John Drawdy

John Drawdy is an auditing, accounting, and tax professional with nearly 30 years of relevant experience. His expertise includes small business advising, internal control analysis concepts, and tax planning strategies. John holds a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from the University of South Carolina, is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and is a Certified Tax Coach (CTC). John has taught both undergraduate and graduate-level accounting classes and (by special invitation) has written and edited questions for the CPA Exam. 

John is an Advanced Certified Profit First Professional and has implemented the Profit First system in his business. His knowledge allows him to assist in guiding our clients through the implementation of the Profit First system in their business.

John holds/has held many positions in the community including:

• Member of the Beta Alpha Psi Accounting Honor Society
• Cub Scout Pack Committee Chair
• Boy Scouts of America District Committee in charge of Golden Eagle fundraising
• ET Booth School Advisory Council 
• Former President of the Towne Lake Rotary Club
• Former President of the Bascomb Elementary PTA 
• Former Chairman of Bascomb School Advisory Council 
• Former Cub Scout Den Leader 
• Former Director of the Greater Atlanta Carolina Alumni Association
• Former Treasurer of the Atlanta Gamecock Club
• Eagle Scout

John and his wife LaTease, an Acworth native, have been married since 2004 and have lived in Cherokee County ever since. They have two children, Caroline, who was born in 2008, and Amanda, who was born in 2010.

Kristi Cobb

Kristi Cobb moved to the Atlanta area in 1991 from Michigan. She attended Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, and later pursued her CPA once in Georgia. In addition to accounting, Kristi has done work in the legal field as a case manager at an Atlanta mediation and arbitration firm. Kristi also has a paralegal certificate and did an internship at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office during college.

Kristi has been with Paragon since 2013 as our Tax Manager. Professionally, she enjoys the challenge of identifying and solving problems and listening to the needs of business owners. Kristi is Paragon’s onboarding specialist, as she works directly with many of our business owners during their onboarding. She also works closely with many of our small business owners on a regular basis.

Kristi and her husband Jeff live in Canton. They enjoy playing tennis weekly. Her oldest son, Anthony, graduated from Kennesaw State University. Nicholas, her youngest son, is attending Georgia Southern University.  And her daughter, Alayna, loves playing soccer. Kristi has adopted her husband’s team, the Georgia Bulldogs, as her college football team unless they are playing Michigan State Spartans. Both of her parents attended MSU and her step-father was a professor there.

Kristen Griffin

Kristen Griffin joined Paragon in 2019. She came to our firm with over a decade in public accounting experience. Her knowledge includes individual and small business taxes as well as financial statement preparation and analysis. Kristen is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). She earned her Bachelor of Science from Reinhardt University in 2008 and her Master of Science in Accounting in 2016. 

Kristen works closely with many of our small business owners on a regular basis and assists with supervising our staff accountants. Kristen is an Advanced Certified Profit First Professional who leverages the principles of Profit First and guides her clients through the implementation of the Profit First system in their business.

Kristen is originally from Ellijay. She and her husband moved to Woodstock in 2009, where they still reside with their daughter, Lily, and their younger twins, Lincoln and Lexi. Kristen enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, camping, and being outdoors.

Stephen Bright

Stephen Bright joined Paragon in 2022. He graduated from Kennesaw State University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a minor in business law. In addition, he is an Enrolled Agent. Stephen has accumulated over 15 years of experience in public accounting, specializing in individual and small business tax preparation.

Stephen has grown up in Woodstock since moving from Omaha, Nebraska, in 1986. He currently lives in Woodstock with his fiancé and youngest daughter. They are devoted LSU fans with family roots originating in Louisiana. They enjoy outdoor adventures with their husky Skyler, as well as cooking together.

Rachel Rollins

Rachel Rollins joined the Paragon team in 2017. Her energy, willingness to adapt, and ability to take on new tasks/learn new skills instantly made her fit with Paragon perfectly. With an associate degree in business management, her expertise is in leadership, organization, implementation, and efficiency. 

