We combine the experience of a large firm with the personal attention that only a small firm can provide. Our clients come back to us year after year because they know they are in good hands. We work to develop long-term relationships; whether your needs are simple or complex, we can help.

Our People

Daniel B. Chasse, CPA, Managing Partner

Email: dan@mainecpa.com

Daniel B. Chasse, CPA, is the Managing Partner of Pacios, Rausch & Chasse, LLC. Dan brings more than two decades of specialized financial and business advisory service experience to his clients. In his role as Chief Operating Officer for a $750 million foreign owned U. S. investment trust, he gained direct operating experience that many in the accounting profession lack. Due to his extensive private experience, he is sensitive to a wide range of issues, integrating his knowledge on short and long term operational goals for his clients. His innovative solutions are designed specifically for each independent client. This unsurpassed business expertise is critical to Pacios, Rausch & Chasse and the clients they serve.

Furthermore, Dan focuses primarily in the construction, manufacturing, real estate and development industries. He continually advises his clients and their staff through independent seminars and lectures on proprietary industry matters. His working dynamic is forth right and proactive while regularly meeting aggressive deadlines. In addition, he is in constant contact with various professionals, agents, bonding and insurance companies, and commercial lenders throughout the State and the Country. He has grown his firm to be more than just a typical accounting firm; a trusted advisor to clients.

Dan is a certified public accountant and is licensed to practice in the State of Maine and Massachusetts. He is also a licensed designated broker of the Maine Real Estate Commission. He graduated Cum Laude from Merrimack College and was the charter president of the law society. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants as well as the Maine Society of CPAs and is an active participant in local youth organizations.

Paul H. Rausch, CPA, MST, Partner

Email: paul@mainecpa.com

Paul H. Rausch, CPA, MST, is a Partner of Pacios, Rausch & Chasse, LLC. Since joining the organization more than three decades ago, he has been instrumental in helping develop one of the most respected accounting and business consulting practices in the State. His business and tax acumen is sought by some of the region’s leading entrepreneurs and governmental leaders, and in 1993, Paul was appointed by Governor McKernan and legislative leadership to serve as a Tax and Fiscal Policy Advisor to the Maine Economic Growth Counsel. Throughout his more than thirty five years dedication to assisting business owners achieve their financial goals; Paul's main role has been one of mentor and advisor.

In addition to his management responsibilities, Paul is also responsible for the employee benefits and estate planning areas of the practice. In this capacity he has assisted many individuals in developing strategies and programs to provide better service to their employees while maintaining strict budget constraints. Paul also counsels many of his individual and corporate clients in the area of estate planning including succession planning for closely held family enterprises.

After graduating from the prestigious Bernard M. Baruch College of the City University of New York in 1970 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting, Paul joined the accounting staff of one of the country's leading international accounting and consulting firms. He was next tapped to become a corporate accounting specialist for a New York Stock Exchange listed company where he was responsible for advising controllers in the preparation of quarterly reporting packages and was involved in special projects including acquisition studies for some thirty subsidiary entities. Paul combined this unique combination of both public and private accounting expertise to provide clients with a better understanding of their financial situations.

With this well developed foundation, Paul returned to school to receive a Master of Science in Taxation from Bentley College. Paul has spoken on various business, accounting and tax related issues for the University of Maine, Husson College, the Lewiston-Auburn Chamber of Commerce and Score. He has also served on the Adjunct Faculty of the University of Maine and Husson College and is very active in community affairs. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors for Pathways, Inc., Advisory Director of Key Bank, Treasurer for Growing through Adoption, and Trustee of Thomas College's Masters in Taxation Program. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Simmons Foundation and The Auburn Business Development Corporation.

Paul is a member of the Maine and New York Societies of CPAs. He is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Institute of Business Appraisers. He is licensed as a CPA in Maine and currently serves as Chairman of the Entrepreneurial Service Group for the CPASNET, a national association of accounting firms.

Allison Szczesny, CPA, Manager

Email: allison@mainecpa.com

Allison Szczesny, CPA, Manager, has been involved in the accounting profession for more than twenty years. Her accounting career began at Pacios, Rausch & Company as a staff accountant working with clients in the for-profit as well as the non-profit sectors. She has a great deal of experience providing accounting, auditing and tax services for closely-held businesses. Her years of experience allow her to provide clients with tax strategies that are tried and tested. Currently as manager for Pacios, Rausch & Chasse, she is responsible for overseeing the successful completion of accounting and auditing engagements for the firm.

