NJCPA Diversity & Inclusion Impact Award Recipients

Vice President, Internal Audit at Prudential Financial

Maria consistently practices diversity and inclusion in her management style, which involves a mentoring relationship with each member of her team. She exhibits the same diversity-minded leadership qualities with others in Internal Audit and those in Japan, South Korea and other foreign operations. She also participates in her firm’s Asian Pacific American Association and Women in Finance.

Americas Director of Inclusiveness Recruiting at Ernst & Young LLP

At EY, Ken serves as a diversity role model, both personally and professionally. Seeking to retain underrepresented minorities, Ken and other staff created EY Unplugged, which brings together thousands of black, Latino and Asian staff to discuss leadership paths at EY. He was also inaugural chair of the American Institute of CPAs National Commission on Diversity & Inclusion.

Audit Partner/ National Audit Innovation Leader at KPMG LLP

After 18 years focused on women’s initiatives in various capacities at Deloitte, including her role as National Director for the Retention and Advancement of Women, Shaun rejoined KPMG in 2015, where she served on its Women’s Advisory Board. She also sits on the board of various colleges and high schools, adding gender diversity and innovation as a top priority.

CFO at Tier One Services LLC

As co-owner and CFO of Tier One Services, Jamie promotes diversity of gender, race, age, religion and skillset across the firm. Outside of the office, she is involved in a number of boards and nonprofit organizations related to diversity, including the Minority Scholarship Foundation, which provides scholarships to African American high school seniors. She has also been an NJCPA “Woman of Note.”

COO at Berkowitz Pollack Brant, Advisors & Accountants, LLP

Carolyn founded CohnReznick’s professional women’s program, a Collaborative Advocacy Network (WomenCAN), which addresses personal and career objectives with diverse learning and development opportunities. She is also a member of the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Executive Council and has led initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion, such as with pay analyses and unconscious bias training.

Professor at William Paterson University of New Jersey

Elizabeth works to enhance awareness of diversity issues in the accounting profession at William Paterson University. She has performed a literature survey of diversity in the accounting industry, highlighting the AICPA’s resources. She also has had discussions with the AICPA and developed an action plan to reach out to the Paterson community, provide mentors, and assist with the CPA exam process.

Senior Human Resources Business Partner at Forvis Mazars US

Develeen has dedicated her entire career to fostering a diverse workplace. Under her leadership, many of the firm’s initiatives, such as Woman@Mazars and Mazars Women’s Network, its mentoring program, took shape. She is a true champion of diversity, built on her years of experience working in South Africa and addressing affirmative action and other issues that affect minority groups.

Owner at Larry Garcia CPA LLC

As the only CPA in his firm, Larry serves as a role model for staff and for Asian Americans. He personally mentors staff to complete their CPA. Located in Clifton, his office serves as a prime location for the multicultural clients that walk through his door. As an immigrant himself, he understands the value in hiring diverse staff and interns to assist the melting pot of residents that need accounting services.

Associate Director at Merck & Co., Inc.

Victoria wears two hats at EisnerAmper – audit manager and a lead campus recruiter for the New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania offices. In this capacity, she leads several of the diversity recruiting and retention initiatives for the firm. She has helped to increase engagement with the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) and was recently awarded for facilitating student relationships at NABA.

Although not a CPA herself, Sally is one of the staunchest advocates of diversity initiatives, with a particular emphasis on women. She became the first woman to achieve partner status at her firm. She actively participates in women’s leadership initiatives, such as the Women’s Executive Leadership Forum, Women in International Trade, Young Women’s Professional Network Group and others.

Managing Shareholder Emeritus at WilkinGuttenplan

In addition to embracing diversity as president of the NJCPA, Ed has created Wilkin & Guttenplan’s NexGen learning program, developed its Future Council, and consistently embraces female leadership at the firm with six female partners. Ed also engages in pro bono activities, like The Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, which promotes relationships between the Muslim and Jewish communities.

As a developer of Grant Thornton’s “Safe Space” program, Debra established a way for employees to discuss issues related to diversity and inclusion without any repercussions and is a contact for anyone looking to discuss inclusion issues. She also works on retaining diverse personnel as a member of the Executive Sponsorship team.

Partner at CliftonLarsonAllen LLP

As the partner in charge of the nonprofit and social services team at her firm, Bridget is willing to seek business in unexplored areas and works to develop employees’ unique and diverse skills. In her community, she serves on the board of the Salvation Army in New Jersey and started a young professionals group and later a nonprofit council at the greater Monmouth Chamber of Commerce.

Director of Human Resources at WithumSmith+Brown

Joan is a member of the Steering Committee of WithumSmith+Brown’s Women’s Leadership Development Initiative (WLDI), whose mission is to attract, retain and advance women leaders in the firm. She has also helped spearhead a mandatory internal training program on diversity awareness, which includes video-based training and a test, at her recommendation.

Director, External Reporting at Kenvue - a Johnson & Johnson Co.

