CPA Day at the State Capital: Advocacy Reimagined (E2410600)

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, where she was responsible for 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. Prior to serving the accounting profession, AJ worked for a range of associations including Vizient, the nation’s largest healthcare performance improvement company, where she supported members with complex benchmarking needs. She has more than 20 years of wide-ranging global experience working for 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 is a member of BKR’s Center of Excellence Advisory Board and is on the boards of the Community Foundation of New Jersey and the Executive Women of New Jersey. She is a board member of the Berkshire Farm Center & Services for Youth and has been an active member of the University of Chicago’s Alumni Board from 2021-2023. She was named No. 1 on NJBIZ’s Accounting Power 50 list in 2023, an honoree on its list in 2024 and was one of its 2023 People to Watch in Finance. She was also named one of ROI-NJ’s ROI Influencers: People of Color 2023.

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.

Micah Rasmussen is the director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics. He has contributed to the public affairs of the state for more than two decades and has more than 15 years of experience as an adjunct professor of political science. Micah earned his Master of Arts in Political Science from the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. He also runs the New Jersey Model Congress, a civics education program he founded.

David A. Smith is a veteran of the public affairs arena and has expertly managed public affairs campaigns impacting auto insurance, life insurance, financial services, tort reform and environmental legislative initiatives. He has served as a lobbyist for the New Jersey Society of CPAs for 25 years. Dave was awarded a Master of Science in Financial Services (MSFS) Degree from the Richard D. Irwin Graduate School of The American College. He is a Graduate Fellow of the Public Affairs Institute, a three-year educational program of the Public Affairs Council located in Washington, DC. Dave is a graduate of Gettysburg College and currently holds various insurance licenses.

June is a principal at WilkinGuttenplan and is the president of the NJCPA for the 2024/25 term. She has been a member of the NJCPA since 1995 and has served in a variety of capacities, including the Peer Review Executive Committee, Strategic Planning Committee and Volunteer Relations Committee, and was chair of the NJ-CPA-PAC Board of Trustees, chair of the Committee Operations Committee and vice leader of the Business Valuation, Forensic & Litigation Services Interest Group. She is also an active participant in the Accounting & Auditing Standards and Nonprofit interest groups. Before WilkinGuttenplan, June was the managing member of zbt Certified Public Accounting & Consulting, LLC. She is a former treasurer of Garwood Municipal Library; a recipient of NJCPA’s Volunteer Award in 2018 and its Women to Watch Award in 2019; one of New Jersey Monthly’s Leading Women in 2015 and one of NJBIZ Accounting Power 50 from 2020 to 2022.