CEO Compass

It’s been an honor to lead this organization as we live out our vision, “To equip and empower New Jersey’s accounting and finance professionals to thrive in their careers.” Each and every day, we advocate for the profession and provide CPAs with meaningful education, information and ways to connect.

This is the time of year that throngs of people — maybe even you — choose a list of resolutions for the next year. While adopting a resolution shows a wonderful sense of positive intent, a more practical alternative could be to simply set new goals for the future. Goals give you a direction to aspire to. And, with the baby steps you may be taking toward your goal, you can still feel like you’re on the right track, which will, in turn, keep you focused.

Our community is stronger together. We learn from each other’s experiences, build lasting relationships and open up opportunities.

If we want the NJCPA and the accounting profession to be forward-thinking and future-proof, and our membership pipeline full, then today is the day to start investing in our young professionals.

It's been two years since the pandemic gripped our world, but with spring upon us, we’re seeing glimmers of hope. In New Jersey, the public health emergency has ended, the mask mandates in our schools have disappeared and a constant sense of foreboding about the pandemic has been lifted enough that we can look forward to events with our family and friends. While many challenges must still be met by our state, nation and world, it’s important to reconnect with one another in meaningful ways.

The year is drawing to a close, and between rushed trips to the mall and appearances at countless gatherings, in-person and virtual, it’s important to remember that the holidays are a perfect time to look ahead to the future and set goals for ourselves. In that spirit, we recently asked our members this question: Looking back on the last year, how have your career or business objectives changed?

For decades, the accounting profession has pursued diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives to create opportunities for all to feel welcome, valued and critical to serving the public interest. Yet, progress is inconsistent at best. In tandem with that, we are witnessing a nationwide decline in not just new CPAs but also accounting program enrollments. To be blunt, the profession has a pipeline problem.

During the past year, you have provided more guidance and leadership to your clients, firms and employers than ever before. In such unprecedented circumstances, we were able to come out stronger as a profession and a community. But this shouldn’t surprise anyone. Throughout history, our profession has adapted — it’s how we’ve thrived, and your work in the last year is a continuation of that legacy.