THE BUZZ
MESSAGE FROM OUR MANAGING PARTNER
Dear Team, Now in the 4th quarter of 2019, it is important that we reset our focus on our firm’s goals with regards to the service we provide to our clients to ensure we are continuing to align ourselves with our strategic vision as their #1 advisor. I recently attended the 2019 RSM Leadership Conference in San Francisco with other key members of Sax. This annual conference focuses on the big changes to our industry, the disruptions they may cause, and how we can adjust the way we do business to shift the paradigm and drive performance to new heights. We spent most of our time at the leadership conference addressing “The Advisory Evolution” within our firm and in our outreach to clients. The conference reiterated things we already know – clients value a relationship that is advisory in nature; clients prefer casual and frequent strategy discussions; and, the more meetings we have with clients, the more engaged and satisfied they are with our relationships. The leadership conference also underscored the accuracy of our direction with our aspirational statement and driving that client experience. To continue to head in the right direction, we need to drive the 5 C’s throughout Sax – Collaboration, Care, Curiosity, Critical Thinking and Courage. Our industry is changing and changing fast. We must demonstrate how we set ourselves apart from our competitors every single day. We do this by following our core values, living our aspirational statement, and delivering meaningful results to exceed our clients’ expectations. I am looking forward to closing out a successful 2019 and working towards an even more successful 2020. Thank you for all that you do to help us achieve our goals.
Joseph Damiano
Joseph Damiano
HUMAN RESOURCES
Please join us in giving a warm welcome to the newest members of our Sax family.
Gabriella Marriello
Stat Typist/Proofreader | Clifton | 9.23.19
Amal Shanaa
Senior Tax Associate | Clifton | 10.28.19
Briana Pisauro
Talent Acquisition Specialist | Clifton | 10.28.19
Daniel Sanchez
A&A Associate | Clifton | 11.05.19
Julia Goldshlag
A&A Associate | Clifton | 11.05.19
Jennifer Han
Senior Tax Associate | Clifton | 11.11.19
Ethan Grubman
Entry Level A&A Associate | Clifton | 11.11.19
Russel Peachman
Entry Level A&A Associate | Clifton | 11.11.19
Raul Gutierrez
Entry Level A&A Associate | Clifton | 11.11.19
Michael DeBenedetto
Entry Level A&A Associate | Clifton | 11.11.19
Daniel Lubat
Entry Level A&A Associate | Clifton | 11.11.19
Paige Zawislak
Entry Level A&A Associate | Clifton | 11.11.19
Jessica Ramos
Entry Level A&A Associate | Clifton | 11.11.19
Andrew Blahut
Entry Level A&A Associate | Clifton | 11.11.19
Alan Grajed
Entry Level A&A Associate | Clifton | 11.11.19
Rouba Rached
Entry Level A&A Associate | Clifton | 11.11.19
Edward Gonzalez
Entry Level A&A Associate | Madison | 11.11.19
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT RECENT WINS - A/O 10.30.19
TOTAL WINS YTD
TOTAL RECURRING WINS YTD
$3,890,625
$2,647,975
NEW CLIENT WINS
ENGAGEMENT TEAM
1. Chuback Medical Group - Valuation
Susan Reed & Megan Sartor
2. Genesis Maintenance Corp.
Joshua Chananie & Frank Centrella
3. Granite Comfort
John Murphy & Todd Polyniak
4. June Homes
Jeffrey Roude
5. Lennar Homes- Stone Bridge
Michael Mongelli & Joseph Shannon
6. Philantrophic Life
Todd Polyniak
7. Threat Modeler Software Inc.
Joshua Chananie
8. Air Ideal Inc 9. Crescent Court LLC
William Happe Kathleen Alexander & Joseph Shannon
10. Alayna Nicole LLC 11. 129 Jackson Street 12. Lockwood Tavern Restuarant LLC 13. 63 Lehman Street 14. Mainardi Management
John Muprhy & Chris Gaffney Michael Benguigui & Larry Gradzki Kathleen Alexander Frank Centrella & Mathew Giordano John Murphy & Joseph Shannon
15. 1066 Goffle LLC
Bob Hopper & Gina Perrone
16. JVC Motors Inc
Bob Hopper & Gina Perrone
17. Rachel Klaiman 2018 Irrevocable Trust 18. Reorg Research Inc. 19. Community Word Project
Maria Plucinsky Chris Gaffney Josh Chananie & Josh Weinberg
Great Cards Erick Morillo worked hard to meet the September 15th tax deadline under difficult circumstances with late arriving information from clients. Quantifying – he worked 84 hours in the 7 day period ending on September 15 of which 25 hours were on the weekend (9/13 and 9/14). That Sunday he was in the office at 7:30 AM and got home around midnight, and then put in a 12 hour day on Monday. His work ethic deserves recognition!
