Sax 2022-2023 Year in Review

A Message

FROM JOSEPH A. DAMIANO, SAX CEO & MANAGING PARTNER

As we close the doors on another year, we are proud to present Sax’s Year in Review and take a look back at all we accomplished in 2022.

Sax remains future focused. We continue to identify new ways to deliver superior results and address the evolving needs of our clients. In 2022, this objective included a number of initiatives such as welcoming several new firms to the Sax family who strengthen us all around, moving our NYC office space to accommodate our growing team, adding internal and lateral partners to enhance our practice areas and taking our first steps in the global community.

In addition, we continue to plan for long-term sustainability and growth for our firm and team members. Our people are direct contributors to our on-going success. Instilling a productive and progressive culture of knowledge transfer and opportunity helps retain and attract top talent. This, in turn, delivers the best of Sax for our clients – now and always.

Please read more about these exciting developments on the following pages. We are excited about our bright future, and what it means for our clients, our people and our firm.

On behalf of the Sax LLP partners and team, I wish everyone a successful 2023.

Warmest Regards,

Joseph A. Damiano CEO and Managing Partner

OUR VISION

Is to achieve exceptional growth opportunities for our clients, for our people and for our firm by striving to be a Top 50 firm by the year 2026.

OUR CORE VALUES

RESPECT

We treat each other with respect and dignity; encouraging cooperation and teamwork.

INTEGRITY

We are honest and ethical in everything we do.

COMMITMENT

We will meet our core commitments 100% of the time.

EXCELLENCE

We are passionate about the pursuit of excellence in everything we do.

We do the right thing for our clients, our firm and our people.

OUR MISSION

SAX is committed to being our clients’ #1 advisor by understanding their Vision and providing solutions that exceed expectations to assure their success.

We are dedicated to continually building a great firm that attracts, develops, excites and retains exceptional people.

OUR ASPIRATIONAL STATEMENT

We will cultivate a collaborative culture by fostering knowledge transfer, defining roles and building a skillset to drive client engagement, enhance the client experience and become our clients’ #1 advisor.

Key Management

CEO & MANAGING PARTNER

JOSEPH A. DAMIANO, CPA

EXECUTIVE BOARD

JOSHUA CHANANIE, CPA

JOSEPH A. DAMIANO, CPA

SHIVANI JAIN, CPA, MST

ERMAL LUZAJ, CPA, MBA

JOSEPH SHANNON, CPA/ABV, CFE

KYLE R. STAWICKI, ChFC®

OFFICE LEADERS

PARSIPPANY, NJ

JOSEPH A. DAMIANO, CPA

EWING, NJ

JAMES TOTO, CPA

NEW YORK CITY, NY

W.MICHAEL CURRY, CPA, CCIFP

MUMBAI, INDIA

SUDEEP SACHINDRANATH

FIRM OPERATIONS

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

NICHOLAS VALENTINI

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER / HEAD OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

LEON GRASSI

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

MICHAEL ROLLS

DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES

SHARON BLEIBTREU, PHR

DIRECTOR OF IT

FREDERICK DELACRUZ

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

VIRGINIA DENNERLEIN, SHRM-CP, PAFM

DIRECTOR OF QUALITY CONTROL

VINCE MILANO, CPA

DIRECTOR OF QUALITY CONTROL (NONPROFIT)

