Annual Convention & Expo (E1506010)

Rachael Bell is the Content & Communications Director for the New Jersey Society of CPAs. She manages content for the NJCPA's digital and print platforms, including njcpa.org, New Jersey CPA magazine, NJCPA Pulse and social media. Rachael is also the community manager for Connect, the Society's online community for members. Together with Don Meyer, NJCPA Chief Marketing Officer, Rachael provides social media training to CPAs throughout the state. Twitter @RachaelBell

Jim is a partner at WithumSmith+Brown, where he serves as director of firm technology and managing director of advisory services. He is a frequent speaker at many international accounting and trade associations, such as the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and state CPA societies, as well as industry technology organizations, incubators, accelerators and others on topics specifically related to various accounting, technology, practice management and advisory services. Jim is also global advisory and technology leader for HLB International. He is a past president of the NJCPA and past board and council member for the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants.

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.

Douglas S. Brown, CAIA, CBC, CDIA, CVIA, is the chairman and CEO of Paradigm Associates LLC, a company he founded in 1985. He has developed a client base of organizations in more than 50 different industries in the for-profit, nonprofit and governmental sectors. Many of the largest organizations of their kind in the world have tapped into Mr. Brown’s expertise and experience. He has worked with groups in every corner of the U.S. and Canada, as well as with professionals throughout Europe and South Africa. Mr. Brown has addressed local chapters and state-wide meetings for the NJSCPA as well as international conferences for the AICPA. He’s led or facilitated well over 5,000 sessions; conducted hundreds of meetings, from small groups to 450 people per session; and has written or edited more than a dozen training and development programs. Mr. Brown works side-by-side with an organization's senior executives and teams of thought leaders on issues of strategic importance. Together, they quickly distill what strategies and tactics will be necessary to achieve their desired business results and metrics by bringing all of their collective business acumen and common sense to the table. As a result, they experience a tremendous return on their investment.

Kathleen B. Cashman is a successful Business Owner and a recognized Senior Leader with proven strategies in all aspects of Business Leadership. She has been a consultant for over 23 years. She and the Cashman team focus on all aspects relating to leadership: How to lead your organization to growth and revenue streams and how to grow leaders within your organization. The topics and focus areas that relate to building that strong future include: business Development, Leadership Development, Communication and Business Strategy and planning. She has carved a niche within the business by providing special focus to Women in Business – both inside and running their own business. She brings her knowledge and experience to a new level of focus to help these women craft the unique strategies they need for success. Success comes in all aspects and beginning with clarity, what you are looking for, is part of the success factors. She and the Cashman team can help you gain clarity on all aspects of you so you can have a greater impact on your life. She earned a BS degree from Seton Hall University in Marketing and an MBA in Management from Farleigh Dickinson University. She holds leadership positions within the New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners (NJAWBO), and other associations, and is active in her local community. She is also an adjunct professor at Rutgers University, Graduate Science MBS, and Montclair State University MBA.

Ethan Chazin is the president and founder of the Chazin Group LLC. He delivers training and professional developments, gives motivational talks to organizations, and provides one-on-one and group-based executive coaching, as well as, business consulting, and human resources consulting services.

He coaches organizations to successfully transform using talent management and people-focused strategies, by teaching organizations to apply WHY and WHAT IF as their culture. Organizations he has worked with include: Calvin Klein, Goldman Sachs, the Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn Chambers of Commerce, Rutgers University, SUNY, Small Business Development Centers, and the New York Small Business Services. He has conducted professional development and corporate training programs at many trade and professional associations.

Mr. Chazin has been active in the American Marketing Association, American Management Association, Business Marketing Association, Hoboken Chamber of Commerce and Rotary and has served on the Board of the Association of Career Professionals New York.

Mr. Chazin received a BA in Communications from California State University, East Bay and an MBA in Marketing from George Washington University. Twitter @EthanChazin

David R. Dacey, CPA, is the partner in charge of Withum’s Technical Resources Group, the group which oversees A&A quality within the firm. Dave is based in the firm’s New Brunswick office and has over 30 years of professional accounting and auditing experience. Dave is a certified public accountant in the state of New Jersey. Dave also heads Withum’s accounting and auditing policy CPE committee and is responsible for researching and disseminating updates on technical accounting and auditing pronouncements to the Firm’s professional personnel. His experience spans many industries, including various aspects of manufacturing, wholesale and distribution, and service industries including the legal and medical professions, construction and retail.

