Message From the President

By Robert J. Schaffer, Nassau Chapter President

I know we are all anticipating the holidays and need to complete our yearend planning. Please also consider participating in our many events that are scheduled before we get busier at the beginning of next year.

Our October chapter meeting, sponsored by the Cooperation with Bankers and Other Credit Grantors Committee, was held jointly with the Suffolk Chapter on Oct. 19. There were many bankers in attendance. Our special guest speaker was Thomas J. Spota, the Suffolk County District Attorney. Thanks go to Frank Scala and Mark Cirelli for planning this special event.

We held our first Professional Skills Development Conference in November. This seminar concentrated on nontechnical skills that we normally do not get much training in. Thanks go to Karen Tenenbaum, Michael Gaines, Mark Meinberg, Eric Kramer and Rich Zerah for all of their time and effort in creating this new seminar for us.

The November chapter meeting was our infamous Annual Student Night. It was a huge success as always. Students attended a program where they received information on the CPA exam and were introduced to the NYSSCPA and to the accounting profession. Arleen Thomas, the AICPA vice president for professional standards and services, had a great speech for us during dinner. Thanks go to Gail Linder, Liz Venuti and the rest of the Cooperation with Educational Institutions committee for running such an excellent program.

Our annual blood drive moves to its last location this month in Lake Success. Blood donations are needed even more as we get closer to the end of the year. Please look in our newsletter online at www.nysscpa.org/chapters for more information about donating. Thank you, John Barone, Marie Umbach and the Community Affairs and Public Relations Committee, for organizing this important initiative.

Our All-Day Accounting and Auditing Conference, held jointly with the Suffolk Chapter, on Saturday, Nov. 6, was excellent and well attended. Thanks go to Tom Linder, Andy Ross and Jerry Massimino, and Paul Becht from Suffolk, for all their hard work to make the seminar possible.

I look forward to reporting to you next month on our Women’s Focus Group Lunch that took place on Friday, Nov. 19, at The Milleridge Inn. Ellen Gordon and Lisa Haynie have put much effort into our newly formed Membership Committee.

Our Annual All-Day Tax Conference is the first weekend of this month on Dec. 4 and 5 at the Long Island Marriott in Uniondale, N.Y. If you have not already signed up, please do so as soon as possible so you don’t miss an update on the changes in the tax laws recently passed; it will help prepare you for the upcoming busy season. This seminar is always very well attended. Thanks to Jack Angel and Ron Finkelstein for all their efforts in putting it together.

Our chapter meeting on Jan. 20 will feature a visit from NYSSCPA officers and two free CPE credits in ethics. Please register early for the dinner and/or free CPE.

We also have many other exciting events planned. Please look for them and participate in as many of them as possible. Support your chapter! Our events can be found in our newsletter, which is available both in print and on our website at www.nysscpa.org/chapters.

If anyone has any suggestions or comments about our existing programs or about programs we can create, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Have a very happy and safe holiday and best wishes for the New Year!

Bob Schaffer can be reached at 516-409-5000 or rschaffer@schwartz-cpas.com.