NINA BAHAZHEVSKA, CPA

RISK MANAGEMENT

W.MICHAEL CURRY, CPA, CCIFP

FREDERICK DELACRUZ

VIRGINIA DENNERLEIN, SHRM-CP, PAFM

SHIVANI JAIN, CPA, MST

JOY MATAK, JD, LLM

MICHAEL ROLLS

KYLE R. STAWICKI, ChFC®

CHARITABLE FOUNDATION BOARD

JOSEPH A. DAMIANO, CPA

CANDY GORDON-GEANOULES, CPA

LAUREN FRARY, MA, LRC

HELENA LYNCH, CPA, MST

DEBORAH NAPPI, CPA, MST

MICHAEL ROLLS

MARQUS WHITE, CPA

SERVICE DIRECTORY

ACCOUNTING & AUDITING

Al Traverso, CPA

P: (973) 554-6136

E: atraverso@saxllp.com

CANNABIS

Todd W. Polyniak, CPA

P: (973) 554-6164

E: tpolyniak@saxllp.com

CONSTRUCTION

Ermal Luzaj, CPA, MBA

P: (973) 554-6174

E: eluzaj@saxllp.com

CONSUMER PRODUCTS

Joshua Chananie, CPA

P: (973) 554-6160

E: jchananie@saxllp.com

CRYPTOCURRENCY

Shivani Jain, CPA, MST

P: (973) 554-6161

E: sjain@saxllp.com

EMPLOYEE BENEFIT

PLAN AUDITS

Jennifer L. Moroz, CPA

P: (973) 472-6250

E: jmoroz@saxllp.com

HEALTHCARE

Deborah Nappi, CPA, MST

P: (973) 554-6191

E: dnappi@saxllp.com

HR CONSULTING

Sharon Bleibtreu, PHR

P: (973) 554-6170

E: sbleibtreu@saxllp.com

NEW LEASE ACCOUNTING

Jason Borofsky, CPA, MBA

P: (973) 554-6082

E: jborofsky@saxllp.com

NONPROFIT (NATIONAL)

David Ashenfarb, CPA

P: (212) 268-2805

E: dashenfarb@saxllp.com

PRIVATE CLIENT

Craig Cassano, CPA

P: (973) 554-6040

E: ccassano@saxllp.com

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Jennifer L. Moroz, CPA

P: (973) 472-6250

E: jmoroz@saxllp.com

REAL ESTATE

Joseph Shannon, CPA/ABV, CFE

P: (973) 554-6100

E: jshannon@saxllp.com

SAX CAPITAL ADVISORS

Jerome Fusco

P: (203) 988-3473

E: jfusco@saxca.com

SAX WEALTH ADVISORS

Kyle R. Stawicki, ChFC®

P: (973) 554-6006

E: kstawicki@saxwa.com

S2 TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

Carl Van Dusen

P: (201) 268-3488

E: info@s2solutions.tech

TAX

Shivani Jain, CPA, MST

P: (973) 554-6161

E: sjain@saxllp.com

TAX CONTROVERSY

Frank Centrella, CPA, MST

P: (973) 554-6019

E: fcentrella@saxllp.com

TRANSACTION STRATEGY & TRANSFORMATION

Kevin D. Moyer, CFE, MBA

P: (330) 716-1568

E: kmoyer@saxca.com

TRUSTS & ESTATES

Joy Matak, JD, LLM

P: (973) 554-6137

E: jmatak@saxllp.com

VALUATION, FORENSIC & LITIGATION

Megan Sartor, CPA/ABV/CFF

P: (973) 554-6158

E: msartor@saxllp.com

Accolades

RANKED #84 on INSIDE Public Accounting’s prestigious Top 100 list of accounting firms in the country, up 10 spots since last year.

Named to INSIDE Public Accounting’s list of the Best of the Best Firms in the nation, made up of top performers within the profession who produce superior results while planning for long-term sustainability and growth, offering both clients and staff alike a successful future.

RANKED #35 on the “Wealth Magnet” list of the Top 150 Firms by Assets Under Management by Accounting Today, making “The Billion Dollar Club”.

*Please click here to reference important disclosure information regarding this award.

RANKED #87 on Accounting Today’s prestigious Top 100 list of accounting firms in the country and a Mid-Atlantic Regional Leader. Sax moved up 8 spots from last year on the Top 100 list.

Recognized on the list of America’s Best Tax and Accounting Firms by Forbes for the third straight year.

RANKED #14 by NJBIZ on their list of Top New Jersey Accounting Firms.

RANKED #87 on NJBIZ’s list of the Top 250 Privately Held Companies, moving up 9 spots since last year.

RANKED #24 on Construction Executive’s list of The Top 50 Construction Accounting Firms in the nation.

REVIEW

JOSEPH A. DAMIANO, CPA was named to NJBIZ’s Accounting POWER 50 list, ranking #7 in the state among the most influential men and women in the profession who have demonstrated the sort of forward thinking and professionalism that businesses count on for guidance. Joe was also named to Accounting Today’s prestigious 2022 MP Elite, a title given to only 10 managing partners in the country each year. This list recognizes leaders of top CPA firms who have demonstrated outstanding management qualities and an ability to drive growth and innovation.