Dave received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Rutgers University, Newark. Before joining Withum, Dave worked with a large regional firm, and with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He is a member of the AICPA, where he has participated in various task forces of the SEC Practice Section Peer Review Committee. He is also a member of the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants (NJCPA) and is a frequent presenter at various NJCPA educational seminars, including their annual ERISA conference for 2010 through 2017. Dave resides in Somerset County, NJ.

Since 1983, Bob Davies has used his considerable personal and professional experience as a leader to help people around the country become more confident and more productive. As a keynote speaker, author, trainer and coach, Mr. Davies has drawn upon the lessons he has accumulated, from his humble childhood roots to his successful career as a college football coach, in order to develop a system for improving lives based on clarity, focus and accountability. Mr. Davies holds a Bachelor’s degree in Health from Rutgers University and a Master’s degree in Psychology from Springfield College. As a graduate assistant wrestling and football coach for Springfield, Mr. Davies worked with Jeff Blatnick, an athlete who would later win an Olympic gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling. He was hired as the head football and wrestling coach at the California Institute of Technology. During his time at Cal Tech, Bob continued to develop his coaching methodologies by researching a number of elite scientists in the field of who human behavior, whose works helped to inspire his motivational techniques. After leaving Cal Tech in 1979, he accepted a position as an Assistant Coach of the California State University Fullerton football team. As a staff, the coaches developed a template that would enable average athletes to perform at peak levels. That template would propel the CSUF team to two unlikely championships. Using his coaching background and academic studies, Mr. Davies has studied and formed systems around strategic planning, time accountability, tracking, and creating systems that enable individuals to tap into the highest level of their potential. Mr. Davies has also conquered a fear of heights by becoming an avid skydiver and pilot. He has been diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) and taught himself to achieve a heightened level of focus to subdue the disorder. Twitter @BobDavies_HPT

Jim is a shareholder at Kulzer & DiPadova, P.A. He is admitted to practice before the United States Tax Court, is a member of the Bar of the State of New Jersey, and is a member of the Camden County Bar Association, the New Jersey Bar Association and the American Bar Association. Jim is a member of the tax sections of the NJBA and the ABA. In addition, he is a former president of the NJCPA, and has served as chairperson of the State Taxation Interest Group. He is a past president of the Southwest Jersey Chapter Board of Directors. Jim is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and serves on AICPA Council, its governing body. He is also a member of the New Jersey Tax and Fiscal Policy Commission and chaired the New Jersey Corporation Business Tax Review Commission.

John M. Fleming, CPA, M.B.A. John M. Fleming, licensed as a CPA in Pennsylvania, has served as the Director of Content Development for Kaplan Financial Education, powered by SmartPros, and also as President and Director of Accounting and Auditing for Kaplan Financial Education, powered by Loscalzo Institute. John retired on October 1, 2017. In retirement, John continues to provide seminars as a discussion leader on a part-time basis. John’s prior practice experience includes audit, tax, consulting, office management, and human resource responsibilities with Deloitte LLP, Richard Eisner & Company LLP, and Ernst & Young LLP. John is a graduate of LaSalle and Drexel Universities with degrees in accounting and finance. John served as the 1999–2000 President of the 8,300-member Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA). In 2006, the PICPA recognized John as a Joseph E. Sterrett Fellow for his contributions to the accounting profession. In 2007, the Philadelphia Chapter recognized John with their Champion Award for his contributions to the PICPA, Chapter, profession, and community. John has also served as the 2002/2003 President of the American Accounting Association’s Mid-Atlantic Region.

