Annual Convention & Expo (E1706050)

Ash is the head of Social Security planning at OneTeam Financial. With nearly thirty years of experience, he is one of the nation’s foremost experts on Social Security and oversees the development of Social Security claiming strategies to maximize retirement income benefits. Ash is the former president and founder of National Social Security Partners, LLC (NSSP). He has two certifications in Social Security planning: National Social Security AdvisorSM and Certified in Social Security Claiming Strategies (CSSCS). Ash was recognized with the “National Social Security Advisor of the Year” award in 2016 from the National Social Security Association. He obtained his Chartered Accounting degree (a Canadian CPA.) and Certified Financial PlannerTM designation. He then went on to obtain an MBA from Wharton Business School. Ash has been published in numerous newspapers and magazines.

Rachel L. Anevski, M.A.O.B., PHR, SHRM-CP, is the founder and chief executive officer of Matters of Management, LLC. Rachel has held executive roles in marketing, business development and human capital for mid-size and large professional services firms. She has spent her career working alongside business owners and managing partners carrying out firm missions, acquiring talent and providing coaching to executives, management and staff. Consulting engagements have consisted of organizational redesign of operations and infrastructure, personnel programming, senior talent acquisition, total benefit and rewards systems, policy and procedure manuals, and providing business development coaching training. She is certified in human resources, has a Masters Degree in organizational behavior from Fairleigh Dickinson University and an undergraduate degree in forensic psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Frank is an emeritus partner of WithumSmith+Brown, PC (Withum) with over 35 years of accounting and auditing experience. He is a licensed CPA in New York and New Jersey and has significant experience working with SEC registrants, small and large private entities in various industries, including hedge funds, private equity funds and finance companies. Frank is a member of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and was a former member of the AICPA Peer Review Board. He is a past president of the NJCPA and currently chairs its Peer Review Executive Committee. Frank is a frequent lecturer on accounting and auditing and is a co-author of three accounting books.

Walter is the chief success officer at Prager Metis CPAs, a member of Prager Metis International Group. He has over 30 years of executive experience in accounting and business advisory. He possesses deep expertise in all facets of firm and practice management; firm/corporate strategy and execution; business development; practice growth and senior management mentoring. Walter also serves as a managing director at Whitman Business Advisors, where he provides advisory services to clients in areas such as strategic planning, practice management and mergers and acquisitions. He is also a regular and trusted advisor to boards and audit committees. Walter is a former president of the NJCPA and is a member of its Accounting & Auditing Standards Interest Group and the Governmental Accounting & Auditing Interest Group.

Captain Larry Brudnicki retired from the Coast Guard in March 2002 after 30 years of active duty. He reported to his last assignment as the Chief of Operations, 11th Coast Guard District, Alameda, CA in August 1997 where he supervised more than 15,000 Search & Rescue cases, which saved 1,600 lives and property valued at $135 million. He also supervised the search for survivors of the Alaska Air Flight #261 tragedy. He had tactical control of ships and aircraft that seized more than 150 tons of cocaine, including the ten largest cocaine seizures in the year 2000 and again in 2001. He also had tactical control of the ships and aircraft that interdicted 2,800 illegal migrants from the People's Republic of China, Ecuador and Mexico. Captain Brudnicki was the Commanding Officer of the USCGC TAMAROA (WMEC-166), New Castle NH during "The Perfect Storm". During his tour, TAMAROA had more fishing vessel seizures than the rest of the Coast Guard Atlantic fleet added together, and participated in Haitian Migration Interdiction Operations when the Coast Guard was recovering 1500 Haitians per day. Captain Brudnicki holds a Merchant Marine Master's License, and is a member of the National Speakers Association. His awards include the Legion of Merit, the Coast Guard Medal "for heroism", the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), the Coast Guard Commendation Medal (four awards), the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Coast Guard Achievement Medal and the Humanitarian Service Medal (two awards).

