Speakers
Jim Ambrosini, CISA, CRISC, CISSP, CMMC-RP, QTE: Jim Ambrosini, CISA, CRISC, CISSP, CMMC-RP, QTE, is an Information Security and Risk executive with over 25 years of experience spanning the middle market to some of the largest companies in the world. Jim currently works for CompassMSP as a virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO) for multiple organizations across various business sectors.
Before these roles, Jim was the head of Technology Risk for Consumer Lending and Digital Banking at a top U.S. Bank, responsible for implementing the Front-Line Risk function. Before that, Jim worked at global consulting firms for 20 years as a Technology Risk and Information Security professional. He served as the Managing Director for a national cybersecurity practice that he started. Jim worked on many high-profile cybersecurity projects, including assisting NYPD with a global internet crime, leading a well-publicized mega-breach investigation, and establishing global information security, governance, and control functions across leading companies.
Jim was an Adjunct Professor at NYU and has held leadership positions in several professional organizations, including being a past President of the ISACA Metro New York Chapter. He was the 2022 recipient of ISACA's prestigious Wasserman Award - for his lifetime contributions to the Information Security, Risk, and Governance Profession. He is a sought-after public speaker on Cybersecurity and Risk Governance and a strategic advisor to several corporations.
He holds a Master of Science in Management from Stevens Institute of Technology, a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism & Communications from Washington & Lee University, and several security and technology certifications.
Rachel L. Anevski, MAOB, PHR, SHRM-CP: 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.
Ronald J. Baker, CPA: Ron started his CPA career in 1984 with KPMG’s Private Business Advisory Services in San Francisco. Today, he is the founder of VeraSage Institute — the leading think tank dedicated to educating professionals internationally — and a radio talk-show host on the Voice America show: The Soul of Enterprise: Business in the Knowledge Economy. In addition, Ron has been an instructor with the California CPA Education Foundation since 1995 and has authored over twenty courses for them. He is also the author of seven best-selling books and has been named on Accounting Today’s 2001 to 2007, and 2011 to 2021, Top 100 Most Influential People in the profession; voted among the Top Ten Most Influential People in the profession in 2012—2021; selected as one of LinkedIn’s Influencers; inducted into the CPA Practice Advisor Hall of Fame in 2018; and received the 2003 Award for Instructor Excellence from the California CPA Education Foundation. In addition, he is a faculty member of the Professional Pricing Society.
Frank R. Boutillette, CPA, CGMA: 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.
G. Scott Clemons, CFA: 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.
Melissa A. Dardani, CPA, MAcc, CFE: Melissa is the founder and managing member of MD Advisory, a boutique forensic firm. She has an extensive background in forensic accounting, data analytics, and cash flow analyses, as well as in diagnosing and remediating business problems. Melissa is a member of several NJCPA interest groups, including the Cannabis Interest Group, the Student Loan Debt Task Force and the Emerging Leaders Council.
Nicole M. DeRosa, CPA, MAcc: Nicole is the director of tax with SKC & Co, CPAs LLC and has more than 15 years of public accounting experience, specializing in taxation for closely held businesses and individuals. In addition to working with clients in an array of industries, she was also an adjunct professor at Raritan Valley Community College where she taught Tax Accounting for Individuals for four years. Nicole is a member of the NJCPA and is the leader of the Emerging Leaders Council. She is also active on the Content Advisory Board, Federal Taxation Interest Group and Emerging Leaders Interest Group. In 2015, she was awarded “30 Under 30” by the NJCPA, which recognizes young professionals who are making a name for themselves in the New Jersey accounting landscape. In 2019 she was awarded the “Women to Watch” Ovation Award which applauds the growth and success of female members for their leadership, potential, contributions and commitment to fostering the success of their colleagues. Most recently, Nicole was named to the 2020 edition of NJBIZ’s Power 50 List which accounts for the most influential men and women in the accounting profession that helps to keep the states’ business on track. In Nicole’s spare time, she teaches Zumba Fitness and is active in various charitable organizations, such as St. Jude's and the American Heart Association. She is a graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University, with degrees in Accountancy and Master of Science in Accountancy.
Aiysha Johnson, MA, IOM: 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 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. In addition, she was recognized among the Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting by Accounting Today (2023 and 2024), named on the NJBIZ Power 100 and Accounting Power 50 lists (2023 and 2024), and cited as one of its 2023 People to Watch in Finance. She was also named to ROI-NJ’s ROI Influencers: Accounting Power List (2024), its Top 50 Women in Business (2024) and its Influencers: People of Color (2023). She 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. She holds a B.S. from Western Illinois University.