Ryan Gardner is a principal and senior consultant at Fiduciary Investment Advisors, LLC (FIA) and oversees the firms’ Defined Contribution Retirement Group. He has been advising institutional clients for over 12 years, with a concentration in ERISA and non-ERISA defined contribution plans. Ryan has a wide range of expertise in fiduciary governance oversight, retirement plan design and implementation, fee disclosure, vendor search and selection, and investment analysis. His clients include for-profit corporations of all sizes, colleges and universities, and healthcare organizations. Ryan is a member of FIA’s Investment Committee, 403(b) Sub-Committee and Chair of the firms’ 401(k)/403(b) Strategic Oversight Committee. Prior to FIA, he was with the PRIME Asset Consulting Group at UBS Financial Services Inc.

Robert Glantz began his Internal Revenue Service career in 1991 as a tax fraud investigative aide with the Criminal Investigation Division. He was promoted to the Special Agent position in 1993. Criminal Investigation serves the American public by investigating potential criminal violations of the Internal Revenue Code and related financial crimes in a manner that fosters confidence in the tax system and compliance with the law.

Special Agent Glantz is currently the public information officer for IRS Criminal Investigation's, Newark Field Office, disseminating noteworthy information to the public. Special Agent Glantz frequently speaks about IRS-Criminal Investigations to professional organizations, as well as college and high school students.

Prior to becoming the Public Information Officer, Special Agent Glantz spent 10 years specializing in public corruption investigations pertaining to tax matters and related financial crimes. He has also participated in a myriad of other tax fraud investigations, including those of unscrupulous tax return preparers, individuals who embezzled funds from their employers, as well as business owners skimming cash from their businesses.

Lynford Graham CPA, Ph.D., CFE has more than 30 years of public accounting experience in audit practice and in various National Firm policy development groups. He is a visiting professor of Accountancy at Bentley University in Waltham MA, a consultant on professional accounting and auditing matters and author. Dr. Graham is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (“AICPA”), and a recent past member of the Auditing Standards Board. He chaired the AICPA’s Audit Risk Guide Task Force (“Assessing and Responding to Audit Risk in a Financial Statement Audit”), and was the US representative to the IAASB Materiality Task Force (ISA 320 and 450). He previously served as a member of the AICPA’s Materiality and Audit Risk Task Force (SAS 47), was a founding member of the AICPA’s Information Technology Section, serving on its Executive Committee, and was a member of the AICPA’s Statistical Sampling Subcommittee during the development of SAS 39 on Audit Sampling. He was the principle author and Chair of the Task Force clearing the 2008 revision of the AICPA Audit Guide Audit Sampling. Previously, he chaired the Educator-Practitioner Case Development Task Force for the annual AICPA Education Conference and served on the Executive Committee of the Pre-Certification Education Committee. He was a Partner and the National Director of Audit Policy for BDO Seidman, LLP, responsible for the development and implementation of audit policy and software, as well as Assurance Services Learning and Education programs, and was the Firm’s Sampling Coordinator. Dr. Graham is a co-editor of the Accountant’s Handbook – 11th Edition (Wiley, 2007), a co-author of Information Technology Audits (CCH, 2007), the CPA’s Handbook of Fraud and Commercial Crime Prevention (AICPA, 2007) and author of his own book, Internal Controls (Wiley, 2007). He is a joint venture partner with the Cobre Group in the development of the controls documentation software ControlsDocsm (2007). Dr. Graham holds an M.B.A. in Industrial Management (Wharton School) and Ph.D. in Business and Applied Economics from the University of Pennsylvania, (Wharton School).

Kenn is a director at Cullari Carrico LLC, a regional CPA firm in Northern New Jersey. He also has extensive experience teaching all levels of accounting, auditing and other practice-related areas. Kenn has been a Professor of Accounting at several universities including Seton Hall, where he was the students’ choice as “Educator of the Year” two years in a row, as well as in the Executive Masters of Business Administration program at Rutgers University. In addition, he was the National Director of the Becker CPA Review. Kenn is an active member of the NJCPA, where he has served in positions, such as Vice President, Trustee Chapter President, Committee Chair and Task Force Chair. Kenn currently serves on the NJCPA Professional Conduct Committee, the Federal and State Taxation interest groups, Governmental Accounting & Auditing Interest Groups and the Nonprofit Interest Group.

