STAFF
profile
We’re Glad She Gave It a Chance BY DAVID PLASKOW, NJSCPA PUBLIC ATIONS EDITOR
W
e rarely break format in New Jersey CPA magazine, but this is a special occasion. For this issue, we’re renaming the Member Profile column the Staff Profile column in honor of Joanne Chuckerel, who recently retired from the New Jersey Society of CPAs after 47 years of member service. She remembers the exact day she started at the Society: June 26, 1964. Bonanza was the top rated television show and Lyndon Johnson had been president for less than a year. “I was 17 years old,” says Chuckerel. “The receptionist went on maternity leave, and I got the job through Orange High School where I had graduated the previous week.” When she started, the office had three other employees: an executive director, an administrative assistant and someone who worked something called an addressorgraph machine for member mailings. Speaking of members, at that time the Society had only 2,200. “Back then, the Society was headquartered in Newark, and while we were looking for new office space, we actually operated in an old dance studio for a short time,” laughs Chuckerel. Chuckerel almost didn’t last 47 days, much less 47 years: “The rest of the staff and the members were older, and I wasn’t sure I would be happy there. Thankfully, my mom said ‘just give it a chance.’” Mom doled out plenty of good advice, as Joanne was the youngest of five girls. “My dad used to joke that he kept going out hunting for duck and always came back with rabbit,” she recalls. So what kept her coming back to the Society for more than four decades? “I’ve worked with a lot of wonderful people and made friends with many of the members over the
years,” notes Chuckerel. “It was interesting to see young members come into the Society at the same time as I had and see how we ‘grew up’ together. I recall James Hannon, CPA, and Doug Stives, CPA, joining the Society and moving up the ranks to become presidents.” How have the organization and the profession changed since she started at the Society? “Because of mounting regulations, accountants need to know more today and that means there are far more educational initiatives. And, clearly, there are more female CPAs today than in the 1960s,” comments Chuckerel. Chuckerel has worked in most areas within the Society, including membership, professional development and several others. “I enjoyed the annual conventions and being able to put names with voices and faces,” she adds. “The Society really serves an important purpose, and the members know they can count on the staff to take care of them.” “For more than 10 years, Joanne and I worked closely as the ‘front line team’ who helped members from the reception desk. It’s been a pleasure. God bless you, my friend,” says Christine Romanoskie, NJSCPA Education Center Administrator. What does Chuckerel like to do when she’s not at the Society? “I love going to the theater,” she says. “I recently saw Jersey Boys and it was fantastic!” She also likes to read, go to Atlantic City and entertain at her home
in West Orange. Chuckerel is also active in her church, Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Orange, and is a past president of the church’s Women’s Auxiliary. A health scare six years ago got her involved in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. What does Chuckerel have planned for retirement? “I have no real definite plans,” she says. “I’ll take it easy and then do a little traveling, maybe volunteer at a hospital.” And what will Chuckerel miss most about the Society? “I’ll definitely miss my co-workers and helping the members. As I mentioned, I’ve made many friends over the years, and I truly hope to continue those relationships.” “I’ve had the great pleasure of having worked with Joanne for more than 20 years. During that time, when many in the workforce moved from job to job, Joanne remained steadfast in her commitment to the NJSCPA,” says Jim Hardenberg, NJSCPA Education Foundation Director. “I’m grateful for that commitment and honored to have shared so many years together. I wish her all the best of everything in her retirement.”
NEW JERSEY CPA • JANUARY • FEBRUARY 2012
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