Meet the Team

A woman in a navy blue blazer and tan top standing by a large window with a cityscape in the background during sunset.

"I founded Vantage Point because I saw too many individuals making decisions in the dark. My goal is to be the lighthouse—providing the clarity and data-driven confidence my clients need to take their next big leap."

Latifa Sanchez

Founder

The Vision Behind Vantage Point Firm. As the Founder of Vantage Point Firm, Latifa Sanchez brings over 10 years of experience in tax strategy, forensic accounting, and business advisory. Her mission in starting the firm was simple: to move beyond traditional "number crunching" and provide business owners with a vantage point—a clear, high-level perspective on their financial future.

Latifa doesn't just look at where a business has been; she focuses on where it is going. She specializes in helping small to mid-sized enterprises navigate complex tax codes while building sustainable, scalable financial infrastructures.

What Latifa Does as Founder

While she oversees the firm’s total operations, Latifa’s primary focus remains on high-impact client advocacy and long-term financial health.

  • Strategic Tax Planning: Designing sophisticated tax-saving strategies that go beyond simple compliance to protect wealth and reinvest in growth.

  • Fractional CFO Advisory: Acting as a high-level financial partner for clients, offering insights on cash flow management, risk assessment, and profit optimization.

  • Firm Culture & Quality Control: Setting the standard for the firm’s "white-glove" service and ensuring every deliverable meets her rigorous technical standards.

  • Business Development: Building a network of trusted partners (legal, insurance, and banking) to provide her clients with a holistic professional ecosystem.

A confident woman with voluminous curly hair and gold hoop earrings wearing a shiny blue blouse and black pants standing indoors near a large window with city buildings in the background.

"I believe that good accounting starts with great habits. My goal is to give our clients peace of mind by handling the details that usually keep them up at night, so they can focus on running their businesses."

Dejuan Howell

Stephanie Coachman

Bookkeeper

The Foundation of Your Financial Clarity. As the Bookkeeper for Vantage Point Firm, Stephanie Coachman is responsible for the integrity of every digit that flows through our clients’ accounts. With a background in 15 years of full-charge bookkeeping, she ensures that our clients’ financial stories are accurate, up-to-date, and audit-ready at all times.

Stephanie bridges the gap between daily operations and long-term planning. While the accountants focus on the "big picture," Stephanie focuses on the precision of the present, ensuring that every transaction is categorized correctly to maximize tax deductions and provide clear cash-flow snapshots.

What Stephanie Does at Vantage Point

Stephanie manages the high-volume, day-to-day financial health of our clients. Her work is the "single source of truth" for the firm’s advisory services.

  • Full-Cycle Bookkeeping: Managing accounts payable/receivable and ensuring all ledger entries are reconciled against bank and credit statements with 100% accuracy.

  • Monthly Financial Reporting: Preparing the essential "Three Pillars" of reporting—Balance Sheets, Income Statements, and Cash Flow Statements—so clients always know their standing.

  • Payroll & Compliance: Executing seamless payroll processing and staying ahead of sales tax filings to keep clients in good standing with state and local authorities.

  • Tech Optimization: Managing the firm’s cloud-based accounting ecosystem (QuickBooks Online/Xero) to automate data feeds and reduce manual errors.

A professional woman with curly black hair, wearing a navy blazer and light blue blouse, standing in an office with a city view. There is a sign on the wall that reads 'Vantage Point Firm' with the logo 'VP'.

"Tax preparation isn't just about filling out forms; it’s about understanding the unique story of each business and ensuring that story is told accurately to the IRS. My goal is to eliminate the stress of 'Tax Season' through year-round preparation."

Alayna Sanchez

Client Coordinator

The Architect of Your Experience As the Client Coordinator for Vantage Point Firm, Alayna Sanchez is the primary navigator for our clients’ journey. She serves as the vital link between our clients and our technical experts—Latifa, Dejuan, and Stephanie. Alayna’s mission is to ensure that working with an accounting firm feels like a partnership, not a chore.

From the moment a new client joins Vantage Point, Alayna is there to streamline the onboarding process, manage secure document flows, and ensure that every question is routed to the right expert at the right time.

What Alayna Does at Vantage Point

Alayna manages the "Workflow Logistics," ensuring that the firm’s high standards for communication and organization are met daily.

  • Onboarding Excellence: Guiding new clients through our systems, setting up secure portals, and ensuring all initial "discovery" documents are collected efficiently.

  • Project Logistics: Tracking the status of tax returns and financial projects to provide clients with real-time updates—no more wondering "where my file is."

  • The Secure Portal Lead: Managing the firm’s digital document environment, ensuring sensitive financial data is shared safely and stays organized.

  • Scheduling & Support: Coordinating strategic planning sessions between clients and Latifa, ensuring our team is prepared with everything they need before the meeting starts.

Tax Associate

Precision in Compliance & Strategy As the Tax Associate for Vantage Point Firm, Dejuan Howell is the lead architect for our clients' tax compliance and preparation. Dejuan brings a deep understanding of ever-changing tax codes, ensuring that every return filed under the Vantage Point banner is accurate, timely, and optimized for maximum tax efficiency.

Working directly with Latifa Sanchez, Dejuan translates complex financial data into a clear tax narrative, identifying opportunities for deductions and credits that often go overlooked in standard preparation.

What Dejuan Does at Vantage Point

Dejuan handles the "heavy lifting" of the tax lifecycle, from initial data collection to the final electronic filing.

  • Advanced Tax Preparation: Specializing in complex federal and state returns for S-Corps, Partnerships, and high-net-worth individuals.

  • Tax Research & Analysis: Deep-diving into IRS tax law changes to ensure our clients stay ahead of new regulations and legislative shifts.

  • Audit Support & Representation: Preparing rigorous documentation to support tax positions and assisting in correspondence with tax authorities.

  • Quarterly Projections: Analyzing year-to-date data to provide clients with accurate quarterly tax estimates, preventing "tax-time surprises."

Professional woman with straight black hair in a navy blazer, standing in front of a blurred background with a sign that reads 'Vantage Point' and blue decorative vases.

"Accounting can be intimidating for business owners. My goal is to remove that friction. If I can make the process of gathering documents and tracking deadlines effortless for our clients, I’ve done my job."