SHIVANI JAIN, CPA, MST was named to ROI-NJ’s 2022 Influencers. This program recognized influential people of color and the impact they have created in their respective fields.

MEGAN SARTOR, CPA, ABV, CFF was named to the NJBIZ list of Forty Under 40 for 2022. This program recognizes and applauds 40 business men and women under the age of 40 for their notable successes and demonstrations of strong leadership in the state.

CANDY GORDON GEANOULES, CPA was named the recipient of the 2022 BANNJ Associate Continuing Service Award.

The following Sax team members passed their CPA exams in 2022:

Celebrating Our Past Our Present and /

THANK YOU TO OUR RETIRING PARTNERS

THEY HAVE MADE LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR FIRM AND SIGNIFICANT STRIDES TOWARDS OUR GOALS. THE SUCCESS WE SEE TODAY CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO THEIR TIME AND TALENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, AND THEY LEAVE BEHIND A LEGACY OF UNPARALLELED CLIENT SERVICE AND RESULTS FOR OTHERS TO EMULATE.

SUSAN REED, CPA, CFP® served as Partner-in-Charge of the firm’s Healthcare Practice for over 12 years and is a well respected member of the healthcare community. She has been known as a thought leader with the ability to solve even the most complex issues for her clients through innovative and tailored solutions. Her primary focuses have been acting as an operational consultant for medical and dental practices, assisting medical groups with mergers and acquisitions and guiding group practices through the formation of super groups. Her colleagues call her “a dedicated and committed trusted advisor” with a “limitless devotion to her clients”.

KEVIN J. HANSEN, CPA has over 30 years of public accounting experience. He joined Sax when it combined with the Hunter Group LLC out of Fair Lawn, NJ in 2017 where he led the vision and growth of the firm as Co-Managing Partner for five years. Kevin lent his extensive experience within real estate, retail, medical services, legal services, and wholesale distribution industries to the firm, and proactive and dedicated service to his clients. His colleagues celebrate Kevin as “someone who goes above and beyond to provide support and guidance, not just to clients, but to his colleagues as well”.

MARIA C. PLUCINSKY, CPA joined Sax in the 2017 acquisition of the Hunter Group LLC where she served as Director of the Nonprofit Services Group. Maria was a distinguished member of the nonprofit community, with over 20 years serving the industry. Maria also lent her three decades of public accounting experience to major corporate clients that include wholesale food distributors and import/ export brokers, in addition to equipment rental, real estate, property management, construction and show companies. Co-workers acknowledge Maria as “someone who cared about the little guy, the big guy, and everyone in between” and as “a strong leader who looked after us all”.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEW PARTNERS

OUR NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS ROSE THROUGH THE RANKS OF OUR FIRM DUE TO THEIR DEDICATION TO OUR CORE VALUES, OUR TEAM AND THOSE WE SERVE. THEY DEMONSTRATED GREAT VALUE FOR OUR CLIENTS, AND CONTRIBUTE GREATLY TO MAKING OUR FIRM PROACTIVE IN SERVICE, PROGRESSIVE IN SOLUTIONS AND INDUSTRY THOUGHT LEADERS.

ADAM HOLZBERG, CPA, MBA specializes in audits, accounting and advisory services for closely held companies and nonprofit organizations. He is an important member of the firm’s Nonprofit, Healthcare and growing Cannabis Practices. He focuses on increasing the overall operational efficiencies, financial reporting best practices, and internal controls for clients.

LISA MELA, CPA, MST is a member of the firm’s Trusts and Estates Practice and specializes in fiduciary compliance, estate and trust tax planning, fiduciary accountings (informal and formal), estate and gift planning, gift tax compliance, income tax planning and tax compliance for high-net-worth individuals.

MICHAEL ROLLS was formerly Sax’s Chief Financial Officer, and now serves as Partner and Chief Operating Officer. Michael is instrumental in setting the firm’s strategic vision by guiding the adoption and investment of new technologies into its business processes. As a member of Sax’s Innovation and IT Committees, he collaborates with staff on the firm’s digital transformation journey.