Scott joined Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. in 1990, and has held a variety of investment roles at the firm over the past 34 years. His career began in international equities, where he was an analyst and portfolio manager of European and Asian equities, working out of the firm’s New York and London offices. He since broadened his responsibilities into domestic equity management and research, and managed the New York office of the firm’s Private Wealth Management business. In 2010 he was appointed Chief Investment Strategist, and is today one of the firm’s primary writers and speakers on topics related to the economy, financial markets and investing. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst, and a member of the New York Society of Security Analysts and the CFA Institute. Scott serves on the boards of the Morgan Library and the Grolier Club in New York City, as well as the board of the Research Corporation for Science and the Journal of the History of Ideas.

Salvatore A. Collemi, CPA Salvatore A. Collemi, licensed as a CPA in New York and New Jersey, is the Managing Member and Founder of Collemi Consulting and Advisory Services, LLC, where he relies on over two decades of global business experience to guide US and international public accounting firms, litigation attorneys, valuation experts, the C-suite, and related institutions that support the profession in order to promote and enhance audit quality. His practice provides outsourced, high-level strategic and technical accounting and auditing guidance. Services includea full range of US and international accounting and auditing consultations, technical reviews of financial statements and workpapers, AICPA Peer Review and PCAOB inspection preparation, perform internal inspections, customized CPE training, independence and ethics consultations, and so on.

Ralph Consola services as an executive managing director and principal of Marshall & Stevens. In his capacity as executive managing director, he oversees the West coast operations, business development, client management and engagement management for the firm. Prior to his appointment as an executive managing director and principal, Mr. Consola served as a member of the University Relations Division at Loyola Marymount University. He specializes in fairness and solvency opinions, valuation and transaction advisory services to public and private corporations, shareholders, management, directors and trusted advisors relative to planning, negotiating and reporting of mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, corporate tax restructurings, financings/recapitalizations, shareholder dispute, insurance placement, and estate tax reporting. Mr. Consola earned an M.B.A. in finance and a B.S. in mathematics from Loyola Marymount University.

John M. Fleming, CPA, M.B.A. John M. Fleming, licensed as a CPA in Pennsylvania, has served as the Director of Content Development for Kaplan Financial Education, powered by SmartPros, and also as President and Director of Accounting and Auditing for Kaplan Financial Education, powered by Loscalzo Institute. John retired on October 1, 2017. In retirement, John continues to provide seminars as a discussion leader on a part-time basis. John’s prior practice experience includes audit, tax, consulting, office management, and human resource responsibilities with Deloitte LLP, Richard Eisner & Company LLP, and Ernst & Young LLP. John is a graduate of LaSalle and Drexel Universities with degrees in accounting and finance. John served as the 1999–2000 President of the 8,300-member Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA). In 2006, the PICPA recognized John as a Joseph E. Sterrett Fellow for his contributions to the accounting profession. In 2007, the Philadelphia Chapter recognized John with their Champion Award for his contributions to the PICPA, Chapter, profession, and community. John has also served as the 2002/2003 President of the American Accounting Association’s Mid-Atlantic Region.

Ed Guttenplan co-founded WilkinGuttenplan in 1983 and is the managing shareholder of the firm. In addition to his administrative duties in managing the strategy, personnel and financial aspects of the practice, Ed provides a wide array of accounting, tax and business advisory services to closely held and family owned businesses in the construction, food service, manufacturing, technology, engineering, medical, dental, sales industries and community associations. Ed’s real estate practice includes the development of budgets and forecasts, consultation regarding condominiums, cooperative corporations and homeowner association’s management, as well as guidance on accounting and tax matters related to project development and litigation support services. Prior to co-founding WilkinGuttenplan, Ed worked in private industry for both regional and international accounting firms. Ed also services many community associations including active adult communities, cooperatives, mixed-use and multi-association communities.

Ed was the 2017/18 president of the NJCPA and serves as chairperson of the Nominating Committee. He graduated Cum Laude with a B.S. in business administration and Magna Cum Laude with an M.B.A. from Boston University.

