About Next Peak CPA

  Next Peak CPA’s mission is to impact our community through exceptional accounting and tax solutions.

Our Mission

Teamwork │ Reliability │ Compassion │ Continuous Improvement

Clint Herndon, CPA, CFE

President

Clint is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) with over eleven years of law enforcement experience and over a dozen years in the accounting field. His time in law enforcement helped him to understand how important a few minutes of listening can be to someone in any walk of life. Clint has translated that into building an accounting and consulting firm that focuses on the idea of helping clients reach their “next peak.”

  • Through his experience in law enforcement, Clint learned to trace money that people didn’t want found. He also got extremely comfortable testifying in court, often being called upon to testify as an expert both in State and Federal court. Clint has translated his law enforcement and accounting experience into investigating cases that have included embezzlement, fraud, construction disputes, partnership disputes, trust litigation, and clarifying actual income from businesses.

    An avid outdoorsman, health nut, and family guy, Clint stays active year-round… yes even during tax season!

  • By working under a phenomenally gifted and vastly experienced CPA, Clint learned the intricacies of small business accounting and how to think long-term when it comes to tax strategy. He has extensive experience preparing tax returns for partnerships, S Corps, complex individuals, and non-profits.

    Clint learned about Dave Ramsey and his approach to finances in 2011. He has since read several Ramsey books, attended live events, and along with his wife, taught several Financial Peace University classes.

    He has served on three non-profit boards, the 10-33 Foundation, Orangevale Food Bank, and Northern California Fraud Investigators Association. He has helped create internal control structures for non-profits, churches, and for-profit businesses. Clint’s passion is to see people succeed, personally and professionally.

  • Clint always loved solving problems and wanted to put his desire to serve into action by pursuing a career in law enforcement. He was a police officer with the Roseville Police Department for seven years, with assignments in Patrol, Detectives, Field Training, Recruiting, and SWAT. Clint also worked for the California Department of Insurance for four years in the roles of Fraud Investigator and Sergeant.

    Through his experience in law enforcement, Clint learned to trace money that people didn’t want found. He also got extremely comfortable testifying in court, often being called upon to testify as an expert both in State and Federal court.

    Clint has translated his law enforcement and accounting experience into investigating cases that have included embezzlement, fraud, construction disputes, partnership disputes, trust litigation, and clarifying actual income from businesses.

Melissa Jacobs

Tax Manager

With over 25 years of public accounting experience, Melissa specializes in tax preparation and optimizing individual and small business tax strategies. She is an Enrolled Agent (EA) which allows her to “go to bat” on her clients’ behalf with the IRS and other government agencies. She is a member of the National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP). She is also a skilled accountant who can assist clients to seamlessly integrate their financial information into their tax returns. When Melissa needs to unwind, you can find her practicing yoga, exploring Tahoe with friends, or spending as much quality time as she can with her 2 adult children.

Claire McGhehey

Accounting Manager

Claire has been an amazing addition to our team allowing us to offer our clients expert bookkeeping services with her 10+ years of experience. When Claire is not crunching numbers with our business clients, she is a rockstar on her kickball team and a soccer coach for her two kids. Her family is constantly moving and staying active whether they are traveling about or camping in the hills. If Claire ever needs a breakaway, she jumps back into the numbers role as the Treasurer for Lake Forrest PTC. It is never a dull moment in the McGhehey household.

  • Office Manager

  • Staff Accountant

  • Staff Accountant