Greg Kyte: Greg Kyte is a standup comedian and a licensed CPA in the State of Utah. He is the creator of Exposure Drafts (a cartoon series specifically for the accounting profession) and the co-host of the true crime podcast Oh My Fraud. He has shared the comedy stage with comedy legends, including Chris Kattan, Rob Schnieder and Weird Al Yankovic. He currently lives in Orem, Utah, with his girlfriend and their two cats. In his free time he enjoys smoking cigars, drinking whiskey and swearing.
Jay L. Levine, CPA: Jay is a partner at Prager Metis, a member of Prager Metis International Group. He has over 30 years of experience in the accounting profession, servicing family businesses and manufacturing, advertising, public relations and wholesale and distribution clients with accounting, audit, and advisory services. Jay has particular expertise in all matters related to mergers and acquisitions, such as financial due diligence and budgeting for businesses. He helps provide his clients with peace of mind, often acting as a sounding board or confidant, and ensures that they achieve their goals, financial and otherwise. Jay is a noted presenter. Prior to joining Prager Metis, he was a member of LFL Veritas LLC. Jay is a member of the NJCPA and the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA).
Gene Marks, CPA: 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.
Richard McLaughlin, M.A.: Rich specializes in the people development area: designing, developing and facilitating training workshops, coaching for performance improvement, experiential learning and engaging employees to innovate and evolve practices.
Thomas W. Metelski, CPA, ACC, CPC, ELI-MP: Thomas is a man of many facets. As an executive coach, he has 20 years of experience working with top tier global companies in the telecommunications, chemical, medical device and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industries. He has worked to facilitate change at the top level of global corporations, working with clients in North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Central Europe, the Middle East, Russia and Asia. Thomas is also a comedian, improviser, actor and writer. He studied acting in the William Esper Studio’s Two Year Meisner Training Program, completed the Upright Citizens Brigade sketch and improv programs, and was accepted into the advanced improv training curriculum there. He has also performed stand-up comedy at various top tier New York City comedy club showcases.
Don Meyer, CAE: 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.
Robert Mims, CPA: Bob Mims, CPA, is currently serving as a CFO and Chief People Officer for a startup venture. A three-time national instructor of the year for KPMG, Bob has also authored multiple courses for Fortune 500 brands in leadership, strategy, and accounting. He served terms on two advisory councils for FASB and currently chairs the Environmental Roundtable. Bob lives in Memphis, TN with his wife and large family with multiple pets.
Brad E. Muniz, CPA: Brad is an assurance principal at CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen LLP). He has significant experience in financial reporting, tax compliance and planning for closely held businesses, SEC registrants, nonprofit organizations and strategic business planning, and in industries, such as real estate, construction, architectural and engineering, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. Brad is a member of the AICPA and the NJCPA, and was a former NJCPA president. In addition, Brad has served as an adjunct professor of accounting at William Paterson University and the College of Saint Elizabeth.
Caleb Newquist: Caleb is Editor-at-Large at Gusto. In 2009, he became the founding editor of Going Concern, the one-of-a-kind voice on the accounting profession, serving in the role for 9 years. Prior to Going Concern, Caleb worked as a CPA for nearly 6 years in New York and Denver. He lives in Denver with his wife, two daughters, and two cats.
Deborah A. Phillips, CPA, MST: 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.
Renee Rampulla, CPA, CGMA: Renee Rampulla, CPA, CGMA has over 30 years of professional experience. She writes and lectures on technical accounting and auditing issues. Renee has experience in the auditing of public and privately held entities ranging from the manufacturing and service sectors to financial services.
She was a partner in a regional accounting firm in the northeast in charge of the firm’s accounting and auditing practice and their quality control group. She is the founder of Rampulla Advisory Services, LLC. Her clients include nationally recognized professional organizations, accounting firms, companies, publishers, and others. By devoting several years of her career to both regional and Big Four accounting firms Renee accumulated a wealth of technical and practical knowledge. In addition, while working for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), she performed professional ethics investigations; collaborated closely with senior technical committees; presented technical guidance before standard setters; and authored and updated several AICPA publications.
Renee Rampulla is a frequently requested speaker and is an instructor and author of several continuing professional education (CPE) courses for the AICPA, numerous State CPA Societies, and other organizations, covering a variety of FASB and IFRS accounting guidance along with private and public company auditing standards. She has taught over 1,000 CPE courses.
She is a five-time recipient of the AICPA’s Outstanding Instructor Award and a recipient of the 2016 New Jersey Society of CPAs “Women of Note”.