Karen actively promotes the NJCPA mentor program and is a member of the Emerging Leaders Council. At Deloitte, she is the main coordinator of Deloitte’s CPA Career Awareness program, in which she sought volunteers to team up with high school students and encouraged students to apply for NJCPA scholarships – and some won.

Director, Wealth Structuring Services-UHNW at Lombard International

As a mother of special needs children, Ann Marie understands the importance of diversity and inclusion both in and outside of the workplace. At Lombard International, she began a diversity team building a “lunch and learn” program with employees from different backgrounds to encourage discussions and idea generation, which was well received by upper management.

Principal at C Lubin CPA LLC

As president of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) Northern New Jersey, Cynthia encourages diversity in all parts of her job. She works tirelessly to forge new relationships with schools, professional organizations and companies. Cynthia recently hosted a student’s day at Rutgers Business School in Newark where she promoted the importance of technical and interpersonal skills.

In her role as senior marketing associate at Smolin Lupin, Ali promotes diversity in every task that she performs. More than two years ago, she rebranded her accounting firm to highlight all of its diverse personalities, and today the firm embraces diversity across all functions. Ali constantly presents new ideas and inclusion initiatives to senior partners.

Owner at KTB Services LLC

Bayaan serves as a trusted advisor to various businesses. (passthrough and corporate) and their respective owners in all matters related to tax planning, compliance, and accounting. In his previous firm, he led and managed the accounting and tax compliance team of various private companies and their respective owners. He provides tax, accounting and advisory to various small businesses, venture backed startups and private equity funded businesses. He has built out finance teams and implemented processes for scaling businesses in readiness for outside funding. He also provides tax services including complex corporate tax compliance with international tax issues. He also provides services with pass-through tax compliance and management of tiered partnerships and their respective special allocations. Bayaan works with clients in a variety of industries including Private equity, real estate technology & life science, manufacturing, retail, wholesale & distribution. Prior to starting his own consulting practice. Bayaan worked at PwC's Private Company Services (PCS) and CohnReznick LLP Tax Services Group where he provided accounting, tax compliance and consulting services in the private equity, portfolio companies and real estate industries.

Financial Operations Manager at Police and Fireman Retirement System

Ainsley is a known mentor in his community, having cofounded a program called Mentoring and Leadership Equals Success (MALES) that encourages the importance of education for at-risk young males. As Chairman of the Education and Reciprocity Committee at the New Jersey State Board of Accountancy, Ainsley also presents diversity for both NJCPA and the AICPA.

Director, Accounting at Wyndham Hotel Group, Inc.

As a co-leader of CohnReznick’s Junior Rainmaker’s program, which provides business development training to associates, Atit works to ensure participants from all diverse backgrounds share their ideas and get involved in the firm. He is also active in NJCPA’s scholarship programs, serving on the nominee selection and interview committee.

Director - Master of Accountancy, Financial Acctg at Rutgers Business School-Newark

Dan has promoted diversity and inclusion at Rutgers University for the past 20 years. He served as a faculty advisor for the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) and has taken teams to participate in KPMG-sponsored case competitions in Atlanta, New Orleans, and Orlando. He helped get Rutgers approved as an IMA Higher Education Endorsement program, the only one in New Jersey.

Ralph Albert Thomas, CPA (DC), CGMA, is the CEO and executive director of the New Jersey Socieyt of CPAs. He was appointed to AICPA’s National Commission on Diversity and Inclusion and the AICPA Foundation Board. Ralph is a former national and chapter president of the National Association of Black Accountants, was chair of the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy’s State Society Relations Committee and is a member of the accounting advisory boards of Lehigh, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Montclair State, Felician and Thomas Edison universities and Middlesex County College. In January 2018, he was invited by Senate President Steve Sweeney to join his bipartisan Economic and Fiscal Policy Working Group. Additionally, Ralph was selected for the last eight years by Accounting Today as one ofthe “Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting.” He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business and Economics as well as a Master of Business Administration from Lehigh University.

Vice President, Risk Manager Senior Officer at Bank of America

As a young girl, Lucy was determined to break the finding that less than 0.1% of all CPAs were African Americans, and she is already well on her way. In conjunction with the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA), she works to encourage students to become CPAs. As executive director of NABA’s Accounting Career Awareness Program (ACAP), she takes diverse students to college campuses.

Bert, a past member of the NJCPA’s Multicultural Relations Committee and its Accounting Educators and Students Committee, has spent more than three decades as a professor at Kean University. Bert regularly works with new CPA students, newly established accounting clubs and diverse groups on campus. He was recently among those honored for advancing student-faculty research.

Accountant at ASE Group

As a member of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA), a pro bono accountant for Rutgers African-American Alumni Association and treasurer for the Union County Chapter of the NJCPA, Ugochi has a long history of promoting diversity. Previously at Kent Place School, she participated in the school’s Diversity Recruitment Event, and personally championed for worthy individuals.

Associate at Goldman Sachs & Company

As a past recipient of an NJCPA scholarship, Jenny continues to give back by mentoring students to embrace a similar accounting path. She is a member of the NJCPA Student Programs and Scholarship Committee and participates in Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation’s SMBC Connect diversity team, where she organizes many inclusion events.