John is the founder and CEO of Higgins Advisory, LLC, which helps CPAs, CFOs and other financial professionals successfully guide their firms and business organizations through a digital transformation that leverages the power of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, data analytics, workflow automation and more. He is a seasoned entrepreneur, having been the founder of two separate accounting technology advisory firms that were acquired by larger organizations, such as the co-founder of CPA Crossings, LLC, a national provider of CPA technology advisory and educational services, and a founder of Computools, Inc. a provider of financial and ERP solutions for small and mid-size businesses. In addition, he has experience with a local CPA firm and as a technology advisory practice leader partner in a national CPA firm. John shares his expertise as a nationally recognized thought leader, strategic advisor, and speaker on accounting technology through coaching and speaking engagements.

Gene is a columnist, author and owner of the Marks Group PC, a provider of technology and consulting services to small and medium sized businesses. He writes daily for The Washington Post and weekly for Forbes, The Huffi Post, Inc Magazine, FOX Business, Entrepreneur.com and Philadelphia Magazine. He has written six books on business management, specifically geared towards small and medium sized companies. His most recent is The Manufacturer’s Book of Lists. Gene frequently appears on FOX News, MSNBC, Fox Business, Bloomberg and CNBC discussing matters affecting the business community. Prior to starting the Marks Group PC, he spent nine years in the entrepreneurial services arm of KPMG in Philadelphia.

Don is the chief marketing officer of the NJCPA, responsible for setting the vision, strategy and direction for the organization’s marketing, communications and membership campaigns and for driving the success of a deep and broad swath of organizational initiatives. Functional areas of accountability include digital assets (web, social media, email), content and news distribution (including the organization’s flagship publication, New Jersey CPA), membership, media relations, public relations, next generation recruitment, executive communications and internal communications. He also oversees graphic design, market research, and advocacy and legislative communications. Don came to the NJCPA from the Craft & Hobby Association, where he was director of marketing and public relations.

John O’Leary has lived through worse than most can imagine. At the age of nine, John was severely burned on 100% of his body. No one expected him to survive the first night. But he did. He then survived months in a hospital bed, dozens of surgeries, and years of therapy. Before his tenth birthday, John lost all of his fingers to amputation. This wasn’t the end. John’s journey was just beginning. From this tragedy, John received the greatest gift – embracing the truth that regardless of our personal and professional challenges, we choose how to. As a boy in that hospital bed, John could not have foreseen the amazing things he would accomplish. But his journey proved more empowering and rewarding than he could have ever imagined. It gave him strength. It fueled and drove him on. It provided hope. It taught him compassion and understanding, and it gave him a solid foundation for living. Some call John a survivor, but he is so much more than that. John O’Leary is a beacon of hope, and he’s ready to share his message with you. John now lives to share his story and to spark the stories of others living boldly, so that together we can forge an extraordinary future by finding the possibility in the present.

Senator Steven V. Oroho is currently serving his third term in the New Jersey State Senate. He represents the twenty-fourth legislative district in the northwestern part of the state which comprises all of Sussex County, and parts of northern Warren and Morris Counties. He has extensive professional experience in the finance departments of top New York City firms including work for Price Waterhouse, W.R. Grace and Company, as well as Young and Rubicam where he held the position of Senior Vice President of Finance. Senator Oroho is presently a certified financial planner with Stonebridge Capital Management. In the State Senate, Senator Oroho sits on three committees: the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, the Senate Economic Growth Committee as well as the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee. He was also appointed by Governor Christie to serve on the Governor’s Red Tape Review Commission. In addition, he served as a member of the New Jersey Unemployment Insurance Task Force. Senator Oroho has been honored as a Legislator of the Year by both the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and the New Jersey Society for Environmental, Economic Development (NJ SEED). He also received the "Paul L. Troast Public Service Award" from the New Jersey Business and Industry Association. The Troast Award is bestowed annually upon a public servant who has made an outstanding contribution to the State of New Jersey and its business community. He received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from St. Francis University.

