June 2015
Philadelphia Chapter
Volume 64 Number 5
PRESIDENT
Stephanie Sommers
St. Clair CPA’s, PC
101 West Elm Street, Suite 500
Conshohocken, PA 19428
TREASURER /
FINANCIAL LITERACY
Mary-Claire Corcoran, CPA
324 Woods Road
Glenside, PA 19038
H-215.885.1006
C-215.990.0219
SECRETARY
Judy Maira
Toll Brothers Inc
Corporate Office
250 Gibraltar Road
Horsham, PA 19044
215-938-5224
DIRECTORS
Theresa Copeland, MSM
Jan S. Spiegel
Adrienne Straccione, CPA
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Pam Wenner
NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS
1-800-326-2163
www.afwa.org
NATIONAL TREASURER
Mary E. Duff, CPA
(member of Philadelphia Chapter)
www.afwa-phila.org
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Members and Friends of the Philadelphia Chapter:
Well, there certainly is a lot to catch up on! Another busy season has come and gone for those member affected by it and Spring is in full swing. I apologize for the lack of correspondence over the past few months. We have a lot to cover in this newsletter.
To catch everyone up on all that has happened over the past few months, here is a summary of the past few months. In November, we learned more than we thought we ever would about the Affordable Care Act from Dominic Morrone of Advantage Benefits Concepts, Inc. Dominic provided much needed basic information on the key provisions of legislation of the ACA, potential business impact, key timeframes and suggested actions. In December, we enjoyed wine and cheese at Campbell & Co Jewelers along with some information on diamonds. We ended our night with dinner, gift exchange and great company at Walnut Street Supper Club. Cheryl Post, Glen Diamond and John Campbell, III of St. Clair CPAs, P.C. provided us with the latest and greatest tax update to help get us through another (wonderful) tax season in January. February’s meeting sponsored by Wells Fargo provided us with a high level overview of Section 79 Planning at La Collina Ristorante and in April we learned a lot of useful information on Disability Insurance presented by Richard Laver of Met Life Premier Client Group of Philadelphia, who also sponsored the meeting at DeVry University in Ft. Washington. Thank you again to our friends at Campbell & Co Jewelers, Wells Fargo, Met Life Premier Client Group of Philadelphia, DeVry University and St. Clair CPA Solutions for sponsoring the meetings either by providing dinner or meeting space! With your support, we are able to save more for our scholarship fund.
Our most recent meeting on Wednesday, May 20th was a discussion lead by Jonathan Pollack, CLTC of Pollack & Associates providing information on the importance of Long Term Care (LTC) Insurance in preserving your family’s wealth. Mr. Pollack shared his experience working exclusively in the individual and group LTC insurance industry for over 20 years with an understanding of options and the impact of LTC insurance from recent tax laws, coverage and available policies.
Please do not forget to put on your calendars our celebration of the AFWA Philadelphia Chapter’s 75th Anniversary at the Wells Fargo Museum where we will have drinks, food and fun on Wednesday, June 24th! We will be installing our chapter’s officers and have a special recognition of past presidents. Also, mark your calendars to joins us at our planning meeting for the 2015-2016 fiscal year on July 25th with the location TBD. Your input is essential to planning out another fulfilling and successful year. We hope to see you soon!
Sincerely yours,
Stephanie S. Sommers, CPA
President, AFWA Philadelphia Chapter
EMPLOYMENT /
MEMBERSHIP
Lori Lucente-McKeage, CPA
Diversified Industries, Inc.
121 High Hill Rd
Swedesboro, NJ 08080
W-856-662-1981 x 107
C-609-504-8956
NEWSLETTER / WEBSITE
Jan Spiegel
1854 Lippincott Road
Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006
H-215.947.8617
SCHOLARSHIP
Mary Feeney-Bonawitz, PhD, CPA
3102 Village Road
Orwigsburg, PA 17961
H: 570-366-0919
Judy Maira
Toll Brothers Inc
Corporate Office
250 Gibraltar Road
Horsham, PA 19044
215-938-5224
STUDENT LIAISON /
Stephanie Sommers
St. Clair CPA’s, PC
101 West Elm Street, Suite 500
Conshohocken, PA 19428
Theresa Copeland, MSM
Manage Your Business, LLC
1516 W. Girard Avenue, First Fl
Philadelphia, PA 19130
PROGRAMS
Adrienne Straccione, CPA
415 Sargon Way, Suite J
Horsham, PA 19044
215-675-8364
BY LAWS/ LEGISLATION
Mary Feeney-Bonawitz, PhD, CPA
3102 Village Road
Orwigsburg, PA 17961
H: 570-366-0919
75th
Anniversary
Join us in Celebrating our
Diamond Anniversary
When: Wednesday, June 24, 2015, 6 pm
Where: Wells Fargo Museum
123 S. Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19109
Event details: ã Honoring Past Presidents
ã Diamond jewelry item Raffle
ã 2015-2016 Officer Installation
ã Light Fare and Refreshments
Cost: $30
RSVP to: by
Monday, June 22
We have a winner § § § §
Our Scholarship Award winner is
Kathleen Randell of Rutgers University – Camden.