Renee Rampulla is a national standard setter, who currently serves as a member of the AICPA’s Auditing Standards Board (ASB). She just completed a three-year term as a member of AICPA council and served on the AICPA’s Ethics Enforcement Committee. She has served as Vice President of Professional Issues for the New York State Society of CPAs (NYSSCPA), is a past member of the NYSSCPA Executive Committee and former NYSSCPA Director at Large board member. Renee Rampulla also served as the chair of the NYSSCPA’s Professional Ethics Committee from 2015 – 2017, and in 2018 was the President of the NYSSCPA’s Staten Island Chapter. Previously she served in the capacity of several leadership positions for the NYSSCPA Staten Island chapter, including chapter Vice President. She is a member of the NYSSCPA’s Financial Accounting Standards Committee; Sustainability Committee; and Professional Liability Committee and a past member of the International Accounting and Auditing Committee. Renee chaired the NYSSCPA’s 2014 Nominating Committee and was a recent member of that committee in 2021. She served on the New Jersey Society of CPA (NJCPA) Audit Committee from 2015 - 2018; was the 2012 – 2014 Chair of the NJCPA Accounting and Auditing Standards Interest Group and previously served as the 2011-2012 Vice-Chair. She has also served as co-chair of the NJCPA Accounting Standards and IFRS sub-committees of the Accounting and Auditing Standards Interest Group. Renee Rampulla has also chaired two NYSSCPA Task forces, the CPA Evolution Task Force, and the CPA Exam Task Force.
For several years Renee was an adjunct lecturer at Hunter College, a City University of New York City, teaching various undergraduate accounting, auditing, and research courses.
Sean D. Stein Smith, CPA, CFE, CGMA, CMA, DBA: 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.
June M. Toth, CPA, CFF, CITP, CGMA: 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.
Miklos A. Vasarhelyi: Professor Miklos A. Vasarhelyi is the KPMG Distinguished Professor of Accounting Information Systems and serves as Director of the Rutgers Accounting Research Center (RARC) & Continuous Auditing & Reporting Lab (CAR Lab).
He is credited with developing the original continuous audit application and is the leading researcher in this field. At Rutgers Business School, Professor Vasarhelyi heads the Continuous Auditing and Reporting Laboratory, which works on projects for such leading companies as Siemens, KPMG, Procter & Gamble, AICPA, CA Technologies and Brazil’s Itau-Unibanco. Also, he leads the RADAR (Rutgers AICPA Data Analytics Research Initiative) project supported by the 8 leading CPA firms, AICPA, and CPA Canada.
Vasarhelyi, who received his Ph.D. in Management Information Systems from UCLA, has published more than 200 journal articles, 20 books, and directed over 40 Ph.D. theses. He is the editor of the Artificial Intelligence in Accounting and Auditing series and the Journal of Emerging Technologies in Accounting.
Ryan P. Warnet, CPA: Ryan Warnet, CPA, MBA leads the SKC Data Analyst service line. Ryan is a problem solver and strategic thinker with a passion for technology and data driven solutions. He has helped countless business owners overcome operational obstacles by identifying and measuring key business metrics. Through integrating and streamlining data sources, Ryan and his team are able to create custom dashboards that give business owners real-time metrics in a clear visual format.
The 2022 NJCPA Ovation Award recipient for innovation, Ryan continues to find creative technological solutions that support significant growth for businesses.
Peter Zender, CPA: With extensive experience in auditing and technology, Peter serves as an
Accounting & Auditing Training Facilitator at Galasso Learning Solutions. His
expertise in auditing healthcare companies, employee benefit plans, and
private companies with complex transactions has made him a key contributor
to the development of technical accounting training programs.
Before joining GLS, Peter worked at a Big 4, specializing in auditing healthcare
companies in both public and private sectors. He later transitioned to an
Internal Audit role at a Fortune 500 company before returning to public
accounting at a national firm, where he focused on audits involving business
combinations, asset acquisitions, GAAP to IFRS conversions, and technology
implementations.
Throughout his career, Peter worked closely with learning and development to
design and facilitate training on both technical accounting and soft skills. He
has experience designing, overseeing, and facilitating weeklong training programs and producing accounting podcasts eligible for CPE credit. When not training, Peter lives in Greenville, SC with his wife Andi and two adorable kids.
Edward K. Zollars, CPA: Ed is a partner with the firm of Thomas, Zollars & Lynch, Ltd, in Phoenix, Arizona, and specializes in tax issues for closely held businesses and individuals. He has served on committees with the American Institute of CPAs' (AICPA) Tax Section and currently serves on the Arizona Society of CPAs' (ASCPA) legislative tax liaison committee. Ed has published tax podcasts on tax matters and is currently producing the weekly audio and video for the Current Federal Tax Developments podcast on current tax matters for Kaplan Financial Education and the related blog with regular tax updates throughout the week. Along with writing, editing and presenting courses for the past 15 years, Ed has written articles published in Practical Tax Strategies and The Tax Adviser. He is a frequent contributor to a number of online professional tax discussion groups, including the NJCPA Member Open Forum.