Volunteers In Action

I was originally a music business and music performance double-major in college. That changed after I realized how difficult the job market would be upon graduation. Instead, I struck a balance by pursuing an accounting major and singing in a community choir in the evening. Shortly after joining the community choir, I was asked to join the board. I figured, why not? As an accounting major, I felt I could bring some useful skills to the table. Little did I know that serving on the board would provide me fulfillment and skills beneficial to my career.

David L. Vogel is the Managing Director of Internal Controls at Sobel & Co. Vogel is clearly an ambitious CPA with a love for technology. He’s been a NJSCPA member since 1992 and quickly got involved with the Management Consulting Services (MCS) Committee. At that time, MCS was the closest thing the Society had to a Technology Committee. Since then Vogel has actively been involved with NJSCPA’s technology initiatives by serving on the Accounting, Business & Technology Show committee, co-leading the Technology Advisory Group, serving on the Technology Interest Group and writing technology articles for New Jersey CPA.

The secret’s out. Alan D. Sobel, CPA, managing partner at Sobel & Co., LLC, recently admitted, “I play lousy guitar and secretly wish I could play like Nils Lofgren from the E-Street Band.” While Lofgren and Bruce Springsteen collaborated to produce rock and roll, Sobel conducts exceptional performances of accounting, financial, strategic, advisory and technology services for companies and individuals as the maestro at Sobel.

Sean Raquet joined NJSCPA in 1991 a few years into his CPA career. He became an active member of the Young CPAs Committee which led to his first Society leadership position as Committee Chair in 1998. Soon after, he was appointed to the NJSCPA Board of Trustees.

When Lloyd F. George, CPA, CVA, CFF, CLU, ChFC, was beginning his private practice after decades in industry, he was nominated for the position of Secretary of the Mercer Chapter. “I was interested, flattered at being asked, but quite apprehensive about ‘mixing it up’ with active practitioners after being in private industry for so long.” Two past presidents, Rose Fisher and Anne Skalka, encouraged Lloyd to take the plunge.

Being a CPA wasn’t always Ralph J. Evangelista, CPA's dream. “I wanted to be a chocolate pudding man at a very young age,” he chuckles.