Debbie operates her own tax controversy practice, specializing in partnership and S corporation tax law as well as IRS audits and procedures. She has been successful petitioning and resolving tax issues under the jurisdiction of the United States Tax Court. She is proficient in Section 199A provisions and computations as well as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. She prepares all types of tax returns and utilizes her forensic accounting skills for potential IRS criminal prosecution. Having spent more than 32 years at the IRS, Debbie retired from its Large Business and International Division, where she was a senior manager in the Flow-Through Issue Practice Group, which specialized in S corporation and partnership tax. She was the operations and technical assistant to the Deputy Commissioner International; the technical assistant to the Director of PFTG; a territory manager in the retail, food and pharmaceuticals industries; a team manager in the heavy manufacturing industry; and the IRC Section 263A Technical Advisor. Debbie taught accounting and taxation as an adjunct at Delaware State University, Wilmington College and Goldey-Beacom College. She has been a seminar presenter for over 24 years and a textbook author. She regularly receives the Surgent Outstanding Discussion Leader Award.

Bill Rancic burst onto the national scene when he was hired by the winner of the first season of NBC’s breakthrough program “The Apprentice”. Currently, Bill is speaking to businesses and organizations around the world on motivational and business topics. He makes regular appearances on numerous daytime broadcast and cable television programs such as Today, The View, Rachael Ray and various CNBC programs to talk to viewers about business and entrepreneurship. He also regularly appears in many major national, regional and local print outlets throughout the country. A published author of a New York Times best-selling book, Bill wrote You're Hired: How To Succeed In Business And Life. This book chronicles Bill's successful life, experience and proven advice. He continued to make a name for himself as an author by writing Beyond the Lemonade Stand to help educate and motivate young people worldwide about the value of money and how to leverage skills, talents and abilities at an early age. All proceeds from the sale of this book have gone to charity. Bill has also co-authored I Do…Now What with his wife Giuliana Rancic where they share secrets to everlasting love. After graduating cum laude from Loyola University, Bill went on to become a successful entrepreneur when he founded Cigars Around The World, a monthly online subscription-based retailer that became a multi-million dollar enterprise.

Joe Riccie is currently the Market Leader for Withum’s Cyber & Information Security Services plus their Cloud Solutions and Management Consulting practice. He has over 30 years of financial, human capital, operational and technical management experience collectively. He specializes in managing programs, leading change enablement and enterprise transformation programs, and he has a recognized ability to leverage people, process, technology and information to drive performance and deliver key business objectives with tangible results.

Matthew Ryan, CPA, MBA, CFE, is the co-owner of a turnaround management consulting firm, Matthew Ryan specializes in crisis management, strategic and operational planning and risk analysis, and due diligence research for companies ranging from manufacturing start-ups to established service organizations. In addition to his consulting practice, Mr. Ryan co-writes and teaches professional education courses for state CPA societies and private companies across the country. Outside of his work in consulting and professional instruction, Mr. Ryan has served for over a decade in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. In 2009, he deployed to Iraq as a Company Executive Officer and Brigade Medical Logistics Officer, key roles in the overall medical operations of the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team. Mr. Ryan is still a member of the National Guard, holds the rank of Captain and serves as Company Commander for a 150-soldier distribution/logistics unit based in Lebanon, PA. Mr. Ryan earned a B.S. in Finance from The Pennsylvania State University and an MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He is a Certified Fraud Examiner and serves on the Board of Directors of a Pittsburgh-based non-profit organization while volunteering for several other non-profits throughout Pennsylvania.

Anurag Sharma is a Principal of the Firm’s Cybersecurity practice and System & Organization Controls (SOC) practice based out of our Princeton, NJ office. Anurag is a regular speaker on Cybersecurity and SOC related topics at many State CPA Societies including NJCPA PICPA, CTCPA, FICPA, the AICPA and other organizations. Anurag has authored many articles dealing with Cybersecurity challenges faced by small and medium businesses (SMB) and has been frequently quoted in NJ Biz Magazine, Boston Business Journal and PEI Private Fund Management Magazine.