OUR RISING LEADERSHIP

WE CONGRATULATE THE FOLLOWING 24 TEAM MEMBERS ON THEIR INTERNAL PROMOTION TO THE LEVEL OF MANAGER AND ABOVE DUE TO THEIR

DEMONSTRATED WORK ETHIC, CLIENT COMMITMENT, AND GROWING EXPERTISE. WE ARE EXCITED TO SEE ALL THEY WILL CONTINUE TO ACCOMPLISH AT SAX.

MICHAEL ALBERT promoted to Senior A&A Manager

ADAM APIDOPOULOS promoted to Senior A&A Manager

JOHN BECKERLE promoted to Tax Manager

GAYLE BOECKSTIEGEL promoted to Senior Tax Manager

LOUIS CALAMUNCI promoted to Senior Tax Manager

FREDERICK DELACRUZ promoted to Director of IT

VIRGINIA DENNERLEIN promoted to Director of Operations

LISA DINOZZI promoted to Senior A&A Manager

MATTHEW GOLDSTEIN promoted to Senior A&A Manager

VICTORIA HOCHMAN promoted to Senior Tax Manager

JOHN KING promoted to A&A Manager

NICK KONTOS promoted to IT Manager

MAGDALENA KROWKA promoted to Senior A&A Manager

RUKIATU LAWAL promoted to A&A Manager

BREANA MAHER promoted to Tax Manager

ANNA MALAFIS promoted to Senior A&A Manager

MATTHEW MAREINISS promoted to A&A Manager

IGOR PETROVIC promoted to Senior A&A Manager

KAVITA RATHOD promoted to Senior Tax Manager

MAYANK SHAH promoted to Senior Tax Manager

STEPHEN TELLIAN promoted to Senior A&A Manager

ELLA VALDES promoted to A&A Manager

MICHELLE VAN SOEST promoted to Senior A&A Manager

JESSICA VIDAL promoted to Senior A&A Manager

InspiringTeam Our

Sax strives to create on-going value, not just for clients, but for our team members on a day-to-day basis so they feel inspired, fulfilled and connected. This commitment to a positive employee work experience defines Sax’s culture that is a vehicle for our future success.The following are ways we attempt to increase engagement and productivity, and in-turn, results and overall enjoyment in the workplace.

APPRECIATION

Sax holds on-going “thank you” events through-out the year as a show of thanks for the dedication of time and effort our team members demonstrate. This includes our annual End of Year Celebration, post-busy season Happy Hours, days off and more.

TEAM COMRADERY

As our firm quickly expands, and our remote workforce increases, Sax holds events to promote team comradery and connections while continuing to foster our family-like feel. This includes firm-wide virtual game nights, cocktail parties, team lunches and more.

HYBRID WORK

Sax offers team members flexibility and a work/life balance as it shifts from a time-driven to results-driven mindset. Team members are offered the opportunity to work in and out of the office as it fits their needs best, with the understanding that client service is our number one priority.

RECOGNITION

Sax honors our employees’ accomplishments throughout the year and their career. This includes putting an emphasis on promoting from within those who embody our core values, presenting Service Awards that celebrate work milestones and anniversaries, issuing “Great Cards” to reward the efforts of employees who go above and beyond and more.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Sax invests in the health and wellness of team members to ensure they are armed with the tools to succeed in all aspects of their lives. Throughout the year, Sax facilitates events aimed at improving the physical and mental health of employees such as our annual walking challenge, cooking classes, yoga classes, massages, classes for better sleep and less anxiety and more.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Sax offers team members on-going opportunities to develop leadership skills and the professional tools needed to reach their career goals. This includes internal trainings such as our Pathway to Success program, performance managers who provide mentoring and coaching, an in-depth evaluation process to provide constructive feedback and milestone markers and more.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Sax instills a culture of giving by matching funds for charities, offering a PTO day for volunteerism and coordinating fundraisers like our Pickleball tournament and Basket Raffle that support local charities that mean the most to our employees.

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION OF WOMEN FOR EMPOWERMENT & RESULTS (P.O.W.E.R.)

The mission of Sax’s P.O.W.E.R. group is to support women employees, embrace inclusiveness and collectively address a woman’s role in the evolving business environment. The group focuses on their Four Pillars: Professional Development, Networking, Community Outreach and Support.