Nimra Ahmed deserves a great card! We received a client request that was very time sensitive. With the tax deadlines and the holiday, team members were not able to easily fit it in. Not only was Nimra willing to squeeze it in, but she worked late to go over it to make sure she was on the right track. Then she took the initiative to finish it over the weekend. Nimra took ownership, proved she is a team player and displayed all the core values of Sax.
Felicia Jackson deserves a great card for working diligently with the Empire office and converting their time and billing system into our Practice Management System. We needed to convert their client numbers, employee codes and service codes so they matched our existing codes. Also, Felicia did a great job with training the Empire team with two sessions last month.
Great Cards Mathew Giordano deserves a great card for going above and beyond on foreign reporting. Mat did hours of research on form 5471 filings, and the new GILTI tax. The client had filing responsibilities and transfers on C Corp, S Corp, Trust and Individual levels. Mat took ownership of the assignment and put in extra time to get work done during the crunch of September 15th and October 15th. Thank you Mat!
Lisa Meyers helped the finance team by organizing the paperwork and setting up 22 new hire folders. There is a lot of forms that need to be printed and put in these folders, and we've been trying to do this for 2 months and never had enough time to complete. Also, Lisa handles the cash receipts daily for Carolyn and handles this in a very precise and timely manner.
FIRM NEWS
Candy Gordon-Geanoules has over 25 years of experience in the field and began working at Sax in 2018, where she has found a genuine interest serving clients within our Real Estate Practice. Candy is always willing to give a helping hand to her teammates and mentor the younger staff, while working towards her own career goals.
Kevin J. Hansen is a Partner here at Sax and has made tremendous achievements in his career such as receiving a number of professional licenses and serving as CoManaging Partner of the Hunter Group before merging with Sax in 2017. His vision for the future is to successfully transfer all his clients, professional relationships and expertise to the next generation of Sax leaders.
Read more about Candy & Kevin in our Q&As here.
OVER $106,000 RAISED FOR ST. JOSEPH'S CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
$14,733 raised by Sax team members. Over 55 Sax team members attended the event.
WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU.
THANK YOU!
Our Mission To educate and support our employees and our community in acting in an environmentally responsible manner by promoting waste reduction, recycling, and purchasing sustainable products in the workplace. Our aim is to develop goals, policies and practices to improve the well-being of our environment, and to be the bridge between new ideas that benefit our environment and their practical implementation. We believe strongly that we can make a positive change in our world as individuals, and by standing together as one company.
Our Vision To create an inherent mindset within our firm to act in a more environmentally responsible manner by creating sustainable habits that conserve natural resources and reduce our carbon footprint.
NEW Q4 INITIATIVE Limit your energy use! We are encouraging all members of Sax to be mindful of energy saving techniques. This includes logging off your computer at the end of the day, and turning off monitors and lights – at both your desk/office and in our conference rooms.
Why Save Energy? When we consume less power, we reduce the number of toxic fumes released by power plants, conserve the earth’s natural resources and protect ecosystems. By taking steps to reduce energy intake, you’ll contribute to a healthier and happier world.
Q3 INITIATIVE REMINDER Limit our use of water bottles! Remember to use your new reusable, insulated water bottles Sax gifted to all employees instead of water bottles or plastic cups. Only guests should use the small water bottles moving forward.
Any ideas to help our Green initiative?! Email us at gogreen@saxllp.com
Volunteers In an effort to drive our culture of giving, Sax offers team members a paidtime-off day to use for volunteering for charity. If you would like to use a PTO day to participate in a firm sponsored charity event, below are some current opportunities. If you have a cause dear to your heart, please share the organization and event with Sharon Bleibtreu for approval prior to using PTO. Sax's Volunteer PTO Code: 9812 - Community Service
SAX PTO VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Oasis - a Haven for Women and Children 1.
Tuesday, November 26 | 9:00-2:00 PM Serving a Thanksgiving meal to those less fortunate
2.
Thursday, December 19 | 9:00-2:00 PM Serving a holiday meal to those less fortunate
If you are interested in registering for these Sax sponsored charity events, please email Jessica Peralta at jperalta@saxllp.com ASAP.
to help feed families this holiday
October 28 - November 15 Canned Goods Paper Products Baking Goods Personal Hygiene Products Household Products Grocery Store Gift Cards Donations are being collected in Clifton office's 3rd floor kitchen.
"ALL WRAPPED UP" Holiday Giving Program Help us make the holidays a happier time this season for those less fortunate by donating gifts to families in need.
Beneficiary & Donation Information: Children ages ranging from infant to 3 years old Families are low income and cannot afford presents Gift value does not need to exceed $50
If you are interested in sponsoring a child in need, please email mhenn@saxllp.com by November 13. You will receive their name, age, gender and a suggested gift from their “wish list�.
