that he was recruiting staff members for his former employer, the Brantley, Janson, Yost and Ellison accounting firm, when he first saw the advertisement for the Wallowa County job.

It was the small town environment that was more of the draw than anything, Mayers said, adding that he researched Enterprise thoroughly before he and his wife, Ehyrn, decided to make the move. Both had grown up in small towns, he in New Jersey and she in Florida, and wanted to move out of the big city and become part of a small community.

Mayers first became acquainted with the Northwest when he was in the military and stationed at Fort Lewis. He met his wife when they were both in the military, first when their tours in Korea overlapped, and later at some advanced training. We both liked the Northwest climate and atmosphere, he said.

Their son, Mitchell, 21, is a U.S. Marine who studies Arabic and is planning to visit his parents in Wallowa County this summer.

In all, Mayers spent nine years in the army, serving everywhere from the Pentagon to Fort Lewis. He said his work in Army counter-intelligence mostly involved personnel background checks for security clearances.

After leaving the military, Mayers obtained his undergraduate degree at the University of Washington and masters degree at Washington State University.

After graduate school, Mayers worked for two years for the Internal Revenue Service as a revenue agent before going into public accounting. I try not to publicize that too much, he said. His experience auditing individuals and businesses for the IRS not only persuaded him hed rather be on the other side of taxes, but gives him a unique viewpoint when it comes to tax return preparation.

The CPA brings extensive other experience from nonprofit audits to benefit plans to Edison, Perry & Co. where his job includes overseeing staff-client relationships and firm development.

While the arrival of Mayers in September is the most recent addition to the Enterprise accounting firm, the departure of former partner David Hurley and the promotion of Deyette Perry on Jan. 1 to a partnership role was also a huge change this year.

It was a good opportunity for me, said Perry, who had worked for Edison and Hurley for 11 years. It was a logical step if I was going to grow in my career. She joined Jeff Edison and Lynn Edison as a partner.

She and husband Lou Perry, owner of a local construction company and a Joseph native, have three children, Xander, 5; Dawson, 3; and Genevieve, 2.

They met at Milligan College in Tennessee, where Deyette Perry graduated in 1998 with a business degree and emphasis in accounting. After moving to Wallowa County and starting to work for Edison and Hurley, she obtained her CPA license in 2004 after taking more classes at Eastern Oregon University.

Her work at Edison and Hurley and now Edison, Perry & Co. involves a wide range of tax, accounting, audit and financial planning services.

Both Perry and her husband are members of the Rotary Club and enjoy such family activities as skiing at Fergison Ridge.

Though she may have originally come from a big city, Perry enjoys the interaction of business, community and family life in Wallowa County. I love it here. This is home, she said.