James H. Johnson Jr. is the William R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor of strategy and entrepreneurship and director of the Urban Investment Strategies Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School. His research interests include community and economic development, the effects of demographic changes on the U.S. workplace, interethnic minority conflict in advanced industrial societies, urban poverty and public policy in urban America, and workforce diversity issues. Dr. Johnson examines the causes and consequences of growing inequality in American society, particularly as it affects socially and economically disadvantaged youth; entrepreneurial approaches to poverty alleviation, job creation, and community development; interethnic minority conflict in advanced industrial societies; and business demography and workforce diversity issues. He has published more than 100 scholarly research articles and three research monographs and has co-edited four theme issues of scholarly journals on these and related topics. His latest book is "Prismatic Metropolis: Inequality in Los Angles." He received his PhD from Michigan State University, his MS from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and his BS from North Carolina Central University.

Eric J. LeGrand is a retired American football defensive tackle who played college football at Rutgers. He became paralyzed while making a tackle in an October 2010 game, but has since regained movement in his shoulders and sensation throughout his body. With that, he resumed his college classes via Skype and graduated from Rutgers University (2014) with a degree in Labor Relations. With courage and grace, Eric has been honored with awards and accolades throughout his recovery process, which include the “Unsung Hero Award” (2012) presented by the New Jersey Hall of Fame, the “Jimmy V Award” for Perseverance at the 20th Annual ESPYs (2012), and being elected as the “Most Influential Person in New Jersey Sports” presented by the Star Ledger (2012). On September 14, 2013, Rutgers hosted a ceremony, which retired the No. 52 jersey that belonged to Eric. Eric’s jersey was the first number to be retired by Rutgers in the history of their program. Eric released his first book in the fall of 2012, titled BELIEVE: My Faith And The Tackle That Changed my Life (HarperCollins Publishers). He also signed an official NFL contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (by his former Rutgers coach, Greg Schiano). Having been afforded to see the world and taste the fullness of life, he has partnered and reveled in the company of notable celebrities such as Jay-Z, Beyoncé, LeBron James, Tim Howard, Jessica Alba, Rob Lowe and countless others. He also has a business partnership with the Jordan Brand, in which he is working on a documentary about his life slated for 2015. Twitter @EricLeGrand52

Jessica L. Levin, M.B.A., CMP, is the president and chief connector for Seven Degrees Communications. With a background in marketing and event planning, she has a passion for connecting people and creating experiences based on strategic goals. Ms. Levin is known as the “go to” person in marketing, event design and anything involving trends in technology. She uses social networking tools to build and strengthen both personal and business relationships and teaches others how to embrace social media as a way to create both corporate and personal brands. Ms. Levin’s professional background includes experience in the professional services arena, association management and industrial marketing. Her strategic approach to marketing includes a mix of both traditional marketing channels and web 3.0 tactics. She focuses on creating, strengthening, and maintaining relationships for business and for the people that drive them. Ms. Levin is the president of the New Jersey Professional Marketers Association (NJPSMG) and is the digital communications chair for the Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM). She currently serves on the social media advisory group for the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA). She was named Planner of the Year by the New Jersey chapter of MPI and is a JASPER Award winner in the special event planning category. Jessica holds the designation certified meeting professional (CMP). She was named New Jersey’s 2009 Top Forty Under 40, a Planner to Watch by Convention South magazine in both 2010 and 2012 and was inducted into the New Jersey Social Media Hall of Fame in 2010. In 2011, Connect Meetings and Rejuvenate magazines named her to their Forty Under 40 list. Ms. Levin is a frequent presenter on the topic of strategic social media, marketing, networking, event engagement and technology. She has authored numerous articles on marketing, event design and social networking and blogs at Sevendegreescommunications.com. Ms. Levin earned a master’s of of business administration with a concentration in marketing from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and a bachelor’s of science from Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida, with majors in marketing, management and entrepreneurship. Twitter @JessicaLevin