A Focus on the

TRANSACTION ADVISORY EXPERTISE AND SERVICES BOLSTERED

Sax added Kevin D. Moyer, CFE, MBA as Partner and Practice Leader of the firm’s established Transaction Advisory Services Group – recently renamed Transaction Strategy & Transformation. Kevin brings over a decade of robust transaction knowledge and is tasked with advising clients on financial and operational diligence, value creation initiatives and corporate restructuring mandates. His diverse experience is of tremendous benefit during the delicate deal making process and allows Sax to continue to create value for our clients and business partners.

Read more about Kevin Moyer and his role at Sax.

NONPROFIT PRACTICE STRENGTHENED

Sax added Scott J. Goldberg, CPA to the firm’s established Nonprofit Practice as Partner. Scott brings nearly 30 years of valued expertise to Sax and is responsible for the overall audit strategy and the delivery of client related services. His solutions-based focus and broad nonprofit industry knowledge allow him to advise clients on best business approaches to diversified accounting and management issues. Scott’s in-depth background includes audits of federal awards in accordance with Uniform Grant Guidance and other third-party reimbursements.

Read more about Scott Goldberg and his role at Sax.

PRIVATE CLIENT PRACTICE EXPANDED

Sax added James Toto, CPA to the firm’s established Private Client Practice as Partner. James brings more than 30 years of experience specializing in tax planning and compliance for high-net-worth individuals and families, including estate and retirement planning. In addition, he provides services related to equity-based compensation, after-tax cash flow analysis, and tax analysis of complex investment strategies. James adds to the expertise of Sax’s Private Client team, and his involvement adds significant value to our private clients and their family operations.

Read more about James Toto and his role at Sax.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND THE SAX BRAND ELEVATED

Sax enlisted Leon Grassi, an esteemed marketer with a reputation for innovative solutions and know-how to drive growth, as our new Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Business Development. Leon brings nearly 20 years of experience within the Media, Publishing, Consumer Products, Information Technology and Accounting industries. He is charged with implementing new, sophisticated marketing strategies and business development efforts that will increase the exposure of Sax’s tremendous breadth of services and elevate the overall brand.

Read more about Leon Grassi and his role at Sax.

MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS ESCALATED

Sax added Peyton Bowman, MBA to lead merger and acquisition activities at Sax. This includes leading the development of integration strategy, planning, and execution from business case development to post-close value capture, working closely with functional team members in both Sax and acquired firms. He creates internal roadmaps for a solid foundation to support Sax’s explosive growth across people, processes, and technology, to enable Sax’s seamless expansion to the next level. Read more about Peyton Bowman and his role at Sax.

NEW BIG C CONSULTING SERVICES

Lauren Frary, MA, LRC joined Sax as Director of Strategic Business Transformation. She lends her 35 years of experience to provide consultative services that develop the goals of businesses and ultimately improve their overall functionality and productivity. Lauren kick-started her new role at Sax by serving nonprofits due to her vast experience in the industry and will begin assisting for-profit companies it the latter half of 2023.

Learn more about Lauren Frary and her Vision for assisting nonprofits.

THE SAX CHARITABLE FOUNDATION ENHANCED

Fostering a culture of giving has always been important to Sax’s Founders from the time our firm was established 66 years ago. In 2022, Sax contributed $200,000 to the Sax Charitable Foundation in honor of our retiring partners to be used for philanthropic purposes. The firm’s Foundation Board has also been enhanced and charged with identifying new ways to make a difference in the communities where we live and work.

Sax successfully completed 4 consecutive NYbased mergers to further expand our New York presence (Sax added Schall & Ashenfarb, CPA, David Weiss CPA LLC, Steven Press, and KMR LLP). As a result of these recent partnerships, we greatly bolstered our capabilities in several industries, including Consumer Products and Nonprofit, and added 8 Partners, 2 Senior Advisors, 1 Director and 40 employees to our growing NY team.

To account for the recent and planned growth, Sax relocated our New York City office to 1040 Avenue of the Americas in June. The new office is double the size of Sax’s previous NYC office, and the design resembles the look and feel of our state-of-the-art headquarters in New Jersey, in addition to a beautiful view of Bryant Park.