Rachel is a dynamic and passionate worker who enjoys a challenge. She oversees our firm operations, logistics and standard operating procedures. Rachel is responsible for ensuring that the office is running smoothly by providing our staff with the supplies, information, and resources they need to be successful in doing their jobs. Rachel also handles setting up and assisting our clients with their payroll needs. 

Born and raised in Marietta, Rachel now lives in Acworth with her husband, Jesse, and two children- Jack and Millie. In between football and softball games, Rachel enjoys soaking up the sun and being outdoors with our office pup, Rizzo. She adopted her husband’s love for the Chicago Cubs and is now an avid fan. 

Kathryn Elliott

Kathryn joined the Paragon team in 2019 as an accounting intern and was promoted to Staff Accountant in 2020. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Georgia College & State University. Kathryn plans to pursue a master’s degree in accounting and to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). She is excited to continue building her knowledge of accounting at Paragon. She handles many of our clients’ monthly bookkeeping and is also working alongside our CPAs to gain a greater knowledge of accounting principles and how to apply them.

Kathryn is originally from Woodstock, where she and her three older brothers grew up. Her parents are both from New York, so she has grown up a die-hard New York Yankees fan. When Kathryn is not at work, she often enjoys watching sports with her dad or walking the Noonday Creek trail in downtown Woodstock with her mom.

Kenyon Del Valle

Kenyon Del Valle moved to Woodstock with his family in 2012 from Las Vegas, Nevada. He joined Paragon in 2021 and works as a Staff Accountant for many of our small business clients.

Kenyon has stayed local since arriving in Woodstock. He graduated from Woodstock High School and later Kennesaw State University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He is getting his feet wet while contemplating going for his master’s degree and Certified Public Accounting (CPA) license.

Outside of work, Kenyon enjoys reading, creative writing, and critiquing movies with friends. His favorite genres include science-fiction, existentialism, and dystopia. He spends quality time with family and relatives on occasion while building his future, one step at a time.

Mariya Dianov

Mariya Dianov graduated from Georgia State University with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She has worked in public accounting in the past, attending to various clients from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies. She started as a receptionist and moved her way up to an executive assistant while also aiding in a few departments, including tax, audit, and consulting. 

Mariya joined our team in 2021 with over a decade of customer service experience. She is part of our administrative team and is also our social media specialist. She is currently expanding her knowledge of social media while focusing on growth, excellence, and presence for our brand. Mariya enjoys educating our clients through our social media platforms.

Mariya was born in Ukraine but moved to Georgia in 1998. She loves spending time by the water, driving up to Blue Ridge, and going to the shooting range. Most of all, she loves to actively participate in the community. 

Ruth Rosenburg

Ruth Rosenburg was born and raised in Woodstock, graduating high school in 2020. She joined Paragon in 2022 and works as an administrative assistant.

With over a decade of martial arts experience, she is a 5th degree black belt and Certified Training Instructor. She also worked as a sales associate for 2.5 years, after graduating high school at 16.

Outside of work, her hobbies include taekwondo, drawing, writing, and watching tv. In her spare time, she likes to go to concerts, hang out with friends, and exercise.

Jodi Goodwin

Jodi joined the Paragon team in 2024. She holds a B.B.A. in Marketing from The University of West Georgia and is currently expanding her horizons by pursuing an additional degree in Accounting from Georgia Southwestern University.

With over 25 years of experience as a retail store manager, Jodi brings a wealth of knowledge and skills to the table. Her tenure in retail has provided a solid foundation for her transition into the world of Accounting, where attention to detail, customer service, and organizational prowess are paramount.

Beyond her professional endeavors, Jodi is a devoted mother to a teenage son and finds joy in exploring the Woodstock trails, embarking on hikes with her boyfriend, and cherishing moments with her two cats. As if her plate weren’t full enough, Jodi also kicks off her mornings with a 5am CrossFit session—proof that she’s one busy and dedicated individual.