Roberto Masiero is Senior Vice President of Innovation for ADP, which helps over 610,000 businesses manage their most important asset – their people. His teams are located at ADP’s Innovation Labs in New York City and Roseland, N.J., where the company researches new technologies and develops and incubates new products. ADP Labs projects include a next-generation user experience for 36 million employees; the ADP mobile app (with 4 million users globally); big data analytics; semantic search; behavioral intelligence; and the ADP Marketplace, essentially an “app store” for ADP clients and partners to extend the value of their HR systems. He joined the company in 2000 as Director, Information Technology for ADP Brazil, when the company acquired his previous employer, B&M, a Brazilian software company that provided HR/Payroll SaaS and consultancy for large Latin American corporations. In that role, he coordinated the overall upgrade of ADP Brazil operations into a fully Internet-based process, automating the Application Service Provider and Business Process Outsourcing products with workflow, self-services and dedicated operational teams, largely improving efficiencies and establishing new standards of client employees per ADP employee ratio. From a technology infrastructure perspective, he implemented all these solutions on open-system platforms and applied rapid development techniques. In 2003, Mr. Masiero moved to the U.S. and joined ADP Employer Services as Vice President of the Architecture & Strategy group, responsible for the automation of the recently acquired Tax Credit Service business. He also participated as an active member of the enterprise architecture team. Over the last 12 years he has led several research and development teams on core ADP solutions. Twitter @masieror

Jim McQueeny, President, Winning Strategies Mr. McQueeny has built a varied career in journalism, government service and communications. Before forming the NJ-based PR firm Winning Strategies, he had served as chief of staff and spokesman for U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg and in the Carter-Mondale 1980 Presidential campaign. He also served as communications director of the New Jersey General Assembly; a White House Bureau Chief; host of News 12 New Jersey’s “Power and Politics,” and reporter for The Star-Ledger where he shared in the 2005 Pulitzer Prize. The International Public Relations Association named him as its representative to the United Nations Department of Public Information.

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.

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.

Senator Steven V. Oroho is currently serving his third term in the New Jersey State Senate. He represents the twenty-fourth legislative district in the northwestern part of the state which comprises all of Sussex County, and parts of northern Warren and Morris Counties. He has extensive professional experience in the finance departments of top New York City firms including work for Price Waterhouse, W.R. Grace and Company, as well as Young and Rubicam where he held the position of Senior Vice President of Finance. Senator Oroho is presently a certified financial planner with Stonebridge Capital Management. In the State Senate, Senator Oroho sits on three committees: the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, the Senate Economic Growth Committee as well as the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee. He was also appointed by Governor Christie to serve on the Governor’s Red Tape Review Commission. In addition, he served as a member of the New Jersey Unemployment Insurance Task Force. Senator Oroho has been honored as a Legislator of the Year by both the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and the New Jersey Society for Environmental, Economic Development (NJ SEED). He also received the "Paul L. Troast Public Service Award" from the New Jersey Business and Industry Association. The Troast Award is bestowed annually upon a public servant who has made an outstanding contribution to the State of New Jersey and its business community. He received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from St. Francis University.

Stacey Painter, CPA, licensed as a CPA in Wisconsin, is the Director of Loscalzo Associates Ltd., a division of SmartPros Ltd., a Kaplan company. Stacey has been providing technical training to audiences across the country on subjects ranging from International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and related FASB/IASB joint projects, to Audit and Attest Standards. Stacey has over 20 years of experience in both the public and private industry. Before joining Loscalzo Associates, Stacey spent 13 years with Resources Global Professionals, most recently as the Managing Director of Accounting and Finance Services. In this capacity, Stacey worked with the firm’s U.S. offices in developing go-to-market strategies around accounting initiatives, as well as providing technical training on site to firm clients. Prior to joining Resources, Stacey was the Corporate Controller of Square Two Golf, a publicly-traded manufacturer of golf equipment. Here, she was responsible for all aspects of accounting, financial reporting (SEC), planning and budgeting, Human Resources, and Internal Control. At the start of her career, Stacey spent six years at Deloitte & Touche, auditing clients ranging from $10 million to over $1 billion in revenue. Stacey received her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Pace University in New York. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Robert Raiola,CPA, is the sports and entertainment group manager at O'Connor Davies, LLP, with more than 20 years of experience in both the public and private sector. He provides business management services, tax planning and business consulting to high-net-worth individuals and their families in the sports and entertainment industries. Over the years, he has worked closely with many small business owners on tax consulting and cash flow management. Mr. Raiola is a graduate of Pace University with a B.A. in accounting. He is a member of the New Jersey Society of CPAs, the American Institute of CPAs and the International Accounting Group, a worldwide network of quality accounting firms. He co-authored the AICPA book Winning Tax Strategies for Athletes & Entertainers and has lectured nationally on the topic. Twitter @SportsTaxMan