New York India

BREAKING GROUND IN INDIA

Sax celebrated our entrance into the global community with the opening of our first international office, a 12,500 square-foot space centrally located in Mumbai – the financial capital of India. We are continuing to build out a team that taps into the rich talent pool of highly qualified accounting and tax professionals in India who will be a direct extension of our team and operations here in the United States. The new office continues the firm’s expansion initiative, which has seen Sax grow to 4 offices and 271 employees in the past 10 years.

Hear from Sax CEO, Joe Damiano, on why Sax chose Mumbai, India for its first international office from a growth and talent standpoint.

Leadership

HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY UPDATE

Sax’s first ever Manufacturing and Distribution Day was held at our Headquarters on September 29th. This was an invite-only event designed to bring together like-minded professionals in the supply chain industry. Along with networking and vendors, the presenters and event partners promoted a morning of industry insights on current issues.

Sax’s Healthcare Practice held an industry update labeled “Healthcare Disruptors” on December 1st, at our Headquarters. The day started off with breakfast and networking and transitioned to the conference room for informative presentations on Compliance, Trends in Private Equity, “When Mergers Go Wrong”, Value-Based Care and a Q&A session with the presenters.

Sax’s Construction and Real Estate Practices held an industry update on November 17th at our Headquarters with breakfast, networking and informative presentations tailored to the industries. Current issues were discussed such as inflation, interest rates, supply chain, labor, M&A trends, cybersecurity and more.

INFORMATIVE WEBINARS & PODCASTS

420Cannect was created for those interested in staying at the forefront of the cannabis industry and participating in informative discussions on the evolving market. The group is a collaboration between Sax, Zuber Lawler, RIPCO and Dr. David Cunic and events feature industry thought leaders, and guided networking to provide meaningful information and connections within the New Jersey cannabis movement.

In 2022, Sax held over 80 external and internal webinars and podcasts to disseminate meaningful information on important matters to those we serve. These included our quarterly Tax with Sax discussions, Good Morning Cannabis podcast, Cryptocurrency Q&As, and presentations on timely topics including but not limited to: Year-end Tax Planning, Year-end Giving and Cybersecurity in the Workplace.

CONSTRUCTION & REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY UPDATE

420CANNECT: A CANNABIS NETWORKING GROUP

MANUFACTURING & DISTRIBUTION DAY

Testimonials

We have complete confidence in Sax. Working with them has been far better than any other firm we have had. We always know where we stand, feel completely comfortable discussing our situation, no question is ever too small. Questions get answered almost immediately with an email or a call. Their software for tracking our investments, retirement plan, etc. is easy to use and is excellent. Highly recommend them!

SAX gives me the attentive and knowledgeable service I need to allow me to focus my time on running my small business.

When I was ready to move my funds, SAX worked with me in a big way to keep me on board, demonstrating to me how much SAX values me as an account and me as a person.

We are fortunate to be clients of SAX. Our CPA goes above and beyond in the service he provides. He works diligently to ensure our business financials are tended to in a timely fashion.

Sax LLP has been a huge help to my firm. We have complex accounting needs and their team is knowledgeable, responsive and adaptable to every situation. We are very happy with Sax.

I have enjoyed working with Sax for the last two years. They are thorough in their review of our accounting and help us out when questions arise. They often suggest ways to improve processing going forward.

The SAX staff/team are very professional. They are always available to answer your questions and support your needs. They are a great resource and will assist you in any way they can. They make you feel comfortable, valued and important. I would highly recommend their services.

Sax, most importantly, gives me/us confidence that we are receiving the best service and advice in regards to all our tax and financial needs. Truly an excellent Partner.

Sax has the resources to answer any questions or needs we may have as they are diverse in the services provided. You can trust they will get you what you need.

Charitable THE SAX

Sax’s Charitable Foundation is committed to supporting charities who display exceptional dedication to building our next generation of leaders, assist the communities in which we operate, and inspire passion in our Firm’s employees and partners.

The following two initiatives are sponsored by the Sax Charitable Foundation annually and are beloved events to our firm.

THE SAX FOUNDERS’ AWARD

Sax’s Founders’ Award is a gift of $15,000 to a local nonprofit organization who best demonstrates the annual theme put forth by the firm and a group of independent judges.

