Our Story
Begins Before Us
JJ&A's story begins long before the firm itself. It begins with family history rooted in North Carolina: in farming, labor, faith, discipline, and the slow building of trust across generations.
From sharecroppers to a grandfather who founded the largest Black church in Greensboro, this history taught us that institutions matter, trust is earned, and service to community is a serious responsibility.
Built on Experience
Deepened by Education
A Mother's Determination
When she returned to college at age thirty-four, she set an example that shaped our family: it is never too late to deepen your capabilities, never too late to demand more from yourself.
"Her decision carried a powerful message: it is never too late to build toward something larger."
Summa Cum Laude → Syracuse
Arthur Surgeon graduated summa cum laude from North Carolina A&T State University in 2015 with a degree in finance, then earned a master's in accounting from Syracuse University.
JJ&A would be built on both lived experience and formal discipline. It would combine practical trust with technical command.
JJ&A Accounting Founded
Built through practical service, one client at a time. The firm was not built merely to process paperwork— it was built to become the kind of financial partner people could rely on when the stakes were real.
2020: When Everything Changed
Guided businesses through crisis funding
Of businesses protected
Extended far beyond tax prep
"That moment changed the scale and meaning of the work. Clients were not just looking for someone to complete filings. They were looking for someone who could help them interpret a crisis, move through it intelligently, and protect what they had built."
That period became an inflection point. It showed that accounting, at its best, is not simply historical recordkeeping. It is guidance under pressure. It is structure amid uncertainty.
More Than Compliance
Financial Infrastructure
We evolved beyond traditional tax work because serious clients demanded more
Built by People Who Care
Arthur Surgeon
Founder & Managing Partner
Summa cum laude graduate from NC A&T. Master's in Accounting from Syracuse. Guided hundreds of businesses through the 2020 crisis.
Dr. Chauntel Graves
CPA, Accounting Consultant
Fortune 500 experience brought to growing businesses. Strategic insight meets operational precision.
Dr. Pamela Ford
Founder of P.F. Insights
30 years in education leadership. Building systems that last, not just solving immediate problems.
Deborah Bailey
Tax Preparer
Retired from Lincoln Financial. Brings Fortune 100 dedication to every client.
Austin Bullins
Junior Accountant
UNCG accounting student learning how accounting drives business strategy.
The Same Seriousness
With Broader Tools
Fundamentals First
We still believe in getting the basics right: discipline, consistency, stewardship
Beyond Compliance
Clients deserve financial systems that help them operate with clarity
Enduring Partnership
Standing with clients through complexity, growth, disruption, and transition
"We are here to help people build stronger businesses, make sounder decisions, and move with greater confidence beyond the numbers."
— The JJ&A Promise