John oversees the industry specific expertise and risk management for McGowanPRO’s accounting and financial clients. Mr. Raspante is the former Director of Compliance and Risk Management as well as the Director of Education for Graf Repetti & Co. LLP, Certified Public Accountants & Business Advisors. Prior to joining Graf Repetti, Mr. Raspante worked nine years for CAMICO Mutual Insurance Company, a provider of accountants’ professional liability insurance. Mr. Raspante’s primary responsibility at CAMICO was providing loss prevention services to the organization’s largest insured’s. Mr. Raspante is a frequent speaker within the accounting profession on issues relating to risk management and professional ethics. He presents regularly at different conferences for accounting firm associations and CPA State Societies. He is a published author and contributor for accounting firm periodicals such as Journal of Accountancy and Accounting Today.

Gail Rosen, CPA, is president of Gail Rosen, CPA, PC, which is a full-service accounting practice in central New Jersey serving individuals and business clients. She has been a practicing CPA for more than 30 years. Ms. Rosen has a quality staff of accountants with many years of experience and a broad base of expertise. She has earned a reputation for putting complex accounting, tax and entrepreneurial issues into language from which both nonprofessionals and professionals can comprehend and profit. Broadcast and print media frequently call upon Ms. Rosen for insights on tax matters affecting businesses and individuals. She is a popular speaker for business organizations, community groups and government agencies, and sits on the board of directors for several highly respected organizations. Twitter @GailRosenCPA

William J. Schalleur, M.B.A., CPA, is a Managing Member in the firm of GMS Surgent, LLC, a diversified tax and accounting practice including financial consulting and audit engagements. Bill offers more than 40 years of experience in working with businesses and organizations of all sizes. Mr. Schalleur has over 25 years of experience as a lecturer. He has successfully presented more than 1,000 seminars on 85 diversified accounting and tax topics to numerous state CPA societies throughout the country, as well as to Fortune 500 Companies. Mr. Schalleur has consistently rated 4.8 on a scale of 5.0 for his presentations. He received his bachelor's degree in accounting from Villanova University and holds a master's degree in business administration from Temple University. He was an assistant professor of accounting at St. Joseph's University and an adjunct professor at both the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Widener University.

As the former director of communications for Harley-Davidson, Ken Schmidt played an active role in one of the most celebrated turnarounds in corporate history – and got paid to ride motorcycles. He is widely known and respected as one of the business world’s most outspoken and provocative thought leaders and has partnered with many of the most successful brands. Schmidt’s formal association with Harley-Davidson began in 1985. As a specialist in corporate positioning and media relations, he was asked to work with the then struggling Harley-Davidson to help restore the company’s image and create demand for its motorcycles. Within a few short years, Harley-Davidson became one of the most visible and frequently reported-on companies in the world, while sales of the motorcycle rocketed upward. Today, Schmidt is a frequent speaker to business groups and academic communities throughout the world. After all he has accomplished his philosophy of life and business hasn’t changed: “never do what’s expected, make yourself as noticeably different as possible, and have a lot more fun than you’re supposed to.

Dr. Siamack Shojai, Dean Cotsakos College of Business at William Paterson University is a respected economist, educator and administrator who previously served as the business school dean at Central Connecticut State University, Georgian Court University and the State University of New York at Plattsburgh. He has also held teaching positions at Marist College and Manhattan College. He has written several books on the field of global economics. He also writes on higher education issues, including the impact of peer-mentoring and developmental relationships. Dr. Shojai is widely known for his presentations at scholarly seminars and forums, and provides regular commentary on economics and finance for the Voice of America of the United States Information Agency.

