Nominee Biographies 2019

EDWARD L. ARCARA, Sole Practitioner, Edward L. Arcara, CPA P.C., Buffalo, N.Y. Member of the Society since 1986; member of the Buffalo Chapter. STATEWIDE: Past Director-at-Large on the Board of Directors. Past member of the Executive Committee. Current Chair of the Tax Division Oversight Committee. Past member of the Selections Subcommittee. Past member of the Audit, Awards, Continuity of Practice, Member Benefits, Nominating and Small Firms Practice Management committees. CHAPTER: Past Buffalo Chapter President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Assistant Chair. Past member of the Buffalo Chapter Board of Directors. Past Chair of the Buffalo Chapter Membership and Public Relations committees. Past member of the Buffalo Chapter Accounting and Auditing, Cooperation with the Bar, Cooperation with Commercial Grantors and Management of an Accounting Practice committees.

BARBARA E. BEL, Partner, PKF O’Connor Davies, LLP, Harrison, N.Y. Member of the Society since 1989; member of the Westchester Chapter. STATEWIDE: Past Vice President and Director as Chapter Representative on the Board of Directors. Past member of the Executive Committee. Past Vice President of CPA PAC. Past member of CPA PAC. Current member of the Closely Held and S Corporations committee. Past member of the Selections Subcommittee. Past member of the New York, Multistate and Local Taxation and Nominating committees. Past member of the Dues Restructuring Task Force. CHAPTER: Past Westchester Chapter President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and President-elect. Past member of the Westchester Chapter Executive Board. Past Chair of the Westchester Chapter Government Relations and Public Relations committees. Past Vice Chair of the Westchester Chapter Budget Committee. Past Co-Chair of the Westchester Chapter Professional and Community Outreach and Partnering with Professionals committees. Past Liaison of the Westchester Chapter Continuity of Practice and Partnering with Professionals committees. Past member of the Westchester Chapter Economic Development and Education and Programming committees.

JOSEPH A. MAFFIA, Partner, Janover LLC, New York, N.Y. Member of the Society since 1984; member of the Manhattan/Bronx Chapter. STATEWIDE: Current member of the Financial Accounting Standards Committee. Past Chair of the Accounting and Review Services and the Entertainment and Sports committees. Past Vice Chair of the Accounting and Review Services Committee. Past member of the Accounting and Auditing Oversight, History, Industry Oversight, Management of an Accounting Practice and Minority Group Recruitment and Equal Opportunity committees.

RENEE RAMPULLA, Managing Member, Rampulla Advisory Services, LLC, Staten Island, N.Y. Member of the Society since 1992; member of the Staten Island Chapter. STATEWIDE: Current Director-at-Large on the Board of Directors. Current member of the Selections Subcommittee. Past Chair of the Nominating and Professional Ethics committees. Current member of the Financial Accounting Standards and the International Accounting and Auditing committees. Past member of the CPA Exam Task Force. CHAPTER: Current Staten Island Chapter President. Past Staten Island Chapter President-elect and Vice President. Past member of the Staten Island Chapter Executive Board. Current Chair of the Staten Island Chapter A&A Conference Committee.

DENISE M. STEFANO, Professor, Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. Member of the Society since 1998; member of the Westchester Chapter. STATEWIDE: Past Director as Chapter Representative on the Board of Directors. Past Secretary of the FAE Board of Trustees. Past member of CPA PAC. Current Chair of the CPA Careers Committee. Current member of the FAE Curriculum and Future of Accounting Education committees. Past member of the Governance Subcommittee. Past member of the Academic Advancement and Higher Education, Audit, Higher Education, Membership, Nominating, Quality Enhancement Policy and SEC Practice committees. Past member of the COAP Statewide Advisory Board. CHAPTER: Past Westchester Chapter President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and President-elect. Past President on the Westchester Chapter Executive Board. Current Chair of the Westchester Chapter High School Scholarship Committee. Current member of the Westchester Chapter Accounting Principles, Annual Recruitment Event and Audit committees. Past Chair of the Westchester Chapter Accounting Principles & Audit, High School Recruitment and Membership committees. Past Co-Chair of the Westchester Chapter Annual Recruitment Event Committee. Past Vice Chair of the Westchester Chapter Government Relations Committee. Past member of the Westchester Chapter Accountants in Industry and Scholarship committees.

KELLY R. CAPRON, Director, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, New York, N.Y. Member of the Society since 2011; member of the Manhattan/Bronx Chapter. STATEWIDE: Current member of the Taxation of Financial Instruments and Transactions Committee. Past member of the Taxation of Financial Instruments and Transactions Committee.

ELLIOT L. HENDLER, Retired.  Member of the Society since 1962; member of the Manhattan/Bronx Chapter. STATEWIDE:  Past Vice President, Secretary and Director-at-Large on the Board of Directors. Past member of the Executive Committee. Past Secretary of the FAE Board of Trustees. Past member of the FAE Board of Trustees. Current Chair of the Professional Ethics Committee. Current member of the SEC Committee. Past Chair of the Accounting and Reviews Services, Annual Study Conference, Membership and Quality Control Practice Assistance committees. Past member of the Governance and Selections subcommittees. Past member of the Accounting and Review Services, Accounting and Auditing Oversight, Annual Leadership Conference, Audit, Auditing Standards, Audit Sampling and Analytical Techniques, Committee Operations, Construction Contractors, Curriculum, Finance, Financial Accounting Standards, Interim Financial Statements, Peer Review, Professional Ethics, Real Estate and Relations with the Internal Revenue Service committees. CHAPTER: Past Manhattan/Bronx Chapter Executive Board member. Past Liaison of the Manhattan/Bronx Chapter Membership Committee. 

