Kristen Queen
Member, Murray, Queen & Company PLLC
KRISTEN QUEEN has always had an interest in
finances and saving money. As a child, she looked
forward to visiting the bank with her parents, and
from a very young age she tracked the progress
of her own bank account. Queen didn’t dream
of growing up to be a CPA, though. Influenced
by TV shows like “The Paper Chase” and “Perry
Mason,” she planned to be an attorney.
“Let’s face it, there aren’t really any popular
TV shows about CPAs,” she says. “But I am sure
I would have been interested in becoming a CPA
when I was little if I had known all of the places
it was going to take me in my career.”
Queen’s first professional job ended up being
the perfect place for her to launch her career.
Now a member at Murray, Queen & Company
PLLC in Bridgeport, WV, she started as an ac-
countant at the firm but returned to school to
garner enough hours to sit for the CPA exam,
which she passed in 2010.
“We changed the name of the company to
put my name on the door, and I haven’t looked
back,” she says. “I love what I do and could not
be more thankful to be in this position. Every
client who walks through my door has a differ-
ent situation, and it is always a challenge. It keeps
my job interesting.”
The lessons Queen learned through her ado-
lescent love for basketball and competition have
proven to be beneficial in her rise to member at
the firm.
“I have always been competitive,” she says. “I
have a drive to be the best I can possibly be in
anything I set out to do. That drive has led me to
realize that preparation is a key to success. While
preparation can be boring and repetitive, it is par-
amount to performance at game time. Also im-
portant to my success is my willingness to work
hard. In high school, I spent every day I possibly
could practicing and getting in shape for the next
season, and I do that now for each tax season.
Also, while it can be hard to possess both a com-
petitive spirit and be thoughtful, I find that going
the extra mile and helping someone means more
than winning. There is always an opportunity to
do something thoughtful, and I try to take that
opportunity when it is presented to me.”
Hard work and thoughtfulness are carried
out in every area of Queen’s life, from striving
to balance her professional and personal life to
giving back to the community she loves. She is a
board member for the Charles Pointe Economic
Opportunity Development Board and the Central
West Virginia Community Action Association,
where she serves as treasurer, and she sits on the
investment committee for the Humane Society
of Harrison County, where she helped establish
an annual 5K fundraiser. She also volunteers her
time as a judge for the homemade wine contest at
the Annual West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival
and is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars
ladies auxiliary, Associated Businesses of Bridge-
port and Bridgeport Country Club Women’s Golf
Association.
Queen is most passionate about her service to
the United Way of Harrison County, where she
served as the 2016 campaign chair and sat on the
community investment committee for seven years.
Today, she is the board treasurer and serves as a
2018 campaign cabinet member.
“There are people all around who are just
waiting on one small break to make their lives
better,” she says. “I especially like the United Way
because the donations help so many people across
so many walks of life in Harrison County. In 2016
when I was campaign chair, United Way allocated
money and served 21 nonprofit agencies in 33 dif-
ferent programs across the
county.”
Queen’s motivation lies in
reaching the goals she has set
for the future. Her bucket
list ranges from starting a
small business venture to
breaking 100 in a round
of golf to spending more
time with her family—all
of which she is excited to
do in her home state.
“I have a strong, personal
commitment to see the com-
munity I grew up in thrive,
and I am not alone,” she
says. “There are so many
people here that are just like
me, and we want nothing
more than to see it flourish.
That’s what keeps me here
in West Virginia.”
SAMANTHA CART
TRACY TOLER
WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM
What is your
favorite…?
Smell
Fresh-popped
popcorn
App
Pandora
WV Location
Dolly Sods
What You Can’t Live
Without: Hot tea
Your Favorite WV
Activity: Trout fishing.
There is a feeling of
exhilaration when you catch
a native trout, and being
there brings calm to my life.
Queen on location at the
picturesque Club at Cress
Creek in Shepherdstown.
FA L L 2 017
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