Paul V. Stahlin, CPA, CGMA, serves on the Board of Directors of a number of corporations including Fulton Bank of NJ, Miami International Holdings Inc. (MIH), and the parent company of MIAX Options Exchange. He serves as Chairman of the Audit Committee of MIH. Additionally he is the Lead-Independent Director of International American Supermarkets Corp. He serves on the Governing Council of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants as Former Chairman of the Board. Mr. Stahlin was employed by Fulton Financial Corporation, where he served as CEP and/or president of various banking affiliates, including Somerset Valley Bank, Skylands Community Bank and most recently as Regional President of Fulton Bank of New Jersey. He served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Fleet Credit Card Services, one of the ten largest credit card companies in the US. Prior to the acquisition by Fleet Financial, he was Corporate Controller of Summit Bancorp, one of the twenty-five largest bank holding companies in the country. He began his career in public accounting, which included six years with Price Waterhouse & Co. He has also demonstrated active community involvement and currently serves in leadership positions on various non-Profit Boards. He is on the Board of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and Robert Wood Johnson University Health System. He serves as Chairman of the Advisory Board of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Somerset. He is currently on the Executive Committee and board of the Chartered Institute of management Accountants, a London-based global professional organization. Mr. Stahlin was Chairman of the Board of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. In addition, he served on the Board of Somerset County Business Partnership; Past Vice President of the Community Bankers Association of New Jersey. He currently serves on the Foundation Board of Trustees for Montclair State University as Past Chairman and Past Co-Chair of the MSU Centennial Capital Campaign. Previously, he was President of the New Jersey Society of CPAs. Additionally, he was Treasurer of Girl Scouts of USA’s Rolling Hills Council, and an active member of the New Jersey Bankers Association. He has been awarded with the Distinguished Citizen of the Year Award for Somerset County, Boy Scouts of America’s Good Scout Award and Outstanding Eagle Scout Award, the Girl Scouts of USA’s Thanks Badge and the Carpe Diem and Distinguished Alumni awards from Montclair State University. He has also been honored by the Chabad of Somerset County and is a recipient of the Humanitarian Award from Homesharing Inc. He has been recognized by Accounting Today as one of the Top 100 most influential people in the accounting profession. He is a graduate of Montclair State University, is a Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Global Management Accountant.

John M. Surgent, CPA, is the Founder and Chairman of Surgent, a 30-year leader in Continuing Professional Education (CPE). Surgent provides over 2,500 live days of seminars in tax, auditing, accounting, and other CPE topics, as well as over 1500 live webinars each year to CPAs and other financial professionals across the U.S.

Over the last 30 years, Mr. Surgent has made over 2,000 live presentations and personally trained over 56,000 CPAs. His down-to-earth, practical approach clearly emphasizes ways in which professionals can satisfy their clients’ needs and maximize their incomes. Mr. Surgent also manages a 30-person CPA firm specializing in taxation and financial planning for high-net-worth individuals and closely held businesses.

Mr. Surgent has worked in the tax department of a Big Four accounting firm and was an assistant professor at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. He received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Villanova University and a master’s in taxation from Villanova University School of Law.

Joe founded the Accountants Advisory Group, LLC to assist the leaders of public accounting firms in structuring and managing their practices to increase profitability, maximize value and achieve long-term success. He advises CPA firms on how to achieve higher levels of competitiveness, profitability and longevity. Joe is experienced in all areas of firm practice management, including succession planning, firm governance, mergers and acquisitions, partner compensation structure, selection of new partners, practice development and career development for partners and staff. When facilitating partner retreats, he draws on his extensive experience to provide partners and practice leaders with effective and innovative strategies to enhance the value of their practices. He began his accounting career with a Big 4 firm and his experience includes 15 years as the managing partner and executive committee member of a 125-person CPA firm based in New York City.

Ralph is the CEO and executive director of the New Jersey Society of CPAs. He was appointed to AICPA’s National Commission on Diversity and Inclusion and the AICPA Foundation Board. Ralph is a former national and chapter president of the National Association of Black Accountants, was chair of the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy’s State Society Relations Committee and is a member of the accounting advisory boards of Lehigh, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Montclair State, Felician and Thomas Edison universities and Middlesex County College. In January 2018, he was invited by Senate President Steve Sweeney to join his bipartisan Economic and Fiscal Policy Working Group. Additionally, Ralph was selected for the last eight years by Accounting Today as one of the “Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting.”

