Thank You, Brenda Long

17 years ago, Brenda Long walked through the doors of Shirey Handyman, owned by Donna and Riley Shirey, and at the end of 2025, she retired. Donna and Riley would say, she was one of the best hires they ever made. Jon Elkins, the current owner of what is now Shirey Home Pro, would fully agree.

What started out as a bookkeeping position grew into the Controller role. In fact, the position, if you ask Jon and his employees, was more like Jon’s right-hand person.

Brenda enjoyed her time with Donna and Riley; they trusted her and left her in charge when they traveled, which, as time went on, became more often. When Jon took over, Brenda had to learn Jon’s management style. At the beginning, he was more decisive and less inclined to discuss. She had grown accustomed to being involved in decisions when she worked with the Shirey’s.
Michaela, a young employee, used to go to Brenda for everything. She was just learning a new position, and Brenda was the person who took the time to work with her and answer her questions. She was also the person who took her to task when necessary. Brenda was looked up to as a mentor and someone to trust.

Back when Jon began negotiating the purchase of Shirey Home Pro, one asset he undervalued was the bookkeeper. He knew he needed someone to handle all the accounting, because that’s not something that excited him. When he inherited Brenda, he got much more than he bargained for. She not only managed all the numbers but also kept track of what was happening across the company. During her first 10 years at Shirey, she was left in charge of running the business for extended periods, through both lean and good years. So, when she sees an opportunity for improvement, she is not shy about sharing, even when the questions are difficult, and it’s about the continued success of Shirey Home Pro. Jon playfully says, “Brenda carries a cattle prod.” She will use it on anyone, including me, and I appreciate it because I know Brenda’s intentions are in the right place.“

She is more than a bookkeeper, so Jon gave her the title of Controller and a raise 😊 to better fit what she means to him. “I can trust that she has the company’s best interests and mine at heart. She is involved in my budgeting decisions, has shaped our company’s culture by providing the best customer experiences, and has been the voice of reason when others have faltered.”

Even as Brenda steps into the next phase of her life, she has worked to find her replacement and will continue to help as the new bookkeeper settles in.

“Our relationship goes far beyond the workplace. We have celebrated personal accomplishments and comforted each other during times of loss. I may lose Brenda as an asset to my company, but I will never lose her as a friend.”