Meet Chris
I’m Chris Odens, CPA, founder of Odens CPA. I started the firm around a simple idea:
Your CPA should be someone you actually know and can talk to.
A practical perspective shaped by small business.
I earned my undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota Duluth and spent seven years working in small business before returning to school to pursue my Master of Science in Accounting and CPA designation in 2016.
That experience gave me the opportunity to see accounting from both sides: first from inside a small business and later as a CPA advising business owners and individuals. It shaped the way I practice today. Quality accounting isn’t just about getting the numbers right. It’s about understanding the business, the people behind it, and where they want to go.
I began my public accounting career in 2017 with a small, three-practitioner CPA firm, where personal relationships and direct client service were central to the practice. In 2022, that practice was acquired by a larger regional CPA firm, where I continued serving businesses and individuals.
Those experiences gave me a broader perspective on public accounting and helped shape the kind of CPA practice I ultimately wanted to build.
In 2026, another change in ownership, this time to a national firm, gave me the opportunity to think seriously about what I wanted the next chapter of my career to look like.
I wanted to build a CPA firm where I could spend more time with clients, understand what’s happening in their businesses and financial lives, and be available for the conversations that don’t necessarily happen at tax time.
That’s what led me to start Odens CPA, a locally owned CPA firm here in Alexandria.
This firm isn’t about becoming the biggest accounting firm in town. It’s about building a practice where personal service, accessibility, and long-term relationships are the priority.
A manageable practice creates room for better conversations, stronger continuity, and advice grounded in a real understanding of your situation.
Time to understand what matters to you.
One of the things I’ve enjoyed most throughout my career is getting to know my clients beyond their tax returns and financial statements. The better I understand a client’s business, financial situation, and goals, the better positioned I am to help when questions and decisions arise.
That’s the kind of relationship I want to build at Odens CPA. My goal is to maintain a manageable practice so I can give each client the time and attention that relationship requires.
That means being available for a conversation when you’re considering a major purchase, hiring an employee, expanding your business, thinking about retirement, or simply wondering what a decision might mean from a tax perspective.
Tax returns and financial statements are important. But I believe some of the greatest value a CPA can provide happens in the conversations between those deadlines.
Rooted in Alexandria.
Accounting is what I do, but it isn’t all of who I am.
I’m married, and my wife and I are raising and homeschooling our three boys here in Alexandria. When I’m not working, you’ll usually find our family enjoying the outdoors.
We spend our free time boating, camping, fishing, and bird hunting, and I value the time those activities give us to spend together as a family.
Those same values are part of what I want Odens CPA to represent: being part of the community, developing lasting relationships, and building a business that allows me to do quality work for my clients while still being present for the people who matter most.
Looking for a CPA you can actually talk to?
Whether you’re a business owner looking for ongoing guidance or an individual who wants a more personal relationship with your CPA, I’d be happy to have a conversation.