Professional Issues Update for CPA Firm Leaders (E2401294)

Christopher is the Chief Government Affairs Officer for the New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA) covering taxation, budget and economic development. Previously, he was a budget director for the State Senate Republican Office for eight years and directed education policy and legislative affairs in the New Jersey Department of Education. Chris has a Master of Public Policy degree from Rutgers’ Bloustein School and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Johns Hopkins University.

Ben is a Senior Investment Strategist in the New York office of Bernstein Private Wealth Management. He is a member of Bernstein’s Private Client Investment Policy Group, which provides asset allocation, investment and risk management advice for high-net-worth clients, endowments, and foundations. Prior to joining the firm, Ben was a senior investment strategist at City National Bank, the U.S. private bank of RBC, where he was responsible for supporting firm-wide asset allocation decisions, generating, and communicating investment research and thought leadership, and selecting alternative investments for the firm’s high net worth clients. Earlier, Ben was a senior investment strategist in Northern Trust Asset Management’s quantitative strategies group, where he provided research and thought leadership and worked with large, sophisticated institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals and families across the globe to develop and implement a variety of investment strategies. Ben earned his BA in Economics and German Language from Washington and Lee University. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a member of the CFA Society New York.

Aiysha (AJ) is the CEO and executive director of the New Jersey Society of CPAs (NJCPA). Previously, she was executive director of BKR International’s Americas Region, overseeing the implementation of all strategic efforts for BKR accounting and business advisory member firms in the United States, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean. AJ worked for a range of associations including Vizient, the nation's largest healthcare performance improvement company. She has more than 20 years of global experience with nonprofits and professional and trade associations. AJ was elected to the boards of the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey (CIANJ) in 2024 and the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce in 2023. She was a member of BKR’s Center of Excellence Advisory Board and is on the boards of the Community Foundation of New Jersey, Together for Youth and Junior Achievement of New Jersey. AJ is a recipient of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association’s (NJBIA) Leonard C. Johnson Award, was recognized among the Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting by Accounting Today (2023 and 2024), named on the NJBIZ Leaders in Finance list (2025), its Power 100 (2024) and its Accounting Power 50 lists (#1 2023 and 2024), and cited as a 2023 People to Watch in Finance. She was named to ROI-NJ’s ROI Influencers: Accounting Power List (2024, 2025), Top 50 Women in Business (2024) and People of Color (2023). AJ served on the Alumni Board of the University of Chicago (2021-2023), where she graduated with a Master's in Administration and Policy. She also completed the Senior Management Program in Business Management at University of Chicago/IE School of Business and holds a certificate in Management Accounting for Leaders.

Jeff is the vice president of government relations for the NJCPA. He works with the CEO and the Board of Trustees to create and implement advocacy initiatives that protect and promote the interests of the CPA profession, the business community and the public. Jeff monitors legislative and executive branch activity that impacts CPAs by writing position papers, developing grass roots membership activities to enhance lobbying efforts and raising money for the NJ-CPA-PAC. He is also a liaison to other pro-business groups like the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA) and Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey (CIANJ) to coordinate legislative strategies. Prior to joining the NJCPA, Jeff worked on several political campaigns, worked for former Governor Jim Florio and for Common Cause New York. He previously owned a lobbying and public affairs firm. Jeff belongs to Compassion and Choices, the Humane Society and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.