Governmental Accounting & Auditing Conference (E1806410)

John D'Amico, CPA, is a Partner within the Professional Standards Group at Marks Paneth LLP, which is responsible for monitoring quality control in the firm as mandated by professional standards. He specializes in pre-issuance reviews and inspections of nonprofit organizations, governments and Single Audits. Mr. D’Amico also provides consultation on accounting and attestation matters and tests and monitors the firm's quality review policies and procedures. He teaches continuing education classes for the firm and on behalf of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) nationally.

As a sought-out thought leader in his areas of expertise, Mr. D'Amico has authored numerous articles pertaining to nonprofit accounting/auditing, governmental auditing standards and Uniform Guidance. He frequently leads training seminars for his clients and is an instructor for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He has presented at the annual Nonprofit Conferences of the New York State Society of CPAs; the New Jersey Society of CPAs; and the Connecticut Society of CPAs; as well as the annual Governmental Conferences of the Connecticut Society of CPAs and the Michigan Society of CPAs.

In addition to his professional activities, Mr. D’Amico is a dedicated volunteer who regularly donates his time to charitable organizations. He currently serves on several nonprofit boards of directors in a variety of capacities.

Jacqueline Grama is a CPA, licensed in New Jersey and holds a New Jersey School Business Administrator Certificate. She began her career in 1987 at Arthur Young’s Metropark Office performing audits of state and local government agencies in New Jersey. In 1999, she joined the Department of Education’s Office of Fiscal Standards to develop and implement fiscal policy for the newly established Charter School Program. She currently works in the Office of Fiscal Policy and Planning and is primarily responsible for the development and administration of fiscal policy guiding school districts and for the related provision of technical assistance. She also administers the Special Education Medicaid Initiative (SEMI) in conjunction with the Departments of the Treasury and Human Services. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Rider University in 1987 and her Masters in Public Administration from Rutgers University in 2002. Jacqueline is also an active member of the Association of Government Accountants.

Patricia Lagarenne, CPA, joined the Office of Fiscal Policy and Planning as a Planning Associate in 2012. Previously she worked for the department’s Office of Fiscal Accountability and Compliance. Patricia assists OFPP with all the development and administration of fiscal policy guiding school districts and related provision of technical assistance. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Wagner College in 1990. She is licensed in New York and New Jersey, holds a New Jersey School Business Administrator Certificate and is a member of the Association of Government Accountants.

Jason R. Martucci is the Legislative and Regulatory Affairs Officer for the Division of Local Government Services in the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, and serves as the Department’s designee to the State’s Government Records Council.

As the Division of Local Government Services’ Legislative Liaison and Administrative Practice Officer, Mr. Martucci analyzes local government-related legislation and administers the rulemaking process for all DLGS and Local Finance Board regulations. Mr. Martucci drafts agency technical guidance on various matters including, but not limited to, local government finance and public procurement, and has spoken on local government issues before organizations such as the New Jersey League of Municipalities, New Jersey Association of Counties, and the Governmental Purchasing Association of New Jersey. Mr. Martucci is the author of “When Should the Victor Receive the Spoils?: Determining the Proper Threshold for Attorney Fee Awards and the Prevailing Plaintiff Standard Under the New Jersey Civil Rights Act’s Fee-Shifting Provision”, 30 Seton Hall Legis. J. 163 (2005).

Mr. Martucci is an attorney admitted to practice in New Jersey and the District of Colombia, and is certified as a Registered Municipal Clerk. Prior to joining the Department of Community Affairs, Mr. Martucci worked in private practice and served as a Councilman in Seaside Park Borough.

Mr. Martucci received his B.A., cum laude, from The College of New Jersey and his J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law, serving on the Executive Board of the Seton Hall Law Legislative Journal. Mr. Martucci was Law Clerk to the Honorable Ronald E. Hoffman, J.S.C., Ocean County Superior Court.

Shelly R. Masi is an audit partner in KPMG's Metro New York Higher Education and Not-for-Profit practice located in Short Hills, New Jersey office. She has 25 years of experience providing audit services to higher education and other not-for-profit organizations in New Jersey and New York. She has significant financial statement audit experience following both GASB and FASB standards, as well as experience in performing audits of pension plans and grant audits in accordance with Uniform Guidance and New Jersey OMB Circular 15-08. In addition, she has assisted higher education and healthcare organizations with bond financing transactions and has analyzed financial results through benchmarking and consideration of leading practices. She is a firm designated Single Audit Review Partner who is responsible for independent review of single audit reports and work papers. She is also a firm designated Employee Benefit Resource Partner who is responsible for the independent review of employee benefit plan reports. She is an SEC concurring review partner, responsible for concurring partner review of tax-exempt bond offerings.

Dean Mead is GASB Senior Research Manager, and Coordinator for the Governmental Accounting Standards Advisory Council. He oversees the GASB’s research agenda, manages external research, and coordinates stakeholder outreach and communication.

Dean is the author of the GASB’s User Guide Series and other plain-language publications. In 2015, Dean received the Award for Excellence from the National Federation of Municipal Analysts for his efforts to educate analysts about governmental accounting through writing and teaching.

Dean also is an adjunct member of the accounting faculty at Rutgers Business School, Rutgers University, where he teaches governmental accounting & auditing, governmental financial analysis, and advanced topics in governmental accounting. He currently serves on the editorial board of Journal of Governmental and Nonprofit Accounting. Prior to joining the GASB, he was assistant director of research at the Citizens Budget Commission in New York and an adjunct professor at New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

Maureen Mitchell is a Financial Regulation Manager for the State of New Jersey Division of Local Government Services. She has over 15 years of public entity specific experience in a broad range of Local Government entities. Ms. Mitchell started her career in government while working for Bowman & Company LLP a regional accounting firm performing audits of local entities. She then went on to work in local government as a Certified Municipal Chief Financial Officer, Certified Tax Collector, Qualified Purchasing Agent, and Planning Board Secretary.

Maureen Mitchell is also a Certified Public Accountant with a Master’s degree in Governmental Accounting from Rutgers’ University. She received her bachelor of arts in accounting from Saint Joseph’s University Philadelphia, PA.

Jason (Jay) Spiegel is an audit partner in KPMG's Government Practice based in the Short Hills, New Jersey office and has over 15 years of diversified experience in serving government, higher education, and not-for-profit organizations in the New Jersey and Metro New York areas. He has extensive experience in conducting financial statement audits in accordance with U.S. generally accepted auditing standards and Government Auditing Standards issued by the Comptroller General of the United States, as well as compliance audits in accordance with the single audit requirements under Federal OMB Uniform Guidance and New Jersey OMB Circular Letter 15-08.

Sean is an expert and sought-after speaker, focusing on the intersection of financial services, blockchain and cryptocurrencies. He is a regular contributor to IBM’s Blockchain Unleashed website, analyzing applications for blockchain technology on business at large, as well as being a regular expert guest on China Global TV Network discussing blockchain and related applications. Sean is a member of the Advisory Board for the Wall Street Blockchain Alliance, which coordinates with the AICPA in developing standards and reporting frameworks in this emerging area. Sean continuously works with, and consults for, the AICPA and several professional training organizations in the creation and delivery of blockchain and cryptocurrency related content. He is currently under contract to publish two books focusing on blockchain applications for financial services and other industry sectors. Sean is the host of the NJCPA TechTalk Podcast, a past leader of the NJCPA Emerging Technologies Interest Group and a member of the NJCPA Board of Trustees. He is a professor at the City University of New York - Lehman College.