ANNOUNCEMENTS | REMINDERS
Elena Klarberg attended the NJAA Charitable Foundation Golf Outing at Preakness Hills Country Club with Jack Linefsky of Value Companies, Lynne Aber of Bertram Associates, Ellen Sossin of Value Companies and Jeff Halter of Bertram Associates.
While Sharon Bleibtreu and April Kushner attended the Ramapo College Career Fair to promote Sax, April hopped into a photo with her fellow alumni.
ANNOUNCEMENTS | REMINDERS
Firm leaders Kathleen Alexander, Susan Reed, Marie DeCaprio, Maria Plucinsky, and Debbie Nappi gave a panel discussion called "The Road to a Board" for Sax's P.O.W.E.R. Group. Moderated by Peggy Tilles, the women shared their experiences and pitfalls with joining organizations that helped to enhance their personal and professional lives.
Candy Gordon-Geanoules, Jessica Vidal and Jefferson Zotamba attended the "Meet the Firms" event at William Paterson to promote Sax. Here they are pictured with their Starbucks gift card winner. The night was a great success!
ANNOUNCEMENTS | REMINDERS
Want to win a 2020 Porsche 911?! Our client, the Diabetes Foundation is holding a raffle to raise money for the cause. The drawing will be held on January 4, 2020. Read more about it here.
Team members Missy O'Shea, Ermal Luzaj and Joseph Saverino attended the Highbury Golf Outing which Sax sponsored.
ANNOUNCEMENTS | REMINDERS
Sax was represented at the CRETech conference in Brooklyn which was a large and successful event for Real Estate and Technology professionals.
Kathleen Alexander attended the Meadowlands Chamber Legacy Awards Reception, and is pictured here with Cathy Choi, the recipient of the 2019 Legacy Award.
ANNOUNCEMENTS | REMINDERS
Congratulations to Sax Wealth Advisors for winning 2 awards at the BAM Alliance National Conference: Most New Retirement Plans and the Ascendant Compliance Award.
Debbie Nappi participated on a distinguished panel hosted by the Mid-Atlantic Real Estate Journal called the 6th Annual Healthcare & Medical Properties Conference.
ANNOUNCEMENTS | REMINDERS
Our email distribution lists have been cleaned up. You can find the new groupings on our Sharepoint Homepage for future reference.
A list of "easy emails" for specific requests can be found on our Sharepoint Homepage for future reference.
ANNOUNCEMENTS | REMINDERS
Sax's Video Training Library is now live on Sharepoint. You can find this on the "Business Services Site" under "Video Library". Please reach out to Virginia Dennerlein with any questions.
On January 1, 2020, we will adopt an automatic email retention policy of 36 months. At that time, emails older than January 1, 2017 will automatically be deleted and each day, emails older than 24 months will be deleted. Emails providing support to an engagement are to be stored in either Caseware (business) or GFR (individuals, trusts and estates).
ANNOUNCEMENTS | REMINDERS
The NJCPA’s Bergen Chapter is looking for scholarship candidates. Applicants must be a current college accounting major who has completed 24 credits or the equivalent of one year (but less than 150 credits); must be enrolled in school as of September 2020; must live or attend school in Bergen County; and may not have received scholarship assistance covering FULL tuition. For more information or to obtain the scholarship application, please reach out to George Charne. Applications must be submitted by December 10, 2019.
PRESS ROOM
Missy O'Shea was featured in Construction Accounting and Taxation with her article titled, "Selecting and Implementing the Right Software for your Construction Business". Read the article here.
Jason Borofsky was featured in Mid-Atlantic Real Estate Journal with his article titled, "Prepping Real Estate Firms for an Economic Downturn". Read the article here.
Candy Gordon-Geanoules was a featured “Woman in Business” in MidAtlantic Real Estate Journal’s recent issue. Read her Q&A here.
UPCOMING EVENTS
CFO Focus: Annual Tax Update NOV. 6 | Clifton Boardroom | 8-10:30 AM Read Invite Here.
Real Estate Industry Update NOV. 7 | Park Avenue Club | 8-10:30 AM Read Invite Here.
M&D Industry Update NOV. 12 | Stony Hill Inn | 8-10:30 AM Read Invite Here.
15th Annual Banker's Breakfast NOV. 14 | Hanover Marriott | 8-10:30 AM Read Invite Here.
"Private Equity in Healthcare" NOV. 19 | Upper Montclair CC | 8-10:30 AM Read Invite Here.
Construction Industry Update NOV. 21 | Stony Hill Inn | 8-10:30 AM Read Invite Here.
ANYTHING TO ADD? Email marketing@saxllp.com