BVU, Wanatee Accounting Services Join in Strategic Partnership
Through a collaboration with Buena Vista University, Wanatee Accounting Services offers educational benefits to its employees and their eligible family members.
Buena Vista University (BVU) and Wanatee Accounting Services have aligned as Strategic Partners, providing new opportunities to transform the communities both entities serve.
This partnership allows for employees of Wanatee Accounting Services, as well as eligible family members of full-time employees, to receive grant funding to lower the overall cost per credit hour while enrolled in BVU’s convenient online undergraduate programs or the organizational leadership graduate program. Partner grant funding also lowers the cost of education for students enrolled in classes at BVU’s Storm Lake campus.
“We are pleased to announce this Strategic Partnership and the opportunities it creates,” says Lisa Buhr, Senior Managerial Accountant. “One of its greatest benefits is helping our partners pursue and complete their academic goals, supporting both personal and professional growth. By investing in education, we empower team members with stronger skills and greater career opportunities, increasing long-term stability for themselves and their families. Ultimately, this partnership lays the groundwork for progress, strengthens our workforce, and creates a lasting positive impact in our communities.”
Wanatee Accounting is a family-run firm based in Marshalltown, Iowa, providing high-quality accounting services to clients in central Iowa and surrounding regions since 1994. The firm manages a wide range of financial matters, from new business formation to tax filing, allowing clients to focus on their core responsibilities.
“As part of this collaboration, we are pleased to offer paid internships that give students valuable hands-on experience while pursuing their education. This is our first formal partnership with the college and a strong foundation for future collaboration,” said Buhr. “We look forward to growing this partnership and the opportunities it creates for students, our organization, and the communities we serve.”
“BVU was the best opportunity I took. Being an online student and staying closer to home while completing my degree was very convenient,” says BVU alum Genesis Wanatee, Senior Accounting Partner.
Emma Pfantz, an intern at Wanatee Accounting Services, adds, “I am currently an online student at BVU. I love that I can take my classes online and still be able to work and get experience in the field at the same time. The BVU staff has been very helpful and accommodating.”
“We’re excited to partner with Wanatee Accounting Services to provide employees with affordable access to higher education,” says BVU Director of Strategic Partnerships Laura Todd. “This program is about more than the degrees; it’s about connecting classroom learning with real-world experience and supporting working professionals and their families.”
For more information about BVU’s Strategic Partnerships and partner opportunities, please visit the BVU website at bvu.edu/strategic-partnerships or contact Strategic Partnerships at StrategicPartnerships@bvu.edu.