Our Team

Mercedes has been with the firm since November of 2001. She has learned the practice from all angles. As the former general and tax manager at HLM, Mercedes has a wealth of information. She completed her MBA with a concentration in Small Business and Entrepreneurship and is a federally licensed Enrolled Agent, Enrolled to Practice before the Internal Revenue Service. As a nationally licensed EA, she has the credentials to practice in all 50 states and handle all federal or state tax issues here and abroad. She has the ability to look at the big picture and plan for the future. Mercedes has clients all over the world and is versed in foreign income and US taxation. She performs financial services for elder care clients and their families, business planning and consulting, individual tax planning and consulting, payroll preparation and strategic planning. As the Managing Partner of the firm, it is her primary goal to ensure our clients receive the highest level of service possible.

Mercedes is a past board member of the Decatur Business Association, is a Past President of Decatur Kiwanis Club, and former Treasurer of Decatur City Dance.

In her spare time, Mercedes loves to listen to music with her daughter, play with her dogs and watch NetFlix.

Deloyd joined HLM as Principal in September of 2016 after 25 years in various corporate accounting and financial leadership roles with small and large companies. He began his career in public accounting with Deloitte where he earned his certification as a CPA . As Partner, he manages the execution of individual, corporate, non-profit and estate tax returns. He manages the accounting department which includes preparing compilations and reviews of financial statements, account reconciliations and cash flow forecasts. Deloyd is not just an accountant, but a business adviser who is an expert in accounting. He brings to every engagement an entrepreneurial spirit and energy that stems from years of operations and process improvement experience with small and large retail, consumer goods, franchising, financial and manufacturing companies. Deloyd earned his undergraduate degree in accounting from The Pennsylvania State University and an MBA in Marketing from Iona College. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the state of Georgia and an active member of the Georgia Society of CPAs. He loves to travel overseas, especially to warm climate locations and exercising and spending time at home with his family.

Cody is a native of Decatur, Georgia. He graduated from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Banking. During his college career, he was employed as an Assistant Manager to a real estate and rental company, where he was responsible for financial reporting, client interaction, customer service, and maintaining staff. After graduating from college he worked in a CPA firm based out of Cumming, GA and was responsible for cash flow for various clients and handling all manners of accounting processes including financial projections. Cody strives for perfection in customer service, client interaction, and exceeding SLA's. He will go above and beyond to ensure all needs are met and then more. He has experience in accounts receivable, accounts payable, budgeting, and office administration.Outside of the office, Cody enjoys hiking, fly-fishing, cooking, adventures with his chocolate lab and traveling to the beach.

Lan joined HLM in October 2016 and is our Office Administrator. Although born abroad, she lived in California a few years before moving to Atlanta. She graduated from Georgia State University with a Bachelor of Fine Art in Studio Art. She plans to return to Georgia State University to pursue her MBA in the summer.

Prior to joining HLM, Lan was a graphic designer in the Marketing Department with a well-known retailer. She was responsible for meeting tight deadlines on print ads, marketing campaigns, and collaborative event efforts. She has many years of customer service experience, thrives to find solutions to problems, and loves to make customers happy.

In her free time, she loves to take bike rides with her husband and little boy, garden, searching for healthy oil-free vegan recipes, read, and experiment with growing orchids hydroponically.

Eric Garcia is a Tax Associate at HLM. Originally from NYC, Eric has almost two decades of experience in the tax industry. While completing undergraduate studies in Computer Science at the City University of New York, Eric began his career serving a diverse clientele at his mother’s Queens, NY tax firm. Eric worked his way up from Office Clerk to Senior Tax Associate were he served a base of over 1,600 annual personal and business clients.

After moving to Atlanta in 2010, Eric obtained his licensure as an Enrolled Agent. An enrolled agent is a tax practitioner who is licensed by the Internal Revenue Service. In fact, enrolled agent status is the highest credential awarded by the IRS. As a self-employed EA, Eric set out to build his business from the ground up which led to a contract with a national, multi-million dollar tax resolution firm. Eric was responsible for managing over 100 tax relief cases and saving them hundreds of thousands of dollars.

With a strong background in entrepreneurship and expertise in income tax law, Eric offers a unique perspective that combines the love of small-business with the gratification of tax-savings.

When he’s not at HLM, Eric enjoys his family life with his wife and four awesome children, fitness classes, and staying up to date with current events.

Trudy joined HLM as an office administrator in July 2018. She is originally from New York City and moved to Atlanta, GA in 2008. She has a Bachelor’s degree with a major in English and Psychology from the University of Rochester. She has served in the banking, telecommunications, and retail industries. While gaining experience in the work field, she also wanted to pursue further education and obtained her Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of West Georgia. Trudy is responsible for office management, client relations, and serves as the liaison between clients and personnel at HLM.

Prior to joining HLM, Trudy worked as a Supervisor in the Communication Solutions department of a publicly traded company in the metro Atlanta area.

In her spare time, she enjoys her children’s soccer games, writing, reading, and outdoor activities.

Jennifer Gibbs moved to Atlanta in 2003 after living in various states including Virginia, New York, California, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Missouri, and Florida and she also lived in Mexico. She graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with Bachelor’s Degrees in both Education and History. Jennifer taught history and coached basketball in both the public and private school systems in St. Louis, Missouri as well as Jacksonville, Florida for over ten years. Jennifer left teaching to earn a Master's degree in Sports Administration followed by her law degree. Since graduating from Emory School of Law, she has been practicing civil litigation, estate planning, and family law. Jennifer is admitted to practice in the Georgia trial courts, the Georgia Court of Appeals, and the Georgia Supreme Court. She is also admitted to the Federal District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.