Draft:New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants

About
The New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accounts (NJCPA) serves the needs of CPAs, accounting professionals, and students in public practice, business & industry, government, and education. The organization was founded in 1898 and has been continuously active since its founding. , NJCPA represents more than 13,000 members throughout New Jersey.

Leadership
On May 1, NJCPA announced the appointment of Aiysha Johnson as their new Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, replacing Ralph Albert Thomas, who served as the organization's executive for over two decades. Thomas announced his retirement on October 12, 2022.

Johnson previously served on the University of Chicago's Alumni Board and is the previous vice president and director-at-large of the Chicago Women's Alliance. She was named a Power 50 honoree by NJBIZ in 2023.

NJCPA's President, Edward G. O'Connell, was appointed on June 1, 2023 and is currently serving a one-year term. Mr. O'Connell is a Partner at WithumSmith+Brown and has been a member of NJCPA since 1997

Philanthropic Activities
Since 2010, the NJCPA has donated more than 22,000 pounds of food items to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. The organization's 14th annual food drive to benefit the FoodBank, held September 26 to November 16, 2023, delivered 2,369 pounds of nonperishable items and canned goods.

In 2023, NJCPA awarded $221,500 in scholarships to 53 New Jersey high school and college students to support their educational efforts.

Since 2019, NJCPA has held an annual lottery for its members to partially offset the cost of preparing for and taking the CPA exam, which can exceed more than $2,500 when factoring in enrollment fees, review courses, study guides, and other prep work. Each of their ten winners in 2023 received $750 towards their CPA Exam costs.

Annual Convention and Ovation Awards
NJCPA's annual convention regularly hosts hundreds of CPAs from throughout New Jersey. A group from Stockton University attended the June 2023 Convention.

During the annual convention, NJCPA honors CPAs throughout the state with its Ovation Awards, which represent outstanding achievements in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Exceptional Educators; Emerging Leaders; Impact; Innovation; Lifetime Leader, and Women to Watch. The Ovation Awards were created to recognize "outstanding accomplishments, selfless volunteerism, impactful commitment and a lifetime of dedication to the accounting profession." NJCPA announced the 2023 Ovation Awards winners on October 4, 2023.

Past winners have included Ainsley Reynolds, director of accounting for the New Jersey Department of the Treasury's Division of Investment; Peter DeSarno , Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Accounting at Bloomfield College of Montclair State University; Michael Polito , retired Partner at Deloitte & Touche LLP of Parsippany; and Douglas Stives , Specialist Professor in the Accounting Department in the Leon Hess Business School at Monmouth University.