Bob and Joanne Fiddler

We (Bob and Joanne Fiddler) moved to the area in 2002 from Jacksonville in order to be closer to family in Okaloosa County. Former district managers with Jackson Hewitt, we decided to “go it alone” and opened Freedom Tax Service Plus in Crestview in the fall of 2002. After getting established, we recruited Joanne’s sister, Marcia Saranpa, away from her long career in the legal field to join in ownership.

Staff Profiles

Our staff, our Freedom “family”, is the key to the success we’ve enjoyed all these years. Each year, every tax preparer completes many, many hours of continuing education, so you can have confidence that you are dealing with competent folks. Each of our preparers is listed in the IRS’s nationwide listing of tax professionals (http://irs.treasury.gov/rpo/rpo.jsf) which was published for the first time in 2015. Inclusion in the listing requires preparers to register with the IRS, complete many continuing education hours, and pass a competency exam. Should we encounter a situation that requires additional research, our membership in the National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP) gives us a “lifeline” to highly trained CPAs and Tax Attorneys.

Marcia Saranpa
Partner and Office Manager

Marcia begins her 22nd year at Freedom in 2024. With experience comes knowledge and Marcia is recognized as one of our “go to” people for complex tax issues. Her 20+ years as a paralegal and office manager at a Fort Walton Beach attorney’s office allows her to provide additional insight that is often valuable. A stickler for policies and procedures, Marcia keeps our office in compliance and running efficiently

Angela Moore
Tax Preparer & Bookkeeper

2024 will mark Angela’s 13th year with us. In addition to preparing tax returns she is responsible for the bookkeeping and payroll services for roughly 30 of our small business clients. She has a keen attention to detail and her calm, unflappable manner is especially valuable during the hectic days of tax season.

Janette McCord 
Tax Preparer & Bookkeeper

Janette begins her 6th year at Freedom in 2024. She has demonstrated a natural talent for understanding complex details and a willingness to dig into issues to be sure they are handled properly. In addition to tax preparation, she is responsible for the bookkeeping and payroll services for roughly 30 of our small business clients.

Lori Ucello
Head of Administrative Support

Lori returns for her 7th year and more tax season excitement! Constantly striving to improve our processes, her sweet and empathetic manner is appreciated by clients and co-workers alike. Her background in recruiting and as a small business owner combined with a willingness to do whatever is required to take care of our clients will serve us all well in 2024!

Jiani Jones
Tax Preparer & Bookkeeper

Jiani joined us in 2023 after serving 20 years in the US Air Force in a series of roles culminating as an NCO on the Commander’s Support Staff. In addition to her active-duty service, Jiani has been a small business owner who performed her own accounting and business management. She brings a rich technical background and has a passion for improving systems. We’ve already benefitted from her suggestions. In addition to tax preparation, she is responsible for the bookkeeping and payroll services for roughly 30 of our small business clients.

Angie Jernigan
Administrative Support

Angie returns to Freedom for her 3rd year in 2024. Angie is a grad student with experience as a Community Service Officer with the Crestview PD, an Okaloosa Schools Substitute Teacher and keeper of a slew of animals…perfect experience for the wilds of tax season! We’re glad to have her back in 2024!

Diana Hatfield
Administrative Support

2024 marks Diana’s 2nd year with us. Before joining Freedom, she worked for many years as Warranty Manager at Wise Equipment and as a dental hygienist before that. Diana’s sweet demeanor, smile, and eagerness to assist clients and co-workers are all very valuable traits and we’re so happy to have her back.

Binx
Office Cat

Binx is in his 3rd year with Freedom Tax. He came to us with a simple job application…”Starving kitten will work for food.” In his short tenure he has proven to be a morale booster and source of amusement. He knows how to make himself scarce when the office is busy and is not offended to be put outside if anyone is allergic or simply not fond of cats.