November 1999

New Jersey Society Appoints New Executive Director

The New Jersey Society of CPAs' board of trustees recently announced the appointment of Ralph Albert Thomas as executive director. Thomas will join the society in early December. Thomas currently is vice president at Citicorp Securities.

"Ralph has contributed greatly to the profession, the National Association of Black Accountants, and the AICPA, and now will lead the New Jersey Society as CPAs face the challenges of the next century," NYSSCPA Executive Director Louis Grumet said. "I look forward to working with him."

Prior to becoming vice president for structured finance at Citicorp Securities, Thomas served as vice president and regional audit head.

He also has served on the advisory board of Career Opportunities in the Accounting Profession, a program, sponsored by the NYSSCPA, the profession, and academia that introduces minority students to accounting careers.

At the NJSCPA, Thomas has been active on many committees and projects, and currently serves on the board of trustees. In addition, he has been actively involved on the CPA Vision Project Team and has served on various AICPA committees.

Thomas also has held numerous leadership positions in the National Association of Black Accountants, including national president. He also represented NABA at a number of COAP events.

Thomas earned his bachelor's of science degree in business and economics with a major in accounting and his masters of business administration in finance from Lehigh University. He began his career with Price Waterhouse.

"Ralph is a strong leader, possessing great vision and enthusiasm, who consistently has demonstrated a desire to advance and promote the CPA profession," said Merryl Bauer, the current NJSCPA executive director, who retires in December. *