MITCHELL J. MERTZ, Director of Quality Assurance, Wei Wei & Company, LLP, Flushing, N.Y. Member of the Society since 1979; member of the Nassau Chapter. STATEWIDE: Past Vice President and Director-at-Large on the Board of Directors. Past member of the Executive Committee. Current member of the SEC and Sustainability committees. Past Chair of the Accounting and Auditing Oversight and SEC committees. Past member of the Governance and Selections subcommittees. Past member of the Accounting and Review Services, Government Accounting and Auditing, SEC, Stock Brokerage and Sustainability committees. Past member of the Committee Networking Technology Task Force. CHAPTER: Past member of the Nassau Chapter Cooperation with Bankers and Other Credit Grantors Committee. 

JANEEN F. SCHRANN, Partner Shareholder, Piaker & Lyons PC, Binghamton, N.Y. Member of the Society since 2002; member of the Southern Tier Chapter. STATEWIDE: Current Vice President on the Board of Directors. Current member of the Executive Committee. Past Director as Chapter Representative on the Board of Directors. CHAPTER: Past Southern Tier Chapter President, President-elect and Secretary/Treasurer. Past member of the Southern Tier Chapter Executive Board. Past Chair of the Southern Tier Chapter One-on-One High School Outreach and Revitalization committees.

CHARLES J. WEINTRAUB, Partner and Principal Shareholder, Maltese and Weintraub CPAs PLLC, Staten Island, N.Y. Member of the Society since 1992; member of the Staten Island Chapter. STATEWIDE: Past Director on the Board of Directors. Current member of the New York, Multistate and Local Taxation Committee. CHAPTER: Current Staten Island Chapter Executive Board member. Past Staten Island Chapter President, President-elect, Secretary and Assistant Treasurer. Past Staten Island Chapter Executive Board Trustee and Secretary. Current Chair of the Staten Island Chapter Members in Industry Committee. Past Chair of the Staten Island Chapter One-on-One High School Outreach Committee.

MARIA L. PETROLLESE, Accountant, Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp., Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Member of the Society since 2008; member of the Mid Hudson Chapter. STATEWIDE: Current member of the Awards Committee. CHAPTER: Current Mid Hudson Chapter President. Past Mid Hudson Chapter President-elect, Vice President and Secretary. Past Mid Hudson Chapter Executive Board Member. Current member of the Mid Hudson Chapter Budget, Cooperation with Education and Membership/Revitalization committees. Past Mid Hudson Chapter Co-Chair of the Cooperation with Bankers and Loan Committee. Past member of the Mid Hudson Chapter Sponsorship and Young CPAs/NextGen committees. Current member of the New Paltz COAP Advisory Board.

LIREN WEI, Managing Partner, Wei Wei & Co., LLP, Flushing, N.Y. Member of the Society since 1994; member of the Queens/Brooklyn Chapter. STATEWIDE: Past Vice President and Director as Chapter Representative on the Board of Directors. Past member of the Executive Committee. Current member of the Government Accounting and Auditing, Quality Control and Peer Review, SEC and Stock Brokerage committees. Past Chair of the Quality Control and Peer Review Committee. Past Vice Chair of the Quality Control and Peer Review Committee. Past member of the Government Accounting and Auditing, Nominating, SEC and Stock Brokerage committees. Past member of the NYSSCPA/FAE Affiliation and QEPC Peer Review White Paper Applications task forces. CHAPTER: Past Queens/Brooklyn Chapter President and President-elect. Past Queens/Brooklyn Chapter Executive Board member. Past Chair of the Queens/Brooklyn Chapter MAP Committee.

MICHAEL E. MILISITS, Audit Supervisor, Grassi & Co., Park Ridge, N.J. Member of the Society since 2007; member of the Rockland Chapter. STATEWIDE: Past Director as Chapter Representative on the Board of Directors. Current member of the Accounting and Review Services Committee. Past member of the Accounting and Review Services and Real Estate committees. Past member of the Selections Subcommittee. CHAPTER: Current Rockland Chapter Executive Board member. Past Rockland Chapter President, President-elect, Secretary and Treasurer. Past Rockland Chapter Executive Board member. Past Co-Chair of the Rockland Chapter CPE Coordinator and Continuing Professional Education committees. Past member of the Rockland Chapter Young CPAs/NextGen Committee.

MARIA E. SUPPA, Director of Tax and Treasury, Rising Phoenix Holdings Corporation, Utica, N.Y. Member of the Society since 2007; member of the Utica Chapter. STATEWIDE: Past member of the NextGen Committee. CHAPTER: Current Utica Chapter President. Past Utica Chapter President, President-elect, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. Past Co-Chair of the Utica Chapter Young CPAs/Next Gen Committee.