Anurag has over 19 years of experience and is one of Withum’s leading Cybersecurity specialists. His areas of expertise include Cybersecurity Assessments (NIST Cybersecurity Framework), SOC Suite of Services (SOC 1, SOC 2 and SOC for Cybersecurity), Corporate Governance, Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 compliance and ISO/IEC 27001 Consulting.

Anurag is a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), and Certified in Risk and Information Systems Controls (CRISC). He is also designated as a SOC 1 and SOC 2 and SOC for Cybersecurity specialist by the Oversight Task Force of the AICPA Peer Review Board. He is a graduate of Symbiosis Center for Management & Human Resource Development (India), where he received his Master of Business Administration degree in Information Systems. Anurag is a member of Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) and International Information systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC)2.

Bill Sheridan, CAE, is a knowledge hunter, content curator, lifelong learner, and the Maryland Association of CPAs’ chief communications officer, editor, and resident social media cheerleader. He is the creator and co-author of the association’s acclaimed blog, CPA Success. Mr. Sheridan also writes and produces the MACPA’s podcast, CPA Spotlight, and manages the association’s numerous social networks. All of that socializing is paying off. CPA Success has appeared on numerous “top accounting blogs” lists, and Mr. Sheridan’s Klout score has earned him the No. 2 spot on SavvySME’s list of the top accounting influencers in the world. Mr. Sheridan speaks regularly to CPAs and association groups on the strategic uses of social media and the future of communication, collaboration and education. He has presented at the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy’s 2011 CPE Conference and its 2011 International Conference; the AICPA’s inaugural Digital CPA Conference in 2012; and the first-ever CCH Small Firms Conference, also in 2012. He delivers frequent presentations on behalf of the Business Learning Institute and is a certified Insights to Action facilitator. A journalist by trade, Mr. Sheridan oversees the MACPA’s online and print content. His articles about the MACPA and the CPA profession have appeared in the Journal of Accountancy, Associations Now and SmartCEO. He is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo. In 2010, he earned the Certified Association Executive designation from the American Society of Association Executives.

Michael Symons is Statehouse bureau chief for New Jersey 101.5. He previously covered the Statehouse for Gannett newspapers for more than 15 years. He's co-author of the biography, Chris Christie: The Inside Story of His Rise to Power. Follow him at @MichaelSymons_ on Twitter.

Bill Taylor is the Founder and President of Corporate Ladders, a business training, coaching and consulting firm specializing in revenue growth, practice development, and effectiveness for CPAs, Attorneys, and other professional services firms. He is a featured speaker at conferences and corporate events nationwide and is a contributing columnist for multiple publications including the New Jersey Law Journal, Accounting Today, and Consulting Magazine. Recognized as an outstanding business professional, Mr. Taylor is a dynamic executive, leader, consultant, and coach who has helped firms grow revenues in a wide range of industries. With domestic and international experience in both the public and private sectors, Mr. Taylor applies over three decades of business expertise with his unique global perspective to tackle and solve business challenges.

Ralph is the CEO and executive director of the New Jersey Society 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 of the “Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting.”

Josh Wu helps startup companies, mid-size businesses, and individual clients remain in compliance with U.S. tax laws, and guides clients on appropriate procedures to reduce their tax burdens. Mr. Wu represents clients in an array of tax controversies and tax litigation matters before the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the U.S. Tax Court, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. With considerable experience handling multijurisdictional investigations, he regularly works with foreign companies, trusts, and advisors to resolve inbound U.S. tax and reporting issues. In addition, Mr. Wu is involved in the D.C. metro area startup community; he works with angel investors and coworking spaces to assist emerging companies to implement business practices and legal structures to facilitate their growth and access to funding. Prior to co-founding Greaves | Wu, he worked for an international law firm, Latham & Watkins LLP, and has been quoted in major news outlets such as The Street, Federal Tax Weekly, and Business News Daily.