Sharlene Vichness is president and founder of Language Directions, LLC, established in 2005. An experienced (NJ certified) secondary level teacher of foreign language, adult education instructor, corporate sales professional, and course content innovator, she has had extensive experience conducting training seminars in English and foreign language skills, electronic legal research, and cultural awareness and sensitivity. She has served as an instructor in public education, and to large and small groups at all levels of learning and remediation in the business environment. Ms. Vichness has also has provided language and cultural assistance to businesses, government agencies, and individual professionals on a consultant basis. She has also been a trainer for the New Jersey Bar Association Institute of Continuing Legal Education, the Research Institute of America national sales force, American Lawyer Media, and has held sales management positions in the temporary services and legal publishing industries. Sharlene Vichness holds a degree in modern languages (French and Spanish) from Hobart and William Smith College. She is an accomplished and experienced language, culture, and career readiness instructor. As the owner of a training company, she has consistently demonstrated the ability to recruit and develop linguists and English language professionals to deliver customized programs to incumbent workers through private and publicly funded training programs for NJ Manufacturing Extension Program (NJMEP) and Rutgers University Office of Continuing Professional Education. Her company is proud to deliver customized pre-deployment training to the US Air Force as a result of her leadership and ability to build relationships with military contractors. As a volunteer professional, Sharlene Vichness has served on the board of Offender Aid and Restoration of Essex County and has recently been named as a member of the Essex County WIB. Also in a volunteer capacity, Ms. Vichness has provided instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL) and Interview Techniques in the Hispanic community under the aegis of the Morris County Office of Hispanic Affairs. She is fluent in Spanish and has more than 15 years of professional sales experience in the staffing industry, electronic and professional publishing as well as 9 years of marketing and selling the services of Language Directions. Ms. Vichness, as president of Language Directions, was the first recipient of a 2013 Garden State Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence in its income category. Language Directions, LLC. is certified nationally as a 100% Woman-Owned Business and Small Business by the US Small Business Association. Twitter @LanguageLadyNJ

Erik Wahl is an internationally recognized graffiti artist, author and entrepreneur, Erik redefines the term “keynote speaker.” Pulling from his history as both a businessman and an artist, he has grown to become one of the most sought-after corporate speakers available today. Erik’s on-stage painting seamlessly becomes a visual metaphor to the core of his message, encouraging organizations toward profitability through innovations and superior levels of performance. His list of clients includes AT&T, Disney, London School of Business, Microsoft, FedEx, Exxon Mobil, Ernst & Young, and XPrize; Erik has even been featured as a TED presenter. Erik’s understanding of vision was originally born in the school of disappointment. After an eight-year career as a partner in a corporate firm, he became frustrated by the lack of innovative thought and corresponding profits he saw in business. So he set out to challenge companies to change their way of thinking, while simultaneously pursuing his own individual passions. He rediscovered his love for art, and now plays in the business world by working through his art. Twitter @ErikWahl

Dr. Reesa Woolf, is the author of "Executive Speaking in a Weekend", a #1 Amazon bestseller. She has trained 3,000 corporate professionals to be excellent speakers and presenters, both individually and in seminars. She is a former Senior Trainer for the American Management Association, a Senior Trainer for Drake, Beam, Morin - Executive Career Coaching, an Adjunct Professor at University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University, and Press Secretary-Hawaii Gubernatorial Campaign. As a high-content speaker with a fresh and practical approach, she's considered one of the most sought after Executive Speaking and Sales Consultants in the country. Dr. Woolf is an entertaining speaker at international conventions, corporate training sessions and one-on-one mentoring for high level executives. From speaking in front of large groups to making sales presentations to creating elevator pitches, it is important to break out of the norm and build clever, engaging messages that intrigue your listeners, inspire further conversation and capture and hold their attention. Dr. Woolf is available for comprehensive full-day coaching sessions for leadership and sales teams, board retreats, and private one-on-one coaching. Regional training workshops are also available; please contact us for a schedule. Twitter @ReesaWoolf