Technical Assistance Faculty

Email: mary.barton@strategiccommunitypartners.org

Mary A. Barton, CPA, is the founder and CEO of Equitable Accounting Solutions. Based in Detroit, Michigan, Equitable Accounting Solutions offers full-service accounting and advisory services to small service-based businesses. Mary has over 19 years of experience providing accounting services to clients in areas of taxation, assurance, advisory and eXtensible business reporting language (XBRL) across various industries. Her role involves close collaboration with business owners, their key personnel, vendors and bankers in order to gain a full picture of the business’ financial situation and to be proactive in financial-related matters, including wealth management.

Mary has a passion for supporting women- and minority-owned businesses. As a woman of color and small business owner herself, Mary understands that small businesses are the driving force to boost the economy and she is committed to establishing a mutual connection with her clients in order to help them build and maintain financial growth. Mary is the current Treasurer for NAWBO Greater Detroit Chapter, a membership organization that propels womenentrepreneurs into economic, social, and political spheres of power, worldwide. She is also an active parent and PTA Treasurer at her son’s public elementary school. Mary is a member of the MICPA and a mentor for their college student members pursuing accounting. Most recently,Mary joined the Board of Directors of MACRS (Minority Career Resource Society), a non-profit focused on providing pathways for high school and college students into the accounting industry.

In 2022, Mary was a NAWBO GDC Top 10 Michigan Business Women Award Honoree and received the Next-Gen Entrepreneur Award. In the same year, Mary was awarded the 2022 MICPA Advancing Equity Award for her passion in advising women- and minority-owned businesses with an equitable lens while building connections and treating individuals withempathy. In 2023, Mary was awarded a scholarship from GM, in partnership with NAWBO, to attend Building a Successful Diverse Business at The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.Mary has been named a 2024 Enterprising Women of the Year Award Champion through Enterprising Women Magazine. This national recognition is a testament to Mary's dedication, leadership, and vision that has driven her firm's success.