The theme of our 5th annual Founders’ Award was “Vision” and was chosen to recognize the forward thinking of applicants post-pandemic.

The first-place winner was Popcorn for the People and the nonprofit walked away with $15,000 to support its mission of creating employment opportunities for those on the autism spectrum. The award was announced at the Founders’ Award ceremony held on September 8, 2022, at Biagio’s in Paramus.

First Place

We were incredibly honored to be this year’s Founders’ Award winner! We are grateful to be recognized for our organization’s vision of providing meaningful employment opportunities for individuals with autism,” said Steve Bier, Founder of Popcorn for the People. “On behalf of everyone from our organization, we want to thank the judges and everyone at Sax for their generosity and acknowledgement of what we are trying to accomplish.

Please click here to view the event video which highlights the missions of the Founders’ Award’s top applicants.

In addition to the Founders’ Award winner, two runner-up organizations who were awarded volunteer hours donated by Sax employees were selected for their demonstrated vision. Second place was awarded to Ethan and the Bean, who works to employ individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in a coffee shop setting. Third place was awarded to Roots and Wings, which strives to provide safe and free housing, education support, employment support, and emotional support to youth aging out of foster care.

Third Place

Second Place

Charitable

THE SAX 4 MILER

Our 11th annual 4 MILER event was held on Saturday, October 1, 2022, to benefit St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital. This year, over 400 participants, 40 volunteers, 40 sponsors, and 100 donors came together to raise $115,000 for St. Joseph’s Child Life Department, marking it the best year yet in terms of dollars raised.

St. Joseph’s Child Life Department offers high-impact holistic therapies to their pediatric patients, including art therapy, animal-assisted therapy, and horticultural therapy. These therapies are shown to be highly beneficial in mitigating the adverse effects of hospitalization, particularly for patients with chronic, life-threatening, or terminal illnesses.

Since its inception in 2012, the 4 MILER has raised $800,000 for the Children’s Hospital and has become the largest financial contributor to the Child Life Department.

Sax’s 4 MILER event makes it possible for our pediatric patients to have access to our outstanding Child Life staff while they undergo treatment and care,” said Robert Budelman, Vice President, Chief Development Officer of St. Joseph’s Health Foundation. “Our children face many challenging obstacles, but through the efforts of the Child Life Department, we can provide them with an array of programs and services that work to alleviate some of their worries about receiving treatment. We thank Sax for their tremendous support and for allowing us to address the unique needs of our young patients in meaningful ways.

“

WE THANK ALL THOSE WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THE SUCCESS OF THE 11TH ANNUAL 4 MILER, WITH A SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO THE FOLLOWING COMPANIES WHO SPONSORED THE EVENT AT $2,500 AND MORE:

ROBERT PAZ

TheSaxFamily

Sax is growing fast, with team members now expanding across the globe. It is vital to Sax leadership that no matter how large the firm gets, we keep the family-like culture that has been the bedrock to our success. To accomplish this, Sax holds annual events that bring the team together to foster comradery and take time out to enjoy each other outside of the workplace.

FIRM FAMILY PICNIC

Sax hosted its beloved Family Picnic this summer at our office in Parsippany. Team members and their families had fun in the sun with catered lunch, inflatable obstacle courses, face painters, balloon artists, corn hole and more. This was the first time many remote team members were able to see Sax’s new headquarters and meet many of their counterparts in person.

To our team members who had new additions to their family in 2022: Congratulations

JEREMY RHEN welcomed baby Hunter David on January 28th.

ERIC SEIDMAN welcomed baby Liana Naomi on January 19th.

END OF YEAR CELEBRATION

This year’s End of Year Celebration was held at the Venetian in Garfield, NJ. Joe Damiano, Sax CEO, kicked off the evening with the acknowledgement of Sax’s retiring partners, in-coming partners, and team member Service Awards – and was followed by dinner and dancing. Sax’s annual Celebration event is the culmination of the year, and is a way for team members to come together, let their hair down, and celebrate all the success their hard work and contributions attributed to.

JAMES MOORE welcomed baby Jaren E.J. on January 28th.

KELITA SOOKHOO welcomed baby Ember Grace on April 17th.

MARGARET HENN welcomed baby Keenan Michael on February 5th.

MAYANK SHAH welcomed baby Veer on August 5th.