By John W. Hermus
Suffolk Chapter President
Effective June 1st, I have been installed as the Suffolk Chapter's 48th President. It is a great honor to achieve this position after many years involved with the chapter, serving as a past committee member and chair, as a board member, and at various officer roles. I am following our outgoing President, Melissa Hicks, and want to extend to her a big thank you for her hard work and dedication to our chapter throughout her career.
The chapter is already off to a busy start to the new fiscal year. Many of the chapter's approximate 17 committees are currently hosting their organizational meetings to start planning for the year ahead. Each has a different niche and collectively, a wide variety of topics affecting our profession is covered by our chapter.
I started my journey with the chapter by joining our NextGen committee early in my career. This committee provides a platform for those new to the profession to meet people in similar stages of their careers and is a great introduction to the Society as a whole. The committee is very active with educational, networking, and charitable events throughout the year, and is a great way to break the ice and get involved with the chapter.
I also spent some time as a member of our Employee Benefits committee. With educational seminars on topics such as advanced audits of 401(k) plans, how to handle a Department of Labor audit, and health insurance issues, this committee touches on areas of business that affect us all.
Want to get involved but not sure how? Please consider attending our upcoming 13th Annual Membership event, which will be held Tuesday, July 9th at 6pm at the Stonebridge Country Club in Smithtown. This FREE event provides the opportunity to meet our committee chairs, board members, and officers, and the chance to learn more about how the chapter works and ways you can participate. Our chapter will also be presenting scholarships to two recent high school graduates with funds raised from the chapter's recent golf outing held on June 10th.
On July 10, the East End and Forensic and Valuation Services (FVS) committees will be co-hosting the 6th annual Nine and Dine golf outing at Cherry Creek in Riverhead. Registrations are selling out fast so please sign up today! You can also golf with us later this year on September 24th at the NextGen committee's 24th Annual Young Professionals Golf Outing at Hamlet Willow Creek in Mt. Sinai.
On August 6th, the NextGen committee will be co-hosting the 8th annual Super-Sized Networking Event outdoors at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury. The event features several other groups that typically bring in over 150 attendees. You do not want to miss it!
You will learn about these upcoming events and much more as you read through this issue. We will also be featuring a "committee spotlight" each issue, so you can get to know the committees and their plans. If you are unsure what would be a best fit for you, or want to know more, please feel free to reach me at jhermus@sheehancpa.com.
I am excited for the upcoming year, look forward to the growth of the chapter, and to working with you all.
John W. Hermus