In addition to these management responsibilities, Allison is also responsible for the staff’s ongoing Continuing Professional Education Program and for the ongoing assurance of quality control within the accounting firm. She is instrumental in the design and development of time-saving procedures for client service engagements, allowing staff to better serve the firm’s clients. Furthermore, she has taken the lead in developing strong internal control systems to assist clients in managing their businesses more profitably.

Ms. Szczesny is a member of the Maine State Society and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. In addition, Allison is a long-term member of the Lewiston-Auburn Rotary.

She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Thomas College, graduating Magna Cum Laude and earned her CPA certificate from the State of Maine in 1989. She is also licensed to practice in the State of New York.

Marcie J. Shumway, MBA, Senior Accountant

Email: marcie@mainecpa.com

Marcie J. Shumway, MBA, Senior Accountant, graduated Magna Cum Laude from Thomas College in 2005 with her Masters Degree in Business Administration. She began her career as an intern for Pacios, Rausch & Company in 2004 and has continued to carry on the Company’s traditions of integrity and professionalism for which we have always stood. She has been involved in all phases of our client’s accounting needs, ranging from auditing, financial statement preparation, and tax preparation to bookkeeping, bank reconciliations and payroll processing; including payroll taxes, sales taxes and income taxes. She is able to analyze financial statements to identify trends and anomalies in financial data and then provide resolution to those accounting issues. She is a respected team player and shows exemplary attention to detail.

Marcie is also an avid QuickBooks user and is always willing to help our clients with questions and use of QuickBooks or other-in-house financial software. Marcie is in the process of working on achieving her certified public accounting certification.

Nicole Knowles, MBA, Senior Accountant

Email: nknowles@mainecpa.com

Nicole Knowles, MBA, Senior Accountant, is the most recent addition to the firm. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Thomas College in 2007 with her Masters Degree in Business Administration. While in school, she was part of the Sigma Beta Delta Honor Society, National Scholar Honor Society, The Thomas College Dean’s List and The National Dean’s List. Upon graduation, Nicole worked for a Portland, Maine public accounting firm. In her search for an industry leading CPA firm, she became associated with our Company. Her skills entail working on various engagements and industries, meeting client’s needs and timelines from beginning to completion.

Nicole has been an active member of the Big Brother/Big Sister Community Service Organization for 5 years showing support of community involvement. Nicole is in the process of working on achieving her certified public accounting certification.

Daniel J. Carpentier, BS, Staff Accountant

Email: dcarpentier@mainecpa.com

Daniel J. Carpentier, BS, staff accountant, graduated from the Salve Regina University with his Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting in 2008. He is instrumental in working on small businesses and individuals; providing accounting, bookkeeping, payroll and income tax services to our clients. Dan is also involved in field audits and engagements.

Our History

Pacios, Rausch & Chasse, LLC, consists of two CPA firms that merged during the year 2009; Corporate Solutions, Inc. and Pacios, Rausch & Company.

Corporate Solutions, Inc. was an energetic accounting and business advisory firm founded in 1993, focused on developing strategic alliances and relationships with clients. The firm was proactive in offering a full range of services comprising of accounting, auditing, financial and tax advisory services along with general business guidance and innovative solutions designed specifically for each client’s needs. The firm focused on closely-held companies and their owners in the construction, manufacturing, real estate and development industries.

Pacios, Rausch & Company was a dynamic financial consulting and accounting firm founded in 1955 and served clients engaged in a variety of business endeavors including accounting systems and compliance support, tax, financial, and management advisory services. The firm’s strategic emphasis was with privately held businesses and their principals.

The merger between the two firms will provide the firm's clients with increased services, top-notch efficiency and more resources with which to serve you. This merger integrated two firms that are similar in culture, approach, and client focus. Together they have built long-term relationships with clients through personal attention, partner involvement and continuity of client service teams. They have focused on team work and joined resources to be responsive to each client’s needs. This new combination will provide greater opportunities to accomplish these objectives.

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Our Mission

Pacios, Rausch, & Chasse is a premier accounting firm that strives to achieve results that exceed expectations. Our mission is to add maximum value to businesses by being proactive; maintaining, updating and informing clients on the ever changing rules and regulations affecting their business. Recognizing that each client has unique goals, we tailor our services to meet their specific needs. By being committed to our clients, we feel a vested interest in their success.

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Our Credentials

Our firm participates in the Peer Review program prescribed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Our firm was last reviewed in 2008 in which the resulting report stated that all of our accounting practices and procedures complied with the standards of the industry. The firm is also a member of the National Federation of Independent Business in support of small businesses in Maine as well as a member of the Maine Association of Realtors.

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