Out of many scholarship applications, Kathleen came out on top in all areas. She exemplifies the non-traditional student as she is an older student (in her forties), has three children now in the upper grades and has a GPA of 3.875/4.0 and holds a spot on the Dean’s List.
This is what she had to say in her essay:
When I was 40, I decided that I would fulfill my dream of becoming a CPA. Before going back to school, I focused on being a mom to three great kids. I did it all, from volunteering at school and church, to leading Girl Scouts and selling cookies. Also for the last ten years, I have worked from home as the accounting manager of a non-profit organization. All of that has taught me how to juggle ten things at once, prioritize and delegate tasks, all while managing my time effectively.
Now that my kids are older, I am planning to use those skills in my career. I hope to work at a regional accounting firm where I can learn many aspects of accounting. I am not the type to do only one thing; I like to know all about everything. I would also like to give back to the community by providing personal financial education; teaching solid financial skills, so that nobody else has to make the same financial mistakes I did. Now, finishing my junior year, I can see a light at the end of the tunnel and am excited that my dreams are coming true.
Please come meet Kathleen when we present her with her scholarship award and certificate at our June meeting.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Planning Meeting Saturday, July 25th, 9:00 am
Location to be announced
Please plan on attending. Bring your topic ideas and speakers.
This is where YOU have a chance to be heard. All are invited.
Slate of Officers
for the 2015- 2016 Program Year
Officers:
President ...... Stephanie Sommers
Immediate Past President ...... Pamela Wenner
President Elect...... Adrienne Straccione
Vice President ...... Sara Soucie
Secretary ...... Judy Maira
Treasurer ...... Mary-Claire Corcoran
Directors (Elected for a two-year term)
Directors ...... Theresa Copeland
Jan Spiegel
Committee Chairs
Newsletter/website ...... Jan Spiegel
Employment/Membership ...... Lori McKeage
Scholarship ...... Judy Maira
Mary Feeney-Bonowitz
By-Laws/Legislation ...... Mary Feeney-Bonowitz
Financial Literacy ...... Mary-Claire Corcoran
Programs ...... Adrienne Straccione
Student Liaison (replaced Student Night) . . . .Stephanie Sommers
Theresa Copeland
National Treasurer...... Mary Duff
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
This is where the organization enhances its goal to “Empower Successful Women”. AFWA offers the opportunities for our members to take on various leadership roles within an organization in a progression of responsibilities. This is one of the most valuable benefits of your membership because you assume such responsibilities with the support of valued friends in the profession at your side as you grow into the leadership role. If you are interested in joining a committee or becoming more involved, please speak with our President, Stephanie Sommers.
Philadelphia Chapter Scholarship Fund
If you would like to make a contribution or honor someone for a great accomplishment, please think of our Scholarship fund. You may send donations to:
Mary-Claire Corcoran
324 Woods Road
Glenside, PA 19038
Please make checks payable to ASWA Philadelphia Scholarship. Your contributions will help further the education of a student pursuing a career in accounting or finance. We will also send acknowledgments to your honoree, just send the information.
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Do you know any Accounting or Financial professionals who are not members of AFWA?
This is what you should share with them:
By joining the Accounting and Financial Women’s Alliance (AFWA), you can strengthen your professional growth. AFWA offers networking and continuing education with accounting and finance professionals at the local, regional and national levels. Our members communicate both virtually and in-person through online discussion forums, national and regional conferences and chapter meetings.
Benefits of Membership
The following is a list of current benefits enjoyed by members:
· Prestigious status of professional affiliation
· National contacts for networking and professional information
· Forum for CPE
· Scholarships
· Leadership opportunities in supportive arena
· Subscription toAccountability e-newsletter
· National and regional conferences at a discounted rate
· Access to Career Center
· Access to AFWA's LinkedIn group
· National online membership directory
· Discounted membership to the Institute for Management Accountants (IMA)
· Discounted products and services through affiliation agreements (CPAreview courses, CCH tax & accounting books, Long Term Care insurance andBank of America credit card.)
If you know of an accountant or financial professional who is not a member, please tell them about us! Have them go to www.afwa-phila.org and go to MEMBERSHIP.
Or click to RENEW-JOIN.