Our People and Our Community 

As we pass the midpoint of 2025 and the beginning of our new fiscal year, I would like to extend our sincere thanks to our members, partners and stakeholders for your continued engagement and support. Your contributions are vital to everything we’ve accomplished. On behalf of our Board of Trustees, leaders and NJCPA staff, we’re pleased to share several key updates that reflect our collective progress and ongoing momentum. For a look at our collective accomplishments last year, please watch our Year in Review video. 

NJCPA-proposed legislation that will create an additional pathway to CPA licensure in New Jersey is entering the home stretch. The NJCPA is calling to modify New Jersey’s Accountancy Act to enable CPA candidates to qualify for licensure by earning a bachelor’s degree, completing two years of experience and passing the CPA Exam. 

Prospective CPAs can still follow the existing pathway (150 hours of education plus one year of experience and passing the Exam), but the new path allows accountants to opt for more real-world experience rather than take an additional 30 hours of education. In addition to the new CPA pathway, the legislation will ensure practice mobility for out-of-state CPAs. 

The bill (A5598) passed the full Assembly on May 22, and a companion bill was unanimously passed by the Senate Commerce Committee on June 12. Final passage of the bill has been delayed by the legislature’s summer recess, but we fully expect the bill to pass in the full Senate and be signed by the Governor when lawmakers return from their break by the fall. 

A special thank you to everyone who attended our NJCPA Convention & Expo last month in Atlantic City — the Society’s signature gathering of current and up and coming accounting leaders committed to advancing the profession. This four-day experience offered powerful conversations, new connections and practical strategies for personal and professional development, including an expanded student track with 40 students in attendance. If you missed it, check out the convention recap. 

I’d like to close this CEO Compass with an excerpt from my opening remarks on the first day of the Convention: “Let me emphasize what makes NJCPA truly special: it’s our people AND our community. Our accomplishments were not achieved by any single person, but by all of us working together. Each donation to the food drive, to our PAC, each presentation at a school, each time we speak up for the profession, sends a signal of strength and purpose. As we saw last year, the strength of NJCPA is in the relationships we nurture and the networks we build. When we act collectively, our impact multiplies.” 

I have no doubt that by joining forces, we will continue to be a force for good in our communities and for our profession. 

I’d like to thank all of you who volunteer in any capacity for your time and expertise in helping to steer us in the right direction. We invite others to get involved at Volunteer Interest Profile. And, as always, we’d like to hear from you at feedback@njcpa.org.