Ask Brad Palen about his love for wakeboarding and you just might get an earful. For a boy who grew up on a farm in small-town Kansas, he is awfully fond of water sports. In fact, his idea of a perfect family outing includes his Mastercraft ski boat, cooking breakfast on the outdoor grill, listening to music and waterskiing all day, finally complete with an evening fish fry. Brad has taken his wife, Sondra, and their four children on numerous vacations to Beaver Lake in Arkansas and says they truly enjoy and appreciate its clear water and scenic surroundings.
Since Brad did choose to become an accountant instead of a wakeboarding instructor, he takes his career of helping farm families and businesses very serious. During his more than 20-year career with Kennedy and Coe, LLC, Brad has become a specialist in management and financial analysis for agricultural producers as well as strategic and succession and estate planning for family and closely-held businesses. He also helps clients with agricultural taxation and planning and tax and business consulting for small and medium-sized businesses.
Brad says working at Kennedy and Coe offers him new challenges on a daily basis, specifically being able to enhance his knowledge and help create opportunities for clients. When retirement is finally on the horizon, Brad hopes to own a vacation home next to what else – a lake – and teach his future grandchildren how to wakeboard.
Professional and Civic Associations
- American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
- Kansas Society of Certified Public Accountants
- Ag Consulting Exchange Board of Directors
- Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership Class VII graduate
- St. Mary’s Parish
- Knights of Columbus
Education
- Received Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Fort Hays State University
Hobbies
- Camping
- Boating
- Water Skiing
- Snow Skiing
- Wakeboarding
- Hunting
- Golf