Our Team

Marla LaHaye opened The Harding Group in 1995 to provide personalized tax and accounting services for small businesses. She previously worked at Andersen Consulting in its Change Management Division and served as a medevac helicopter pilot in the National Guard. She decided to refocus her attention and skills to working locally and assisting small business owners. Marla has a degree in computer science from the University of Vermont and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Wyoming.

Ken Burton advises clients on tax planning and business performance and reviews corporate, partnership, and individual tax returns. He holds a degree in accounting from the University of Maryland University College and a Master of Business Administration from Loyola University. Ken was a captain in the Anne Arundel County Fire Department and joined The Harding Group in 2008 with six years of tax preparation experience.

Kara Benner originally worked for The Harding Group from 2001–2007 as a bookkeeper, preparing financial statements and processing payroll. She returned in 2015 with a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in accounting, and experience working with large service and manufacturing companies. Kara became a licensed CPA in September 2017. She is a QuickBooks ProAdvisor with certifications in QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online.

Julie Wilke is responsible for payroll and monthly financial reporting and focuses on clients with challenging bookkeeping and payroll issues. She joined The Harding Group in 2001, and holds an associate’s degree in medical technology from the University of Vermont, a Bachelor of Science in microbiology from the University of Arizona, and a Master of Business Administration in finance from Long Island University.

Nina Savoy works on payroll, accounts payable, and bookkeeping for some of our most challenging clients and is a specialist in QuickBooks. She provides training for QuickBooks and telephone support, putting even the most number-averse clients at ease. Nina joined The Harding Group in 2007 with four years of individual tax preparation experience and applied bookkeeping skills.

Linda Fier is responsible for payroll, bookkeeping, and accounts payable. She has an associate’s degree in business and over 25 years of retail experience in management, hiring, training, and purchasing, She has been with The Harding Group since 2012.

Kimberly Burton helps clients with bookkeeping, payroll, and taxes. She has a Bachelor of Arts in biology from St. Mary’s College, a master’s degree in human resource management from Towson University, and a master’s degree in teaching from Loyola University. Kim has been with The Harding Group since 2014.

Linda Bausum handles payroll and bookkeeping tasks and helps with tax season work flow. She garnered over 30 years of accounts payable and payroll experience while at the Capital Gazette newspaper. She joined The Harding Group in 2015.

Usman Butt is responsible for the office’s day-to-day administration and manages our tax processing work flow. He joined The Harding Group in 2015, after graduating from Chesapeake College with an associate’s degree in business administration. He is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in accounting at Salisbury University.

Oscar was our gorgeous Saint Bernard and the inspiration behind our logo. He was a great, big, slobbery dog—majestic and good-natured. He had a wonderful presence and brought joy every time he visited the office.